By Liz Alper

Photo:  redshirt junior Adekunle Ayinde is congratulated coming off the field after his fourth quarter interception.  Via @GopherFootball on Twitter

December 27, 2016 (San Diego) - University of Minnesota football players showed up to play in this year’s National Funding Holiday Bowl.  However, 10 of them did not.  Ten Golden Gopher football players were suspended for an alleged sexual assault that happened in September.  The team boycotted practice on December 15 and a petition that reach over 1,200 signatures was filed against Golden Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys, calling for his firing after how he handled the boycott and the situation with his players.

Alas, the Gophers showed up to play against the Cougars on Tuesday and San Diego had another bowl game on their hands.

By Miriam Raftery

December 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – California has hundreds of new laws taking effect in on January 1, 2017, impacting employment, education, gun rights, health, housing, criminal justice, consumers, motor vehicle drivers, elections, youth sports, and more. Here are some of the most important new laws you should know about before ringing in the New Year:

Source: Alpine Fire Dept.

Photos:  District Legal Counsel Steve Fitch administers oath of office to incumbent Alpine Fire Board member Thomas “Jim”  Mann (left) and new member Steve Taylor (right).

December 27, 2016 (Alpine) -- The Alpine Fire Protection District swore-in two Board members at the December 20, 2016 Board meeting.  Incumbent Thomas “Jim” Mann took the oath for his second 4-year term on the Fire Board.  New Board member Steve Taylor was sworn in for a 4-year term as well. Both Board members were the top two vote getters in a 5 person race for two seats on the Fire Board.  Both Board members were sworn in by District Legal counsel Steve Fitch.  Outgoing Board member Mary Fritz did not seek re-election.  Board member Fritz was thanked by staff, the firefighters and her fellow Board members for her many years serving on the Fire Board. 

East County News Service

December 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• More borrowers are losing Social Security benefits over old student loans (Market Watch)
• Trump says he plans to shut down his charitable foundation (Washington Post)
• Four More Michigan Officials Charged Over Flint Water Crisis (NPR)
• How Trump’s plan to gut Obamacare will take down Medicare (Forbes)
• This latest Trump appointee may worry Social Security recipients (NASDAQ)
• Five fights for Trump’s first 100 days (CNN)
• Five Republicans who could buck Trump in 2017 (The Hill)

WORLD

• Christmas reborn in Iraqi town freed from ISIS (CNN)
• Nigeria: Boko Haram crushed, forced out of last enclave (USA Today)
• U.S. declines to veto U.N. Security Council resolution for Israel to stop Jewish settlement activity (Washington Post)
• Deadly Explosion Rips Through Fireworks Market Near Mexico City (NPR)
• A bigger problem than ISIS? (New Yorker)
• Fake story spurs Pakistani official to threaten Israel with nuclear response (CS Monitor)
• Chile's government works to re-establish connectivity in quake-affected zone (Reuters)
• EU court says mass data retention illegal  (Reuters)
• Lithuania said found Russian spyware on its government computers  (Reuters)
• Russian hackers tracked Ukrainian artillery units using Android implant: report (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

East County News Service

December 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Mumps Cases Rise in San Diego and Across the Nation (KPBS)
• New Ebola vaccine gives 100% protection (New York Times)
• Wins and Losses in Global Health in 2016 (NPR)
• Despite Pledges to Cut Back, Farms Are Still Using Antibiotics (NPR)
• Multiple sclerosis drug 'a landmark' (BBC)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Security risk on in-flight entertainment systems, say researchers (BBC)
• Privacy Advocates Claim Interactive Doll Spies On Children (NPR)
• Evernote opens satellite office in San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Facebook says government requests for account data rise 27 percent (Reuters)
• Pulse victims lawsuit: Did social media provide 'material support' for terrorism? (CS Monitor)
• No risk seen from Fukushima 'fingerprint' on US West Coast (CS Monitor)
• Cheetahs heading toward extinction as habitat crashes (BBC)
• Scientists amazed by iron 'jet stream' in Earth's molten core (CS Monitor)
• 'Klingon' newts and 'Ziggy Stardust' snakes among 150 new Mekong species (CS Monitor)
• Rumblings of Europe's supervolcano: Will the sleeping giant awaken? (CS Monitor)
• Long before Rudolph, these gigantic birds flew around the North Pole (CS Monitor)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

December 26, 2016 (San Diego) -- New Year’s Eve is a night to have fun and celebrate the coming year, says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. However, safety is a must when participating in the festivities.

Following a few safety tips will ensure that you’re safe and sound when the clock strikes midnight, ringing in the New Year!

By Greg Dunne

December 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) — The first of the year is almost here.  Some New Year’s resolutions maybe? Hopefully eating healthy is one of them. I’m going to talk a little bit about juicing, how fun it can be, and of course how good it is for you as well.

East County News Service

December 26, 2016 (Dulzura) — A 44-year-old El Cajon woman has died of injuries in a head-on collision in Dulzura.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein, the victim was driving a 2011 Ford Fusion westbound on State Route 94 near Barrett School Road around 5:10 p.m. on December 23^rd when a 2003 Ford Explorer driven by a Dulzura woman, 28, crossed the double yellow lines, striking the Fusion head-on.

East County News Service

December 24, 2016 (Ocotillo) – Parke Ewing sent this stunning shot, perfectly composed, of a rainbow arcing above wind turbines in the desert at Ocotillo on Christmas Eve after the storm.

Residents have long complained about the turbines marring desert views.  So when Ewing posted this image on Facebook, it received some equally creative comments.

Source: Dept. of Motor Vehicles

December 24, 2016 (Sacramento)--With the New Year just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to inform the public of several new laws or changes to existing law that, unless otherwise noted, take effect on January 1, 2017.

These include new restrictions on handheld wireless phones and other devices, changes to child safety seat laws for children under age two,  and significant new laws. The following are summaries of some transportation-related laws taking effect:

East County News Service

December 24, 2016 (Boulevard) – “Check out the three inches or so of snow we woke up to in the Tierra Del Sol area of Boulevard!”  writes Donna Tisdale, who sent in these photos taken on Christmas Eve morning.

Photo credit:  The Moderate Voice and David Donar http://themoderatevoice.com/he-knows/

East County News Service

December 24, 2016 (Washington D.C.) -- President Obama and the First Lady just gave their annual holiday message from the White House for the last time. They talked about the values that bring Americans together over the holiday season:

By Liz Alper

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 23, 2016 (Honolulu) - After a win in yesterday's quarterfinals of the Diamond Head Classic with a win over Southern Miss, SDSU men's basketball took on Tulsa today in the semifinals.

Centralized collection of Kumeyaay artifacts, curated museum pieces and extensive scholarly collection housed for research, education and outreach

Source: Sycuan

December 23, 2016 (Sycuan Indian Reservation) -- Initiated with traditional Kumeyaay Bird Singers and Dancers, native blessings and a traditional sage smudging purification, the Sycuan Tribe unveiled the Sycuan Cultural Resource Center and Museum to a large crowd and rave reviews earlier this month.  The new facility centralizes and secures an enormous amount of ancient Kumeyaay artifacts, museum quality collections, and a vast array of scholarly research featuring the famous “Shipek Collection” of Kumeyaay archives.