Photo: Dr. Gloria Harris

By Nadin Abbott

By Nadin Abbott

March 11, 2014 (San Diego) – Following an East County Magazine investigation that found a disparity in distribution of veterans’ services countywide, today the Board of Supervisors voted to expand veterans’ services from the current locations in urban areas to also include County libraries-- starting with Ramona, El Cajon, Pine Valley and Julian. Volunteers who are veterans themselves will staff these services.  

Supervisor Dianne Jacob introduced the proposal, emphasizing that many of the veterans who reside in rural areas of the County “cannot access the nine current locations.” So this expansion was needed.

March 11, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Through March 17, you can vote once every 24 hours to help the MTRP Foundation win up to $15,000 for a “Technology Makeover” for the 8 Rangers at MTRP.  The MRC Company “Smart Technology Solutions” is the largest technology and services company in the San Diego area specializing in workflow solutions and office systems.  They are currently running a contest to provide the winning 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation with up to a $15,000 technology upgrade for their office.  The winner will be decided by the number of votes cast on-line through March 17. Here is the LINK to vote and you can vote once every 24 hours. Scroll down the right hand side of the webpage until you come to Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Foundation and click the “Vote” button to help us win.  The funds will be used to provide the 8 Rangers at MTRP with wifi connected tablets such as the Microsoft Surface Pro.

March 12, 2014 (Ramona) – A kayaker found drowned at Lake Sutherland on March 1 has been identified as Leonard Kevin Jones, 57, a widower.  According to the Medical Examiner, dilated cardiomyopathy contributed to his death.

By Miriam Raftery

March 11, 2014 (Campo) – Why did the County offer sandbags at multiple locations in the recent storm, but none east of Alpine?  Campo resident Claudia Millerbragg indicated that at least four other people in her community wanted sandbags to protect their properties, but could not access them.

East County Magazine contacted Supervisor Dianne Jacob’s office and in turn, we received a  response from Sasra Agahi, a senior civil engineer in the flood control division of County Public Works, who indicated that as a result of our inquiry, sandbags should be available in Campo in time for a storm due next week.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

March Madness!  It came in like a Lion, will it leave like a Lamb?

March 10, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - March came in like a Lion bringing more rain than we’ve seen in years, but will it leave like a Lamb?   “Though ordinarily not a big concern, March winds may pose a very serious fire danger says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.  Normally we would have had more rain by now and brush fires are not quite a concern.  With drought conditions and little rain, fuel moisture content is extremely low says DiGiovanna.”

By Helen Ofield

Photos by Audrey Hamm

File photo: SWAT team

March 9, 2014 (San Diego) – FBI hostage negotiators are accustomed to tense situations –but normally not at their own home base.  But after a man climbed a steel corrugated security gate and made his way onto the top of a building in the FBI headquarters at 10385 Vista Sorrento Parkway in San Diego, a stand-off ensued that ended this evening with the arrest of Lakeside resident William Durant, 36.

By Miriam Raftery

March 10, 2014 (Santee)—“The musicianship is top notch and the music is infectious. I’m loving every minute of it!” says bass player Danny Perez of Santee, the newest member of the popular Bayou Brothers band.  The Bayou Brothers will bring their rollicking, foot-stomping, musical gumbo style to Santee’s Pinnacle Peak restaurant on Wednesday, March 12 for East County Magazine’s own Mardi Gars party from 6-10 p.m. 

It’s a sound straight out of New Orleans’ dance clubs, Louisiana blues festivals and backyard crawfish boils complete with drums, accordion, keyboard, guitar, rub-board and three-part harmony.  The styles range from blues to R&B to zydeco.

 Rick Lee, a drummer who founded the Bayou Brothers back in 1996 with friends who had toured through the South and picked up the flavor of zyedco music, calls it “Louisiana party music.”

By Nadin Abbott

Photo, left taken March 8, 2014 by Greg Bowerman, creekcrossingphotography.com

Additional photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott

Update March 10: This fire is now contained.

Update March 9, 2014 -- The fire has burned 125 acres and is 30% contained according to the Incident page set up for the Gun Fire: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3783/  .  The wind advisory has been upgraded to a wind warning with gusts up to 70 mph on ridges possible.

March 8, 2014 (Mt Laguna) A fire that started around 1 p.m. in the afternoon in the Kitchen Creek area in Cleveland National Forest spread to 75-100 acres. The blaze was 5 percent containment by 4:40 p.m. with no estimate yet for full containment. 

A wind advisory has been issued for tomorrow and ECM news partner 10 News reports that crews could be battling this fire for days. Sustained winds of 15-30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph are forecast.

Power is out to more than 500 residences in Japatul Valley, Buckman Springs, Morena Village, Guatay, Pine Valley and Mount Laguna due to a power shut off to protect firefightings working closer to powerlines. SDG&E estimates power will be restored at 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

Photo: View from Lyons Peak, looking east; WREN camera courtesy USCD

Update 3:35 p.m.:  The fire is north of 8 and is now estimated between 75-100 acres and is 5% containued; evacuations have been lifted.  The  I-8 freeway is open; a hard closure is still in effect on Sunrise and Old 80 and Kitchen Creek area. SDG&E has shut  power lines down due to fire burning close to the lines, so Mt. Laguna has no power right now. Powerlink is no longer considered threatened, per Wende Cornelius, USFS.

Update 2:55 p.m.:  "We are evacuating Kitchen Creek and Cibbetts Flat in Cleveland National Forest," Wende Cornelius with CNF has informed ECM. Hikers and campers in the area are urged to leave. The fire is now 100 acres and due to high winds, some fixed wing aircraft have been temporarily grounded though helicopters continue doing water drops.

Sunrise Powerlink could be threatened, Cornelius stated, so be prepaerd for possible power outages.  SDG&E is en route. 

March 8,2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A brush fire on Sunrise Highway and Old Highway 80 has charred over 75 acres, IPN reports and aerial resources are on the scene, with a strike team positioningi in Pine Valley. Interstate is shut down from the Sunrise Highway exit to Buckman Springs, CHP reports. There is also a closure at Highway 79 just south of Lodge.

The fire is in the Cleveland National Forest and has been named the Gun Fire, due to its proximity to a shooting range.  As of 2 p.m. there is a large header of smoke visible across East County.

IPN reported an earlier fire at State Routes 944 and 188 (Tecate Road). Multiple resources were dispatched to the fire which was estimated to have a potential of ten acres per the incident commander.

March 7, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - A case of tuberculosis has been reported at Helix Charter High School in La Mesa.  Students and staff may have been exposed, according to the County Health and Human Services Agency.

March 6, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – On March 4, the San Diego Rural Fire Protection District’s board majority voted to dissolve the district and join the County Fire Authority. 

Board member Lou Russo (photo, left) voted against the action and says he intends to pursue a protest allowed under the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, that would require signatures from 25% of the district’s voters in order to put the matter on the ballot.

Russo said he views the County takeover of the district as “nothing more than a power grab.” He is also asking why residents in some Alpine areas did not receive a letter about the proposed action so that they could attend the meeting.

March 4, 2014 (El Cajon)--At approximately 2:15 p.m. Monday afternoon, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon and La Mesa responded to reports of a structure fire in the one-thousand block of Leslie Road in El Cajon.  As fire crews arrived on scene they found heavy smoke coming from a lower unit of the apartment structure at 1016 Leslie Road. Firefighters were able to stop the fire in approximately twenty minutes.