May 5, 2014 (Jacumba) A series of brush fires broke out on the side of the interstate about 4:30. The fire was initially reported as a single start, but soon it was clear that it was at least three starts. The fire is on the north side of Interstate eight half a mile east of McCain Valley Road.
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May 5, 2014 (San Diego) – Superior Court Judge candidate Michele Hagan was a guest on our May 5 East County Magazine Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM.
“We don’t let football players choose referees. So why are we letting lawyers choose judges?” asks Hagan, a former prosecutor and judge pro tem who also publishes a blog on legal issues.
She contends that the County Bar Association gave her a “lacking qualifications” rating because she spoke out in her blog about a local judge who awarded alimony to a man convicted of a violent sexual act against his wife, then worked to pass a new state law, AB 1522, to protect victims from having to pay alimony to spouses convicted of a violent sexual felony.
She contends that the Bar’s rating system for judicial candidates is flawed, subject to bias, and not transparent. To read her credentials for the job, click "read more" and scroll down.
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May 2, 2014 (San Diego) -- Where you live in the City of San Diego affects how quickly emergency response teams can bring help to you when you need it, according to a report just issued by the 2013/2014 San Diego County Grand Jury.
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New column! East County craft beers in your neighborhood
By Ed Barrena
May 4, 2014 (Santee)--BNS Brewing and Distilling Co. in Santee (www.bnsbrewinganddistilling.com) is a great brewery with an Old West appeal. I'd wager Wyatt Earp would probably want to tie his horse off next to the trophy trucks and motorcycles if he made a stop in East County. (Mr. Earp was known to play many a game of poker in what is now the Gaslamp).
The tasting room at BNS is a throwback to the days of the old saloons--and there is not a pint glass in the building, as most beers are served in mason jars. Above the bar hangs a vintage rifle and the tap heads are a mix of replica .50 caliber bullets and the stylish BNS logo.
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May 2, 2014 (Sacramento)--As the drought intensifies, a new report by the California Department of Water Resources reveals that groundwater levels across California have historically low water levels. Half of the 5,400 wells studied had shrunk to levels lower than seen in the last 100 years.
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May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Shortly before 7:30 p.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon responded to reports of a plane crash at Gillespie Field Airport. As firefighters arrived on scene they found that a single engine Cessna had landed without its’ landing gear, sliding to a stop on the runway.
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May 3, 2014 (San Diego)—The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients has filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego. The lawsuit contends that new regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries are too restrictive and won’t allow enough dispensaries to meet the needs of patients throughout the city.
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Critics call bill a "poison pill" aimed at restricting the ability of local municipalities to provide consumers with alternatives to buying power from utilities
May 4, 2014 (San Diego)--The second of California’s community choice aggregates (CCA) was launched amidst state legislation (AB 2145) that could restrict further competition with established utilities.
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May 4, 2014 (Lakeside)--The San Diego Sheriff's Department Santee Station is asking for the public's help in providing any information that would lead to the arrest of a suspect who threatened a man with a knife and robbed him in Lakeside.
On Saturday, May 3rd, at 9:22 p.m. the suspect approached the victim who was riding his bike home from a meeting in the unincorporated area of El Cajon on Los Coches Road near Interstate 8. The suspect ran up to the victim and brandished a knife with a 4-6 inch blade and demanded cash. The suspect left the area on foot northbound towards Lakeside.
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May 3, 2014 (Alpine)—When Alpine resident Alanna Light heard about the tragic sinking of a Korean ferry boat, she feared for her 24-year-old daughter, who teaches English at a private school in South Korea.
“My dad called me and asked if Kalya was alright,” she recalled, adding that when she heard about the tragedy, “I had a panic attack until I got through to her.” Fortunately, Kayla was fine. But at least 242 passengers on the Sewol ferry have died and another 60 remain missing. Most of the passengers were high school students.
The captain and 14 crew members have been arrested for leaving the ship and abandoning passengers, including children told to stay in their cabins. Two others have also been arrested for over-loading the ship, which had 476 people on board.
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Precautions urged for farmers and people entering pigs in livestock competitons at fairs
By Miriam Raftery
May 3, 2014 (Sacramento) – A virus that is deadly to baby pigs has wiped out 10 percent of all pigs in America in the last year, the National Journal reports.
According to the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Chief economist, Dr. Joseph Glauber, the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus , or PED, has spread to 30 states.
That includes California, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The state's website does not list where in California the potent virus has been found.
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Photos by Daren Sefcik, Jeff Holz, and Delia Cooley
May 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Multiple fires along I-8 broke out this morning between East Willows Road and Japatul this morning, as ourViejasAlerts reported earlier. The fires are believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning catalytic converter from a vehicle.
The largest forced closure of a viewpoint in Japatul and charred 12-14 acres.
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April 30, 2014 (Spring Valley)- Royal Family Kids Camp provides a network of camps and mentor clubs for children of abuse, abandonment, and neglect. The vision is that “every foster child, ages 6-12, experiences a life-changing camp, club and mentor.” The mission is to “create life- changing moments for children of abuse.” The purpose is to “mobilize the faith community to confront child abuse.”
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May 3, 2014 (Deerhorn Valley) – A 17-month-old child was bitten three times in the abdomen by a rattlesnake yesterday afternoon while playing in on a patio at a home near Barrett Lake in Deerhorn Valley.
