El Cajon's Fire Safety Expo Is October 12        

October 6, 2013 (El Cajon) -- It’s all about safety at the annual El Cajon Fire Safety Expo on Saturday, October 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 100 E. Lexington Avenue. This event celebrates Fire Prevention Week and brings to the community a wide variety of safety and health information.

Meet firefighters and police officers from the City of El Cajon and see Police & Fire K-9 demonstrations.   Kiwanis Club of East San Diego County will be giving away free kids safety helmets (while supplies last), and Home Depot is back with their children’s safety workshop. See over 40 exhibits addressing important issues such as fire safety, disaster preparedness from the Office of Emergency Services and Heartland Fire & Rescue.

Update October 8, 2013 - Johnny Singleton has been found in the 600 block of Main Street and is now home with family, according to a Sheriff's tweet thanking community members for tips.

October 6, 2013 (El Cajon) – A search is underway  to find  64-year-old Johnny Singleton. He walked away from his home in the 200 block of Hart Drive in the unincorporated area of El Cajon around 2:00 p.m. today.  He has medical issues which put him at risk. He might be trying to find his way back to his old neighborhood in the City of San Diego at 30th Street and Imperial Avenue.

Johnny was last seen wearing a light grey polo shirt with horizontal stripes, blue jeans, white and blue Nike shoes and a ball cap. He has a goatee and short grey hair. He does not drive a car. He likes football, Pepsi and tacos.

By Miriam Raftery

October  6, 2013 (Descanso) –The aroma of burning wood filled the air as ranchers pulled their iron brands out of a flaming pit at the Buckel Ranch in Descanso. Old-timers said it was the only time ever that ranchers from all of East County’s historic ranches gathered  in one place. The occasion?  Tammy Cooker, owner of the Descanso Junction Restaurant, invited these seasoned cowhands to burn their brands into tabletops for her popular eatery now undergoing a remodel. 

Cooker has earned the community’s loyalty, having opened her restaurant just before the Cedar Fire, then keeping it open to serve up firefighters, displaced residents and stranded motorists.  Located in a century-old building, her restaurant closes down tomorrow and will hold a grand reopening celebration October 10-12. The revamped interior will celebrate our region’s historic roots.

October 5, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Supervisor Jacob is looking for civic-minded District 2 residents to serve on a wide variety of citizen boards and advisory panels across East County. To apply and for additional information see the links at the bottom.

Update 9 p.m.  Sam DiGiovanna, our  "Chief's Corner" columnist, sent us this report and photo:  The fire has scorched 1,000 acres and is 15% contained.  Approximately 230 residents were forced to evacuate a housing unit near Lake O'Neil base, officials said. Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton was not threatened by the fire, but a power outage prompted officials to evacuate about 30 patients to other hospitals in the area and stop accepting new patients.

Update 4:20 p.m. - Winds have subsided and SDG&E has restored power to all but two customers in the Descanso/Green Valley area.

By Miriam Raftery

October 5, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has shut down power to 87 customers.  The company’s website states, “An outage has been initiated to protect public safety.”  A red flag alert and high wind warning are in effect.

"I remain extremely concerned that shutting off power jeopardizes the safety of communities and the availability of water for residents and firefighters. SDG&E has the statutory authority to cut off power only if there is an imminent threat to public safety," Supervisor Dianne Jacob posted on her Facebook page.

Supervisors to hear proposal Tuesday urging fast transfer of planes for firefighting from Department of Defense to U.S. Forest Service

By Miriam Raftery

October 5, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Shut-down of the federal government over the spending bill impasse has caused furlough of 2,000 California National Guard technicians who maintain helicopters and cargo planes that respond to major wildfires statewide. Major General David Baldwin has said that “lives are at stake” because of these “inane cuts and work stoppages,” the SF Gate reported. 

“The federal government needs to grow up, settle its budget mess and remember one of its primary obligations – public safety,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob  told East County Magazine.  “Any furloughs or other cutbacks that undermine aerial firefighting would be a major concern, especially as our region approaches the most dangerous stretch of the wildfire season.”

