East County News Service

October 31, 2015 (San Diego) – California Highway Patrol is seeking a second vehicle, a white Nissan Sport Utility Vehicle with damage to the right front fender and quarter panel. It was seen leaving the area of a fatal pedestrian crash on I-15 that occurred about 1:45 a.m. on October 28, when several motorists reported swerving to avoid a “mannequin” that turned out to be a woman’s body.

By Helen Ofield, President, Lemon Grove Historical Society

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

November 1, 2015 (Lemon Grove) -- He will be. The witching hour is 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the H. Lee House, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

Of course, you knew that.  Come November, neither you, we, nor anyone within earshot is exempt from visions of sugar plums, the hope of reindeer hooves on the roof, the hearkening to Donner and Blitzen, and the careful setting out of a post prandial libation and figgy pudding for The Great Claus.

He is William Swank and the name fits.  He is swell, swank, super-duper and silver-tongued.  He's been Santa Claus for 14 years, including seven in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. He's an author of 10 books, too, bringing us to the main event.

By Howard W Cook, former chair, Jacumba Sponsor Group

Photo: Lake Jacumba

November 1, 2015 (Jacumba Hot Springs)--A massive project poses an unprecedented risk to Jacumba Hot Springs' water supply. 

BACKGROUND

Jacumba Hot Springs is an old town going back to 1860 and blessed with a productive hot spring and several other good wells. It is located 70 miles East of San Diego on Old Highway 80 in a valley spread out on both sides of the border. Its high desert transition zone location at 2800 feet just before nearby Interstate 8 plunges to the desert seem an unlikely place for a water takeover by Nextera, a Florida Green Energy developer.

East County News Service

October 31, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Thanks to all who turned out for our Masquerade party on Halloween Eve! 

Our guests went all out on costumes, also enjoying the wonderful music of Paul Nichols. When Paul played "Monster Mash," the night came alive as our elaborately costumed guests took to the dance floor and vied for prizes.

Our staff regaled guests with some spooky ghost stories--all based on local legends right here in East County, from a ghostly ship in the desert to a phantom white horse and more. (Watch for an audio version of these tales to be posted soon.)

We also had some "celebrity" guests pop in, including Donald and Ivana Trump, Mother Nature and more:

October 31, 2015 (San Diego)--Not only are weather forecasters predicting the chance of showers next week, we’re also heading into our much-anticipated El Niño season — which could mean a lot more rainfall than we’ve seen for a long time.

Join East County Magazine at our Halloween Eve Masquerade Party at our editor's "haunting" home on Mt. Helix!

Friday, October 30th, 6-10 p.m.

Savor a "spook-tacular" feast, hear local spine-tingling ghost stories, watch classic '50s suspense films, listen to live original and variety music with Paul Nichols, and win wonderful prizes!  Free, fabulous masquerade masks for the first 50 RSVPs. 

Suggested donation: Just $10 and bring a dish to share. Happy Halloween Eve!

This event is open exclusively to East County Magazine subscribers. Our subscriptions to our weekly e-newsletter are FREE. Sign up here: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/wild-fire-alerts  and then reserve your space!  Reserve space now!  Call 619-698-7617 or email editor@eastcountymagazine.org to RSVP and get the address.

Planstravaganza! Among San Diego County’s Most Diverse Water-Wise Plant Sales; Vendors, Professional Consultations Available

October 29, 2015 (Rancho San Diego)--The Water Conservation Garden is hosting its annual Fall Planstravaganza! on Saturday, November 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help San Diegans make the most of the region’s fall-to-spring planting season and save water while they do it.

The event boasts the most diverse drought-tolerant plant sale in San Diego County. Retailers and growers will sell shrubs, trees, perennials, succulents and more, making the event one-stop shopping for fall and winter gardening essentials.  Plants that get planted during the mild San Diego fall planting season will reward gardeners with strong root systems that allow the plants to establish to their potential by the spring, particularly with this year’s upcoming El Nino. 

East County News Service

October 29, 2015 (San Diego) -- Red meats—meaning beef and pork--probably cause cancer.  So do meats that have been salted, smoked, pickled or otherwise processed , the World Health Organization, or WHO, warns. WHO issued those findings in a summary of an upcoming report published in the medical journal Lancet Oncology.

East County News Service

October 27, 2015 (San Diego Press Club) – East County Magazine picked up three first place awards and two second places in the San Diego Press Club’s 42^nd annual “Excellence in Journalism Awards.”

Our editor, Miriam Raftery, won first place in multicultural coverage for her report, “Christian homes marked, families killed: East County residents rally to save Iraqi Christians.”  She also took first place for public service/consumer advocacy journalism with “Lakeside residents and planners voice outrage over sand mining proposed in El Monte Valley.”

October 27, 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

• Ambulance firm seeks better response times (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Filner sexual battery suit settled for $99K (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Costly Turing drug gets competition (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Edison reaches $400 million settlement with nuclear insurer (Los Angeles Times)
• Major drug tunnel shut down at Otay Mesa (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Warner Springs Golf Course to reopen (Ramona Sentinel)
• San Onofre case judge must go (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• FEMA urges Californians to buy flood insurance before El Niño (Los Angeles Times)
• CHP sued over nude photo-sharing scandal (Inside Bay Area)
• Anthem Blue Cross Will Refund $8.3 Million To California Consumers (KPBS)
• El Niño or Not, Water Use Restrictions Likely to Continue (Voice of San Diego)
• Judge suggests $16.7M Edison fine (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Will California lawmakers ever again override a veto? (CAP Radio)

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

By Roderick T. Long, Creative Commons license

October 27, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - If you’re black, you may have trouble getting on to a jury.

The way in which jurors are chosen in the United States is intended to ensure an unbiased jury; and part of that process is the right of “peremptory challenge,” by which the prosecution and the defense are each allowed to reject a certain number of potential jurors without having to prove them unfit. But some prosecutors, especially in the southern states, appear to be using this procedure not to prevent bias but to guarantee it. (“Exclusion of Blacks From Juries Raises Renewed Scrutiny,” New York Times, 16 August 2015).