EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

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East County News Service

March 1, 2017 (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

STATE

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

LOCAL

Analysis Shows Structurally Deficient Bridges in San Diego (KPBS)

A new analysis of California’s bridges shows that more than 350 "structurally deficient" bridges are located in San Diego County.

Otay Reservoir Spills Over Its Dam (KPBS)

The Lower Otay Reservoir spilled over its dam Tuesday for the first time in six years because of Monday's heavy rainfall.

Hoax bomb threat at Jewish center forces evacuation (San Diego Union-Tribune)

A hoax bomb threat was made to a Jewish community center in University City Monday afternoon, one of at least 21 Jewish facilities targeted in a wave of fake threats nationwide, officials said.

City Says Sewage Is Hard to Find, Pushes Water Recycling Plan That Has Neighbors Nervous (Voice of San Diego)

Cities and water districts in East County, North County and the South Bay have lined up to oppose the city of San Diego’s ambitious plans to turn sewage into drinkable water.

Deported Mexicans say bridge death linked to larger suicide problem (KPBS)

Mexican officials are investigating the death of a man they said likely jumped from a Tijuana bridge footsteps from San Diego about an hour after being deported from the United States…. Deported migrants told KPBS that Olivas's death is part of a larger problem of suicides among Mexicans who are separated from their families in the U.S…. Two years ago…a  KPBS investigation found widespread complaints of human-rights abuses. Since then, deported migrants have been sleeping out in the streets, where they are often arrested.

Local servicemen may have radiation poisoning from Fukushima (CityBeat)

With a class action lawsuit pending, hundreds of Navy sailors say they can’t get the help they need.

The best places to live in San Diego (San Diego Magazine)

The Vibe:  La Mesa maintains a small-town charm thanks to a shop- and restaurant-lined historic main street that hosts annual events like a two-day Oktoberfest, a weekly summertime classic car show, and the family-friendly Holiday in the Village.

Dave Roberts wants workers’ comp for stress, hand injury (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Former San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts has filed workers’ compensation claims for psychological stress from a threatening incident, and for an overuse-injury to his right hand, wrist and arm and other body parts.

GOP Rep Issa backtracks on call for Trump special prosecutor (CBS)

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) backtracked his call for a special prosecutor to look into Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential election.  “I certainly could see where if there is an allegation of a crime at some point, the call for a special prosecutor makes sense,” Issa told CBS News in an interview on Monday but adding, “I think it’s very important to realize there’s been no allegation by any part of this administration or by anyone who’s been to the hearings about any crimes.”

Jacobs Center, Southeastern San Diego landowner, sheds key staff in upheaval (Voice of San Diego)

…The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation staff has dwindled to 20, down from more than 100 at one point – and layoffs have reached even high-level executives. The Jacobs family is now contributing $1.5 million annually, down from at least $6 million a year. The group’s signature achievement, Market Creek Plaza, has contributed to a crippling $33 million in debt. The struggles have forced the nonprofit to fundamentally change its development vision and to significantly pare down operations. It now hopes to let other developers take control of the land and may even sell some of it outright.

SoccerCity traffic would far exceed Chargers era, study says (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The traffic stemming from the proposed SoccerCity redevelopment in Mission Valley — a key concern among critics and environmentalists — could far exceed anything experienced during the Chargers’ days at Qualcomm Stadium, the proponents’ traffic engineers have concluded.

Politically Speaking: The La Mesa Medical Marijuana Discussion (NBC 7)

La Mesa voters passed Measure U in November - it allows for legal medical marijuana dispensaries to operate within city limits. On Monday, the La Mesa Community Development Team held a workshop for people interested in opening a dispensary. Originally, the City was going to start accepting applications last Thursday, but they've delayed the date due to the overwhelming interest. Another takeaway from the workshop: the City's code enforcement division will no longer be cracking down on illegal dispensaries.

22 vehicles vandalized in La Mesa (La Mesa Patch)

Residents in the area are encouraged to check their vehicles and contact the La Mesa Police Department if they discover damage.

La Mesa taking closer look at street calming measures (San Diego Union-Tribune)

La Mesa is taking another look at its program to “calm” traffic in the city. Residents have shown up at two recent Town Hall meetings and have been attending City Council meetings in growing numbers for years to talk about their streets and how long it takes to get anything done.

STATE

Here are the best public schools in California for 2016 (Santee Patch)

With all the attention on public education of late because of the contentious confirmation fight of Betsy DeVos as secretary of Education, this report card on California public schools couldn't come at a better time. The list of the best public schools in California was compiled by Niche based on criteria such as academics and outcomes.

Salton Sea Test Base: Dummy nuclear bombs, drone airplane tests (DesertUSA)

Over the years I'd heard tales of an old abandoned Naval Station on the western shores of the Salton Sea. Atomic bomb practice runs, movie sets, seaplanes and Navy seals were all said to have been part of its curious history. I decided to take a trip out there with DesertUSA staff to check it out….Sandia has confirmed depleted uranium was present in some of the tests, but says fissionable materials were never used.

California Today: After Lawmaker’s Silencing, More Cries of ‘She Persisted’ (NY Times)

he Democrats’ power in the State Capitol is ironclad. And it was wielded in startling fashion last week when a Republican state senator defied a demand to stop speaking and was physically removed from the Senate floor by law enforcement. The senator, Janet Nguyen, had stood up to criticize Tom Hayden, the 1960s radical, over his opposition to the Vietnam War. Days earlier, Mr. Hayden had been honored in the Capitol for his service in the Legislature. He died in October.

Resolutions backing Trump agenda sail through on last day of Calif. GOP convention, but internal politics bubble up (Los Angeles Times)

There was no debate before delegates easily passed a slate of resolutions supporting key tenets of the Trump administration's agenda Sunday, the last day of the California Republican convention. The four resolutions , all supported by the Tea Party California Caucus, were to support Trump's travel ban, repeal and replace Obamacare, and to oppose a gas tax hike proposed in Gov. Jerry Brown's budget and Democrats' efforts to create sanctuary cities.


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