July 25, 2012 (Ocotillo) – No, this isn’t the mother ship that’s landed in Ocotillo. It’s another alien power – the first wind turbine foundation poured at Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo Express project. Photographer Jim Pelley measured a single turbine foundation hole measures 286 feet.
Update, 6:20 p.m.: Smoke south of I-8 is from fire on the Mexican side of the border, per CalFire. A Border Patrol agent told ECM the fire was about two miles south of the international border.
July 24, 2012 (San Diego Border) -- ECM editor, Miriam Raftery reports seeing a large fire in the area of Boulevard at the California/Mexico Border. The fire is centered south of Jewel Valley Road in Mexico. Smoke and flames can be seen for miles. Please stay advised for further information.
July 24, 2012 (La Mesa) – The Space Bar Internet Café presents Open Mic Night with Jihmye on July 26 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 7454 University Ave., La Mesa. Brandon Cesmot is the featured poet and Jim Moreno is hosting.
Cesmot has been among California’s most active poets and has won four San Diego Book Awards. His poems have appeared in California Quarterly, Prism Review and Homestead Review among others.
July 24, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Officials at Guinness World Records in London have confirmed that Grossmont College in El Cajon was successful in its bid to set a world record for the most signatures on a birthday card in one day. The record was set at the community college’s 50th anniversary open house held on April 14, when a total of 1,821 people signed a four-foot-tall card, including 174 well-wishers who submitted their greetings on Grossmont College’s Facebook page. The previous record was 1,468 signatures on a card in one day.
Appointment reflects need for quality home care services for San Diego region
July 24, 2012 (San Diego) –Retired Marine Corps veteran and senior advocate Steve Schweitzer was named Director of Outreach & Client Services for InTouch at Home, a Senior Resource Group, LLC (SRG) company based in Solana Beach, California.
July 24, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Dear EarthTalk: Has an alternative to air conditioning to keep rooms cool been invented that is significantly cheaper and/or that uses significantly less energy than traditional air conditioning?
July 23, 2012 (El Cajon) --All westbound lanes of I-8 are blocked at Johnson Ave. in El Cajon due to a crash involving a van and another vehicle on the center divide. Traffic is also slow on eastbound I-8, an eyewitness at the scene told ECM at 9:45 p.m. No emergency vehicles had arrived yet as of this report; avoid area if possible.
July 23, 2012 (La Mesa) – SDG&E announces a power outage is scheduled for Saturday, July 28 at 3:00 am lasting up to four hours and a second power outage on Saturday, August 4 at 2:30 am lasting up to five hours in La Mesa. The outage will affect the following streets:
July 23, 2012 (San Diego)--Your Online Weather forecasts warm weather through Wednesday with isolated thunderstorms over the mountains and deserts Monday night.
On the coasts and in inland valleys, expect night morning low clouds with minor cooling and drier through the weekend.
July 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Skylar is a stunning pure white beautiful, spayed female husky with bright baby blue eyes. She is being professionally trained and is spending her training in social situations with dogs and children. The new owners to this beautiful husky will come equipped with training. Skylar is a pup who wants to be next to her owner, but needs an owner who can be a strong, active leader. Skylar is great with anything her master wants, as long as her master has established the dominant role. Strict yet loving rules must be given.
Decision allows industrial-scale wind development across East County and northeast region, including San Diego's scenic mountain, desert and rural areas
By Miriam Raftery
"This is absolutely unneeded and ill advised."--Commissioner Peder Norby
July 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – By a 4-2 vote, San Diego County’s Planning Commission voted Friday to approve a controversial County Wind Energy Ordinance, an amendment to the Boulevard General Plan enabling approval for industrial scale wind turbine projects across vast areas in local mountain, rural and desert areas. Also approved was an amendment to the Borrego Springs Community Plan to increase flexibility for small turbine projects.
Communities targeted as prime industrial-scale wind resource areas include Santa Ysabel near Julian, Ranchita, Ocotillo Wells, Boulevard, Campo and Jacumba and other areas under County jurisdiction, as well as many federal recreational and U.S. forest lands as wlell as tribal properties.
July 23, 2012 (Los Angeles) -- UCLA researchers have developed a new transparent solar cell that is an advance toward giving windows in homes and other buildings the ability to generate electricity while still allowing people to see outside. Their study appears in the journal ACS Nano.
July 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Hit the trail with your smartphone and you can get more than a little hiking in. How about working out your core, your lower body, upper body and improving your flexibility too? The County Parks and Recreation Department kicked off QR (Quick Response) Fit Trails at 4S Ranch Sports Park this morning.
To see a video of the new QR Fit Trails, and an interview with Supervisor Pam Slater-Price click here: http://youtu.be/Lp98dLVN2y4.
July 23, 2012 (San Diego)- - The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office has released its 2011 Statistics and Annual Report. The report shows improvements in some areas where deaths have decreased, while highlighting other areas of concern.
Suit alleges County’s Climate Action Plan ignores the science of climate-stabilization criteria
July 23, 2012 (San Diego) – The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit challenging the County of San Diego’s recent approvals related to its Climate Action Plan. The lawsuit alleges that the County did not keep its promises to the people that it made just last year in connection with its General Plan Update – promises to create a “comprehensive and enforceable” Climate Action Plan that actually achieves emissions reductions. The lawsuit also alleges that the County violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by approving standards of review for future development (thresholds of significance) which would contribute to devastating environmental consequences.
July 23, 2012 (Escondido) – A 1968 Piper airplane made an emergency landing on I-15 just north of El Norte Road at 11:25 p.m. last night after running out of fuel. Moments later, it was struck by a pickup truck, the California Highway Patrol reports.
July 22, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--A multi-vehicle crash on Highway 125 south at State Route 94 in the Spring Valley area has resulted in injuries to several people.
"We have transported all patients to hospitals," a Heartland Fire dispatcher told ECM.
July 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s topics include:
1) Meat consumption, health and the environment
2) Challenging Canada's Prime Minister's efforts to weaken environmental protections
Dear EarthTalk: We’ve been hearing for years how producing red meat is bad for the environment while consuming it is bad for our health. How do other types of meat, fish, dairy and vegetable proteins stack up in terms of environmental and health impacts? -- Julia Saperstein, via e-mail
July 22, 2012 -- According to CalFire, the forward spread of the Dehesa brush fire at 4700 Dehesa Boulevard has been stopped. The fire is holding at 15 acres. Smoke may still be seen from Crest, and surrounding areas.
College district worker earns employee-excellence award
July 22, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Kasi Althaus, a Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District accounting tech with a dedication to service and a joie de vivrethat lifts the spirits of all around her was lauded at this week’s Governing Board meeting with an award for worker excellence.
by Tyson Slocum, Director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program
July 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--J.P. Morgan Ventures Energy Corporation is under investigation for practices that may have resulted in overcharging consumers $73 million or more on their household utility bills. J.P. Morgan Ventures Energy Corp. operates under the oversight of JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s head of global commodities, Blythe Masters.
July 22, 2012 (San Diego) – A new online database has been created for California students that is a directory of all online college programs available in the state.The database will be updated yearly and is a free and open resource.School districts and high schools throughout the state have added the database as a resource for students and parents to use.
July 22, 2012 (Spring Valley)—A Spring Valley man was shot by two masked men with a shotgun after responding to a knock on his door by a unknown female at 3:00 a.m. in the 800 block of Sacramento Avenue in Spring Valley.
July 21, 2012 (Santee) – Pilot Wayne Oehler, 79 of El Cajon landed safely on State Route 67 in Santee this morning at 10 a.m. after the engine on his homemade plane locked up.
A California Highway Patrol officer noticed the Europa plane attempting to land on the northbound side of the highway and started a traffic break, helping the plane to land safely at the Riverford Road off-ramp, UT-San Diego reported.
July 21, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, has announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
United Taxi Workers is Labor Council's first non-union affiliate
July 21, 2012 (San Diego) -- The San Diego Labor Council announces the affiliation of United Taxi Workers of San Diego as the council's first non-union affiliate.
By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--The hot weather is among us and many of us will (or already have) head for the water… Pools, lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relief from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take the proper precautions. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning. And most drownings occur in home swimming pools. It is the second leading cause of accidental death for people between the ages of 5 and 24.
July 21, 2012 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District announced the availability of funds from the Carl Moyer Voucher Incentive Program (VIP). The VIP provides a streamlined approach to reduce emissions by installing a Verified Diesel Emission Control Strategy (VDECS or “retrofit”) or by replacing existing, high-polluting vehicles with newer, lower-emission vehicles. Approximately $350,000 from Program Year 14 is currently available for eligible on-road heavy-duty diesel retrofit or replacement projects.
July 24, 2012 (La Mesa) – The Space Bar Internet Café presents Open Mic Night with Jihmye on July 26 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 7454 University Ave., La Mesa. Brandon Cesmot is the featured poet and Jim Moreno is hosting.
July 23, 2012 (El Cajon) --All westbound lanes of I-8 are blocked at Johnson Ave. in El Cajon due to a crash involving a van and another vehicle on the center divide. Traffic is also slow on eastbound I-8, an eyewitness at the scene told ECM at 9:45 p.m. No emergency vehicles had arrived yet as of this report; avoid area if possible.
July 23, 2012 (San Diego)--Your Online Weather forecasts warm weather through Wednesday with isolated thunderstorms over the mountains and deserts Monday night.
By Miriam Raftery
July 22, 2012 (San Diego) – A new online database has been created for California students that is a directory of all online college programs available in the state.
United Taxi Workers is Labor Council's first non-union affiliate
July 21, 2012 (San Diego) -- 
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