Click to view video of Adnan Al Jaafari's anti-corruption message in Arabic or scroll down for highlights and local reactions

By Jonathan Goetz

Translator Abbas Al Khuzaie also contributed to this report

February 14, 2018  (El Cajon) -- Adnan Al Jaafari is a journalist who has published a video criticizing corruption, including harsh words for Iraq's highest ranked religious figure, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

A blog on Huffington Post, as well as an East County resident we interviewed, credit Sistani with defeating ISIS in Iraq.

East County News Service

February 14, 2018 (La Mesa) – Dr. Michael T. Long, a prominent neurologist and past president of the Grossmont Healthcare District’s Board of Directors, passed away on January 31^st I Grossmont Hospital.

Dr. Long, who started his practice in La Mesa in 1967, was the founder and first president of the San Diego Neurological Society.  He served for 12 years as a medical staff executive at Grossmont Hospital and was elected to the Grossmont Healthcare Board of directors for four years, serving as president for one year. He also served as Chief of Staff in 1987, and as Medical Staff Executive in support of the Chiefs of Staff from 1988 until his retirement in 2006.

By Miriam Raftery

February 14, 2018 (San Diego) -- County health officials are cautioning hikers to protect themselves and their pets from ticks, after several of the blood-sucking insects along the Lopez Canyon Trail in Sorrento Valley tested positive for tularemia, better known as rabbit fever.

By Miriam Raftery

February 14, 2018 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove, a community that has its roots in agriculture, will soon be getting a community garden—complete with fresh, organic vegetables, an adjacent flower garden, and a butterfly-friendly garden.

Story and photos by A.J. Herrington

February 13, 2018 (Julian) -- The Board of Directors of the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (JCFPD) has voted 3-2 to negotiate fire protection standards for the community with the County of San Diego, if the County takes over that responsibility from the district. Many of the area residents who attended the crowded meeting at Fire Station 56 on Highway 79 today believe it’s the beginning of the end for the last volunteer fire department in the county.

By Miriam Raftery

February 13, 2018 (San Diego) – If you work days and can’t get time off, four of the five San Diego County Supervisors don’t believe you should have an opportunity to testify on the County’s proposed budget

“I don’t want to sit here at night,” Supervisor Bill Horn stated in response to a proposal by Supervisor Greg Cox to schedule a special evening meeting on the budget, which the County has done in the past.

East County News Service

February 13, 2018 (Lakeside) - More help is now available to victims of domestic violence in the East County. The Lakeside Sheriff's Substation is partnering with a non-profit group to offer direct and immediate assistance to victims.

February 13, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views.  Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Trump’s budget hits poor the hardest (Washington Post)
• White house proposes $4.4 trillion budget that adds $7 trillion to deficits (New York Times)
• Trump blocks release of memo rebutting Republican claims (New York Times)
• FDA to investigate after report exposes euthanasia drug in dog food (ABC 7)
• Who Should Warn the Public of Nuclear War? (NPR)
• Puerto Ricans take matters into their own hands to restore power (CS Monitor)
• U.S. added 200,000 jobs in January, and pay is up by most in 8 years (Marketplace)
• Trump decries lack of ‘due process’ for men accused of sexual harassment, abuse (Washington Post)
• Trump aide resigns after abuse allegations; ex-wife pictured with black eye (Seattle Times)
• Trump pitches plan to replace food stamps with food boxes (Politico)
• Public Officials in Town with Polygamous Sect Resign After Elections (NPR)
• GOP rips Rand for shutdown (Politico)

WORLD

• Cape Town rejoices as rain falls on drought-stricken city (CNN)
• Problems in the pipeline for Sempra’s subsidiary in Mexico (SD Union-Tribune)
• Highlights of the Pyeongchang Olympics opening ceremony in photos (NPR)
• With Holocaust law, Poland imperils reconciliation with its past (Christian Science Monitor)
• Where does this end? Dangers if the U.S. leaves Syria, or stays (CNN)
• Philippines says more than 2,200 citizens in Kuwait want to go home (Reuters)
• Israeli Jet Downed During Attack on Syria After Drone Intercepted, Says Israel (NPR)
• In Russia, a grass-roots bid to expose Stalin's ‘Great Terror’ (CS Monitor)
• South Africa's ANC decides to remove Zuma as head of state (Reuters)
• Cyclone wreaks havoc in Tonga's capital, Parliament flattened (Reuters)

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

February 13, 2018 (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

• From homeless to hopeful in record time (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• From Fallujah to FBI investigation: the undoing of Duncan Hunter (Politico)
• San Diego Democrats stood by labor leader amid sexual misconduct allegation, got $10K the next day (San Diego Union Tribune)
• County’s outrageous targeting of reporter who exposed jail deaths (Voice of SD)
• Tijuana landslide destroys a neighborhood (San Diego Un ion-Tribune)
• Two federal prosecutors appointed to target opioid crisis in San Diego, Imperial counties (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Sons of Charity bank statements leave more questions than answers  East County Californian)
• Report: Duncan Hunter’s wife is target of campaign finance probe (NBC 7)
• San Diego judge who Trump called `Mexican’ reviewing plans for border wall (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• California launches investigation after stunning admission by Aetna medical director (CNN)
• California Officials Set Up Invasive Swamp Rodent Hotline (NPR)
• California’s race for Governor tightens in latest polls (Sacramento Bee)
• Ballot breakdown: These initiatives are headed your way (Cal Matters)
• Cal-State University students struggling with lack of housing, food (KQED)
• California bill would ban tackle football before high school (KQED)

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