EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

January 23, 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

• Predator crash grounds Border Patrol’s drone fleet (National Journal)
• Coastkeeper calls on County Water Authority to enact mandatory water conservation (San Diego Coastkeeper )
• Wildfires: San Diego’s ecological elephant in the room (SD Free Press)
• Border Patrol agent assaulted while patrolling the border (Alpine Sun)
• Dumanis won’t return more donations (UT San Diego)
• Friends remember man killed in hit and run (10 News)
• La Mesa Mayor wants to ban sale of e-cigarettes (La Mesa Today)
• . Downtown meters to run till 8 p.m. (UT San Diego)
• Claim: Former San Diego mayor Bob Filner offered to delay development to help Mexican millionaire (ABC 10 News)

STATE

• Teacher Job Protections Vs. Students' Education In Calif. (NPR)
•  Covered California: If this is a success story ... (UT San Diego)
• Proposed Bill Would Mean Ban On Plastic Bags In California (KPBS)

Scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

LOCAL

January 23, 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:

Predator crash grounds Border Patrol’s drone fleet (National Journal)

A Predator crash in the Pacific Ocean has grounded the country's border-watching drones as Customs and Border Protection tries to determine what caused the unmanned surveillance craft to fail.

Coastkeeper calls on County Water Authority to enact mandatory water conservation (San Diego Coastkeeper )

On the heels of San Diego County Water Authority’s 2013 announcement that the region has plentiful water supplies, Governor Brown announced that he expects to declare today an official drought designation for California. San Diego Coastkeeper, which protects fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters, calls on the Water Authority to be a responsible water agent for the county, the state and the Southwest region by requiring San Diegans to use water wisely…”

Wildfires: San Diego’s ecological elephant in the room (SD Free Press)

If the unusually hot, dry January weather in San Diego was not enough to remind us of global warming, interim Mayor Todd Gloria recently doubled down in his State of the City address when he vowed that “San Diego will be a global leader in addressing climate change.” It’s good news that Gloria and others are advocating for policies that will make San Diego more sustainable, from zero waste, bicycle friendly streets, and building retrofits, to recycled water and alternative transit. However, there is one glaring ecological threat that hovers over our region’s policy makers:  wildfires.

Border Patrol agent assaulted while patrolling the border (Alpine Sun)

A U.S. Border Patrol agent was assaulted near the International U.S./Mexico Border last night, approximately two miles west of the Tecate Port of Entry. At around 8 p.m., two Border Patrol agents were patrolling on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) adjacent to the border fence in Tecate, Calif., when a rock, approximately six-inches in diameter, was thrown from Mexico over the border fence.  The rock struck an agent’s helmet, knocking him off of his ATV.  An infrared scope-operator monitoring the area was contacted but no suspects were located… The agent was taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries to his head, wrist, and elbow.

Dumanis won’t return more donations (UT San Diego)

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis immediately returned $1,400 last week when a political corruption scandal engulfed the donor, a former San Diego vice officer charged in a federal probe of foreign money in San Diego elections. Dumanis received a lot more than that from figures involved in the scandal.

Friends remember man killed in hit and run (10 News)

Friends gathered Saturday to remember a 54-year-old man who died in a hit-and-run crash in El Cajon. Robert Fisher was struck and killed while crossing Jamacha Road on Jan. 6. Investigators say he was hit by an off-duty San Diego Gas and Electric worker who was driving an SDG&E work truck. That man, Hector Hoyt, has since been fired and arrested on felony hit-and-run charges.

La Mesa Mayor wants to ban sale of e-cigarettes (La Msea Today)

The La Mesa City Council will consider a proposal to ban the sale of the new "e-cigarettes" that are becoming popular with smokers.

. Downtown meters to run till 8 p.m. (UT San Diego)

Hang on to your quarters, Mr. and Ms. Gaslamp-goer. It’s going to be a (more) expensive night. Beginning next month, parking meters in downtown San Diego’s restaurant-and-bar packed “Hospitality Zone” will be enforced between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., instead of the current dinner-friendly hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Notices are being posted this week. Warnings will be left on windshields through Feb. 28, and parking violators will receive fines beginning March 3.

Claim: Former San Diego mayor Bob Filner offered to delay development to help Mexican millionaire (ABC 10 News)

 An assistant U.S. Attorney stated in open court that former San Diego mayor Bob Filner met Mexican millionaire Jose Susumo Azano Matsura and offered to hold up city development because the millionaire wanted to see San Diego turn into the next Miami.

STATE

Teacher Job Protections Vs. Students' Education In Calif. (NPR)

 A potentially landmark lawsuit goes to trial Monday in California. At issue: whether job protections for public school teachers undermine a student's constitutional right to an adequate education. The students and parents who filed the lawsuit see it as a potential model for challenging teacher protection laws in other states. Unions and state officials say the lawsuit demonizes teachers and has no merit.

Covered California: If this is a success story ... (UT San Diego)

If this is an Affordable Care Act success story, that’s a profound comment on how badly the rollout is going elsewhere around the nation.

Proposed Bill Would Mean Ban On Plastic Bags In California (KPBS)

California legislators have reached an agreement that would lead to a statewide ban on plastic bags starting in July 2015, and allocating $2 million to convert to reusable bags.