March 9, 2010 (Poway) – Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) is working with the parents of slain teen Chelsea King to enact legal reforms aimed at protecting children from violent sexual predators. Fletcher’s district includes Poway and Escondido, homes of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, murdered teens whose bodies were both found in the past week.

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, driver says Toyota advised him 2 weeks ago that his 2008 Prius was not on the recall list

March 8, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – James Sikes, 61, considers himself lucky to be alive following a harrowing high-speed ordeal on a highway in San Diego's East County.

“I am still shaken up,” the local real estate agent told East County Magazine this evening, just hours after surviving a chilling 94-mph race against time after the accelerator on his car became jammed on I-8 east this afternoon. It took over half an hour to bring the runaway vehicle under control with help from California Highway Patrol, including a patrolman who bravely placed his car in front of Sikes to assure that the vehicle could be stopped before entering a perilous downhill stretch of freeway.

Backcountry residents burned up over latest tactic to grab land before court cases on Powerlink are heard

March 8, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Aiming to begin construction on Sunrise Powerlink this summer, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) is going to court to seek eminent domain powers to force landowners to turn over as many as 80 properties to the utility for construction of the controversial high-voltage power line. The tactic has sparked outrage among many East County residents.

VIEW THE ONLINE REGISTRY AT THE MEGAN'S LAW WEBSITE

March 8, 2010 (San Diego's East County) - The tragic murders of Amber Dubois and Chelsea King highlight the need to protect ourselves and our children from known predators in our communities.  Many people are not aware that you can you view photos of sex offenders in your neighborhood, learn their addresses, and read descriptions of past crimes on the  Megan's Law website (http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/), named after slain child Megan Kanka.

March 7, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Three serious accidents have been reported this afternoon in East County, including a head-on collision and possible fatality on Wildcat Canyon Road and an overturned vehicle on fire on State Route 67.

Adult day-care program also protected from cuts by federal judge

March 7, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Justice Department filed an amicus brief Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeal supporting a lawsuit to block Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to slash in-home care to 130,000 seniors and disabled people in California.

The Obama administration, in the brief, argued that the cuts would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act which “prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the provision of public services.”

 
 
March 6, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 6 p.m. tonight through 2 p.m. tomorrow. Four to six inches of snow have been forecast above 4500 feet tonight in higher elevations including Palomar Mountain, Cuyamaca, Mount Laguna, and Ranchita.
 
A hazardous weather outlook has also been issued for most of Southern California.

 


PUBLIC MEMORIAL SET FOR CHELSEA KING MARCH 13
 
March 5, 2010 (San Diego) – John Albert Gardner III has pleaded not guilty to the murder and rape of Chelsea King. View a video of his arraignment: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/04/chelsea-king-body-confirm...
 
A preliminary hearing is set for March 18. Sheriff Bill Gore has ordered the County Medical Examiner’s report including sealed until the hearing, including identification of a body found at Lake Hodges and believed to be King’s.

Law enforcement plans procession from Qualcomm Stadium to Shadow Mountain Church in El Cajon to honor fallen deputy

March 3, 2010 (El Cajon) – Services will be held Saturday for Sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Collier, who died February 28 of injuries sustained in pursuit of a wrong-way driver in Santee.   The memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at Shadow Mountain Church, 2100 Greenfield Drive in El Cajon. A closed-casket viewing will be held on Friday, March 5 from 5-9 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, 4300 Imperial Avenue in San Diego.

Suspect may also be linked to Amber Dubois disappearance

March 2, 2010 (Rancho Bernardo) – A body has been found by authorities in a shallow grave near the water’s edge at Lake Hodges. In a press conference at 4 p.m. today, Sheriff Bill Gore said, “There is a strong likelihood that we have found Chelsea.” Poway High School honor student Chelsea King went missing while jogging around Lake Hodges.

March 1, 2010 (El Cajon) – A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on March 13th for Robert Dale Hamann founder of the Hamann Companies construction dynasty in El Cajon. Hamann, 86, passed away on February 11th.

March 1, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- The San Miguel Fire District has received complaints from several businesses about fraudulent fire inspections. This is happening all over the State of California, according to Fire Marshal Marsha Larsen. In 2006, the City of Torrance prosecuted two individuals and a fire protection company for posing as firefighters performing fire inspections of local businesses. The scam has now moved to our area.

February 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Motor vehicle accidents claimed the lives of five people in San Diego’s eastern regions during the past week, the San Diego County Coroner’s office reports.

 
 
 

February 28, 2010 (Poway) – John Albert Gardner III, 30, a registered sex offender, was arrested at 4:30 p.m. today by the San Diego County Sheriff’s fugitive task force.
 
He is being held on suspicion of rape and murder and is being questioned by homicide investigators about evidence linking him to Chelsea King’s disappearance. However Channel 6 news reports that when asked if the 17-year-old Poway High student is still believed alive, Gore replied, "We’re holding out that hope.”

February 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –Lakeside firefighters rescued two passengers from a rollover accident February 22. At 10:08 PM, the Heartland Communications Center dispatched one engine company, one rescue company, and an ALS ambulance and Battalion Chief to the 14000 block of Highway 8 business in the Johnston community, Captain Mark Grow of Lakeside Fire District reported at http://lakesidefiredist.blogspot.com/.

