By Leon Thompson, Tribal Beat

February 26, 2015 (Rancho San Diego) The new Native American Student Alliance (NASA) at Cuyamaca College hosted the first annual Cuyamaca Pow Wow earlier this month.

“Our goal is to share the rich heritage of our region’s Native culture” said Teka Tsosie, vice president of the student organization, and coordinator of the event.

February 25, 2015 (Spring Valley) - The Sheriff’s Department is warning Spring Valley residents about two masked men who tried to lure a 13-year-old girl into a van.

Hikers find belongings 13 miles off Highway 79, north of Warner Springs

East County News Service

February 24, 2015 (San Diego) updated February 26, 2015—San Diego Search and Rescue Crews are hunting for a 28-year-old hiker, Chris Sylvia, who left Anza, California on Thursday, February 12^th to hike south on the Pacific Crest Trail for a week or more. He called a friend February 16th to meet him near Warner Springs to pickup supplies on February 17^th, but never arrived.   

His friend told authorities he assumed Sylvia had continued his hike without stopping. But when he failed to reach his final destination, Campo, Sylvia’s friend became concerned and contacted the Sheriff on February 24.

Also on the 24th, other hikers found gear including a sleeping bag, sleeping pad and backpack that appear to belong to Sylvia. His identification was also found at this site approximately 13 miles off Highgway 79, north of Warner Springs.

February 25, 2015 (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.

• 24 Pictures That Perfectly Capture How Insane The Snow In New England Is (Buzzfeed)
• Big US, Canadian shopping malls: Next terrorist target? (CS Monitor)
• Now You Can Sign Up To Keep Drones Away From Your Property (NPR)
• The Government’s War on Freedom of the Press (Reason)
• Anti-Semitic, Pro-Islamic State Graffiti Continues to Plague D.C. (Free Beacon)
• Anti-Semitism Spikes in the Badger State Tablet Magazine)
• The great Sim heist: how spies stole the keys to the encryption castle (The Intercept)
• Federal government: average of 10 fuel trains may derail each year (CS Monitor)
• Two men sentenced to 25 years in plot to attack Americans in Afghanistan (Reuters)
•   Supreme Court Considers Visa Case For Foreign Spouses (NPR)
•  U.S. jury orders Palestinian groups to pay attack victims $218.5 million (Reuters)

WORLD

• ISIS parades caged Kurdish fighters through Iraqi streets (JPost)
• Saudi Preacher says US never went to moon, offers 'rational' proofs Earth doesn't revolve (JPost)
• Reliving the 1930s (Town Hall)
• Denmark’s Jewish Radio Station Shuts Down (Tablet Magazine)
• Two bombs explode at residence of Iranian ambassador in Libya (JPost)
• How Russia forces its soldiers to fight against Ukraine (CS Monitor)
• After the terrorist attacks: Children deregister from Jewish school (Danmarks Radio)
• Photos: Islamic State torches musical instruments, cigarrettes in Libya
• Icelandic bankers sentenced to prison (Icelandic Review)
• WATCH: Jerusalem mayor tackles Arab terrorist seconds after suspect stabs Jewish man (JPost)

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

February 24, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - Spring is in the air – and the Jacumba Hikers and Walkers are hitting the trail. On Saturday, February 28^th the group will meet at the Jacumba Spa (44500 Old Highway 80) then head out along the Border Patrol Trail to Airport Mesa and the Rock House for a five mile hike.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

February 22, 2015 (San Diego)--Fire extinguisher maker Kidde has recalled about 4.6 million disposable extinguishers, saying a faulty plastic valve can prevent them from fully discharging when used.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

Readers

February 22, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - February 22 (Sunday, 2:00 pm) — Local children's book author Henry Herz's new picture book, Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes (from Pelican Publishing), has garnered considerable praise, including: "For all of us who grew up loving Dungeons & Dragons and Tolkien, Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes is an excellent way to introduce our little ones to the world of fantasy!"

For additional information, contact Henry Herz at 858-212-6111; http://birchtreepub.com/mgnr.htm.

Mysterious Galaxy, 5943 Balboa Avenue, Suite #100, San Diego.

February 21, 2015 (Jamul) – The Helen Knoll Foundation, which has a mission to prevent breast cancer in women ages 18 to 40, will host an open house on Thursday, February 26^th from 5 to 8 p.m. at California Sol, a new restaurant at 12891 Highway 94 in Jamul.

February 20, 2015 (Lakeside) – A 21-year-old substitute custodian with the Grossmont Union High School District was arrested yesterday after texting a 14-year-old female student to arrange an off-campus sexual liaison. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Sexual Assault Unit and Santee Sheriff’s station are continuing the investigation to determine if there are any additional victims.

February 20, 2015 (Valley Center)-- Bo Mazzetti, chairman of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, was presented with the Fifth Annual Anna Sandoval Leadership Award at the Western Indian Gaming Conference’s Tribal Leaders’ luncheon, February 11, 2015, at Harrah’s Resort Southern California, in Valley Center, Ca.

East County News Service

February 20, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Two men suspected of a series of 15 commercial burglaries in La Mesa from are under arrest.  Both are also connected to burglaries in El Cajon and Oceanside, according to a statement issued by La Mesa Police.

East County News Service

February 18, 2015 (San Diego) – Target Corp. has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a complaint of overcharging consumers filed by the San Diego City Attorney, the Marin County District Attorney and other law enforcement agencies in additional counties.

East County News Service

February 19, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – University of California President Janet Napolitano has announced that UC will postpone a planned 5 percent tuition hike from the summer quarter until fall.  The decision comes after Governor Jerry Brown proposed an extra $119 million for UC funding in 2016, still $100 short of what regents have said is needed to cancel the rate hikes of 5 percent a year for the next five years that are set to kick in this year.

View video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fTobU9pt0ds

East County News Service

February 19, 2015 (San Diego)—Supervisor Bill Horn, Chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, declared 2015 the “year of the veteran” in his state of the county speech last week.

Horn said, “These men and women have made sacrifices that often take terrible tolls on their personal lives. As a county and as a community, we have a responsibility to take care of our veterans.”

An ex-Marine Corps officer and veteran, Horn said programs will be ramped up and new programs rolled out in the coming year.  One is the Vet Connect program being rolled out East County libraries, prompted by an East County Magazine special report that found a lack of veterans’ services in rural areas.

East County News Service

February 19, 2015 (San Diego)--The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General has issued a report which slams the use of drones by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.  A press release issued by Homeland Security says the report concludes, “After spending eight years and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has yet to prove the value of its Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) program while drastically understating the costs.”