By Miriam Raftery

Warning: vulgar language

October 8,2016 (San Diego) – San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigned in disgrace and was convicted of sexual harassment for forcibly kissing women and putting his hands on their buttocks.   Now , the Washington Post has released audio of presidential candidate Donald Trump making boasts in crude language of kissing women  and putting his hands on their genitals without permission---actions that constitute criminal sexual assault.

As an attractive woman approached, Trump described her as ”hot as shit” then said he needed ”Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them.  It’s like a magnet…I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.  Grab  them by the pussy.”

He also boasted of attempting unsuccessfully to have sex with a married woman shortly after his own wedding to his third wife, Melania. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 11, 2016 (La Mesa) –  At today’s 4 p.m. meeting, La Mesa City Council will consider a proposal introduced by Council members Bill Baber and Kristine Alessio that would require signatures  of two  Council members to place any item on the agenda.  Under the proposal (item 10 on the agenda), all requests must also be made in writing, be relevant to the official business of the City, and submitted with any pertinent materials by the Wednesday prior to a Tuesday Council hearing.

Until now, any member could ask to add an item to the agenda and seek full discussion, sometimes at the request of a concerned citizen. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos courtesy of Deerhorn Valley Antler and Ray Conser

October 11, 2016 (Jamul) – Opening of the Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego yesterday caused extreme traffic delays of to several hours, according to the California Highway Patrol and residents.  The Deerhorn Valley Antler reported 2-4 hour delays.  Traffic on State Route 94 (Campo  Road)  was  backed up for  many miles, all the way from Otay Lakes Road in the south and from  Kenwood Drive in Spring Valley in the north.Side roads such as Lyons Valley Road and Skyline also became jammed.

CHP’s incident page logged multiple complaints of motorists parking on both sides of  highway 94 and other nearby streets illegally after the casino parking lot, which holds 1,800 vehicles, filled to capacity. There were reports of  vehicles making illegal U-turns, passing illegally, and making right turns from a left-hand lane, as well as motorists walking along the roadway.  One caller voiced distress, reporting that her vehicle overheated and her daughter was home along,  per the CHP log. On Brush Fire Partyline’s  Facebook page, Melissa Woodall worried about her children stuck in traffic on a school bus with no air conditioning. John MJodline wrote that it took two hours to get his son at Steele Canyon High school, where dozens of kids were stranded waiting for parents and some students crossed a dangerous thoroughfare.

By Janis Russell

October 10, 2016 (San Diego) - Close to a hundred people turned out on Wednesday October 5 at the Jacob Center for a pre-regulatory meeting on medical marijuana regulatory issues.  The public meeting was convened by the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation (BMCR) in the California Department of Consumer Affairs and the Office of Medical Cannabis Safety, Department of Public Health.

By Liz Alper

Photos courtesy Joel Price

October 10, 2016 (Oakland) - For week four, the Chargers traveled north to face the AFC West rival Oakland Raiders.  The Raiders started the scoring midway through the first quarter with a field goal from Sebastian Janikowski, good for three points and the Raiders took a 3-0 lead.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Byron Croft: top, Richard St. Jean and Penn National team; right, Final Cut steakhouse view.

October 9,2016 (Jamul) – “I’m like a proud parent,” Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego vice president and general manager Richard St. Jean said,  during a preview tour of the 200,000 square foot facility on Saturday.  This has been a long time coming.”

The casino will opening to the public on Monday at 2 p.m., after an 11 a.m.ribbon-cutting for Penn National Gaming executive team members and tribal members of the Jamul Indian Village of the Kumeyaay Nation.

For more sports stories, visit ECM's Sports section

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

October 9, 2016 (San Diego) - Donnel Pumphrey had 198 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, Rashaad Penny added 160 scrimmage yards and two TDs, and San Diego State beat UNLV 26-7 on Saturday night.

Pumphrey ran 31 times for 141 yards and caught seven passes for 57 yards. His 26th career 100-yard rushing game tied DonTrell Moore (New Mexico, 2002-05) for the Mountain West Conference record.

