EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

September 18, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include: 

LOCAL

• Former SD Sheriff's Captain Pleads Guilty to Trafficking ‘Off-Roster' Firearms (NBC San Diego)
• In Jamul, two hemp farms lost in Valley Fire (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Your say: How is virtual learning going so far? (San Diego Union Tribune)
• Blue Lives Matter Is the Wildfire Cavalry No One Asked For (Daily Beast)
• Federal Jail Downtown Now Has One of the Country's Worst COVID Outbreaks (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• California eviction moratorium is ‘a real nightmare’ for renters to understand — here’s what you need to know (Marketwatch)
• Fast-moving Snow fire, sparked by burning car, prompts evacuations near Palm Springs (Los Angeles Times)
• In California, Trump continues to deny climate change is real: “It will start getting cooler” (Los Angeles Times)
• Another California firestorm where warnings did not prevent mass deaths (Los Angeles Times)

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

LOCAL

Former SD Sheriff's Captain Pleads Guilty to Trafficking ‘Off-Roster' Firearms (NBC San Diego)

Former Sheriff's captain Marco Garmo sold "off-roster" guns, which can only be purchased by law enforcement, to potential donors of his anticipated campaign for Sheriff. Marco Garmo, 52, the former captain of the sheriff's Rancho San Diego station, illegally purchased and resold "off roster'' firearms, which may be purchased by members of law enforcement, but not the general public, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In Jamul, two hemp farms lost in Valley Fire (San Diego Union-Tribune)

No Boundaries Farm and Inya Hemp burned to the ground; other local hemp farms also susceptible to California’s fire season

Your say: How is virtual learning going so far? (San Diego Union Tribune)

We asked: Most students, teachers and parents now have had exposure to distance learning as the pandemic lingers. What have been your experiences, both positive and negative, with virtual schooling?

Blue Lives Matter Is the Wildfire Cavalry No One Asked For (Daily Beast)

Everyone from local cops to the Humane Society say they’re less than psyched about far-right vigilante help.  As wildfires rage worse than ever across California, firefighters have pleaded with locals not to battle the blazes on their own. Now they might have a new worry during a year of violent unrest across America: unsanctioned fire rescue efforts organized by hyper-partisan Facebook groups comprised at least in part of Blue Lives Matter-style vigilantes. Defend East County, a 20,000-person Facebook group that organized in opposition to Black Lives Matter protests near San Diego, has begun fire rescue missions, especially for animals, according to recent posts by members in the group. 

Federal Jail Downtown Now Has One of the Country's Worst COVID Outbreaks (Voice of San Diego)

COVID-19 cases at the Metropolitan Correctional Center downtown have surged in recent weeks – it now has one of the highest number of active cases of any federal Bureau of Prisons facility in the country.

STATE

California eviction moratorium is ‘a real nightmare’ for renters to understand — here’s what you need to know (Marketwatch)

Governor and experts say state’s ban supersedes federal order, which means renters in state must plan to pay at least a quarter of their rent to avoid potential eviction at the end of January.

Fast-moving Snow fire, sparked by burning car, prompts evacuations near Palm Springs (Los Angeles Times)

A fast-moving, uncontained fire prompted evacuations near Palm Springs after more than doubling in size overnight, authorities said. The blaze, dubbed the Snow fire, was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Snow Creek community west of Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

In California, Trump continues to deny climate change is real: “It will start getting cooler” (Los Angeles Times)

 As wildfires raging through the West force millions of voters to confront the consequences of a warming planet, the presidential race became intensely focused Monday on climate change — an issue that has been overshadowed through much of the campaign. 

Another California firestorm where warnings did not prevent mass deaths (Los Angeles Times)

 Within hours, the Bear fire joined the list of wind-swept California that raced into communities before residents could flee. Incident records and interviews by The Times found that the protection of those in harm’s way was hindered by evacuation orders that came by surprise, went unheeded and were impaired by a power outage.