East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (Alpine) -- Forbes Travel Guide has  unveiled its annual Star Rating list, naming Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine as a new Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel. Viejas Casino & Resort will be showcased with all of the Star Rating recipients on ForbesTravelGuide.com. Read the Forbes review here:  http://www.forbestravelguide.com/san-diego-california/hotels/viejas-casino-resort.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: McCain Valley, before construction

February 16, 2017 (McCain Valley) – The Department of the Interior temporarily shut down construction of the Tule Wind Energy project in McCain Valley  on January20th due to six confirmed violations of the right-of-way grant conditions, including “three incidents of ground disturbing work without a cultural monitor present and three incidents of clearing beyond the disturbance limits at four different locations,”  according to the notice of temporary suspension issued January 20^th.

East County News Service

January 24, 2017 (San Diego) – Tonight, over 100 San Diegans including members of the Kumeyaay Nation and local climate activists, will rally outside the Federal Building (880 Front St.) to oppose President Donald Trump's decision to move ahead with the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipeline. This is one of several actions across the country.

East County News Service

January 4, 2017 (El Cajon) - The Native American Student Alliance at Cuyamaca College will host its 3rd Annual Powwow on Saturday, February 4^th from  10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. in front of the Communication Arts complex (Building B).

By Brian Trautman

December 8, 2016 (Cannonball, North Dakota) -- Over the past eight months, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota have been joined by more than 200 allied tribes and tens of thousands of non-Native activists for a nonviolent resistance campaign against Energy Transfer Partners’ (ETP) $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The pipeline, which has been projected to transport at least 470,000 barrels of oil per day over 1,100 miles from the Bakken oil field to an existing hub in Illinois for delivery to refineries on the Gulf Coast, was rerouted in 2014 from north of Bismarck to the south, taking it through unceded treaty lands of the Sioux. Pipeline construction over this altered route desecrated sacred ancestral sites, and, until last Sunday, was slated to cross the Missouri River at the Lake Oahe reservoir, which would have threatened the safety of the drinking water of the Standing Rock Sioux and millions of people downstream.

By Miriam Raftery

Newsflasher photo courtesy Bobby Wallace

December 4, 2016 (Cannonball, North Dakota) — In a victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and thousands of people who have converged in Cannonball, North Dakota to opposed the Dakota Access oil pipeline, the federal government has announced that it will not grant an easement to allow completion of the pipeline underneath Lake Oahe, a reservoir of the Missouri River.

By Miriam Raftery

“Bring body armor, gas masks, earplugs (we may be facing a sound cannon) but no drugs, alcohol or weapons…if we don’t stop it, who will?”—Wesley Clark Jr., a veteran and son of retired four-star U.S. Army General Wesley Clark Sr., former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe

November 23, 2016 (Cannonball, North Dakota) – Nearly 1,000 U.S. military veterans have signed to join  Veterans for Standing Rock December 4-7 to support Native American tribes standing up to protect clean water and halt the Dakota Access oil pipeline that they fear will burst and contaminate the Missouri River.  The pipeline also desecrates sacred Standing Rock Sioux sites.

The water protector activists have faced brutality at the hands of a militarized police force in recent days, including spraying a water cannon in below-freezing temperatures.  Three hundred people have been injured and 26 hospitalized, including a 21-year-old girl hit by a concussion grenade whose bone was shattered and now faces possible amputation of her arm.

East County News Service

November 9, 2016 (Jamul) --  This Friday, November 11th on Veteran’s Day Hollywood Casino Jamul is kicking off a military appreciation program that will honor veterans 52 weeks out of the year.  Each week on Thank You Thursdays all who served our great country will receive a 20% discount on their meal in any of the eight restaurants at the Hollywood Casino Jamul property as well as 15% off at the gift shop. 

By Mike Allen

November 3, 2016 (El Cajon) -- The Sycuan band of the Kumeyaay nation has plans to build a high-rise hotel and expand its casino.

The plans call for an 11-story, 300-room, hotel plus an additional 21,000 square feet of gaming space with 500 new devices, bringing the total to 2,500. The project would also include a 2,030-car parking garage, an upscale restaurant, a spa, fitness center, and larger outdoor area with two swimming pools.

