July 10, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - The Mountain Empire Men’s Club will present Pine Valley Days on July 24^th and 25^th.  This mountain town’s annual summer event includes a parade rolling out on July 25^th  at 9 a.m., plus other activities both days at the Pine Valley Park (28810 Old Highway 80, Pine Valley).  The fun begins with a deep pit BBQ dinner on Friday night with live music and dancing under the stars to Barbwire, the North American Country Music Association International’s New Country Band of the Year for 2015 and other entertainers. There will also be a craft village, a free music festival, kids’ zone, food from local vendors and more.

New features and services at your fingertips!

July 10, 2015 (El Cajon)--The City of El Cajon has launched a new, redesigned website! The website provides new communication and outreach tools, added service features for residents and businesses, and gives the City of El Cajon a more powerful web presence.

July 9, 2015 (Tucson)—East County Magazine co-founder Leon Thompson, on vacation in Tucson, Arizona, sent in these photos.  It’s not hard to see why he’s wanted to extend his stay!

By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2015 (Lakeside) – A drug house in Lakeside has been raided and the property condemned, Sergeant David Hale with the Sheriff’s Department reports.  County Sheriff’s deputies from the Lakeside substation, aided by the Sheriff’s special enforcement detail and ASTREA helicopter served a search warrant at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at 9001 Creekford Road.

Mayor Randy Voepel also addresses Republicans in Santee on his Assembly candidacy

By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2015 (Santee) – How far might the ramifications of the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriages go?  Could the rights of same-sex couples to wed be allowed to impinge on the religious freedom s of business owners, schools or churches?  Might the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges open the door for legalization of other alternative marriage arrangements such as polygamy?

Those are among the issues discussed at the California Republican Assembly  (CRA) meeting at Jimmy’s Restaurant in Santee last night, where the featured speaker was Brad Dacus (photo, left), president and founder of the Pacific Justice Institute. A frequent guest speaker on national TV news shows and host of a radio program, attorney Dacus specializing in representing people of faith in religious freedom cases.

East County News Service

July 9, 2015 (Descanso) – Once again, Camp Jack will offer a summer camping experience for at-risk youths. This year’s camp starts on July 26 with a Traditional Barbeque hosted by the El Cajon Valley Host Lions club.

East County News Service

July 10, 2015 (Lemon Grove)—The suspect in an armed robbery of a Subway sandwich shop in Lemon Grove Wednesday night remains at large.

East County News Service

July 8, 2015 (Santee) -- Santee Lakeside Rotary Club Foundation and the Santee Lakes Foundation will host the Fourth Annual Concert At The Lakes at Santee Lakes (Lake Five) on Saturday July 18 at 5 p.m. All proceeds will support scholarships at local high schools and youth programs at Santee Lakes.

July 8, 2015 (Lakeside) – Leon Thompson took this image of a sunset and dramatic clouds above San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside, while out strolling with his dog, Daisy, this summer afternoon.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Trestle over Carrizo Gorge

July 8, 2015 (Campo) – Plans to revive the long-closed Desert Line freight railway from Campo to Imperial County appeared to be in danger of derailing after the Pacific Imperial Railroad fell behind in payments to the Metropolitan Transit System. But now the company has made its latest  half-million dollar payment to the Metropolitan Transit, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.The 99-year-lease requires two such payments annually.

By Miriam Raftery

July 9, 2015 (Santee) – At last night’s Santee City Council meeting, 24 people came to show support for asking that dogs from puppy  mills be outlawed for sale in Santee.   The group is waiting to see if Council will agree to add the item to its agenda.

Sydney Cicourel, west coast director for The Puppy Mill Project, told Council members that her organization has gathered 3,000 signatures on a petition in support of the ban.  The group has been protesting at Pups and Pets, a Santee store that Cicourel says purchases dogs in from puppy mills where the animals are kept in “deplorable” conditions that are unsafe and unsanitary, often in stacked wire cages.

East County News Service

July 6, 2015 (El Cajon)—East County will soon have its first four-star hotel.  In its last meeting in June, the El Cajon Council approved final plans for a Marriott Courtyard hotel to be built at Magnolia and Rea Avenues.

July 10, 2015 (San Diego’s EastCounty) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

·         CDC: Some anti-depressants linked to birth defects (USA Today)

·         Farewell, Low-Fat: Why Scientists Applaud Lifting A Ban On Fat (NPR)

·         It Turns Out We Really Didn't Know What People Are Dying From (NPR)

·         Curb Your Appetite: Save Bread For The End Of The Meal (NPR)

July 9, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• 6 big things to know about sanctuary cities (Washington Post)
• South Carolina House okays removing confederate flag (CBS News)
• Federal court rules against Redskins in legal battle with Native Americans (NPR)
• Whitewash: New Texas text books will downplay slavery, omit KKK and Jim Crow (RawStory)
• This Term the Supreme Court Might Open the Way for Prison Reform (Reporting San Diego)

Presidential  campaign:

• Companies, countries cutting ties with Donald Trump (Denver Post)
• House Republicans release the subpoena she said she never received for her e-mails (Huffington Post)
• Jeb Bush: You can love your Mexican-American wife and also believe that you need to control the border (Washington Post)
• Jeb Bush: People should work longer hours (ABC News)
• Bernie Sanders wants to spend $3 billion on solar panels for the poor (Washington Examiner)
• Huckabee calls for civil disobedience against marriage equality ruling (NY Post)

WORLD

• Greeks defy Europe with overwhelming referendum 'No' (Reuters)
• Greeks are locked out of online payments (APM Marketplace)
• A Saudi prince is giving away his entire fortune to charity—and it’s a lot (TakePart)
• China stems market slide, stringent measures imposed (Reuters)
• New textbook guidelines to be launched despite criticism (China Post)
• Reforms May Help North Korea Survive An Imminent Drought (NPR)
• Egyptian army kills 63 militants in North Sinai: sources

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

By Miriam Raftery

July 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--As water supplies grow scarcer in California’s fourth year of drought, residents in impoverished rural towns are facing a new threat.  Groundwater pumped to record low levels means higher concentrations of arsenic are being found in drinking water in many areas.