EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

May 2, 2019 (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

• SDG&E takes its long-running dispute over wildfire costs to U.S. Supreme Court (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• White supremacist violence has a long history in San Diego (Washington Post - perspective)
• SANDAG proposes historic transit expansion, cutting long-promised highway projects (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Three San Diego areas listed as worst for fleeing a wildfire (10 News)
• Arrest Made in Local Ponzi Scheme Investigation (NBC 7)
• San Diego, Other California Cities Ranked Among Worst for Ozone (Pollution Times of San Diego)
• The City’s Eyeing an Underused Piece of Balboa Park as a Potential Moneymaker (Voice of San Diego)
• La Mesa police chief explains department's use of force (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Holy cow! California may get rid of single-family zoning  (Los Angeles Times)
• NRA sues city of L.A. over its new contract disclosure law (Los Angeles Times)
• What’s a kissing bug?  Here’s what Californians should know about CDC’s recent find (Sacramento Bee)

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

LOCAL

SDG&E takes its long-running dispute over wildfire costs to U.S. Supreme Court (San Diego Union-Tribune)

After being rebuffed by state regulators and two California courts, San Diego Gas & Electric has taken its years-long quest to be reimbursed for hundreds of millions of dollars in 2007 wildfire costs to the U.S. Supreme Court

White supremacist violence has a long history in San Diego (Washington Post - perspective)

The Chabad synagogue shooting is less surprising if you know the region’s past.

SANDAG proposes historic transit expansion, cutting long-promised highway projects (San Diego Union-Tribune)

North and east county officials push back on nixing freeway expansions promised to voters

Three San Diego areas listed as worst for fleeing a wildfire (10 News)

Three San Diego areas are among the worst when it comes to evacuating in the event of a wildfire, according to a new analysis by the Associated Press. The study listed Scripps Ranch (92131 ZIP code), Jamul (91935 ZIP code) and Ramona (92065 ZIP code) as the areas that have too few evacuation routes for their populations .

Arrest Made in Local Ponzi Scheme Investigation (NBC 7)

Dozens of San Diegans claim they lost millions of dollars to Christopher Dougherty, accused of orchestrating an investment scam… Dougherty told his clients their money was invested in various local businesses, including a 100-acre cattle ranch in Alpine. 

San Diego, Other California Cities Ranked Among Worst for Ozone (Pollution Times of San Diego)

Seven California metropolitan areas, including San Diego, rank among the 10 worst nationally for ozone pollution, due to wildfires and climate change. / In its annual assessment, the American Lung Association reported Wednesday that the Los Angeles metro area had the worst ozone pollution in the nation, followed by Visalia in the Central Valley. San Diego ranked sixth on the list with an average of 45 high-ozone days a year.

The City’s Eyeing an Underused Piece of Balboa Park as a Potential Moneymaker (Voice of San Diego)

The city is preparing to issue a request for proposals to redevelop the area known as Inspiration Point. Officials say they are open to a variety of cultural, recreational and performing arts concepts – everything from shops and museums to hotel or restaurant space – they hope will complement and activate the space. The prospect has some park activists riled already.

La Mesa police chief explains department's use of force (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The City Council asked to be updated after incident involving school resource officer who slammed handcuffed student to the ground

STATE

Holy cow! California may get rid of single-family zoning  (Los Angeles Times )

On Wednesday, a key committee signed off on Senate Bill 50 — San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill to allow denser, taller housing around transit and in communities with lots of jobs. As part of the negotiations, Wiener agreed to merge his proposal with Senate Bill 4 by Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) and the result includes one very big change: Single-family houses could be converted to four-unit buildings, by right, anywhere in the state.

NRA sues city of L.A. over its new contract disclosure law (Los Angeles Times)

The National Rifle Assn. filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new Los Angeles law requiring companies that seek contracts with the city to disclose whether they have ties to the gun rights group…  Besides the NRA disclosure rule, the city has similar policies for companies involved in the construction of President Trump’s proposed border wall and those with connections to historic investments in or profits from slavery.

What’s a kissing bug?  Here’s what Californians should know about CDC’s recent find (Sacramento Bee)

Talk of a “kissing bug” is spreading nationwide, and it has nothing to do with mono. The bug – a literal one, known as triatomine – carries a disease that can develop into chronic health problems and death in extreme cases. And it spreads the disease in a rather unsettling way.