Update December 1, 2016: Lou Tejeda has taken the lead over Dan McMillan by 103 votes in the Helix Water District One race.  In the Alpine Union School District race,  Travis Lyons' lead over Lou Russo has shrunk to 25 votes.

The elections will be certified December 8 after all votes are tallied.

By Miriam Raftery

November 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) — Three weeks after the election, races in the Helix Water Board District and Alpine Union School District have tightened, with a potential for upsets once the final votes are tallied. 

East County News Service

November 30, 2016 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Historical Society invites you to celebrate the end of the year in style at its annual Christmas Open House on December 11 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the McKinney House, 8369 University Avenue in La Mesa.

East County News Service

November 30, 2016 (San Diego) -- Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Thanksgiving has come and gone. You survived another Black Friday and now we say goodbye to Cyber Monday. The next round of celebration is the Christmas holiday. Are you ready for some unique holiday music? Pacificaires celebrate their 40^th year of providing choral music to the community with two upcoming concerts,  including a Dec. 10 event in the College area.

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

November 30, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – A potentially strong Santa Ana weather pattern will develop Thursday evening, bringing strong Santa Ana winds Thursday night through Saturday. Sustained winds of 20-30 miles per hour and gusts over 65 mph are possible in the windiest locations, including Highway 8 in San Diego County from Alpine to the Imperial County border.

November 29, 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 takes urgent stand on marijuana (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Caught on camera: mountain lion in Lakeside neighborhood (10 News)
• Across the County, taxpayer-funded turf fields are falling apart while still under warranty (Voice of San Diego)
• Judge allows San Onofre waste lawsuit to advance (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Trump should renounce Muslim registry: America is better than that (San Diego Union-Tribune editorial)
• Hundreds of new downtown rentals approved(San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• ‘Calexit’ movement launches (Los Angeles Times)
• Can your landlord just say no to marijuana now that Prop 64 passed? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Government sued over offshore fracking in Santa Barbara Channel(Pacific Coast Business Times)
• UC, CSU Consider Raising Tuition For The First Time In 6 Years (KPBS)
• Numbers of international students in U.S. is at all-time high and California is top destination (Los Angeles Times)
• CalSTRS calculates total fees in likely first for public pension (Reuters)

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

East County News Service

November 30, 2016 (El Cajon) – A settlement has been reached in the case of an El Cajon couple accused of keeping a housekeeper against her will as an indentured servant.

The victim, who asked to be identified by her initials, W.M., wanted to go home to Indonesia and did not want to go through the ordeal of confronting her alleged captors in court, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.  So prosecutors negotiated a plea deal.

East County News Service

November 29, 2016 (Julian) - Julian Theater Company will present Charles’ Dickens “A Christmas Carol” at the Julian Town Hall  on two weekends in December – December 9 through 11 and again December 15-17.  This classic holiday tale reveals the transformation of Ebeneezer Scrooge,  who discovers the holiday spirit after visits by the ghosts of Christmas past,  present and future.

By Miriam Raftery

November 29, 2016 (Campo)- If you’ve got a hankering to own a 2,160 acre cattle ranch,  you may want to mosey on out to rural Campo and saddle up to see the Star Ranch.  The large property is on the market—and the owner is willing to consider offers on any of nine parcels separately or together. (View offering proposal).

A 455-unit housing development has been proposed on the site, drawing opposition from some neighbors concerned about impacts on groundwater supplies, traffic and loss of rural character.  Now the owner has put the site on the market-- and  is giving neighbors the first opportunity to purchase all or part of the sprawling rural property.

By Miriam Raftery

November 29,  2016 (Ramona)—The motorcyclist killed Friday morning on Highway 79 in Santa Ysabel in a collision with a Prius has been identified as Victor Earhart,  70, a prominent skateboarder who inspired fans of all ages. 

Sector 9, a skateboard company where Earhart worked and performed as a team writer,  posted a  tribute titled “Legends Never Die” that praised him as “a great ambassador for skateboarding and a legend to many. He was always down to ride skateboards rain or shine, dirt or asphalt. He was very loved by all and will be sorely missed in the skateboard community.”

Aztecs win three of the five major awards

Source: goaztecs.com press release

Photo: Rashaad Penny (left), Donnel Pumphrey (center), Damontae Kazee (right) swept the MW awards for the second straight season.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

November 29, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State senior Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas), senior Damontae Kazee (San Bernardino, Calif.) and junior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) have each been named players of the year by the Mountain West for the second consecutive season, the league announced today. Pumphrey was chosen as the MW Offensive Player of the Year, Kazee the MW Defensive Player of the Year and Penny the MW Special Teams Player of the Year.

By Miriam Raftery

November 29, 2016 (La Mesa) – You’re invited to enjoy the magic of the holiday season at La Mesa Shimmer on Thursday, December 1^st from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.   A lighting ceremony will be held at 5 p.m.at Legacy Park in the heart of the city’s historic downtown village, where you can also enjoy a hot chocolate bar, live music, and holiday window displays, shopping and dining.  For more information, visit www.cityoflamesa.us/shimmer.

East County News Service

November 29, 2016 (San Diego) — The Consumer Review Freedom Act, a measure to protect freedom of speech in online consumer reviews, has been approved by both the House and Senate and now heads to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature.

East County News Service

November 29, 2016 (Spring Valley) - Moni Blom, Pierre Bounaud, DiAnne Broussard, Richard Burkett, Clay Associates, Sunshine Cobb, Nan Coffin, Steve Cook, David Cuzick, Mary Cuzick, Danae Fasano Dehne, Ellen Fager, Robert Farmer, Jeremy Gercke, Bernie James, Ashley Kim, Roberta Klein, Merle Lambeth, Sam Lopez, Lisa Maher, Janet Martini, Hasuyo Miller, James O'Brien, Maricarmen Olimón, Mike Ridge, Linda Royster, Harumi Sako, Mike Sisson, Julie Thompson, and Lynn Zimmer will all be featured potters at the 2016 San Diego Pottery Tour on Saturday and Sunday, including many artists in East County.

Added: find postgame notes, quotes and box score inside

By Liz Alper

Photos by Cristian Rangel

November 28, 2016 (San Diego) - After defeating Cal last Monday, SDSU men’s basketball returned to Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena on a rainy Monday night to face Savannah State.  A special fact about tonight’s game was that the Aztecs wore turquoise Nike N7 jerseys in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

November 28, 2016 (San Diego) -- This cold front and much needed rain are prompting people to turn on their heaters/furnaces for the first time in a long time. This time of year fire departments respond increasingly to calls of “odor of gas inside.”