Source: SDSU Police Department

October 8, 2016 (San Diego) – Campus police at San Diego State University have issued an alert warning of cell phone thefts on Aztec Walk that occurred on October 2 and again on October 6.

Below is the full bulletin including descriptions of the suspects:

East County News Service

October 7, 2016 (Borrego Springs) -- The 51st Borrego Days Desert Festival will kick off Friday, October 21st through Saturday, October 23rd. Visitors are invited to pack your sunscreen and set your navigation devices to lead you to Borrego Springs for this weekend retreat for three days of music, art, a parade, car show, kids’ carnival activities and an opportunity to enjoy nature.

Update Oct. 12: The Chamber has rescinded its endorsement of Measures U and V after receiving more information from the cities of La Mesa and  Lemon Grove.

By Miriam Raftery

October 6, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) –Community leaders in La Mesa and Lemon Grove are reacting with shock and outrage over endorsement by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce (ECC) of Measures U and V, which would legalize medical marijuana dispensaries in the two cities.   Voters in both La Mesa and Lemon Grove rejected similar ballot measures in the last general election.

“The City of Lemon Grove is a dues-paying member of the ECC. Our tax dollars pay for those dues,” states an e-mail sent to  Lemon Grove’s mayor and others  from  Helen Ofield,  President of the Lemon Grove  Historical Society, and her husband, Jack.  “We urge the Lemon Grove City Council and City Manager to oppose the ECC’s action in the strongest possible terms and to cancel its membership in the ECC.”

The Respectful Leader: Seven Ways to Influence Without Intimidation, by Gregg Ward (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2016, 130 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

October 6, 2016 (San Diego) - Ironically and coming at a time when Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf has been called before the Senate Banking Committee to account for his actions and those of the bank, along with intemperate and disrespectful actions of numerous other business leaders, Gregg Ward, CEO of the Gregg Ward Group, a management consulting, training and coaching firm that focuses on helping leaders develop their Respectful Leadership, has written a timely book; The Respectful Leader: Seven Ways to Influence Without Intimidation.

For more sports stories, visit ECM's Sports section

Source: Chargers press release

Photo: Steve Willaims courtesy chargers.com

October 5, 2016 (San Diego) - The San Diego Chargers announced Wednesday that they have re-signed cornerback Steve Williams. To make room for Williams on the roster, the Chargers waived nose tackle Ryan Carrethers.

East County News Service

October 5, 2016 (Rancho San Diego) -- The Aces Foundation invites you and your dog to participate in the 6th annual Jingle Paws Walk for Pets on December 3rd.  Festivities begin at 9:00am with a warm-up from Leash Your Fitness and a Blessing of the Animals; the walk begins immediately after in the amphitheater at the Garden at Cuyamaca College, traveling throughout the campus.

By Jonathan Goetz

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this article

Photo: Council members Star Bales and Bob McClellan, Sept. 27, 2016

October 4, 2016 (El Cajon) -- The Lincoln Club, a conservative San Diego pro-business lobbying group that favors small government and low taxes, according to its website, has endorsed three candidates in the El Cajon City Council race. They are six-term Councilmember Bob McClellan, a retired car dealer, Councilmember Star Bales, who formerly served on the city’s Planning Commission and the El Cajon Arts and Culture Commission, and former Planning Commissioner Paul Circo.

East County News Service

October 5, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• El Cajon shooting puts focus on de-escalation training (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Santee sees increase in car thefts, prompts more patrols (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Project Lifesaver helps deputies find missing man (Ramona Sentinel)
• Why Clinton is the safe choice for President (San Diego Union-Tribune editorial)
• El Cajon protests: civil rights and business rights (Reporting San Diego)
• Lyft driver killed remembered as great person and ‘helper’(10 News)

STATE

• Time to cram:  California’s 17 ballot measures and propositions explained (Cap Radio)
• Gov. Brown approves plan for earthquake early warnings (KPBS)
• A snooze of  a Senate race (New York Times)

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