East County News Service

September 12, 2015 (Sacramento)—A trio of bills to regulate medical marijuana in California have passed the Legislature and now await Governor Jerry Brown’s signature. 

The measures cover the full gamut of the billion dollar cannabis industry, from farming to dispensaries, all to be licensed for transportation and distribution under a new Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation in the Department of Consumer Affairs. In addition to state licenses, local city or county licensing will also be required, so jurisdictions with bans or restrictions can keep them and voters can also weigh in on issues such as taxing the growing or sale of medical marijuana.

August 26, 2015 (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

• New Rules Go Into Effect At Busy U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing (NPR)
• Update coming for La Mesa civic center area (U-T)
• Pizzaria about to wrap it up (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Regional park could boost southeastern SD (U-T)
• Police wrangle rogue reptile in East County (Fox 5)
• 14-2 Blowout! Sweetwater Valley Wins Little League World Series Game (Patch)
• San Diego City Council politics and the Ethics Commission (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego Lawsuit Filed Against SeaWorld (KPBS)
• Roundtable Digs Into Coastal, Backcountry Development Controversies (KPBS)
• Iran deal puts Christians at risk in Middle East (San Diego Union-Tribune, opinion by Mark Arabo)
• Heroin Use Among San Diego County Arrestees Rise (KPBS)
• Outside Groups Seen As Crucial For Anderson In San Diego County Supervisor Race (KPBS)
• Developer and County May Seize Private Property for Lilac Hills Project (Voice of SD)
• Downing drone at beach leads to jail (U-T)

STATE

• New California Law Upholds Public Right to Record (Reason)
• Inmates use empathy to tame wild horses (Sac Bee)
•  California water prices set to rise next year: Fitch Reuters)
• California drought impact pegged at $2.7 billion (SacBee)

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

August 12, 2015 (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

• Animal rescue struggles after major benefactor dies (Ramona Sentinel)
• Iraqi refugees to be deported, ICE says (U-T)
• State Agency Asks To Overturn San Onofre Settlement (KPBS)
• http://www.10news.com/news/skimming-devices-found-in-local-gas-pumps (10 News)
• Lilac Hills hearing draws big crowd (San Diego Union-Tribune)
•  Cell tower law prompts outcry (San Diego Union-Tribune)
•  Airport Must Encourage People Not to Use New Parking Garage (Voice of San Diego)
• Environmentalist Wants to Save an East County River Basin – by Mining it (Voice of SD)
• How Your Water Bill Helps Subsidize Golf Courses (Voice of SD)

STATE

• Pilots’ families say Cal-Fire owes them death benefits (Sacramento Bee)
• Toxic algae blooms along west coast likely largest on record (Al Jazeera)
• State stonewalls on English learners’ progress (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• LA Rolls Out Water-Saving 'Shade Balls' (NPR)
• California motor vehicle employees took bribes to grant licenses: FBI (Reuters

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

Darling named in felony search warrants, initiated phone calls with SCE executives, now defends new CPUC President Picker from oversight committee requests

By Miriam Raftery

July 16, 2015 (San Diego) – Citizens' Oversight filed legal documents on July 14^th with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), making the case for reassignment of Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Melanie Darling from the sanctions phase of proceedings on the San Onofre Nuclear plant.  The July 14 motion would remove Darling from hearing the investigation into sanctions for violations of ex parte rules during the San Onofre proceeding--an action which could have substantial impacts for ratepayers statewide..

By Miriam Raftery

June 10, 2015 (Sacramento)—Since 1978, Proposition 13 has frozen property taxes  for California owners until a property sells.  But now a proposed constitutional amendment would change Prop 13 to require annual assessments of large commercial and industrial properties.

The measure, Senate Constitutional Amendment 5,  exempts homeowners,  owners of rental residential properties and agricultural properties, which would not be impacted.   The measure also includes a tax break for small businesses, instead targeting larger commercial and industrial property owners for the tax hike.

