By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

February 16, 2017 (San Diego) - Rains, possibly heavy at times, are heading back to San Diego County in the coming days, according to weather officials.

Which means that if you haven’t done it already, it’s a good time to stock up on free sand and bags to protect your home and property.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Crestwood summit on I-8 by Don Lumb

January 24, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – “I was nearly killed by a large boulder on Friday night,” a reader told ECM, adding that multiple rock slides occurred along the highway to Ramona along the San Pasqual grade.  “The County needs to evaluate that road right now before people are killed by the boulders.”

East County News Service

January 18, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - The heaviest rains of the winter—and maybe the heaviest in several years—set to soak our region over the next several days, bringing flash flooding and erosion problems.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

December 15, 2016 (San Diego) - With heavy rains expected, the County Department of Public Works is once again offering free sand and bags to residents in the unincorporated areas to help protect homes, neighborhoods and streets from flooding and erosion.

January 3, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--ECM 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.

• Bill to avert fiscal cliff heads to House after Senate approves it 89-8 (U-T San Diego)
• Storms on U.S. Plains stir memories of the "Dust Bowl" (Reuters)
• Agricultural Committees Agree To Farm Bill Extension (NPR)
• The real lessons of Columbine: Psychiatric drugs induce violence (Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Colorado)
• Details of Toyota sudden acceleration settlement (Sacramento Bee)
• U.S. soldier suicides outnumber combat deaths in 2012 (CBS)
• Award-winning PVC cell pushes efficiency higher – to 44% (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
• Airlines Fear Pilot Shortage Amid New Federal Safety Rules ( NPR)
• US snow storm claims more lives (BBC)
• Congress extends foreign surveillance law (U-T San Diego)

WORLD

• State Department made "grievous mistake" over Benghazi: Senate report (Reuters)
• Yemen: Al-Qaida offers bounty for US ambassador (U-T San Diego)
• Protests in India after Delhi rape victim dies (CNN)
• India files murder charges against suspects in brutal gang rape  (CNN)
• Egypt's Morsi signs Islamist constitution into law (Jerusalem Post)
• Cabinet resignations deal setback for Egypt's Mursi (Reuters)
• Egypt to pursue relationship with Hezbollah Jerusalem Post)
• Targeting of Israel civilians violates war laws: HRW (JWR)
• Muslim scholars and clerics: suicide bombings are un-Islamic.(Christian Science Monitor)

HEALTH

• How A Drug Shortage Hiked Relapse Risks For Lymphoma Patients (NPR)
• Brain scan can sort dementia by type (BBC)
• Like Girls, Boys Are Entering Puberty Earlier ( NPR)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.