By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A heat wave will bring toasty temperatures in triple digits to our inland region starting Friday through at least Tuesday. The National Weather Service cautions that heat advisories, watches or warnings may be issued due to health risks posed by high heat.

East County News Service

August 1, 2019 (San Diego) -- National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August—including a dozen locations in San Diego County.

You can come meet deputies who patrol your neighborhoods, learn about services the Sheriff’s department provides, and get crime prevention safety tips. You can also explore Sheriff’s programs such as senior volunteers, home vacation checks, the You Are Not Alone program for homebound seniors and the disabled, and Jr. Explorers. Visitors may also meet McGruff “The Crime Dog” and view a Sheriff’s K-9 demo. The events also offer free food and drinks, giveaways and a bicycle raffle at some locations.

Click on one of the communities below for an event flyer at each of these Sheriff's stations and substations including several  East County locations:

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: HeART of Mt. Helix

Listen to our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.

August 1, 2019 (Mt. Helix) – Krista Powers with the Mt. Helix Park Foundation shared some fascinating history of Mt. Helix and the evolution of the foundation in an interview on our East County Magazine Radio Show. 

She also talked about the upcoming heart of Mt. Helix food, wine and art festival coming up on August 10^th.  The benefit event features live music and dancing, art demonstrations, a high-value raffle and auction, food tastings from local restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries and more – all at the mountaintop amphitheater with 360 degree views. This year, the Old Town trolley will shuttle people to the event.

“They come up the mountain and right away, guests walk into a live art experience,” Powers says. Up to Sunset Peak, you can do tastings and enjoy music, after which there will be a live auction with vacation stays and more, cooking demonstration, and even a new VIP seating area with lounge chairs and continued tastings. After sunset, the Good Mojo band will provide dancing under the stars. 

The event helps fund habitat restoration in the park and a wealth of other events held there, including a Halloween Harvest Festival, yoga, astronomy nights, classes, concerts, and a holiday event that this year will including the annual caroling party as well as an event similar to the Christmas markets of Europe.

August 1, 2019 (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:

LOCAL

• San Diego home price hits all-time high: $590K (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove Council denies appeals for medical marijuana dispensaries (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego inmate awarded more than $12M after suffering brain bleed in county jail (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• E-coli death, infections spark claims against San Diego Fair Board (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Controversial inclusionary housing ordinance passes City Council in 5-4 vote (Times of San Diego)
• Rep. Mike Levin calls for U.S. House to start impeachment proceedings (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Five Local Police Agencies Are Partnering With Doorbell Surveillance Company (Voice of San Diego)
• Campaign to uphold approval of Newland Sierra housing development launched  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 16 Marines arrested on human smuggling and drug charges (NBC)

STATE

• 700 acres of massive 1,000 year old redwoods are being turned into a public park (Good News Network)
• California farmers are planting solar panels as water supplies dry up (Los Angeles Times)
• Gavin Newsom adds hundreds more firefighters amid fears of ‘large and damaging’ fire season
• Search of Gilroy gunman’s home finds items suggesting massive attack, white supremacy materials  (Los Angeles Times)
• Gilroy gunman promoted white supremacist treatise on Instagram (San Francisco Chronicle)
• California Law Could Have Prevented The Garlic Festival Shooting, But The Gun Came From Nevada (Buzzfeed)
• Newsom Signs Law that Invites Political Mischief (Fox and Hounds)
• Billions in California real estate at serious risk from wildfire. New study maps it out (Sacramento Bee)
• Five Months From Deadline, Many Companies Still Have All-Male Boards  (Voice of San Diego)

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

August 1, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Funds earmarked for defense can be used for border wall, Supreme Court rules (10 News)
• Trump says Guatemala signing deal to restrict asylum cases (KUSI)
• How a Fed rate cut will affect your credit card payment, home equity line, savings rates (USA Today)
• At debate, Warren and Sanders spar with centrists over party direction, how to beat Trump (Los Angeles Times)
• Biden fights back against attacks in Detroit presidential debate (2^nd night) (Detroit News)
• Science division of White House empty as last staffers depart (CBS News)
• Mitch McConnell Received Donations from Voting Machine Lobbyists Before Blocking Election Security Bills (Newsweek)
• Washington Post columnist accuses McConnell of doing Putin’s bidding (The Hill)
• Trump attacks another African American lawmaker, and calls Baltimore a 'disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess' CNN)
• Have we no decency? A response to President Trump (The National Cathedral)
• Juul Targeted Children at Schools and Online, U.S. House Panel Says (Bloomberg News)

WORLD

• It’s not just the Russians anymore: Iranians, others turn up disinformation efforts ahead of 2020 vote (Washington Post)
• Murders in Mexico surge to record in first half of 2019 (Reuters)
  
  South Korea fires hundreds of warning shots at Russian military plane (Reuters)
• Russia: Police arrest hundreds at Moscow election protest (BBC)
• Syrian Rebel Town Pounded, 11 Killed in Market Airstrike (New York Times)
• Death toll from India, Nepal, Bangladesh floods jumps to over 300 (Reuters)
• Missing Mekong waters rouse suspicions of China (Reuters)

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

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2019 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Chamber held its annual summer get-together on the beautiful outdoor patio at Anthony's seafood restaurant in La Mesa.  Guests mixed and mingled beside a lagoon-like lake amid a tropical decor, savoring a buffet of tasty foods on a summer's eve last week.

Chamber President Mary England raffled off door prizes ranging from wine bottles to cash, furthering enhancing the experience for some lucky guests.

August 1, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• ‘Smart Tattoos’ Could Someday Monitor Your Vitals — No Batteries Required (Healthline)
• Could your cell phone charger electrocute you? (Web MD)
• Mosquito-borne brain infection found in Florida (Web MD) 
• CRISPR Gene-Editing Tool: 1st Patient With Genetic Disorder Treated In U.S. : Shots - Health News  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Alaskan glaciers melting 100 times faster than previously thought, new study says (National Geographic) 
• Suspect Arrested In Capitol One Data Breach Affecting 100 Million Customers  (NPR)
• The rarest fish on earth rode out 10-foot waves when Ridgecrest earthquake hit (Los Angeles Times)

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

By Mike Allen

Photo: A community choice energy option would give residents an option to buy electrical power from the county instead of from SDG&E. Many Lakeside residents objected to SDG&E’s construction of  Sunrise Powerlink high-voltage lines through scenic areas such as the El Capitan reservoir (photo, left)  and El Monte Valley in Lakeside.  CCA plans also enable local governments to provide power from clean, renewable resources such as solar The electricity would still flow through powerlines and infrastructure maintained by SDG&E, but profits off energy production would flow to the county to benefit taxpayers, not SDG&E shareholders.

August 1, 2019 (Lakeside) - That the county is on the verge of declaring a community choice aggregate (CCA) appears evident, given the tenor of a recent forum held at the Lakeside Community Center July 30. Under the CCA, the county would buy and sell electrical power to residents and businesses, providing an alternative for consumers to SDG&E. The board is scheduled to receive a final report on the issue Sept. 10, and take a vote either then or soon after.