EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

January 1, 2014 (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/REGIONAL

• SDG&E, wind farm tangle in court (UT San Diego)
• Dry Year Takes Toll On San Diego River (KPBS)
• Scenic Baja California toll road that connects Tijuana, Ensenada collapses (KPBS)
• Mexican judge says Sempra LNG land belongs to rancher (SD Reader, Don Bauder)
• Lemon Grove council opts against pay raise (UT San Diego)
• Whale Traffic Jam Delights Visitors And Baffles Scientists (NPR)
• San Diego Lawmaker Wants State Community Colleges To Award 4-Year Degrees (KPBS)

STATE

• California has largest Native American population (Sacramento Bee)
• Federal Judge Says California Attorney General Kamala Harris Wrong on Gun Control Laws (SacBee)
• Could Big Batteries Be Big Business In California? (NPR)

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

LOCAL/REGIONAL

SDG&E, wind farm tangle in court (UT San Diego)

A messy legal dispute has broken out between San Diego Gas & Electric and the owners of a Montana wind farm supplying renewable energy credits to the local utility.

Dry Year Takes Toll On San Diego River (KPBS)

Many parts of the 52-mile-long waterway resemble a swampy pond: The water is perfectly still and there’s no flow to wash away overgrown plants that have created floating canopies.

Scenic Baja California toll road that connects Tijuana, Ensenada collapses (KPBS)

Traffic between San Diego and Ensenada was detoured away from the southern end of the Baja California toll road Sunday, because a chunk of it collapsed towards the ocean following a series of small earthquakes and recent heavy rainfall.

Mexican judge says Sempra LNG land belongs to rancher (SD Reader, Don Bauder)

 The Agrarian Tribunal of Baja California has ruled that the government wrongly issued the title to land on which Sempra Energy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant sits. The land in Baja California belongs to a rancher, and a phony title was awarded to Sempra eight years ago, said the court

Lemon Grove council opts against pay raise (UT San Diego)

Given the opportunity for its first salary increase since 2007, the council says no.

How Much Does It Cost To Raise A Family In San Diego? (KPBS)

A new cost-calculating tool provides detailed estimates of family budgets in each of California's 58 counties. / According to the CBP report, a single individual in San Diego needs to earn an average salary of $34,253 to make ends meet while a family of four with two working parents needs to earn $82,208.

Whale Traffic Jam Delights Visitors And Baffles Scientists (NPR)

Now is a good time to spot gray whales off the coast of Southern California, but scientists have been seeing an unusually high number of other whales. "The fact that we're getting a chance to see at this time of year fin whales, blue whales, is really a mystery," says a marine biologist.

San Diego Lawmaker Wants State Community Colleges To Award 4-Year Degrees

California's community college system is considering a proposal to offer four-year degrees. And one San Diego lawmaker is getting ready to introduce legislation that would make it happen.

STATE

California has largest Native American population (Sacramento Bee)

They may comprise less than 1 percent of California's 38 million residents, but the state — perhaps surprisingly to many — has the nation's largest population of Native Americans, a new Census Bureau report reveals.

Federal Judge Says California Attorney General Kamala Harris Wrong on Gun Control Laws (SacBee)

 Court denies Harris' arguments and agrees with gun rights group The Calguns Foundation, says state's firearm waiting period laws fail to meet Constitutional muster.

Could Big Batteries Be Big Business In California? (NPR)

 Unless the erratic bursts of energy generated on a windy or sunny day can be stored and later measured out in an even way, these renewable sources of power can't be counted on to stabilize the electrical grid. Several battery-making startups hope to help — and reduce electric bills.