EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

January 2, 2023  (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

• Looking ahead, these are the top local stories to watch in 2023 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Minimum wage in city of San Diego increases to $16.30 an hour Sunday (10 News)
• County freezes Harmony Grove housing project after Sierra Club legal victory (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Can caring group save clinic? (Borrego Sun)
• The next Republican card falls in SANDAG make up: McCann won’t represent Chula Vista (SD Rostra)

STATE

• Absent for More Than a Century, California Condors Soar Above the Redwoods Again (Audobon)
• What to know about California’s Pay Transparency law that takes effect Jan. 1 (NBC San Diego)
• Buried treasure: California politicians stash $35 million in leftover campaign cash  (KPBS)
• How record snowfall could soften the 2023 drought season  (NPR)
• Think those bags are recyclable? California says think again  (KPBS)
• California university apologizes for prisoner experiments  (AP)

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

LOCAL

Looking ahead, these are the top local stories to watch in 2023 (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Here are some key stories to watch in the coming year, according to Union-Tribune reporters.

Minimum wage in city of San Diego increases to $16.30 an hour Sunday (10 News)

Minimum wage San Diegans will begin seeing more money in their paychecks effective Sunday, as the city's minimum wage increases from $15 to $16.30 an hour. The change applies to all employees who perform at least two hours of work in one or more calendar weeks of the year within the geographic boundaries of the city of San Diego.

County freezes Harmony Grove housing project after Sierra Club legal victory (San Diego Union-Tribune)

A 453-home master-planned community south of Escondido was put on ice Wednesday — the latest suburban housing project blocked in the courts by environmental groups based largely on wildfire and climate change concerns.

Can caring group save clinic? (Borrego Sun)

With the bankruptcy filing, and now the proposed auction of the clinics, and all of Borrego Health’s assets, it’s very difficult to predict how one, lone, local clinic will fare. And, as an essential element of a vital and healthy home town, the fate of the Borrego Springs Clinic is a serious concern. Will it be bought? Will the buyer invest more interest and resources in the clinic? Will the buyer know anything about the community or care?

The next Republican card falls in SANDAG make up: McCann won’t represent Chula Vista (SD Rostra)

A few days ago I posted an article noting that simply having a Republican mayor in a city doesn’t guarantee that person a seat on the San Diego Association of Governments board. Last week, Vista Mayor John Franklin nominated himself as the city’s representative to SANDAG, but his city council colleagues — a majority of them Democrats — denied him the post. Given that in many cities the mayor solely has the authority to nominate, in Vista that played out with Franklin not offering up another name for consideration, for now leaving the SANDAG seat open.

STATE

Absent for More Than a Century, California Condors Soar Above the Redwoods Again (Audobon)

Following 14 years of preparation, the Yurok Tribe and partners have begun releasing the endangered birds back into northern California, rebuilding the condor’s range and revitalizing tribal traditions.

What to know about California’s Pay Transparency law that takes effect Jan. 1 (NBC San Diego)

After the job landscape was virtually upended during the pandemic with the rise of remote work, pay transparency laws have bubbled to the surface. In California, jobseekers will soon be able to see pay scales on job postings as required by law, thanks to SB 1162. SB 1162 will give jobseekers a better idea if a job is the right fit for their life before getting too far along in the application process, saving everyone's time.  The bill will also help current employees figure out if they are being underpaid for their current role due to stipulations in the bill.

Buried treasure: California politicians stash $35 million in leftover campaign cash  (KPBS)

Nearly 100 committees are sitting on $35 million in leftover campaign funds. Candidates could give the cash to charity or return it to their donors, but many hold on to the money to retain political influence or to possibly run again.

How record snowfall could soften the 2023 drought season  (NPR)

Here's some good news about the winter storms that have swept through the U.S. over the last week. For Western states dealing with drought, these blizzards are like deposits in a savings account. In the spring, the melting snowpack will pour into the region’s water supply.

Think those bags are recyclable? California says think again  (KPBS)

Since California adopted the nation's first ban on single-use plastic shopping bags in 2014, most grocery stores have turned to thicker, reusable plastic bags that are supposed to be recyclable. / But Attorney General Rob Bonta is now investigating whether the bags are truly recyclable as required by law. / He asked six bag manufacturers to back up their claims that the bags can be recycled and threatened legal action that could include banning the bags temporarily or issuing multimillion-dollar fines.

California university apologizes for prisoner experiments  (AP)

A prominent California medical school has apologized for conducting dozens of unethical medical experiments on at least 2,600 incarcerated men in the 1960s and 1970s, including putting pesticides and herbicides on the men’s skin and injecting it into their veins.