East County News Service

Photo:  CC by NC-ND

May 17, 2022 (San Diego) – Effective May 15, zero bail adopted as an emergency measure during the pandemic has ended.

In March 2020, the Governor’s executive order gave the Judicial Council of California and its Chairperson, the state’s Chief Justice, the authority to take actions necessary to maintain access to the essential court operations and protect the health and safety of California residents, including incarcerated persons,

Chelonian pet owners are welcome to get their turtles and tortoises chipped!

Source: AMTRAK

Photo courtesy of AMTRAK 

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom by Ron Logan

May 15, 2022 (Sacramento) - Citing rising inflation and a large surplus, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a revised state budget of $301 billion on Friday that is $14 billion higher that his initial proposal in January.

By Miriam Raftery

May 14, 2022 (Jamul) – Many area residents have fond memories of visits to Jamul Haven, a five-star Victorian-era bed and breakfast inn where William and Marianne Roetzheim hosted overnight guests, as well as an adjacent home where they hosted special events and teas. Now the entire property near Steele Canyon Golf Course is up for sale, including both the historic and new homes, pool and more. 

By Katie Cadiao, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 13, 2022 (San Diego) - The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and its partners are working together to get the word out about CalFresh benefits during the month of May, which is designated as CalFresh Awareness Month.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- County Supervisor Joel Anderson has sent a formal request to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer and Sheriff, urging them to take action mirroring recent action by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to remove encampments along public roadways that pose critical safety concerns. Caltrans’ clearing of an encampment in the Berkeley area was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on April 27.

Source: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Photo © by Andrew James, courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park

May 12, 2022 (San Pasqual) -- A three-month-old giraffe calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has received a new lease on life, thanks to swift intervention by the conservation organization’s wildlife health and wildlife care teams to correct abnormalities that threatened the calf’s survival. The female youngster—named Msituni (pronounced see tune neee), which means “in the forest” in Swahili— received a pair of specialized giraffe-patterned orthotic braces that attached to her front legs to help correct a hyperextension of the carpi, bones that are equivalent to those in the human wrist. This disorder had caused the giraffe’s front legs to bend improperly, and made it difficult for her to stand and walk. Wildlife care staff said Msituni’s chances of survival would have been very low without the treatment provided by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance team in collaboration with orthotists from Hanger Clinic.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service forecasts a heat wave this weekend through early next week, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal in San Diego County’s inland areas.

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

May 12, 2022 (San Diego) -- Recently, a draft was leaked of a potential Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade written by Justice Samuel Alito (Political Staff, 2022). East County Magazine published a previous op-ed by me entitled: “Abortion is a 1st Amendment Issue” (2020 Feb. 24).  The following are some additional thoughts based on the draft written by Justice Alito that will allow states to outlaw abortion.

Alito bases his opinion on, to some extent, original intent of our Founding Fathers, those who actually wrote our Constitution. At the time, the majority were slave owners. Others had indentured servants:  poor whites “contracted” for up to seven years’ labor. In many cases they were treated brutally (Garrett-Hatfield). Women had basically NO rights (Kuhn, 2022; Lange, 2015).

East County News Service

May 11, 2022 (San Diego) – The County of San Diego’s Planning & Development Services has prepared a revised Transportation Study Guide that establishes a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) threshold using the countywide average. It also designates which areas will or won’t need to have VMT analysis or mitigation. The actions follow a new state law, SB 743, which requires the amount of driving and length of trips – as measured by "vehicle miles traveled" or VMT – be used to assess transportation impacts on the environment for Calif. Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

The public has until June 13 at 4 p.m. to submit comments. Two public meetings are planned on May 24 and June 1: 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Operating room, CC by ND via Bing

May 10, 2022 (San Diego) -- The Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report released today by The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit health care watchdog organization,  gave most local hospitals an “A” rating for patient safety during the pandemic, including Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, which serves East County. But East County’s other hospital, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, received a dismal “C” rating due largely to its below average performance in preventing infections including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics.