December 6, 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

• La Mesa Farmer’s Market gets six month extension for new downtown location (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• La Mesa looking to regulate scooters, dockless bikes (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Former head of veterans charity co-founded by the elder Duncan Hunter convicted of federal crimes (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Craft beer makes an entrance in El Cajon (East County Californian)

STATE

• Democrats’ spending list needs to be ‘whittled down,’ Gavin Newsom says (Sacramento Bee)
• Top state utility regulator intervened in cost study for expanded energy grid, records show (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Number of missing in California's deadliest wildfire drops to 25 (Reuters)

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

LOCAL

La Mesa Farmer’s Market gets six month extension for new downtown location (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The La Mesa Certified Farmers Market’s half-year honeymoon in its new downtown digs is over. And, at least for now, the popular weekly event will continue to be held Fridays on La Mesa Boulevard…The council said the layout of the market would need to change as soon as possible, asking that vendor booths be inverted so that the fronts face the businesses on the boulevard.

La Mesa looking to regulate scooters, dockless bikes (San Diego Union-Tribune)

… The City Council last week approved going forward with a pilot program for companies like the Santa Monica-based Bird — and other scooter or shareable bike companies — to operate with certain restrictions and requirements. The pilot program would allow the city to learn more about the operator, or operators, and consider market trends before La Mesa commits to a permanent program and develops regulatory requirements.

Former head of veterans charity co-founded by the elder Duncan Hunter convicted of federal crimes (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The longtime president of a veterans charity co-founded by former Rep. Duncan L. Hunter was convicted Thursday by a federal jury in Washington, D.C., of spending money meant for the charity on jewelry, shopping and other personal expenses. Patricia Driscoll, 40, of Maryland, was found guilty of two counts each of wire fraud and tax evasion, and one count of first-degree fraud…Driscoll resigned her position at the helm of the Armed Forces Foundation in July 2015 after 12 years of service amid a scandal involving what the nonprofit alleged was Driscoll’s misuse of funds.

Craft beer makes an entrance in El Cajon (East County Californian)

Does Downtown El Cajon need a new craft beer brewery?

The answer is a big yes from patrons who crowded the initial soft-opening date for Creative Creature Brewing Company, during late afternoon and evening hours on Friday, Oct. 5, near the iconic Downtown El Cajon sign at the intersection of Main Street and Magnolia Avenue.The brewery, currently in an extended rollout stage of limited open hours, is employee-owned and -operated, with four principals swapping around brewing duties and general operations tasks. The grand opening of Creative Creature Brewing Company is slated for early in 2019.

STATE

Democrats’ spending list needs to be ‘whittled down,’ Gavin Newsom says (Sacramento Bee)

California lawmakers had been in session for just 24 hours by midday Tuesday, and majority Democrats had already proposed tens of billions of dollars in new state spending. As Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom made the rounds at the Capitol, he had a message for them: No.

Top state utility regulator intervened in cost study for expanded energy grid, records show (San Diego Union-Tribune)

One of the most pressing questions about a plan to expand the California power grid to as many as 14 states was how much it would cost to transfer oversight of the poles and wires from a state-run nonprofit to a regional board of appointees. The California Public Utilities Commission told lawmakers the plan to redefine the way electricity is regulated would cost the agency $700,000. But according to internal documents obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the price tag for the so-called regional power grid was $2.4 million when it was developed by rank-and-file analysts. Utilities commission President Michael Picker rejected that finding as too high.

Number of missing in California's deadliest wildfire drops to 25 (Reuters)

 The number of people listed as missing after California's deadliest wildfire has dropped again to 25, down from a high of more than 1,200 about two weeks ago, officials said…. The death toll from the Camp Fire that all but obliterated the mountain town community of Paradise in northern California stood unchanged at 88….