June 26, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with the Grossmont Healthcare District to offer  Summer Healthcare Saturday, the largest annual free health fair in San Diego’s East County region. The health fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, near the movie theaters at the Grossmont Center mall in La Mesa.

Information also will be available about senior housing and home care services, hospice, home safety, fitness centers, health insurance, herbal supplements, medical supplies and volunteer opportunities. Additional information will be available about Alzheimer’s disease, chiropractic, dentistry and eye surgery.

June 26, 2014 (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

• Environmental lawsuits cast shadow over fireworks shows (Mission Times Courier)
• Should More Development Be Allowed In Cleveland National Forest? (KPBS)
• County Supervisors address child migration crisis (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa city employees getting raises  (UT San Diego)
• Arellano drug gang leader captured in TJ (UT San Diego)
• San Diego's Algae Industry Struggles To Float On Fuel Alone (KPBS)
• When is a “Smart Growth” Project a “Trojan Horse”? – Park Station as a case study. (San Diego UrbDeZine)

STATE

• California probes Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield (Sacramento Bee)
• Women in CA prisons forced to undergo illegal, coercive sterilizations: audit (Raw Story)
• Parents of California victims angered by "broken" health, legal systems: WaPo (Reuters)
• California says poor can keep 'climate credit' (UT San Diego)
• California school bond measure advances (Sacramento Bee)
• California drought helps coho salmon migration (Sacramento Bee)

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

By Miriam Raftery

June 26, 2014 (Ocotillo) – Moving shadows of massive blades the length of football fields flickering across I-8 near the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility  has been the subject of many complaints we’ve received from readers, residents and motorists since Pattern Energy built the project on Federal Bureau of Land Management property.

June 25, 2014 (Mission Trails)--Embroiled in a contentious re-election campaign, Representative Scott Peters (CA 52) will headline the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Clubs’, “Party in the Park.. The event is being held at the Mission Trails Region Park (MTRP) Visitor’s Center (One Father Junipero Serra Tr., San Diego, CA 92119) at 6pm on Wednesday, July 2^nd.  Peters will be accompanied by many other local politicians and candidates including Representative Susan Davis (CA 53), County Supervisor Dave Roberts and County Democratic Chair Francine Busby among others.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, right: La Jolla Cove, by W. Jason Situ

June 25, 2014 (La Mesa)— When an out-of-control truck smashed through the picture window of her gallery on La Mesa Boulevard back on June 2, artist Shannon O’Dunn kept it all in perspective.

Now she’s hosting a grand reopening at O’Dunn Fine Art, 8325 La Mesa Boulevard, inviting the community to share in champaign, chocolates, live music, and some fine new works of art that she has acquired since the unexpected closure. The event will be held on Friday, June 27 from 5 to 8 p.m.  “Come celebrate a new chapter in fine art for East County,” says O’Dunn. “We would love to see you here!"

By Nadin Abbott

June 25, 2014 (San Diego)--The San Diego County Board of Supervisors renewed the Gillespie Field Development Council, despite serious concerns raised by several members of the public.

The council runs the day to day activities at the Gillespie Field airport for both El Cajon, which appoints two members, and the County, which appoints three.

Robert Germann told the Board that he opposes the agreement since it does not include the City of Santee. He told Supervisors,“Santee should have a seat on the board. I am surprised they are not here demanding one.” The airport has one gate exiting into Santee, built at Santee’s expense.

Photos: Danish wind farmer blames wind turbines (left) on 1,600 stillbirths and 320 miscarriages (right) among mother minks at his farm.

By Jessica Richmond

June 18, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – From Denmark to San Diego’s East County, concerns are growing over the safety of wind turbines near pregnant women, pets and livestock. 

Unlike the chemical or food industries, the wind industry has never had to provide safety data backed by any scientific studies on potential impacts of infrasound, noise or stray voltage from wind turbines on human reproductive health or even animals.  But a growing number of deaths and deformities of baby animals near wind turbines, as well as high sterility rates in some adult animals, is heightening fears among people living near wind turbines about potential impacts on their own health—and the health of their children.

ECM has previously reported on a study that found negative impacts from wind turbines on geese and other instances where health problems among livestock were observed near wind turbines including cattle deaths, high rates of stillbirths and miscarriages among horses, chickens laying eggs with no shells, and birth defects among goats, as ECM  reported.

Most alarming, now Kaj Bank Olesen, a mink farmer in Denmark, reports staggering reproductive problems after a wind turbine was erected 328 meters away.

By Miriam Raftery

June 24, 2014 (San Diego)--The death of baseball giant Tony Gwynn at only 54 years of age has drawn national attention to the dangers of chewing tobacco.  Gwynn had suffered through surgeries and paralysis of part of his face following cancer linked to his habit of chewing tobacco – a custom shared by many baseball players as well as 9% of all high school students nationwide.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2014 (San Diego) – Caltrans will hold a public workshop July 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Caltrans office complex in San Diego (Garcia Room), 4050 Taylor Street.  The transportation agency seeks public comments on a draft California Freight Mobility Plan that aims to improve freight movement and reduce environmental impacts on the state’s highways, seaports and railways.

June 22, 2014 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man, 45, died at the scene of an accident that occurred on June 13 at 12:49 a.m. on State Route 52 east, just west of Cuyamaca Street.

June 23, 2014 (San Diego)--The Gwynn family held a private memorial service for Tony Gwynn at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union on the campus of San Diego State University on June 21. The family was joined by approximately 200 close friends and representatives from SDSU, major-league baseball and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Drought and Your Health

June 23, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Summer is officially here and with more than half the U.S. currently in drought, there are concerns over the consequences of not only the country's crop yields and wildfires, but also on human health reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

June 23, 2014 (Santee)--The City of Santee will hosts its annual Santee Salutes event on July 4^th from 3:30 to 10 p.m.  at Town Center community Park East, located at 550 Park Center Drive.

By Nadin Abbott

June 19, 2014 (San Diego)—On Monday, San Diego City Council  joined cities across California, including Chula Vista, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and Menlo Park, as well as the counties of Monterey, Marin, Los Angeles and San Benito in asking the State Senate not to pass AB 2145.

June 20, 2014 (San Diego)--Getting married is a big decision, but once you’ve found "the one," why wait? Effective immediately, bridal couples can walk in to the County Administration Center downtown, pick up a marriage license and get married. No appointments necessary, no muss, no fuss.