The bill would exempt from taxation up to a half million dollars of personal property used exclusively for business purposes.  It also gives businesses an exemption of up to a half million for equipment and fixtures—an action that would eliminate the tax on equipment and fixtures entirely for 90% of businesses, whether they own or rent their place of business.

May 13, 2015 (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

• How California's New Environmental Regulations On Desalination Affect Carlsbad's Plant (U-T)
• Tribune Publishing To Buy U-T San Diego For $85M (KPBS) 
• San Diego Biologists Find New Populations Of Rare Plant (KPBS)
• GCCCD bond panel seeks 3 new members (U-T) 
• City pumps drinking water into lake (U-T) 
• Commission Opts To Compare Alternatives Before Voting On Carlsbad Power Plant (KPBS) 
• Increased Terror Risk Causes Heightened Security At San Diego County Military Installations (KPBS) 
• Grand Jury Report: San Diego County's Backcountry Needs More Fire Protection (KPBS) 
• San Diego Rents Among Highest In Country (KPBS)
• City pays Chargers in 'Q' lease (U-T)
• San Diego Supervisors Say Dave Roberts Violated Brown Act
• The Case of the Missing Alpine High School (Voice of SD)

STATE

• California Commission Approves Raise For Gov. Brown (AP)
• Los Angeles homelessness rises 12 percent amid slow economic recovery (Reuters)
• Los Angeles job growth flat while San Francisco booms, report says (Reuters)
• Close dilapidated, rodent-infested prison, California lawmaker says (Reuters)
• Emails show UCLA, CPUC deal making (U-T)

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

April 29, 2015 (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

•  Ex-La Mesa mayor Art Madrid writing book
• 4 San Diego climbers trapped in Nepal (UT San Diego)
• It’s Over: The Chargers Are Done With San Diego (Voice of SD)
• San Diego's homeless on rise (U-T)
• How The Fall Of Saigon Made San Diego A Refugee Hub (KPBS)
• Utilities on the trail to tiers  (SD Reader)
• Padre Dam Water District launches pilot drinking water program (Alpine Sun)
• Las Colinas is something to Yelp about (SD Reader)
• New Chief of Police Walt Vasquez getting reacquainted to serve the citizens of La Mesa (East County Californian)
• Emerald Wants Her Chief Of Staff To Take Over San Diego Council Seat (KPBS)
• Water deal with Imperial Valley on the line
• City’s own water use spiked

STATE

• Governor, state get tougher on water use (U-T)
• What's that Caltrans is using for water? (U-T)
• CA still tied to Gold Rush era water rights system (U-T San Diego)
• Is that joint damaging our environment? (U-T San Diego)
• Marijuana: the new drought villian? (U-T San Diego)
• Thirsty for clean power, California taps winds in Mexico (U-T San Diego)
• Time for state's leaders to tackle teacher tenure (UT San Diego)
• Union challenges CPUC law deal (U-T San Diego)

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

April 8, 2015 --  (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

• No viewing before writing: Bill challenges body camera policies (Fox 5 News)
•  Judge: you will stand trial for those threats (10 News) 
• My next step (SD Rostra, posted by Assemblyman Brian Jones) 
• San Diego gets $143,000 settlement in Briggs-Cacciatore conflict (KPBS) 
• Commissioner taken off San Onofre case (U-T) 
• Regulators Plan To Drop Case At Closed San Onofre Nuclear Plant (KPBS) 

STATE

• Hardship on Mexico’s farms, a bounty for U.S. tables (Los Angeles Times) 
• California Housing Restrictions Relaxed For Some Sex Offenders (KPBS) 
• California's death row faces no-vacancy situation (Reuters) 
• Beneath California Crops, Groundwater Crisis Grows (NY Times) 
• Kamala Harris Raises $2.5M For California Senate Bid (AP) 
• Millions At Stake In California Tribe Membership Dispute (NPR) 
• CPUC law firm deal questioned (U-T) 

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

Update Marh 10, 2015: The kidnapped boy has been found safe in Tijuana, along with his father, who has been taken into custody.

