EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

July 8, 2024 (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 round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• San Diego County unemployment rate drops below national average at 3.6% (KPBS)
• New copper line trolley would bring major changes to East County  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Gang Member Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Killing Spring Valley Mother (Times of San Diego)
• $10M from state for tiny homes in jeopardy after county board kills Spring Valley plan (Times of Diego)
• San Diego County is unprepared for climate disasters (Axios)
• Threats, profanity, accusations skyrocketing at public meetings, KPBS analysis shows (KPBS)
• Controversial plans to urbanize San Diego neighborhoods advance, could soon get City approval  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego Humane Society creates 'Dog Day Out' program (CBS 8)

STATE

• Will Google strike a deal with California news outlets to fund journalism?  (San Jose Mercury News)
• DEA operation exposes growing ties between Mexican drug cartel and Chinese organized crime  (NBC)
• California Democrats agree to delay health care worker minimum wage increase to help balance budget (ABC News)
• California budgets up to $12 million for reparations bills, a milestone in atoning for racist legacy (KPBS)

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

LOCAL

San Diego County unemployment rate drops below national average at 3.6% (KPBS)

Between April 2024 and May 2024, total nonfarm employment increased from 1,562,500 to 1,566,100, a gain of 3,600 jobs.

New copper line trolley would bring major changes to East County  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

East County residence are bracing for some major changes to trolley services fall when three stations between Santee and El Cajon might be removed from the normal trolley network and become part of a new “copper“ line…. The changes, which the Metropolitan Transit System board must approve this summer, would force Santee residents traveling to Mission Valley, San Diego State or other popular destinations to take two trains instead of one. 

Gang Member Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Killing Spring Valley Mother (Times of San Diego)

A suspected gang member convicted of gunning down a woman in Spring Valley while she sat in a parked car with her young child was sentenced this week to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 75 years to life.

$10M from state for tiny homes in jeopardy after county board kills Spring Valley plan (Times of Diego)

... With Spring Valley in the rearview mirror, the supervisors are considering another location. This time, it would be a smaller site near Sweetwater Road and Troy Street in Lemon Grove.

San Diego County is unprepared for climate disasters (Axios)

San Diego County is among the least-prepared places for climate disasters, according to homeowners insurance resource ClaimGuide's risk assessment of more than 3,000 U.S. counties.

Threats, profanity, accusations skyrocketing at public meetings, KPBS analysis shows (KPBS)

 Civic discourse is unraveling across the country, and one of the most pronounced local examples is at San Diego County Board of Supervisors meetings.

Controversial plans to urbanize San Diego neighborhoods advance, could soon get City approval  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Proposals to potentially double the populations of Hillcrest and University City by allowing high-rise housing in more places got unanimous approval Thursday from the San Diego City Council’s housing committee. Those unanimous 4-0 and 3-0 approvals, which came despite ardent protests from residents about gentrification and congestion, signal that the proposals are likely to be OK’d by the full nine-member council in July.

San Diego Humane Society creates 'Dog Day Out' program (CBS 8)

Volunteers can take dogs out of the shelter every Wednesday and Thursday.

STATE

Will Google strike a deal with California news outlets to fund journalism?  (San Jose Mercury News)

California news publishers and Big Tech companies appear to be inching toward compromise on a controversial bill that would require Google and huge social media platforms to pay news outlets for the articles they distribute. 

DEA operation exposes growing ties between Mexican drug cartel and Chinese organized crime  (NBC)

Two dozen Los Angeles-based associates of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel were charged in a sophisticated scheme to launder more than $50 million in drug money through an underground banking system run by Chinese nationals in the United States, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The case, outlined in a 10-count superseding indictment, highlights the growing relationship between Mexican cartels and Chinese citizens in the U.S., and the complex system they have developed to finance drug operations and launder the proceeds, authorities said.

California Democrats agree to delay health care worker minimum wage increase to help balance budget (ABC News)

Democrats in California have agreed to delay a minimum wage increase for about 426,000 health care workers to help balance the state's budget.

California budgets up to $12 million for reparations bills, a milestone in atoning for racist legacy (KPBS)

California plans to spend up to $12 million on reparations legislation under a budget signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, marking a milestone in the state's efforts to atone for a legacy of racism and discrimination against Black Californians. / The reparations funding in the $297.9 billion budget Newsom signed over the weekend does not specify what programs the money would go toward. Lawmakers are not considering widespread direct payments to Black Californians this year.