April 18, 2013 (San Diego) – The San Diego Chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA) will hold its spring membership kickoff on Sunday, April 21 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, 17550 Bernardo Oaks Rd. in San Diego, beginning with registration, a buffet breakfast and sponsor showcase at 9 a.m. followed by nine holes of golf. The cost of $55 includes the buffet breakfast and golf, as well as door prizes and an opportunity drawing. Women golfers of all skill levels are welcome to attend to learn more about the benefits of EWGA membership.

Featured speaker will be PGA Player Development Regional Manager Nikki Gatch,  spokesperson for  PGA's Get Golf Ready, a program whose mission to help novice golfers to learn and enjoy the game of golf mirrors that of EWGA.

April 18, 2013 (San Diego) – Residential property values have been rising in San Diego County. Depending upon the source of the real estate information, values have risen 10 percent or more in the past year. However, if a property owner believes their property’s market value as of January 1, 2013 is below their current assessed value, they may request the Assessor’s Office to review their assessment. As an indication of the current assessed value, a property owner can look at the Net Taxable Value on their 2012-2013 tax bill. (See box 7.)

April 18, 2013 (La Mesa) – Biz Center Art, the art gallery in residence at the La Mesa Biz Center, is featuring art based on the idea of "POSSIBILITIES", what is possible in the creative mind of an artist with an opening reception from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20th. Local artists' work will be shown, as well as our feature artist Peter Hammar, a New York artist from Stockholm Sweden. There  will also be work displayed by the STAR program, survivors of trafficking.

The "Possibilities" opening is  a fundraiser for STAT (Soroptimists Together Against Trafficking) program. Representatives will be on hand to discuss their projects and there will be a raffle of art by Biz Center artists as well as various services by tenants of the La Mesa Biz Center.

April 18, 2013 (San Diego) --  Mayor Bob Filner received a big thank you on Friday from a wounded Army veteran in desperate need of mobility. The Mayor secured a handcycle for Todd Fahn, who suffered severe injuries to his back from an explosion while serving in Iraq.

Fahn brought his son, Bentley, to meet the Mayor.  Fahn says his new handcycle will allow him the mobility he needs to get around quickly, especially as the father of a toddler.

“I had come to a place of extreme frustration and the system was not working.  I reached out to Mayor Bob Filner because of his many years of commitment to helping veterans in need and he delivered,” said Fahn.  “Because of him, I have a device that helps me get around quickly and efficiently.”

April 17, 2013 (San Diego) – Residents of the 79^th Assembly District are invited to a community coffee with Assembly  member Shirley Weber on Saturday, April 20 from 10-11:30 a.m. This event will be held at the Mission Valley Library, 2123 Fenton Parkway (off Friars Road) in San Diego. 

Residents will have the opportunity to learn about current legislation that she is authoring in Sacramento, ask questions and share concerns they may haveYou are welcome to bring your family, friends and neighbors. This is a free and public event.

April 3, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights brings you cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future.

• As Arctic Ice Melts, It's A Free-For-All For Oil ... And Tusks (NPR)
• Weather: Key ingredient to never-ending fire season  (FEMA)
• World’s first successful uterus transplant patient is pregnant via in-vitro fertilization (Raw Story)
• Heart drug linked to cancer (Ivanhoe Newswire)
• A Mile-High Hack: An App That Could Remotely Hijack Planes (NPR)
• Businesses Seek Out 'Culture Of Health' Areas (NPR)
• High levels of lead found in US rice (BBC)
• How 'green' are electric cars? (BBC)
• Supreme Court Asks: Can Human Genes Be Patented? (NPR)
• Rural electric co-ops go green (Christian Science Monitor)

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

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2013 (Spring Valley) – For the second time in a week, a homeless man has died in East County.  Last week, Mike Brown’s body was found beside a freeway onramp in El Cajon, just days after he was beaten and robbed of the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card he needed for food, an acquaintance of the victim told ECM.

Today, a homeless man died of smoke inhalation when the commercial trailer where he had been sleeping caught fire in Spring Valley. The deaths highlight the dangers of living on the streets or in makeshift shelters in East County, which has no shelter to house the growing number of homeless persons in our region.

April 17, 2013 (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:

REGIONAL

• LMPD Was Tony Gwynn of the County in 2012 for Solving Violent Crimes (La Mesa Patch)
• Five districts have grad rate issues (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego farmers bracing for a tough year  (KPBS) 
• Where is Councilman Ryan? Council asked to extend absence through May (Santee Patch)
• Mount Miguel Has Highest Dropout Rate Locally, New Data Reveals (La Mesa Patch)
• Evacuations During Nuclear Emergency May Cause Gridlock, Report Reveals (KPBS)
• Regulators see 'no hazard' at San Onofre (U-T San Diego)
• Financial regulator responds to San Onofre concerns (U-T San Diego)
• Woman accused of kidnapping baby from Spring Valley pleads not guilty (La Mesa Patch)

STATE

• Fed court rules electricity rebates due in Calif. (AP)
• Calif. court: Motorist can't use hand-held map (Sacramento Bee)
• Judge rules Obama administration overlooked fracking risks in California mineral leases (Reuters)
• Contempt threat against Brown a rare move (Sacramento Bee)

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

April 17, 2013 (Ramona) -- A small brush fire in the West Ramona area is contained, however live power lines are down at Walnut and Davis streets. Avoid the area.  SDG&E reports 101 homes are without power due to a combination of causes.

By Janis Mork

April 15, 2013 (San Diego)- Last week, in the KPBS studio at San Diego State University, U-T San Diego public engagement reporter Matt Hall moderated a three-member panel  hosted by the San Diego Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)  to explore the controversial issue of press credentials.

Should San Diego Police Department stay in charge of who gets press credentials countywide?

Who needs press passes—and how does SDPD determine who does and doesn’t receive them? 

These are among the questions addressed on a panel consisting of  U-T San Diego public safety reporter Kristina Davis, true crime author Caitlin Rother, and freelance videographer James ‘JC’ Playford, who filled in for  San Diego Reader journalist Dorian Hargrove originally scheduled.

April 17, 2013 (Boston)—The FBI laboratory has analyzed pieces of  black nylon recovered from the finish line at the Boston Marathon and has determined that both explosives were placed in a dark-colored nylon bag or backpack.  

“The bag would have been heavy because of the components in it,” said Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the Boston division of the FBI. The FBI, in conjunction with other agencies, is scouring databases andinterviewing eyewitnesses after securing the downtown area.  More than 2,000 tips have been received on the bombings, which killed three people and injured 176 on Monday.

“Importantly, the person who did this is someone’s friend, neighbor, coworker, or relative. We are asking anyone who may have heard someone speak about the marathon or the date of April 15 in any way that indicated he or she may target the event to call us. Someone knows who did this,” Agent DesLauriers stated in a press release sent to media nationwide.

By Ariele Johannson and Miriam Raftery

April 16, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) –  After two bombs exploded at the finish line of yesterday’s Boston Marathon 3 hours and 45 minutes into the race, East County Magazine’s reporting team and other local media have been working to learn the fates of local residents in the race.   Nearly 200 runners were from San Diego County.  Of those, 18 were East County or inland areas—and six of those did not finish the race.   

Ramona Patch reports that Ramona resident Steven Tally crossed the finish line moments before the bombs exploded, killed three and injured at least 176 people.  “We are OK. I was through the finish and a block away,” Tally posted on his Facebook page, a friend told Patch.

Four El Cajon runners participated, but only one (Keith Burns) finished the race. Three did not, and are not accounted for in any media reports. They are Richard J. Currier, Blair J. Faulwetter, and Debbie Moore. ECM seeks information on these local athletes.

California woman shocked in shower by voltage from substation wins landmark case;

Stray voltage complaints, health concerns mount in East County

By Miriam Raftery

April 16, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A toddler living near the Kumeyaay Wind facility in Campo has had a tumor the size of a potato chip bag removed from her abdomen, Boulevard Planning Group Chair revealed  last night at an Activist San Diego event on energy issues last night. 

Other people living near wind turbines and an electric substation in the vicinity have developed brain, stomach and kidney cancers—symptoms linked to exposure to electricity and stray voltage, as ECM has reported.

East County runners were participating in event

By Miriam Raftery and Nadin Abbott

April 15, 2013 (Boston) – Two bomb blasts ripped through the finish line area at the Boston Marathon today, turning the athletic event into a scene reminiscent of a war zone.  Over 100 people have been treated at Boston-area hospitals, some with serious injuries including amputations of limbs.  Two people are reported dead, including a child, CNN reports.

Approximately 191 people from San Diego County were running in the event, according to the Boston Marathon website.  That includes from San Diego as well as several from East County and inland areas:  Five from La Mesa, Four from El Cajon, four from Poway, and one each from Lakeside and Ramona. A hotline has been setup for families seeking information at  617-635-4500.

Today was a holiday, Patriot’s Day, in Massachusetts. The occasion honors the battles of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War and celebrating America’s spirit of independence.

April 14, 2013 (San Diego) – Let’s Rock! The month of April is declared “Earthquake Preparedness Month” by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services according to Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. We are “way” over-due for an earthquake. This week we’ll focus on general earthquake safety and next week we’ll review earthquake preparedness at work.  Now is the time to prepare, not afterwards says Chief DiGiovanna!