By Miriam Raftery

February 20, 2024 (San Diego) President Joe Biden yesterday declared a major disaster in California, making federal funding available to help those who suffered flood damages from January 21-23 in San Diego County, including residents and businesses. 

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

The President ordered federal assistance to supplement state tribal, and local recovery efforts from the severe storm.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

The federal disaster declaration comes three weeks after it was requested by both Governor Gavin Newsom and San Diego Congresswoman Sara Jacob.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

By Jonathan Goetz

February 19, 2024 (La Mesa) -- World Book Day is an annual event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The main purpose of World Book Day is to encourage people of all ages to discover the joy of books and reading. It also aims to support authors and publishers by raising awareness of their work and protecting their rights, according to Bing's Copilot. It is celebrated on February 23 in many countries around the world, including the United States.

East County News Service

February 19, 2024 (Lakeside) — Here’s an event to squeal about! A tradition since 1947, the Eastern San Diego County Junior Fair will be held on Sunday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds (12584 Mapleview St., Lakeside). 

February 19, 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

• More than 1,200-plus San Diegans still homeless after the Great Flood of 2024 (NBC)
• Nonprofits exhaust relief resources for San Diego County flood victims (10 News)
• Hundreds of storage units in Spring Valley damaged during flooding (10 News)
• The Jan. 22 Floods Displaced More Than 1,000 San Diegans from Their Homes (Voice of San Diego)
• 'This is my life. It is all gone,' says owner of Lemon Grove car dealership damaged in storm (10 News)
• Mudslide damages home, causes road closure in Lakeside (NBC San Diego)
• Caltrans expects to finish $37 million SR-67 repaving project by May (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Tesla to pay $1.5 million in hazardous waste case brought by California prosecutors (KPBS)
• City of San Diego loses access to water from Lake Hodges  (CBS 8)
•  El Cajon's Nurse Navigation 911 program frees up resources for emergencies  (!0 News)

STATE

• Biden Promises Aid to California After Mudslides and Power Outages  (New York Times)
• Death toll at 9 as storm destruction mounts in Southern California  (Los Angeles Times)
• An income-based, fixed-rate charge could start on CA utility bills.  (CBS 8)
• Why California might mandate the 'science of reading' in all schools (Cal Matters) 

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

East County News Service

February 19, 2024 (La Mesa) -- The City of La Mesa is seeking proposals for the La Mesa “Walkway of the Stars” Mural Project in downtown La Mesa. The “Walkway of the Stars” is a pedestrian walkway located between the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot and La Mesa Boulevard that was transformed into an urban park in downtown La Mesa in 2003.

The walkway features decorative stone stars with the names of volunteers who have given 10,000 hours or more of service to the City of La Mesa and eight (8) community murals painted in 2003 depicting volunteerism in the City. This project will create up to eight new murals along the walls of the walkway. 

By Miriam Raftery

February 19, 2024 (El Cajon) – A convicted sex offender, Michael Inman, was convicted Wednesday on four felony sex offenses including sex with a 16-year-old girl at a Motel 6 on Montrose Court in El Cajon. His co-defendant, Larry Cantrell, pleaded guilty last month to several sexual offenses.

February 18, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• U.S. is '18 months or so' away from finding bird flu vaccine, says agriculture secretary (Reuters)
• Does Your Blood Type Affect Your Heart Health? Yes, but Here's the Full Story (CNet)
• How the anti-vaccine movement is downplaying the danger of measles(NBC)
• The abortion pill case on its way to the Supreme Court cites a retracted paper  (NPR)
• Listeria recall expands to include bean dips, salad dressings, taco kits and more 

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Climate scientist Michael Mann is suing for defamation in court  (NPR)
• Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’ (CNN)
• FCC declares AI-generated voices in robocalls are illegal (CBS News)
• Reduce, reuse, redirect outrage: How plastic makers used recycling as a fig leaf (KPBS)

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

By Shiloh Ireland

February 18, 2024 (San Diego) --The San Diego City Council is examining the termination of rodeos in the city limits of San Diego after one horse had a mild injury in a performance in last week's first rodeo at Petco Park. Veterinarian care was immediate and on site. Follow up care determined a full recovery. The incident was a Native American custom. The rider suffered no lasting injuries.

 Activists have exacerbated the incident and are applying pressure to the San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and the San Diego City Council. At this time, at least one council member has proposed a ban on rodeos in city limits. The attack is on our Western Tradition with many safeguards in place and with many rodeos in the State of California with few incidents and adequate safeguards.

“We are holding him accountable for lying, cheating, and a lack of contrition...because there cannot be different rules for different people in this country, and former presidents are no exception.” – New York Attorney General Letitia James (photo, left)

By Miriam Raftery

February 18, 2024 (New York, NY) – Donald Trump has been ordered to pay a $354.1 million penalty for fraudulently inflating his net worth and the value of his real estate holdings in order to obtain bank loans. In the New York civil trial, Judge Arthur Engoron also barred Trump from running a business in New York for two years and ordered that a monitor oversee Trump Organization’s business dealings. Two of his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., were each fined $4 million and prohibited from running the company for three more years.

This is not the first time that Trump has been found to have committed fraud.  His family charity and Trump University both shut down after separate courts found them to have engaged in fraud.

By Michael Howard

Photos courtesy of the candidates' campaigns, left to right: Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane and Democrats Darshana Patel and Joseph Rocha

February 17, 2024 (San Diego, CA) – Three candidates in the upcoming March 5 primaries are vying for the open California 76th Assembly seat vacated by Brian Maienschein (D), who announced he was running for the city of San Diego’s City Attorney this election cycle.

A former Republican, Maienschein switched to the Democratic party in 2019 before running against Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane in the 2022 general election for the seat, where he won by a 6% margin, 78,895 votes to Bruce-Lane’s 73,944.

Bruce-Lane will be the sole Republican in the race this year, facing two Democratic candidates, Joseph Rocha and Darshana Patel. All three candidates look to represent a mostly inland North County district with a population of around 471,000.

By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo: Mario Ramirez Garcia, 10, attends online class in the bedroom he shares with his sister on April 23, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

East County News Service

February 17, 2024 (Alpine) -- Indulge in the captivating charm of Alpine, CA! Immerse yourself in a sensory journey that explores the exquisite trifecta of Cuisine, Commerce, and Culture.

Will the Grossmont-Cuymaca Community College District or the Water Conservation Garden Joint Powers Authority step in to operate the Garden?

By Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2024 (Rancho San Diego) – The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, a treasured community destination, has closed temporarily amid efforts to reorganize under new leadership.

“As we celebrate our 25^th anniversary this year, we will be undergoing major structural changes,” interim executive director Lauren Magnuson announced in an email sent to media and supporters of the Garden. “A reopening date will be announced in the future...The Garden is committed to reopening and continuing its mission to educate and inspire the community to promote water conservation,” she concluded, adding, “We look forward to welcoming you back soon with a renewed and thriving Water Conservation Garden experience!”

The temporary closure announcement follows months of financial concerns stemming primarily from large loans taken out by the Garden’s former director, Jennifer Pillsbury, during and after COVID.