Not a single case of the disease, which is now curable with medications, has been transmitted locally in L.A. in the past 10 years

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by B. Jehle, Creative Commons license 

September 18, 2019 (San Diego) – An article published by the London tabloid Daily Mail and cited by some U.S. media outlets falsely suggested an outbreak of leprosy among homeless in Los Angeles to be an eminent threat. The Daily Mail quoted Dr. Marc Siegel as stating, “'Leprosy appearing among the homeless in LA is a sure recipe for instant public panic.”

But Associated Press has debunked the story.  The Los Angeles County Health Department confirms that the rate of leprosy has stayed steady for the past decade, averaging only two cases a year – and none of those were transmitted locally, AP reports.  This year, only a single case has occurred.

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2016 (Anza-Borrego Desert) – A reader of East County Magazine has come forward to say that he saw Mickey James Guidry , then 16, at the site where the Jeep driven by the teen broke down in the Anza-Borrego Desert over Thanksgiving weekend back in November 2009—just before Mickey went missing  The witness says he saw Mickey speaking with a couple who offered him a ride, and showed him a map with possible routes Mickey may have later taken on foot.   

The Jeep Mickey was driving was found 22-miles along Fish Creek Wash, its tire worn down to the rim and bumper torn off. Mickey’s wallet and ID were left in the Jeep. His cell phone was not working.  To this day, nobody knows if he managed to walk out or get a ride and go away voluntarily.

15 cases, including several that caused blindness, found in California and Washington

March 9, 2014 (Los Angeles) Since December 2014, as many as 15 cases of ocular syphilis—a sexually transmitted disease which has led to blindness in several of the individuals—have been reported in men who have sex with men on the West Coast. Confirmed cases in Washington State, San Francisco as well as two suspected cases found in Los Angeles that are currently under investigation are raising alarm among public health officials, community care providers and prevention specialists, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation reports.

By Miriam Raftery

March 16, 2014 (California)--A new report reveals that the risk of earthquakes in California is being dramatically increased by oil companies injecting billions of gallons of wastewater from fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, into disposal wells near active faults near major cities.  “Millions of Californians live in areas at risk for induced earthquakes,” the report concludes.

The report, titled “On Shaky Ground,” was prepared by Earthworks, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Clean Water Action.   It found that 54% of our state’s 1,553 injection wells are within 10 miles of a recently active fault, 23% are within five miles and 6% are within just one mile. 

Numerous earthquakes across the country have been linked to fracking by scientists, including temblors as high as 5.7 on the Richter scale, the report details. Fracking quakes are common in areas such as Oklahoma and Texas, producing quakes higher than ever seen in some places.

The Dark and Light Sides of Fantasy, by R.e. Taylor (Shadowlight Publishing, MacGregor, Australia, 2013).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

R.e. Taylor, the author of The Dark and Light Sides of Fantasy, will be bringing this intriguing collection of fantasy tales to the upcoming Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California on April 20 & 21, where upwards of 150,000 attendees are expected for this showcase of talent.

At least two other bestselling authors that I have written book reviews for in the East County Magazine will also be at this event, New York Times Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother, author of Lost Girls, and Joshua Graham, Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling author of Beyond Justice. Here’s hoping that Taylor has similar success with his book at the Festival of Books.