By Miriam Raftery

April 20, 2016 (Washington D.C.) – A woman’s place is on the money. That was the slogan of “Women on 20s,” a group that launched a national effort to put a woman’s face on our twenty dollar bills.  The group held a national vote, with abolitionist leader Harriet Tubman named their number one choice.

By Miriam Raftery

April 20, 2016 (San Diego) – Frontrunners widened their leads in yesterday’s New York presidential primary, where three of the five contenders had strong New York ties.

New York’s former Senator Hillary Clinton won with 58% percent of the vote, picking up 139 delegates.  But Senator Bernie Sanders, who was raised in Brooklyn, got 42% and picked up 106 of the delegates.

On the Republican side, New York businessman Donald Trump scored a resounding victory with 60, winning 89 delegates. In second place, Ohio Governor John Kasich got 25% and earned 3 delegates.  Texas Senator Ted Cruz, with just 14.5%, was shut out of receiving any delegates.

La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools Vice-President Emma Turner appointed to leadership positions for the National School Boards Association during annual conference in Boston, MA.

Source:  La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools press release

April 19, 2016 (La Mesa) - Emma Turner, Vice-President of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District Board of Education, was elected to the position of Chair of the National Black Council (NBC) of National School Boards Association (NSBA) and also installed as a member of the Board of Directors of the NSBA at their annual conference on April 11, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.  During the two-year term of office, Dr. Turner will be the leading educational advocate for providing a quality education for all African American students across the nation, as well as all students.  Dr. Turner will also serve as a spokesperson for issues that impact the education of African American youth.

Records also shattered worldwide for third consecutive month

East County News Service

April 19, 2016 (San Diego) – As citizens around the world prepare to commemorate the 36^th anniversary of Earth Day this week, signs of climate change are increasingly evident on a local and national scale.

East County News Service

April 19, 2016 (Pine Valley) -- CALFIRE, in cooperation with Corte Madera Ranch, will be conducting a prescribed burn approximately 5 miles south of Pine Valley today.

California Coast Credit Union launches social media video contest to benefit local schools

East County News Service

April 19, 2016 (San Diego) – California Coast Credit Union, the oldest financial institution based in San Diego, with over $2 billion in assets, has launched a superhero-themed video contest to help raise money

for local schools. The Superhero Video Contest runs from April 1 to July 31 and contestants can win up to $1,500 for a school of their choice located in San Diego or Riverside County, plus $1,500 for themselves.

East County News Service

February 19, 2016 (San Diego)--The East County based Chorus of 80 with 48 piece symphony orchestra is celebrating its 15th season performing choral masterworks and popular music in a beautiful venue to audiences of up to 1200 people. This spring concert includes Beethoven's  "Choral Fantasy" from the Ninth Symphony. Rarely performed, this magnificent  piece includes  6 soloists from the San Diego Opera and well-known San Diego concert pianist Sylvia Hartman. Dvorak's powerful "Psalm 49" is next. 

This was the composer of the "New World Symphony" with its famous "Going Home" theme.  Then we perform "100 Years of Broadway" from Irving Berlin and Richard Rodgers to Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

East County News Service

April 18, 2016 (Lakeside) – Barona Museum invites children to a cultural story and art activity on the last Saturday of each month starting April 30^th and running through October.  The events will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the community center meeting room.

East County News Service

April 17, 2016 (Spring Valley) – A black Mercedes Benz pulled up alongside a Chevrolet Malibu on State Route 125 and opened fire around 1:30 this morning, the California Highway Patrol reports.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2016 (San Diego) — California women and girls are spending $41 billion  more than men and boys for similar products that everyone needs, according to the Senate Judiciary Committee analysis of Senate Bill 899, the “Equal Gender Pricing Bill” authored by Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego).  Yet they earn $39 billion less than men each year.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2016 (San Diego) --In light of issues in some other states about long lines to vote, cuts in polling places or numbers of voting machines,  lack of enough voting machines on college campuses and Indian reservations, and an inquiry from a reader, we sent questions to San Diego Registrar of Voters Michael Vu.  We also asked about deadlines to register to vote , change parties or get a mail ballot for the June 7 primary, and procedures to verify your registration. In addition, we got information on how you can vote early, as well as the need for poll workers, particularly bilingual poll workers for the election.

Below are our questions, along with Vu’s responses.

Source: Grossmont Healthcare District

 April 16, 2016 (La Mesa) -- In honor of National Donate Life Month in April, the Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host “Dispelling Myths About Organ and Tissue Donation,” a free presentation from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27. The program is part of the library’s Wellness Wednesday series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

East County News Service

April 16, 2016 (San Diego) -- A powerful 7.8 earthquake has struck the coast of Ecuador, killing at least 28 people.  There are also many injuries and collapsed buildings, including a hotel. 

Nadin Abbott at Reporting San Diego is live-blogging updates in both Spanish and English, translating information emerging from Ecaudor tonight:  https://reportingsandiego.com/2016/04/16/breaking-news-7-8-quake-hits-peru/

By Janis Russell

April 18, 2016 (Lakeside) - A public hearing was conducted April 11 in Lakeside to inform the public and let them voice their opinions for the by-trustee area election for GUHSD.  The hearing was held by the County Office of Education’s Committee on School District reorganization, which later approved the redistricting plan and map at its April 13 meeting. (http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/county-approves-guhsd-shift-trustee-districts)

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: GUHSD trustee Priscilla Schreiber, losing her seat due to redistricting

April 14, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The San Diego County Board of Education’s Committee on School District Reorganization last night approved the Grossmont Union High School District’s plan to implement trustee elections and approve the map previously approved by the GUHSD board. 

Next up, the state Department of Education will consider Grossmont’s request for a waiver of a public vote.  If the waiver is approved, the transition to trustee districts will be in place for the 2016 election.  If denied, a public vote would take place and if approved by the public, the changes would be delayed until 2018.