Source: Jamul Indian Village

October 24, 2016 (Jamul) - The Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC) announced today that it has finalized an approximately $460 million refinancing transaction in connection with its brand new facility, Hollywood Casino Jamul- San Diego. Proceeds from the refinancing will be used to refinance the debt associated with the development of the casino, retire tribal debt and for working capital. N.A., Goldman Sachs Banks USA and Fifth Third Bank acted as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. The loans will be held by commercial banks, an affiliate of Och-Ziff Real Estate, and an affiliate of Penn National Gaming Inc.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Byron Croft: top, Richard St. Jean and Penn National team; right, Final Cut steakhouse view.

October 9,2016 (Jamul) – “I’m like a proud parent,” Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego vice president and general manager Richard St. Jean said,  during a preview tour of the 200,000 square foot facility on Saturday.  This has been a long time coming.”

The casino will opening to the public on Monday at 2 p.m., after an 11 a.m.ribbon-cutting for Penn National Gaming executive team members and tribal members of the Jamul Indian Village of the Kumeyaay Nation.

Videos on social media show heavily armed police  arresting “water protectors” today; San Diego rally planned Oct. 30

Update Oct. 7, 2016: Hear our interview on KNSJ Radio with Bobby Wallace by clicking the audio link

By Miriam Raftery

September 28,2016 (San Diego)—“We must, we will, bring more supplies. Our number one goal is to help the people,”  Barona tribal member Bobby Wallace told East County Magazine.

Winter will soon bring bitter cold to the Standing Rock Sioux encampment in Cannnonball,North Dakota, where “hundreds of tribes” have sent thousands of people camp out and take a stand against the Dakota access oil pipeline.  Wallace has been organizing relief supplies gathered by local tribes to support  the effort.

Speaking last week at an Activist San Diego meeting in San Diego,  Wallace told of the reactions when he arrived with the first caravan of supplies for the three camps.”Men, people, had tears in their eyes.  People hugged us…just knowing people far away cared.”

East County News Service

September 10, 2016 (El Cajon) – Kristin Kjaero sent in these colorful shots of the 27th annual Sycuan Pow-wow.  The pow-wow continues through Sunday at 5459 Sycuan Road on the Sycuan reservation in El Cajon.

By Miriam Raftery

Update Sept. 6, 2016 3 p.m.:  Federal Judge James Boasberg in Washington D.C. today issued a temporary restraining order in response to the tribe's emergency request to halt machines destroying recently identified sacred sites: "The Court ORDERS that no construction activity on the DAPL may take place between Highway 1806 and 20 miles to the east of Lake Oahe. Construction activity to the west of Highway 1806 may proceed."

September 6, 2016 (San Diego) – Thousands of Native Americans with support from hundreds of tribes have converged  in  North Dakota, seeking to protect their water,  lands and ancestors’ remains from the Dakota Access Pipeline, also known as the Bakken pipeline. (#NoDAPL) The pipeline would transport oil from fracking from North Dakota to Illinois, passing over major waterways including the Missouri and Mississippi  rivers that are the lifeblood for tribes in several states.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has filed a request for an injunction to halt construction, after discovering sacred artifacts at the site, and a court decision is expected this week. But the pipeline owner, Energy Transfer Partners, defiantly bulldozed a two-mile-long by 150-feet-wide swath over Labor Day weekend, despite having no easement approved yet by the Army Corps of Engineers.

On Saturday,  desperate to halt the devastation until a Judge could weigh in, tribal members marched at the site, with at least one chaining himself to earth-moving equipment.  A private contractor hired by the pipeline owner then attacked the Native Americans with pepper spray and with dogs including pit bulls,  leaving tribal members bloodied and outraged.

Widows & Orphans Fund to receive $50,000 from Viejas Tribe

September 3, 2016 (Alpine) -- The Viejas Tribe, represented by Tribal Chairman Robert Welch Jr., presente a $50,000 donation to the San Diego Police Officers Association on August 29. Brian Marvel, President of the Police Officers Association, received the donation at San Diego Police Department’s headquarters, accompanied by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman.