April 6, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's 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.

• With ‘nuclear option’, Senate ends Democratic blockade of Trump court pick (Reuters)
• Devin Nunes quits Russian hacking probe (BBC)
• Trump removes Bannon from National Security Council  (NY Times)
• GOP healthcare could lead to higher premiums for sick people (Hill)
• Blackwater founded held meeting to establish Trump-Russia back channel communication (Hill)
• Report: undocumented immigrants in U.S. contribute billions in state and local taxes(San Jose Mercury News)
• Former National Security advisor Michael Flynn seeks immunity (Los Angeles Times)
• Flynn on video:  “When you are given immunity, that means you’ve probably committed a crime” (Meet the Press)
• Senate lets states defund clinics that perform abortion (NY Times)
• Trump gives part of salary to U.S. parks (BBC)
• Trump duo, now in White House, can’t escape conflict laws (NY Times)
• Senators press Agriculture nominee Sonny Perdue on Trump’s proposed cuts to rural programs (Washington Post)
• CIA operations may be disrupted by new Wikileaks’ release (BBC)

WORLD

• White House condemns chemical attack in Syria (The Hill)
• So many journalists are being killed in Mexico that one newspaper decided to shut down (Los Angeles Times)
• Rescuers dig for Colombia flood victims; 254 dead  (Reuters)
• Second Moscow opposition protest leads to arrests (BBC)

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

East County News Service

April 6, 2017 (La Mesa) –  El Cajon resident Bettie Wells has been appointed to serve on the Grossmont Hospital Corporation (GHC) board of directors as a representative of the Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD). GHC is the legal entity for the hospital lease agreement between Sharp HealthCare and GHD, the East County public agency that serves as landlord of the hospital on behalf of taxpayers.

By Julie Pendray

Photo, city of San Diego: Acceleration of the time schedule for the Pure Water purification in San Diego is putting pressure on agencies across the region to raise sewer rates. 

April 5, 2017 (San Diego) - Acceleration of the Pure Water project in the city of San Diego is leading to proposed sewer rate hikes in East County of as much as 9 percent per year for the next five years for some customers, depending on wastewater use. Some may start at low as 2.5 percent. Though agencies are still crunching numbers and calculating percentages, several report that both residential and business rates are due to go up on July 1. The increases are mostly due to the purification project going into its construction phase sooner than anticipated, according to local agencies.

East County News Service

Boats, float tubes, canoes and kayaks are once again allowed after rains raised water levels

April 5, 2017 (Lake Morena) – For the first time in years, the boat launch at Lake Morena County Park is now open—and the county encourages you to gather up your fishing rods and bait for a day of fishing and fun.

Gala on May 19^th benefits Alpine nonprofit

By Mimi Pollack

April 5, 2017 (Alpine) -- Giving back to others is always good, but when you can give back to both animals and children, that is even better! Local humanitarian Agnes Barrelet is doing just that by heading up two non-profits, Hands United for Children and Children’s Nature Retreat in Alpine. 

East County News Service

April 5, 2017 (San Diego) -- Jonah Bonner, a student at San Diego State University, is taking a unique spring break. He’s teaming with The Sheckler Foundation, Red Bull, social activists Journey and DIVERTcity as part of a program giving college students the opportunity to help build a skate park for an underserved community in Costa Rica. Adding star power to the trip is famed skateboarder Ryan Sheckler who will help break in the new park.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Marc Levin - Ivanka and Pato, CC BY 2.0

April 5, 2017 (Washington D.C.)—Tuesday was Equal Pay Day—94 days into the year, signifying how many more days the average woman must work to earn as much as a man.

Ironically, Ivanka Trump, special assistant to her father, President Donald Trump tweeted, “#EqualPayDay is a reminder that women deserve equal pay for equal work. We must work to close the gender pay gap!”  Yet days earlier, her father signed an executive order that rolled back 14 protections for women workers –including the Fair Pay order signed by then-President Barack Obama.

East County News Service

April 5, 2017 (Alpine) -- Bobbi Brink, Founder/Director of Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) - an accredited big cat, bear and exotic animal rescue sanctuary, in San Diego County, Calif., and her team are making their way to the Los Angeles area to pick-up and transport a white male lion and two female lions to their new home at LTB.

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2017 (Borrego Springs) – Beloved Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Ranger Steve Bier has died in a shooting incident, the Borrego Sun reported on April 1^st. 

The California State Park Service praised the 15-year-veteran ranger as “one of the finest ambassadors of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and our Department,” adding that Bier was “well known and respected throughout the Borrego Springs community” including community events and school programs.  He also coordinated the annual count of Desert Bighorn Sheep.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Screenshot, NBC 7

April 4, 2017 (Santee) – At a special meeting this week, Santee’s City Council voted to authorize spending up to a half million dollars to repair sinkholes that threatened to undermine several homes on East Hartland Circle and Ryder Court.

East County News Service

April 4, 2017 (El Cajon) --Both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are hosting free career fairs this month for students and the community to network with employers and to learn what jobs are on the horizon. A public service career day will be held on April 19th and a sustainability resource fair with information on sustainability careers is slated for April 27.  Below are details:

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2017 (San Diego) – A lawsuit filed against the California Coastal Commission (CCC) by Citizens Oversight, a citizens’ watchdog group based in El Cajon, heads to trial beginning Friday, April 14 at 2 p.m. in San Diego Superior Court, Dept. C68 (330 West Broadway, San Diego).

East County News Service

April 4, 2017 (Lakeside) – Activists seeking to save El Monte Valley from a proposed sand mining operation are raising money for a legal battle. On Monday, April 17 from 5-10 p.m., a benefit will be held at Eastbound Bar and Grill, 10553 Maine Ave. in Lakeside.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

April 5, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – You’re going out of town tomorrow—and your car sensor light warning “Service Engine Soon” goes on.  Car sensor jitters hit.  Most cars have sensors that reflect a door open, tire air pressure low and more, but “service engine sensor” is harder to decipher.