July 3, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Michael Eugene Richardson, whose wife and mother-in-law have been identified as homicide victims in a staged car crash in Lakeside, has an extensive criminal past, investigations reveal. Court records in North Carolina indicate Richardson was convicted of robbing and shooting a cab driver in 1976. He served six years of a 30 year sentence before escaping while out with a roadside work crew.
July 3, 2010 (Kensington) -- A motorcyclist under the influence of alcohol crashed into a palm tree in the 4300 block of Aldine Drive at 11:05 this morning, San Diego Police Department reports. The D.U.I. driver, a man in his 40s, sustained a broken hip and was transported to a local trauma center. No further details are available at this time.
July 2, 2010 (La Mesa) – Brew Ha Ha "Sunday Night Comedy" opens July 11 at Gio Bistro and Wine Bar, 8384 La Mesa Boulevard in La Mesa’s downtown village. The weekly performance will be the first of its kind in East County, according to producers.
July 3, 2010 (Escondido) Four separate brush fires along eastbound Highway 78 are now contained, East County Magazine has learned. Causes of the blazes are under investigation.
July 3, 2010 (Sacramento) – Due to the state budget deficit, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week announced his intent to ask the Legislature to postpone Proposition 18, the $11.4 million water bond measure that qualified for the November 2010 ballot, until November 2012. Postponement would require a two-thirds vote of both the Assembly and Senate.
The measure faced mounting opposition from consumer, environmental and labor groups, with even many supporters urging revision or postponement amid the current economic situation.
July 3, 2010 (San Diego) -- Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego) applauds the announcement of a $9 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to a UC San Diego led consortium for research into use of algae for biofuels.
July 3, 2010 (Del Cerro) – A driver who lost control of her pickup truck Thursday missed a turn on a steep downhill road, then crashed into two homes in the 6200 block of Camino Largo near Ridge Manor Avenue. The truck entered the garage of the first home, damaged an electrical sub- panel and started a fire.
The vehicle then broke through the garage wall and jumped over a property line, slamming into a neighbor’s garage wall.
Hackers use Facebook and other social networking sites to swindle friends
July 2, 2010 (San Diego) – The San Diego FBI office warns that the Internet Crime Complaint Center has received complaints of e-mail or social networking accounts being used in a social engineering scam to swindle consumers out of thousands of dollars.
July 2, 2010 (Lake Murray) – It’s official! Fourth of July fireworks show and Lake Murray Music Fest will be held. While $3,000 is still needed to cover expenses for East County's biggest Independence Day extravaganza, organizers announce that the show will go on—much to the community’s delight.
Entertainment starts at noon and continues throughout the afternoon and evening, with a fireworks finale starting at 9:15 p.m. (or whenever the last band finishes performing). Scroll down to view the band schedule:
Cal-Fire provides arson hotline for tips to bust firebugs
July 2, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- One out of four fires is started by arson, Cal Fire reports.
“When an arsonist sets a fire, everyone pays,” a public service announcement issued today by Cal-Fire reveals. “Arson fires destroy homes, businesses, communities, forests, wildlands and lives." Arson costs also include fire losses, firefighting expenses and higher insurance premiums--plus arson fires tie up fire crews and equipment.
East County Roundup features top stories impacting East County published in other media.
Roundup stories in this issue:
• Winery change goes to supervisors with no recommendation
• Final count: Mullin defeats Vaus with 104 votes (Poway Council)
• 2 more to be sentenced in 2008 SDSU stabbing
• Dubois family seeks damages from state
• Court bolsters gun rights
• Doctors test new rattlesnake antivenom
• Man accused of flashing girl, fondling others in Escondido
• Authorities deal with more bee swarms
• King family moving back to Illinois
• Unemployment rate drops in San Diego
• Ex-Helix High official acquitted of some charges
• SDG&E’s customers to pay for fire repairs
July 2, 2010 (San Diego's East County)--There is a scene at the beginning of Cyrus in which John (John C. Reilly) tries to pick up a woman at a party. The problem is he can’t get the words out and gives up. Later, he meets another woman, Molly, (Marisa Tomei) who describes the conversation he had as raw and honest. Those two words are not just true about the failed pick-up: they accurately describe this movie.
