April 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Two lost hikers are safe following an all-night search and rescue effort.

The hikers called the Sheriff’s Department on Saturday night to report that they were lost on the west side of Cuyamaca Peak, trapped in thick brush without any food or water .  Due to low clouds and fog, helicopters could not fly in the rugged terrain.

Deputies from the Julian Sheriff's Station requested assistance from the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. Search teams responded to the Paso Picacho Campground in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park area Saturday at around midnight to search for the lost hikers.

By Miriam Raftery; photo by Paul Kruze

April 28, 2013 (El Cajon ) – A brown Ford car has crashed into a power pole on Jamacha Road at Kendrick in the Granite Hills area.   Power lines are down.  An outage is affecting 1217 homes in the Granite Hills, Bostonia, Singing Hills and East El Cajon areas, according to the SDG&E website.

“The driver was not injured,” said Paul Kruze, an ECM photojournalist at the scene.  “Heartland Fire is on scene due to the risk of fire.”

San Diego’s only exotic animal rescue facility celebrates 10 years of saving lives

April 18, 2013 (Alpine) – Lions, Tigers & Bears (LTB), the Alpine non-profit exotic animal sanctuary celebrating 10 years of saving lives this year, is hosting its annual Wild in the Country Gala on May 4, 2013 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. The event, open to the public, will feature a silent and live auction; live entertainment; catered food; a live music performance by Lisa Sanders; visits with the big cats, bears and animals in Animal Encounters and fun for the whole family.

March 26, 2013 (Jacumba) – From wildflowers to waterfalls, the Jacumba Hikers have announced  a variety of unique hiking destinations for their outings this spring. Scroll down for a list of hikes and descriptions of hikes set for April and May.

To view flyer with details, including difficulty/accessibility of hikes, click here.

April 27, 2013 (Sacramento) – Legislation by Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) to require photo identification prior to casting a ballot was killed by Assembly Democrats today in the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting.

“I am passionate about this issue because the integrity of the ballot must be safeguarded so that the voices of lawful voters are not diluted or disenfranchised due to fraud and illegal conduct; this is equally as important to the credibility of elections,” said Jones.  “The right to vote is a fundamental responsibility given to us by the founders of this country.”

But a Voting Rights Institute report titled “The Real Cost of Photo ID" concludes that “the problem of voter impersonation, which is the only type of fraud photo ID could conceivably address, is less likely to occur than a person being struck by lightning.” Moreover, the report found that in states that have enacted Voter ID requirements, the costs have been high.  In California, the report estimates the cost of implementing Voter ID requirements during the first year would range from $37.86 million to $113.58 million.

April 27, 2013 (San Diego) – Boston, Ricin, West Texas, what’s next? I didn’t think I’d be addressing this as the “safety topic” for the week, however. It’s been very tough last week for most of the Nation. There is something we can do!

"Homeland Security starts with Hometown Security, and all of us play a critical role in keeping our Country and communities safe,” says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.  No matter what you do, day to day activities like driving, going to work, or walking down the street include some threat to your personal safety.  Either through crime or circumstance, people and events can be unpredictable. This was evident last week in Boston.

April 27, 2013 (Poway) – A Sheriff’s K-9 dog search team located a body on Thursday, April 25 in the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve on Espola Road.  Searchers had been looking for Richard Carter, who was reported missing Monday by his wife.  Carter’s car was found parked at Blue Sky.

An identification of the body has not yet been made, pending an examination by the Medical Examiner. Cause of death has also not yet been determined.

Carter, 55, was despondent due to family problems, City News Service reported.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos courtesy ECM news partner 10 News and Heartland Fire

April 26, 2013 (La Mesa)—Jackson Pavlicek of La Mesa is under arrest for reckless burning of property.  According to La Mesa Police, Pavlicek extinguished a cigarette in the backyard of a home in the 9600 block Dillon Drive on the Grossmont Knoll, igniting dry brush.  The fire quickly spread to the house and also damaged the roof of a neighboring home, as well as trees and fences. 

Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from La Mesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon, as well as units from Santee, San Diego and Cal Fire, had the fire fully contained in about one hour. The blaze sent smoke billowing forth that was visible from State Route 125. 

