EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

March 15, 2018 (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

• Sexual Misconduct Records Reveal Investigations, Reprimands and Occasional Resignations in Local Schools (Voice of San Diego)
• Thousands walk out at San Diego schools to honor Parkland victims (Tiimes of San Diego)
• La Mesa-based charter school looking for state to authorize it (SD Union-Tribune)
• Bus program sends homeless people out of San Diego to live with relatives (SD Union-Tribune)
• Despite push, San Diego County built less housing in 2017 (SD Union-Tribune)
• What’s wrong with politics in East County: The political parties ignore bad behavior (Rostra)
• Border Patrol arrests National City mother in front of three daughters; video causes uproar (SD Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California Bullet Train Costs Soar To $77B; Opening Delayed (KPBS)
• Victims of California veterans home shooting ‘lived to serve others’ (CNN)
• Could a Californian be the next president? (Politico)
• Border Patrol May Stop Handing Over Criminal Suspects to Local Law Enforcement (Voice of San Diego)

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

LOCAL

Sexual Misconduct Records Reveal Investigations, Reprimands and Occasional Resignations in Local Schools (Voice of San Diego)

For years, San Diego County’s public schools have quietly dealt with sexual harassment and misconduct complaints lodged against ….The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District is seeking to keep all employee identities private, including a case where a 15-year special education teacher sent inappropriate messages to a male student on Facebook and tried to meet up with him…. In another case, an unnamed La Mesa special education teacher’s aide was investigated for making suggestive remarks to fellow employees about his homemade meatballs.

Thousands walk out at San Diego schools to honor Parkland victims (Tiimes of San Diego)

Thousands of San Diego County students walked out of classes Wednesday morning as part of a nationwide action to honor the 17 people killed in last month’s school shooting in Florida and urge federal action to curb gun violence.

La Mesa-based charter school looking for state to authorize it (San Diego Union-Tribune)

College Preparatory Middle School, a high-performing La Mesa-based charter school, is asking the state Board of Education to sponsor it for the next five years…College Prep, which serves about 250 students in grades 5-8, has been trying for years to find local backing.

Bus program sends homeless people out of San Diego to live with relatives (San Diego Union-Tribune)

From all appearances, Judy Bryant wanted out of San Diego. For six years, the 48-year-old woman has been homeless here..Her daughter back home in North Carolina has a place for Bryant to stay if she can figure out how to get there. That’s where the Family Reunification Program comes in.

Despite push, San Diego County built less housing in 2017 (San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego County communities approved slightly fewer homes last year despite increasing political pressure for more housing in California.

What’s wrong with politics in East County: The political parties ignore bad behavior (Rostra)

Guest Commentary by Kristine Alessio

Border Patrol arrests National City mother in front of three daughters; video causes uproar (San Diego Union-Tribune)

…Two videos of the arrest went viral on social media on Thursday after a teacher of one of the daughters shared them on Facebook. They have been viewed more than 9.4 million times. In the videos, the agents push the woman, who tries to stay with her daughters, along the sidewalk and into a waiting SUV. The daughters scream and cry in piercing tones.

STATE

California Bullet Train Costs Soar To $77B; Opening Delayed (KPBS)

The projected cost of California's bullet train between San Francisco and Los Angeles has jumped to $77 billion and the opening date has been pushed back four years to 2033, according to a business plan released Friday.

Victims of California veterans home shooting ‘lived to serve others’ (CNN)

The three women killed in a standoff at a Northern California veterans home Friday were dedicated to helping former and current military service members with mental health issues.

Could a Californian be the next president? (Politico)

The state and its politicians are on the rise—if they can only convince the rest of the country to come along.

Border Patrol May Stop Handing Over Criminal Suspects to Local Law Enforcement (Voice of San Diego)

In a little-noticed statement, the San Diego leader of the Border Patrol tried to explain what was wrong with California's new laws restricting what local law enforcement could do to cooperate with federal immigration agents. He also said long-standing task forces and joint operations have fallen apart.