February 28, 2010 – Eight people were injured, two with major trauma, in a major accident at Glencoe and Jamacha at 11:15 p.m. last night. Earlier in the day, at 4:40 p.m., a head-on collision at Highway 94 and Steele Canyon Road injured multiple patients, including several with serious injuries, Incident Page Network reported. In yet a third incident, a collision at Avocado and Challenger boulevards in La Mesa injured six people.

 
Update 3 p.m.:  The tsunami effect locall remains in effect through 5:46 p.m. today for the entire west coast following an 8.8 quake in Chile.  An early tidal surge proved minor in San Diego though Santa Monica had tides 2.2 feet above normal sea level. In other regions, second and third waves were higher than the first.    

Japan also rattled by 7.0 quake today

February 27, 2010 – A powerful earthquake struck Chile off the coast of Maule during the night. The U.S. Geological Survey has upgraded the quake to 8.8.  A tsunami warning has been issued for coastal areas in Chile and Peru; a nine-foot tsunami wave has been reported.

February 26, 2010 (4 a.m.)Sheriff Bill Gore has activated more than 100 Search and Rescue volunteers and deputies to locate missing Poway teen Chelsea King. King was reported missing by her family late Thursday after she did not return home from a run in the north Rancho Bernardo area.

Questions raised over early handling of case; no major search mounted for weeks after Jeep SUV found disabled 22 miles off-road in remote desert locale

“Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest of the year. Tens of thousands of people were in the desert…It’s likely someone would have come across him. If it was at night and he was on foot, someone could have given him a ride.” -- Detective Patrick Yates

By Miriam Raftery

February 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) - Grounded for stealing his stepfather's motorcycle and going joyriding November 20th in a Riverside County park, 16-year-old Mickey Guidry (also called Mike or Mikey) took his parents’ blue Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV on Thanksgiving to join friends who were camping at 5454 Split Mountain Road in Ocotillo Wells. He left camp at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 27th—and hasn’t been seen since. Now ECM has learned that this wasn't the first time the teen has gone missing. Sheriff officials are treating the case as a runaway.

But the boy's mother, Missy Perucca, believes her son made it out of the desert alive and may now be living elsewhere--and hopes he didn't meet with foul play.  "I just hope someone somewhere knows something and reports it to the police so we can finally have a direction to go in," she said. 

February 24, 2010 (Spring Valley)  Firefighters are on the scene of a two-alarm blaze that has fully engulfed a residence at 8814 Bancroft in Spring Valley.  The blaze, south of 94,  has sent up a plume of black smoke visible for many miles.  The photo at left was taken from Mt. Helix.

February 23, 2010 (Julian) - A 20,000 boulder has rolled off a mountain and is blocking Highway 78 east of Wynola Road and is blocking the highway, CHP reports. In addition, I-5 is blocked at B Street with traffic diversion in place due to a fatality rollover which occurred at 8:40 a.m.  

February 21, 2010 (Lakeside) -- Multiple units from the Lakeside Fire District responded to a single vehicle rollover on rain-slickened Highway 67 in northern Lakeside this afternoon. Several passers-by including off-duty fire and police personnel performed CPR on the seriously injured driver until Lakeside Fire units arrived, Captain Scott Culkin reports.

February 21, 2010 (Dulzura) The San Diego Sheriff Department’s Search and Rescue Unit was activated this morning to search for six hikers who failed to return home last night. The group has been located and airlifted out after rushing waters left them trapped, East County Magazine has been informed by a spokesperson with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

February 20, 2010 (Alpine) – A kayaker on Palo Verde Lake in Alpine was rescued last night by a Coast Guard helicopter after becoming disoriented during a storm.

By Miriam Raftery

February 18, 2010 (La Mesa) – By a unanimous vote, the Helix Water Board voted yesterday to disband an ad hoc committee on rate increases after several citizens objected on grounds that the process was not transparent.

“Your ad hoc committee has two board members on it,” Josan Feathers, a registered civil engineer, observed. “So when the ad hoc committee brings its recommendations to the Board , it only needs one more vote.”

Planning Commission to address issue in Feb. 19 meeting

By Lola Sherman

February 18, 2010 (Escondido) – On Friday, February 19, the County Planning Commission will discuss proposed changes to the County General Plan that would have a major impact on East County’s rural backcountry communities. Supporters say changes are needed to preserve the region’s rural character. Opponents call it a “land grab” by the County and argue that economic development is needed.

February 17, 2010 (Spring Valley) Tina Marie Jordan, 51, was found dead in the apartment she shared with a boyfriend at a sober living facility at 10030 Juan Street in Spring Valley. On February 14, the apartment manager went to check on her after not seeing her all day.

February 17, 2010 (Lakeside) – Amy Beringhaus, 35, of Lakeside was struck by a car and killed yesterday morning on Los Coches Road in El Cajon while jogging with her husband, Shaun, and their dog.  According to authorities, she stepped off the sidewalk into an unmarked crossing area in the northbound land in front of an oncoming car.

February 17, 2010 (San Diego's East County) --- Early last Sunday morning, a magnitude (M)4.5 earthquake along with subsequent aftershocks struck Baja California, Mexico.  It was felt in East County and as far north as Oceanside. 

Although we experience these temblors often, it is beneficial to know what to do if we find ourselves inside a building while at work, enjoying a meal at a restaurant, taking in the latest blockbuster movie at the theatre, or cheering on our favorite team in the stadium.