July 25, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- Two weeks after finding the first sign of West Nile virus this season — a dead infected crow — two more dead infected birds have been discovered.

Two dead American crows, one from Ramona and one from Carlsbad, were turned in by members of the public and have tested positive for the disease. The first bird, also an American crow, was found near Lakeside.

County vector control and environmental health officials said the discoveries are a reminder that people should protect themselves from West Nile virus, a potentially-deadly disease that is transmitted to people most often by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds.

Thousands of dollars in fabulous prizes--and a wild west show!

Listen to our audio preview for this exciting event 

July 12, 2013 (Descanso) --Descanso Junction is firing up the BBQ to help us celebrate East County's western heritage at our Wild West Fest and BBQ on Saturday, August 10 from 4-7 p.m. at the historic Descanso Town Hall (24536 Viejas Grade Road, Descanso).  Prince includes BBQ feast, wild west show, dancing, live music, and prizes galore!

Your ticket ($15 at early-bird rates, $20 at the door) includes a delicious tri-tip and chicken barbecue feast,  Wild West show, live music, dancing, and a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes.The Hole in the Wall Gang and  Gaskill Brothers Gunfighters will provide live western reenactments with a full half-hour wild west show. Author Bryon Harrington will be there with his book, Campo, the Forgotten Gunfight. Plus we'll have a Doc Holliday reenactor. Pine Creek Posse Band will provide live music- so bring your dancing shoes (or your cowboy boots!)

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PRIZES: Prizes include a vacation at the Viejas Resort, "cowboy for a day" at Campo Creek Ranch, gift certificates from delicious restaurants, $165 in hay bales, gifts from feed stores, retail shops, salons, leather bag from MCClintock Saddleworks, hay bales, winery gift baskets, bowling, buffets, event tickets and even a free rental at Descanso Town Hall! and more. Descanso Junction will serve up the barbecue feast. KNSJ 89.1 FM radio will be on hand to record YOUR stories, too.

July 24, 2013 (Del Cerro) – An unidentified man was stabbed twice on July 20 at 10:25 p.m. at Adobe Falls Road in Del Cerro.  The incident began when several males became belligerent on a party bus, San Diego Police report. 

The driver, a 30-year-old man, told them to get off the bus.  The assailants reportedly began punching the driver.  After another group of males in the same age group intervened, one of the men was stabbed with an unknown object. 

July 25, 2013 (San Diego's East County) --ECM 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.

• Justice Department to challenge states’ voting rights laws (Washington Post)
• A political chill for charities? (Jewish World Review)
• Mood turns somber for Democrats in 2014 race for Senate control (The Hill)
• Trayvon Martin's parents lead protests over Zimmerman verdict (Reuters)
•  George Zimmerman Saves Family of Four From Car Wreck (Reason)
• Transparency Fail (Reason)
• Residents Forced To Live Without Landlines (NPR)

 WORLD

• Al Qaeda militants flee Iraq jail in violent mass break-out (Reuters)
• Al Qaeda growing, but less focused on US, study finds (CS Monitor)
•  Crippled Japanese nuclear plant leaking radiation into sea (NBC/AP)
• Polio Eradication Suffers A Setback As Somali Outbreak Worsens (NPR)
• Taliban-style edict for women spreads alarm in Afghan district (Reuters)
• 20 cars torched near Paris after veil tensions (U-T San Diego)
• Iran denies missing World Bank payments, blames sanctions (Reuters)
• Israel to free Palestinian prisoners for peace talks: minister (Reuters)
• EU blacklists Hezbollah - sort of (CS Monitor)
• Pope Francis speaks against drug liberalization (U-T San Diego)
• Report: Yemeni Journalist Who Obama Reportedly Helped Keep Behind Bars Is Now Free (Reason)
• China indicts ex-politician Bo Xilai for graft (U-T San Diego)
• Spain train derailment scene deemed 'Dante-esque' by official (CS Monitor)
• .Russia's top lawyers sound alarm about government abuse of the Constitution  (CS Monitor)
• Which Nations Hate The U.S.? Often Those Receiving U.S. Aid (NPR)

Scroll down or click “read more” for excerpts and links to full stories.

July 25, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future.

• Why Skipping Breakfast Might Raise Risk Of Heart Disease (NPR)
• Two Danish cities put a moratorium on wind turbines (EPAW)
• Water birds turning up dead at solar projects in desert (Rewire)
• Paying women to take big risk (U-T San Diego)
• Scientists discover what’s killing the bees—and it’s worse than you thought  (Quartz)
• Study raises new concern about earthquakes and fracking fluids (Reuters)
• Enlisting Passers-By In Scientific Research (NPR)
• Leading Danish newspaper severely criticizes Vestas on noise issue(Jyllands-Posten)

Click "read more" and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

By Miriam Raftery

July 25, 2013 (San Diego) –An amendment that sought to ban the National Security Agency from collecting phone and Internet records on Americans who are not under investigation failed to win passage in the House of Representatives today.  The Amash amendment, a bipartisan proposal to a spending bill,  was narrowly defeated 205-217.