March 9, 2015 (San Diego) – A statewide Amber Alert has been issued for a 1-year-old boy, Jayden Santiago. He was kidnapped by his father, who violently attacked the child’s mother and stabbed her boyfriend at her home in San Pedro, California at 1:30 p.m. The father has made suicidal threats and is considered armed and dangerous.

The suspect, Giovany Santiago Enriquez, 38, was last seen driving a grey 2006 Nissan Altima with CA license 5UCF010.  He is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black beanie, black sweater, black Dickies pants and gray and black Nike shoes.

The victim, Jayden, is Hispanic, 2 feet tall, 26 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a light brown and green sweater, green and brown striped onesie, and black and white Nike shoes.

February 24, 2015 (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

• Mayor Faulconer meets with Chargers, fast tracks plans for new stadium (10 News)
• Stadium task force chairman had role in "Ticketgate" (SD Reader)
• Utility agency taps $882-an-hour lawyer (UT Sam Diego)
• In Jacob's race, solar also rises (UT San Diego)
• San Diego County Water Use Drops By 28 Percent In January (KPBS)
• Workers call for San Onofre probe (UT San Diego)
• San Onofre Operator Asks To Expand Used Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility(KPBS)
• Lemon Grove considers crime prevention program (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego State Names College After Stephen Weber (KPBS)

STATE

• California's school suspensions show racial disparity (USA Today)
•  Dan Walters: Brown wants only local school bonds (UT San Diego)
• Undo gas tax swap — then fix roads (UT San Diego)
• CA bill to require defibrillators in new buildings (UT San Diego)
•  Dozens exposed to superbug in LA (BBC)

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

February 18, 2015 (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

• GOP backs Anderson over Jacob in supervisor race (UT San Diego)
• County to pay $1.1M for invasive exams (UT San Diego)
• Grossmont school district to appeal injunction (UT San Diego)
• SDG&E Gets $5M Grant To Expand Borrego Springs Microgrid (KPBS)
• Huge Funding Disparity Lingers for San Diego’s Homeless (Voice of San Diego)
• More Than 2,000 Trees Planted Along River In Santee (KPBS)
• Flu Season Death Toll Rises To 43 In San Diego County (KPBS)
• Nuke group: Unhand emails, Edison (UT San Diego)

STATE

• California Committee Explores Road Usage Charge In Place Of Gas Tax (KPBS)
• Lawmakers press for tighter leash on CPUC (SF Gate)
• San Francisco commuters possibly exposed to measles on train (Reuters)
• Broke California cities can slice pensions (U-T)
• California leaders announce investigation into missing bond funds (Reuters)
• UCSA calls for divestment from bodies involved in alleged human rights violations (Daily Bruin)
• Solar jobs surge in California (U-T)
• Senator blasts Cal over Peevey party (UT San Diego)

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

By Hayden Parsley

January 8, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--After two decades in the senate, California Senator Barbara Boxer announced this Thursday that she will not run for reelection in 2016.

At 74 years old, Boxer states she will put effort into ensuring her seat remains with her Democratic Party. She also says she will, “Keep fighting for the issues I love,” and plans to spend her time helping people. She says that neither her age nor the Republican majority are factors in her decision, but that she wants to come home to the state that she loves.

Senator’s 2015 agenda includes stopping UC tuition hikes

By Miriam Raftery

January 1, 2015 (San Diego) – Four bills by State Senator Marty Block (D-San Diego) become law today.  Two aim to protect the elderly in residential care facilities, a second will protect victims of human trafficking and save the state money by consolidating trials from multiple jurisdictions, and a fourth will speed up testing of beach water quality.

One of his top goals for 2015 will be to keep higher education “accessible and affordable for all of California’s students.”  Block and Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León recently introduced SB 15 which would eliminate tuition increases for the University of California system and provide substantially greater support to all of the state’s public education institutions.

By Miriam Raftery

December 2, 2014 (Sacramento)—Today Senate Democrats announced a plan to prevent a tuition hike approved by University of California Regents from taking effect for California students. However out-of-state students’ tuitions would increase by 17 percent. 

The plan follows an earlier proposal by Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). The two plans have similarities, but also differences in their approaches.