Restrictive new ordinance passes 4-1, sharply limits sites where dispensaries may locate
“Virtually all of them are either undeveloped land, cement factories, mining operations, even land that’s zoned for treatment of radioactive materials,” -- Kate Valentine of Americans for Safe Access
July 2, 2010 (San Diego) – A restrictive new ordinance passed Wednesday by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will sharply limit locations where medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed and make it extremely costly for operators. The measure passed by a four-to-one vote. Supervisor Ron Roberts cast the lone dissenting vote.
“I think we’re violating the spirit of the law,” said Roberts, referring to the ballot initiative approved by California voters 14 years ago to legalize medical marijuana.
Committee takes action to protect students at other CSU campuses, but fails to reverse change in admission policy at SDSU
July 1, 2010 (Sacramento) – AB 2401, which would require San Diego State University and other CSU campuses to give priority to local students who meet admission requirements, failed to secure passage and was held by the Senate Education Committee yesterday. However a companion bill, AB 2402, which would increase transparency by requiring CSU campuses to provide notification and public input prior to change admissions policies for students in their local service area, passed the committee.
By Miriam Raftery July 1, 2010 (Lakeside) -- Two women found dead at the scene of a car crash off Highway 67 Tuesday in Lakeside have been identified as Thao Richardson, 57, and her mother, Than Lyi, 72. Today, Sheriff’s officers arrested Michael Eugene Richardson, 57, for statutory rape of his 17-year-old niece.
An investigation into the crash has concluded that it was staged. Authorities on the scene told ECM that “suspicious evidence” was found. Richardson has not yet been charged with the double murder, but he is considered “the only person of interest” in those deaths by Sheriff’s officials, according to other media reports today.
Four unions that agreed to slash pensions exempted from order
“I find it wrong for a Governor worth $40 million to be telling a state worker earning $40,000 that you are only worth $7.25 an hour.” – Lace Watkins, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
July 1, 2010 (Sacramento) – State workers won’t be celebrating this holiday weekend. Late today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the State Controlled to reduce pay for state workers to minimum wage , $7.25 an hour, until the Legislature passes a state budget. The announcement has left thousands of workers worried over how to cover their families’ living expenses with wages slashed to the bone.
July 1, 2010 (Spring Valley) Young Actors Theater (YAT) will present Seussical, the Musical at the Encore Theater, 9620 Campo Road in Spring Valley, July 9-11 and July 16-18. Based on writings of Dr. Seuss, the production is suitable for audiences of all ages. The story centers around Horton the Elephant, who finds himself faced with a double challenge.
July 1, 2010 (La Mesa) - A reception for local artist Judith Burnett will be held Friday evening, July 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Foothills Gallery, where an exhibition of Burnett's paintings and sculptures will be featured through August 4. Burnett's daughter, guitarist Lauren Burnett, will provide musical entertainment at Friday's reception.
July 1, 2010 (San Diego's East County)--The Last Airbender is a movie that begs to be remade by a different director. It had the potential for an entertaining cinematic experience but it ends up as a vigorously underwhelming film. I didn’t hate this picture as much as I felt really disappointed.
July 1, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) – The Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a leadership program designed to empower women to own, lead, and navigate business and community in the global economy.
June 26, 2010 (La Mesa) – Now you can support La Mesa’s business community and have a chance to win a brand new 2010 Honda CR-V LX car---the grand prize in the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s “Drive Away Raffle.”
July 1, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police are seeking a suspect who robbed Wells Fargo Bank in Grossmont Center at 12:25 p.m.
“A red dye pack exploded,” dispatch supervisor Charles Howshar informed East County Magazine. “He was last seen on foot running from the area and we are currently looking for him.”
