EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

September 26, 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

• New York's Con Edison buys some of Sempra's solar and wind assets for $1.54 billion (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Where did that T-Rex come from in La Mesa? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Solution to foul smell, mosquitoes due for East County River (Fox 5)
• El Cajon Councilman faces state probe over real estate filings (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Low Refugee Numbers Force Budget Cuts at Local Nonprofits (Voice of San Diego)
• Court injunction could delay county hearings on housing developments (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego Diocese Kept Writing Letters of Recommendation for Priest Accused of Abuse (KQED)

STATE

• Gov. Jerry Brown orders audit of DMV over hours-long wait times  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Gas-tax repeal backers to launch new campaign to halt California's high-speed rail project (Los Angeles Times)
• Credit ratings agency downgrades SDG&E and other California utilities over wildfire concerns (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

LOCAL

New York's Con Edison buys some of Sempra's solar and wind assets for $1.54 billion (San Diego Union-Tribune)

…Consolidated Edison, the energy giant that serves customers in the greater New York City metropolitan area, has agreed to pay $1.54 billion in cash for all of Sempra’s solar projects in California, Arizona and Nevada, as well as a wind farm in Nebraska.

Where did that T-Rex come from in La Mesa? (San Diego Union-Tribune)

People living in La Mesa’s Serramar community overlooking Lemon Grove have a new neighbor. Earlier this week, a large Tyrannosaurus Rex sculpture standing in a concrete block mysteriously appeared on an empty plot on Monte Drive, a cul-de-sac off Eastridge Drive. The 10-acre parcel is slated for about 40 homes in a development called La Mesa Summit Estates.

Solution to foul smell, mosquitoes due for East County River (Fox 5)

Relief could be on the way for residents in Santee who have had issues with the foul odor and mosquitoes surrounding parts of the river in town. Just west of Mast Park in the area of Mission Creek, the river is scenic but still. That standing water means a lack of oxygen and a list of issues.

El Cajon Councilman faces state probe over real estate filings (San Diego Union-Tribune)

State political regulators are investigating whether Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho properly recorded $1 million in loans against two of his properties that were taken out after the El Cajon councilman was sued for fraud and defamation.

Low Refugee Numbers Force Budget Cuts at Local Nonprofits (Voice of San Diego)

Refugee arrivals in San Diego County, which for many years was one of the top refugee resettlement regions in the state, have remained historically low this year due to unprecedented low refugee caps set by the Trump administration. The shift has had an impact on the budgets of local nonprofits and other organizations that traditionally serve refugees, reports KPBS. International Rescue Committee in San Diego told KPBS that it’s had to eliminate 15 positions since 2016 due to drops in federal dollars.

Court injunction could delay county hearings on housing developments (San Diego Union-Tribune)

A ruling last week by a Superior Court judge could indefinitely delay several large housing developments that have been years in the making. It could also eventually lead to millions of dollars’ worth of environmental upgrades in San Diego County. Judge Timothy Taylor on Friday issued a stay on the approval of projects in unincorporated San Diego County until at least the end of the year if the projects rely on rules that allow developers to offset greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing carbon credits out of the county. Large proposed developments such as Newland Sierra, Lilac Hills Ranch and Warner Ranch in inland North County all could be affected by the ruling…

San Diego Diocese Kept Writing Letters of Recommendation for Priest Accused of Abuse (KQED)

 Despite knowing about those credible accusations of sexual abuse against Foley, the Catholic Church not only kept those accusations secret but also actively recommended him to work with minors. 

STATE

Gov. Jerry Brown orders audit of DMV over hours-long wait times  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday ordered a performance audit of the state Department of Motor Vehicles in response to the public outcry over hours-long wait times and repeated computer crashes that delayed serving customers.

Gas-tax repeal backers to launch new campaign to halt California's high-speed rail project (Los Angeles Times)

The new ballot measure would require any unspent funds not needed for repaying rail bonds to instead go to other transportation work

Credit ratings agency downgrades SDG&E and other California utilities over wildfire concerns  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Moody’s Investors Service cited the same reason in all three cases [SDG&E, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric] — concerns over financial liabilities utilities face due to the increasing volume and intensity of wildfires in the Golden State.