On Tuesday, Supervisors will hear a proposal by Supervisors Jacob and Greg Cox asking the U.S. Department of Defense to transfer seven surplus C-27 aircraft to the U.S. Forest Service to bolster firefighting resources in San Diego County and other areas.

October 4, 2013 (Lakeside) – To commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the Cedar Fire the Lakeside Chamber is hosting a “Beans, Beers & Business Fair” at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds on October 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  All are welcome to this free event featuring a craft beer garden, great food and vendor booths.  The chili tastings will be from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. with live entertainment throughout.

October 3, 2013 (Ramona) – The San Diego Narcotics Task Force served search warrants and seized over 8,500 marijuana plants being grown illegally at three outdoor locations on September 24 and 25.   The crops had a cash value of $4.6 million and caused damage to an ecological preserve and open spaces, according to the Sheriff.

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2013 (Sacramento)—Many juveniles who were tried as adults and imprisoned before their 18^th birthdays will be able to ask for parole after serving 15 to 25 years, depending on the severity of their crime.  The measure, Senate Bill 260, was signed into law in September by Governor Jerry Brown.

In San Diego, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has sought to try even very young juveniles for murder, notably a 10-year-old Lakeside boy accused of fatally stabbing a 12-year-old playmate. (A judge later found that child unfit to stand trial and sentenced him to a treatment facility.)

By Nadin Abbott

October 3, 2013 (San Diego) As we noted in an earlier article, we approached the County about a disturbing trend we found of shelters not being open after they were announced as shelters during emergencies:

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/13952

After presenting our concerns to the Supervisors, we followed through with the County and did a public records request for correspondence or other records regarding the shelters found closed.

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2013 (Sacramento )— Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed AB 60, making California the tenth state in the U.S. to grant undocumented immigrants the right to obtain driver’s licenses.

Studies done by the DMV and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that unlicensed drivers were more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than validly-licensed drivers. Advocates believe that AB 60 will help make the roads safer by broadening the state’s effort to ensure that all California drivers are properly trained, tested, licensed and insured.

By Nadin Abbott

October 3, 2013 (San Diego) Early this morning MCAS Miramar announced that this year’s show, slated to start tomorrow, has been cancelled due to the federal government shut-down. Colonel John P. Farnam told reporters that "The timing couldn't be worse, but it is what it is."

Those who bought special access passes will be reimbursed, as well as exhibitors.

So if you were planning to attend what was an already scaled down show due to the sequester, now with the shutdown the show will not go on. Proceeds from this show usually go into supporting military families, but that money will not be there this year.

By Nadin Abbott

Photos Tom Abbott

October 2, 2012 (San Diego) — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held two meetings on October 2 at the Bahr Shrine Auditorium in Kearny Mesa. The first session had about 50 members of the public attending, ratepayers who came from all over Southern California, including San Diego’s East County.

The common theme from residents, expressed well by Carol Jahnkow from Encinitas, was, “Why should rate payers pay for Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas and Electric’s (SDG&E) mistakes?”

October 3, 2013 (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

• Highway 67 barriers considered (U-T San Diego)
• Accretive plays hardball with planning groups (Valley Center Press--Opinion by David D. Ross)
• Autopsy scheduled for woman whose body was found on Barona reservation (10 News)
• Miramar air show cancelled at last minute (U-T San Diego)
• Vons store hit with tobacco sales suspension in El Cajon (U-T San Diego)
• Campo residents fight plan to move violent sexual predator into their neighborhood (10 News)
• City Investigates Foul Odor Near River in Santee (Santee Patch)
• Fired teacher sues San Diego diocese (U-T San Diego)
• La Mesa tracks down graffiti (La Mesa Courier)
• Mission Trails Regional Park out of control? Wildlife Agencies say it is (Mission Times Courier)
•  Jamul Groups Sue to Derail Casino (UT San Diego)
• Casino planned for Jamul, CA faces challenges (Courthouse News)
• San Diego Researchers Lead The Way In Early Warning Earthquake Sensors (KPBS)
• SANDAG OKs $200M for bike projects (U-T San Diego)

STATE

• California report says truancy may cost state billions (Sacramento Bee)
• Brown Signs Bill Ending Current Standardized Tests (KPBS)
• Quarantine for citrus pest grows in central Calif.

Click “read more” and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.