July 1, 2010 (Campo) – The second annual Robert Rosas Memorial Off-Road ride will be held on July 10th. Proceeds will benefit the family of slain Border Patrol Agent Rosas, who was shot and killed while on duty in July 2009 near Campo.
July 1, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Ralf Swenson has been tentatively selected as the next superintendent of the Grossmont Union High School District contingent on successful contract negotiation, a positive community visit by the Governing Board to his current school district and further routine background checks.
June 30, 2010 (San Diego) -- Are you connected to life? While many move in a daze of action, haze of forgetting, or tangle of technology, real life requires full frontal engagement. Yes, I’m talking about getting naked with the present moment. This means dropping in right here, right now sans overwork, alcohol, drugs, IPod, Blackberry, laptop, etc. to see how you feel. If you can barely imagine such a thing, you’re probably overdue to reboot your life connection.
July 3, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Michael Eugene Richardson, whose wife and mother-in-law have been identified as homicide victims in a staged car crash in Lakeside, has an extensive criminal past, investigations reveal. Court records in North Carolina indicate Richardson was convicted of robbing and shooting a cab driver in 1976. He served six years of a 30 year sentence before escaping while out with a roadside work crew.
July 3, 2010 (Kensington) -- A motorcyclist under the influence of alcohol crashed into a palm tree in the 4300 block of Aldine Drive at 11:05 this morning, San Diego Police Department reports. The D.U.I. driver, a man in his 40s, sustained a broken hip and was transported to a local trauma center. No further details are available at this time.
July 2, 2010 (La Mesa) – Brew Ha Ha "Sunday Night Comedy" opens July 11 at Gio Bistro and Wine Bar, 8384 La Mesa Boulevard in La Mesa’s downtown village. The weekly performance will be the first of its kind in East County, according to producers.
July 3, 2010 (Escondido) Four separate brush fires along eastbound Highway 78 are now contained, East County Magazine has learned. Causes of the blazes are under investigation.
By Miriam Raftery
July 3, 2010 (San Diego) -- Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego) applauds the announcement of a $9 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to a UC San Diego led consortium for research into use of algae for biofuels.
Story and photos by Dennis Richardson
July 2, 2010 (San Diego) – The San Diego FBI office warns that the Internet Crime Complaint Center has received complaints of e-mail or social networking accounts being used in a social engineering scam to swindle consumers out of thousands of dollars.
July 2, 2010 (Lake Murray) – It’s official! Fourth of July 
July 2, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- One out of four fires is started by arson, Cal Fire reports.
By Brian Lafferty
“Virtually all of them are either undeveloped land, cement factories, mining operations, even land that’s zoned for treatment of radioactive materials,” -- Kate Valentine of Americans for Safe Access
East County News Service
July 1, 2010 (Lakeside) -- Two women found dead at the scene of a car crash off Highway 67 Tuesday in Lakeside have been identified as Thao Richardson, 57, and her mother, Than Lyi, 72. Today, Sheriff’s officers arrested Michael Eugene Richardson, 57, for statutory rape of his 17-year-old niece.
“I find it wrong for a Governor worth $40 million to be telling a state worker earning $40,000 that you are only worth $7.25 an hour.” – Lace Watkins, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
July 1, 2010 (Spring Valley) Young Actors Theater (YAT) will present Seussical, the Musical at the Encore Theater, 9620 Campo Road in Spring Valley, July 9-11 and July 16-18. Based on writings of Dr. Seuss, the production is suitable for audiences of all ages. The story centers around Horton the Elephant, who finds himself faced with a double challenge.
July 1, 2010 (La Mesa) - A reception for local artist Judith Burnett will be held Friday evening, July 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Foothills Gallery, where an exhibition of Burnett's paintings and sculptures will be featured through August 4. Burnett's daughter, guitarist Lauren Burnett, will provide musical entertainment at Friday's reception. 
By Rama Beerfas
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: DEADLINE JULY 23, 2010
July 1, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police are seeking a suspect who robbed Wells Fargo Bank in Grossmont Center at 12:25 p.m.
By Penelope Andrade
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