 All five members of the San Diego Congressional delegation voted to defeat the measure including Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa as well as Democrats Juan Vargas, Susan Davis, and Scott Peters.

Supporters of the amendment argued that the NSA overstepped its authority by conducting warrantless spying on citizens--activities never authorized by Congress and that some contend violates the Constitution.

July 24, 2013 (Ocotillo) - In a dramatic video, award-winning videographer Jim Pelley takes a wild ride along a flooding roadway in the heart of the Ocotillo Express Wind Project.  The brief storm, which lasted only an hour, closed Highway 98, also washing rocks and debris across access roads. (Note: video contains strong language as Pelley struggles to escape the rising floodwaters.)

Pelley, an engineer and resident of Ocotillo, has long contended that changes to natural drainage patterns made by the wind project developer, Pattern Energy, would worsen flooding in the region.  Ocotillo is in a federally designated flood plain, but area residents have said that in the past, it took hours of heavy rainfall to cause serious flooding.

By Janis Mork

July 24, 2013 (El Cajon)- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." Viktoriya Sinnelnikov, who moved here from the Ukraine in 2004, quoted this saying by Confucius in her commencement speech as valedictorian at Cuyamaca Community College last month.

Sinelnikov majored in science and mathematics with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Her journey at Cuyamaca began in spring 2007, where she went to school part-time all the while juggling that with being married to her husband, also from Ukraine, and raising her two children, son Kiril, now 7, and 2-year-old Elizabeth.

July 24, 2013 (Mount Laguna) – County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Ernest Dronenburg is advising all property owners whose property was damaged or destroyed during the recent Chariot Fire that property tax relief is available.

This tax relief program requires the reassessment of the property to reflect its damaged condition. The reduced value will remain in effect until such time as the property is rebuilt or repaired. More importantly, after the property is rebuilt or repaired, the owners can retain their previous taxable value if the property is rebuilt in a like or similar manner. This means that the property tax assessment will not increase beyond what it was prior to the fire.

July 24, 2013 (Rancho Penasquitos) – Attention, motorists: Interstate 15 southbound will be closed this weekend between State Route 56 (the Ted Williams Parkway exit) to Rancho Penasquitos Boulevard/Poway Road.

The closure Saturday to Monday is due to drainage improvements. Southbound express lanes will be open as a detour and will be available to all drivers free of charge.

By Paul  Kruze

July 23, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- After nearly a decade of wrangling between the State of California and Caltrans, Old Town State Park is set to be expanded and revitalized with approval of the new California state budget, which includes $436,000 in bond money allocated to demolish the old Caltrans building on Taylor Street.  Most significantly, the abandoned 115,735 square foot Caltrans building sits on top of an ancient Kumeyaay village which allegedly dates back to 500 AD, and which was once a thriving Mexican settlement.

By Miriam Raftery

July 23, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A lawsuit challenging fire parcel fees was heard Friday in Sacramento Superior Court.  The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association sued the State of California, arguing that fire parcel fees assessed on taxpayers in state responsibility areas should be considered taxes, not fees.

A two-thirds majority vote of the State Legislature is required to pass a new tax, though this requirement does not apply to fees.

The State had argued that the Jarvis group did not have standing to represent taxpayers in the class action lawsuit, but the judge disagreed, ruling that the Jarvis organization does have legal standing. The state has 10 days to file a response to the ruling.

July 23, 2013 (Spring Valley) -- The Young Actors Theater is presenting “Grease” August 15-18 and 22-25 at Encore! Theatre, 9620 Campo Road, Spring Valley.  At Rydell High's senior class of 1959, duck-tailed, hot-rodding "Burger Palace Boys" and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking "Pink Ladies" in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoke the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Head "greaser" Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their "Summer Nights" as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as "Greased Lightnin'","Beauty School Dropout" plus many others that became the soundtrack of a generation.

July 23, 2013 (Spring Valley) -- The San Diego Sheriff seeks public help to locate Kenneth Lamb, 79, who has dementia and takes blood-thinning medication. According to friends and neighbors, he became increasingly confused in the past week.  He was last seen at 2 a.m. on July 20 standing in a neighbor's yard in Spring Valley, where he has lived for 30 years. His routine includes church and working in yards in the La Mesa area.

His vehicle, a gold 1999 Ford Franger pickup truck with extra cab, is also missing.  The California license is 6N22819.  It had a piece of plywood in the truck bed.

 By Janis Mork

July 22, 2013 (Santee)- At the July 11 meeting, the San Diego Planning Commission voted 4-2 in favor of the annexation scenario to place the proposed Castlerock master-planned community in Santee. The controversial housing project could include up to 430 residential units on 204 acres near the Santee-San Diego border.