By Paul Kruze

November 21, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Some 300 members of El Cajon’s large Chaldean  community gathered at Prescott Promenade in downtown El Cajon on Thursday afternoon to vent their frustrations that the U.S. government is not doing enough to protect ethnic Chaldean Christians who still live in war-torn Iraq and face new persecutions now, even after ISIS has been routed from their homeland.

The rally was sponsored by the Chaldean League of California, local Chaldean associations, and the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter. Several speakers called for the Iraqi constitution to be amended to assure equality for Muslim and Christian Iraqis and asked for there to be a separation of church and state in Iraq.

According to a flyer distributed by the Chaldean League, since the defeat of ISIS, Iraqi Christians have started to return to their overrun towns and villages, yet are once again being forced to flee again when Iraqi and Kurdish forces clash.

  By Paul Kruze

November 20, 2017 (El Cajon) – Since the East County Perform Arts Center shut down  in 2010, many East County residents have been frustrated with the slow pace of completing repairs and finding new management.

Finally, at last Tuesday’s El Cajon City Council hearing, residents heard the news they’ve long been waiting for. Mayor Bill Wells and City Manager Doug Williford announced that a preliminary five year management agreement for the theater has been reached with Live Nation, a Beverly Hills-based live-events company focused on producing worldwide concert and entertainment-show promotions.

Details of the final agreement are expected to be shared at the next meeting and approved by the City Council. The vote will mark the culmination of some one-and-a-half years of negotiation by Williford.

East County News Service

Photo:  John O'Hanian, 2-1-1 San Diego

November 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- 2-1-1 San Diego, an independent local nonprofit that serves as a resource and information hub connecting more than 200,000 people annually to more than 6,000 community, health and disaster support services, has announced it will seek donations from the public for its food assistance program as part of the annual “Giving Tuesday,” a global day of giving to be held this year on Nov. 28.

East County News Service

November 20, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - EDCO would like to remind residents that kitchen fat, oil and grease (FOG) that’s left over from daily cooking, or after deep frying a Thanksgiving turkey, can be recycled! For interested residents, EDCO has a free, safe and more environmentally friendly option for disposing of household FOG.

By Frank Sharry, America’s Voice California

East County News Service

November 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is continuing its support of the San Diego Regional Fire & Emergency Services Foundation (Fire Foundation) with a $116,459 grant for mobile data computers (MDCs), which will provide address and mapping information to first responders during medical emergencies and brush fires in rural back country areas of the county.

November 20, 2017 (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

• County acquires Dictionary Hill open space  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Desert View Tower, Jacumba roadside site, on sale for $1.25M (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Hunter calls for preemptive strike against North Korea  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Judge orders Arabo to repay Neighborhood Market Association $248,000 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Record of physician running for Congress warrants scrutiny (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Board of Supervisors Approve $500K in Rental Assistance For Homeless (KPBS)
• To resist scammers, SDG&E makes changes in worker uniforms (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego's only commercial marijuana grower to greatly expand production (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Scathing Emails Highlight Dem Party-Union Rift (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• How California ranks in the nation’s opioid epidemic (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• California judge says companies must remove pre-1951 lead paint in homes (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Atmospheric river brings storm and flash flood warnings to fire-ravaged wine country (Los Angeles Times)

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

East County News Service

November 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Your turkey in the oven won’t be the only thing warming up this Thanksgiving.  The National Weather Service predicts warm, dry weather through the holiday weekend—with record temperatures likely Wednesday and Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.

“We can create at least 6,000 jobs here.” – Pete Beauregard

By Miriam Raftery

November 17, 2017 (Ramona) – Out of the ashes of the 2007 firestorm in Ramona, Casa Aguilar arose.  The home of Pete  Beauregard and his wife, Amy McQuillan, just won the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2017 Innovation Award for zero net energy use. It’s also built to withstand wildfires. 

On October 24, Beauregard, a rancher, veteran, ex-rodeo bullrider and candidate for Congress in the 50^th Congressional district took the bull by the horns and convened a think tank meeting at his visionary home. The event brought together top green industry leaders to brainstorm ideas for bringing green manufacturing and building jobs to East County.

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Story by Liz Alper

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 19, 2017 (San Diego) - Senior running back Rashaad Penny set an SDSU record for most all-purpose rushing yards in a game, rushing for 429 Saturday night against Nevada as the Aztecs knocked off the Wolf Pack 42-23. 

East County News Service

November 18, 2017 (La Mesa) – Looking for holiday cheer?  San Pasqual Winery’s tasting room in La Mesa is offering cork wreath making classes, an evening of wine and cheese, and live music nights featuring musicians specializing in jazz, classical, and guitar ranging from country to classic rock and more.  For a full schedule of holiday season happenings, scroll down.

SDSU is 3-0 for just the 10^th time in program history

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 18, 2017 (San Diego) - With just five seconds on the clock, senior captain Geena Gomez scored the go-ahead basket to give San Diego State women’s basketball its third straight win to open the season, a 59-58 nail biter over Cal State Fullerton Saturday afternoon in Viejas Arena.

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 15, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - The County’s Health and Human Services Agency is warning anyone who uses an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card to access benefits to be aware of a text messaging scam.