“I really want to say `Dismantle it and give the land back to the tribes…I’d like to ask the Attorney General to…give this commission more teeth so we could say `Tear that wall down.”  -- Commissioner Marshall McKay

View video highlights by Paul Kruze: http://youtu.be/nS93BfT6juI

  (For full unedited videos, scroll to bottom of this story)

By Miriam Raftery

April 26, 2013 (San Diego) – At a hearing in San Diego on Monday, members of the state Native American Heritage Commission heard several hours of emotional testimony from Native Americans who contend that the  U.S. Bureau of Land Management ignored their  concerns and its duty to protect a clearly documented sacred site and cemetery in the fast-tracked approval process for the Ocotillo Express Wind Facility.

By a 4-0 vote, with the remaining commissioners absent, the NAHC voted to grant requests by Viejas and Quechan tribes to declare the 12,400 acre Ocotillo wind project site a sanctified Native American  sacred site.  Further, the commissioners voted unanimously to ask California Attorney General Kamala Harris to research if legal action can be taken.

April 25, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- In an effort to help restore integrity to our federal elections, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) re-introduced legislation that would prohibit top state election officials from participating in federal campaigns.

The Federal Election Integrity Act would prohibit a chief election official of a state from serving on federal campaign committees or engaging in other political activity on behalf of federal candidates in any election over which the official has supervisory authority. 



“Imagine if someone could be both the coach and the referee in a game,” said Davis.  “That would certainly not be fair.  So why would we then allow one person to both officiate an election and chair a candidate’s federal campaign committee?  Someone who has a vested interest in a federal campaign should not also be able to oversee an election in which that candidate runs.  Congress needs to take this long-overdue step to restore the faith of the American people in the election system.”

April 25, 2013 (La  Mesa)—Three robbers, one armed with a handgun, held up the Los Piños Taco Shop at 5660 Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa last night at approximately 9:52 p.m. They remain at large despite a search by the Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter and a canine unit.

All three are described as African-American men in their late teens or early 20s, wearing bandanas over their faces.  Each was approximately 5’10 and weighs around 165 pounds.  One wore eye glasses and another had a dark gray hooded sweatshirt. All wore dark clothing.

April 25, 2013 (Crest) – The County library in Crest will hold El Dia de los Niños/El Dia de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) on Tuesday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m.  The celebration includes bilingual story times in Spanish, French and Arabic. In addition, you can enjoy music and refreshments, plus learn how to make paper flowers.

The library is located at 105 Juanita Lane in the Crest community of El Cajon.  For more information on county library events, visit www.sdcl.org.

Turn in Unused, Expired or Unwanted Medications on April 27, 2013

April 25, 2013 (San Diego) – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that the 6th National Prescription Take Back will be held on April 27, 2013 from 10 am to 2 pm.

DEA and its law enforcement and community partners will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. On Saturday, April 27th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. DEA and its partners will hold their sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day with 39 sites in San Diego and 3 sites in Imperial Counties. The Imperial County locations are as follows: Food 4 Less, 109 W. Birch Street, Calexico, CA; Vons, 750 N. Imperial Avenue, El Centro, CA; and Vons, 475 W. Main Street, Brawley, CA. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

How exactly do an East Country actor and a San Diego homeless man become friends? Theatre, of course.

Story and photo by Ron Logan

April 22, 2013 (Little Italy, San Diego) – Jerry is homeless. He likes movies and the arts. As a younger man he enjoyed watching the filmmaking students at Long Beach State University as they created their films near his home. As it turns out, he also has a knack for theatre.

Jerry is one of the estimated 10,000 homeless in San Diego County. He is a pleasant man. A San Diego native; intelligent, well-spoken and polite. Nearly 56 years young, he has been on the streets for about seven years now.

When I first heard about Jerry I assumed he might have fallen on hard times and wasn't very happy – that he didn't have control of his situation. I was wrong.

April 24, 2013 (La Mesa)--Euene Rentfrow, reported missing April 22 in La Mesa, has been located in Escondido.

La Mesa Police had sought public help to find Rentfrow, who suffers from dementia.  Rentfrow, 72, had been seen at  San Diego RV, 7407 Alvarado Road. He was wearing a red and blue flannel shirt and camouflage pants.