NBC reported that the incident was reported at 4:20 in the 20000 block of Manzanita Way. The Deerhorn Valley Antler indicated that Mercy Air flew out of the area at approximately 5 p.m. with the young patient on board. The child was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital.
Fortunately, the toddler is recovering, according to his older sister , Jessica Taylor. She posted on the Deerhorn Valley Facebook page this morning that her brother is being treated with anti-venom and is expected to be fine. She added, “He’s a tough little guy!”
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May 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --As temperatures rise, all sorts of wildlife emerge in the spring., which marks the start of rattlesnake season in San Diego County. As the reptiles come out of hibernation, it’s not uncommon to spot them locally, though bites are rare. Most sightings happen between now and October.
The County’s Department of Animal Services has removed dozens of rattlesnakes from residents’ homes and yards so far this month, said Dawn Danielson, Animal Services Director.
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May 3, 2014 (La Mesa) -- Today from 11 a.m to 5 p.m., Johnny B's restaurant in La Mesa will donate 10 percent of proceeds to benefit a new pocket park project called the "Lookout" planned in La Mesa's downtown vlllage. The restaurant owner, John Bedlion, wlil also match the amount raised today. Drawings will also be held, along with a live auction.
“TheLookout” at Legacy Park will become a permanent piece of art that will honor the City’s Centennial celebration. Located at the convergence of La Mesa Boulevard (known as Lookout Avenue until 1940), Allison Avenue, and 4th Street; The Lookout will serve a traditional gazebo function – as a gathering place for social interaction. Center city gazebos have historically occupied a special place in the heart of communities; this one will be no different.
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May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Ratepayers are feeling the pinch from higher utility bills due to rate hikes recently approved by the California Utilities Commission.
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May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Republican Paul Ryan plans to hold a Congressional committee hearing next week on poverty – but he has refused to let any poor people testify.
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May 2, 2014 (Sacramento) - Assembly Member Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) issued the following statement in response to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine against Donald Sterling:
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May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The Obama administration is facing a lawsuit over its plan to issue 30-year-permits allowing wind energy companies to kill eagles without facing prosecution.
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May 2, 2014 (Sacramento) - A bill moving through the state Legislature would allow communities to have more input when a sexually violent predator is released from prison.
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May 2, 2014 (San Diego) - Did San Diego State University dump a successful coach for political reasons? Doug Perez is accusing the university of getting rid of him because he refused a request from the Associated Students executive director, Christina Brown, who asked him to help her raise money for Kevin Faulconer’s mayoral campaign.
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May 2, 2014 (Rancho San Diego)--Registration will be opening soon for College for Kids, a summer enrichment program for youngsters aged 8-14. Programs will be held July 7-31 at the Cuyamaca College campus.
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Elected officials suppressed key report, failed to halt project or recover taxpayer dollars
“It was heartbreaking to see this project desecrate such a historically and culturally significant landscape, and it’s even worse when you find out that it was built on false claims by the developer, and with the assistance of the BLM. "-- Anthony Pico, Chairman, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
An East County Magazine special investigation
By Miriam Raftery
April 30, 2014 (Ocotillo) – An international wind energy expert has concluded that Pattern Energy appears to have defrauded the federal government in order to obtain lucrative tax subsidies for a wind energy development in southern California that has failed to live up to the developer’s claims.
“I believe we have a clear case for the False Claims Act,” Nicolas Boccard told East County Magazine, after reviewing full first-year wind production data for the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility on U..S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public land. The project produced only about half of the energy that Pattern claimed it would produce—far below levels deemed viable for a wind project, a second expert confirms.
These dismal results are no surprise to Boccard, who predicted in a report written before construction of the project was completed that Ocotillo lacks sufficient wind speeds to sustain a viable wind energy project.
So were Pattern's lofty wind speed claims nothing more than spin?
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May 1, 2014 (Spring Valley) – A brush fire along State Route 125 near Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley led to evacuations of several home along Elkelton Boulevard near Sweetwater Reservoir this afternoon.
The blaze charred about two acres and scorched a shed before firefighters brought it under control with help from a water-dropping helicopter. Animal Control was called to assist with pigs behind one of the homes, a witness stated.
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May 1, 2014 (San Diego)--U.S. Reps. Susan Davis (CA-53) and Tim Ryan (OH-13) introduced legislation in the House to help schools include social and emotional learning (SEL). The Supporting Emotional Learning (SEL) Act (H.R. 4509) would support teacher training in SEL to help young people better handle societal issues thus boosting their academic potential. Students receiving social and emotional education do better on tests, show greater pro-social behaviors, and less emotional stress.
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May 1, 2014 (San Diego County) - Ordinary citizens serving as senior volunteer patrol members are providing over $10 million worth of support services each year to law enforcement agencies in San Diego County. In an era of tight budgets, this is a significant asset to the community, according to a San Diego County Grand Jury report released this week.
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For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.
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What is making these current weather conditions so dangerous is the obvious “high fire danger” currently, however, these warm, dry gusty winds are stripping already drought prone vegetation complete of any fuel moisture content. With no rain forecasted and heading into summer months, fuels are/will be bone dry of any fuel moisture early into the season.
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May 1, 2014 (San Diego) – Yesterday, two children playing barefoot at Bonita Cove Park on Mission Bay stepped on razor blades and injured their feet. Police officers used metal detectors to find 19 razor blades buried sharp-side-up near playground equipment in the park on Mariners Way near West mission Bay Drive, UT San Diego reports.
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April 30, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future
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