EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

April 30, 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

• Will SD divorce from the River Park? (UT San Diego)
• 5 things to know about concealed guns in San Diego (Voice of San Diego)
• Still more funny business at San Miguel fire agency (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa City Council (La Mesa Today)
  
  Members rescind opera board’s action (UT San Diego)
• Hundreds of millions for football, zilch for opera (SD Reader)

STATE

• California drought putting birds, fish and tree species at risk, scientists say (Sac Bee)
• Bird flu on California farm prompts HK, others to bar poultry imports  (Reuters) 
• California’s drought: Brown issues second executive order (Santee Patch)
• Bill puts police union members on prison panels  (UT San Diego)

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

LOCAL

Will SD divorce from the River Park? (UT San Diego)

San Diego might want out of its role in helping govern San Diegiuto River Park.

5 things to know about concealed guns in San Diego (Voice of San Diego)

A panel of federal judges has sent San Diego County packing. Hundreds of residents have applied to be able to carry handguns in their jackets, pockets and purses in the wake of February’s ruling that nixes strict local policies on concealed weapons permits. But while Sheriff Bill Gore says he won’t appeal the ruling, the battle over concealed weapons in the county isn’t over.

Still more funny business at San Miguel fire agency (UT San Diego)

In a letter to the district, state Controller John Chiang wrote that his office had determined San Miguel understated revenue by $557,878 in 2010-11 and by $2.36 million in 2011-12. Chiang also said the district overstated expenses by $827,298 in 2010-11 and by $987,833 in 2011-12. For reasons not yet clear, officials also apparently spent about $560,000 more than the district took in during the final months before CalFire took over in September 2012.

La Mesa City Council (La Mesa Today)

Centennial Installation Gets A Big Gift

Members rescind opera board’s action (UT San Diego)

In an unprecedented meeting Monday of the San Diego Opera Association — donors who have given the company $100 or more — the group voted to rescind the opera board’s March 19 vote to close the 49-year-old company.

Hundreds of millions for football, zilch for opera (SD Reader)

Local politicians will happily spend hundreds of millions on professional football but let San Diego Opera go to its funeral pyre.

STATE

California drought putting birds, fish and tree species at risk, scientists say (Sac Bee)

California’s drought is imperiling tricolored blackbirds, large trees and native fish, with some of the affected species already on the state’s endangered list and others likely headed there because of rapidly declining numbers, scientists say.

Bird flu on California farm prompts HK, others to bar poultry imports  (Reuters) 

 An avian-borne virus outbreak on a California quail farm has fueled fears that the disease known as bird flu could spread, prompting investigators to continue their probe and five key export markets to bar imports of poultry from the state.

California’s drought: Brown issues second executive order (Santee Patch)

The governor suspends some environmental laws but stops short of enacting new restrictions on water use.

Bill puts police union members on prison panels  (UT San Diego)

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez said communities are not getting the full story when it comes to problems created by the state’s controversial realignment program that has crowded local jails and increased the demands for services as more inmates are released on probation.  The San Diego Democrat said one way to get answers — and to better address the underlying problems — is to have those on the front lines who are members of law enforcement unions guaranteed appointments to local “Community Corrections Partnership” committees…. The bill passed the Assembly Thursday 63-4 without debate