November 19, 2013 (San Diego) – As San Diegans head to the polls today to vote in a special election to fill the mayoral vacancy, Registrar of Voters Michael Vu says an expected turnout of 40 to 45 percent is anticipated, or roughly equivalent to the last citywide mayoral election in July 2005, which had a 44.33% turnout rate.
If one candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote today, that candidate will be the new mayor. If no candidate achieves a majority, then there will be a run-off election among the top two vote-getters. To view our nonpartisan guide for voters in the San Diego mayoral election, click here. For more interesting facts about today's election, click "read more" and scroll down.
November 19, 2013 (San Diego) -– Construction crews will close eastbound State Route 52 (SR-52) on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and again on Saturday night for paving and striping, according to Caltrans. The closures are part of an ongoing project to repair the dips in the pavement which is anticipated to be completed by winter 2014. The Convoy ramp will also be impacted; for details click "read more" and scroll down.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego) -- For approximately four nights, beginning Nov. 18, construction activity in southbound main lanes of Interstate 15 (I-15) between Mira Mesa Boulevard and Carroll Canyon Road will require nighttime closures of the southbound I-15 main lanes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. These closures will allow crews to continue construction of the Mira Mesa direct access ramp for mass transit.
During the closures, the southbound Express Lanes will be open and free of charge to all motorists. Signs will be posted on the freeway in advance of the closures to direct drivers to the Express Lanes and to other detours (see map below).
November 18, 2013 (San Diego) – Three local Somali immigrants have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller for providing support to foreign terrorists. U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy today revealed that evidence included intercepted phone calls regarding assassinations, suicide bombing and Jihad.
Basaaly Saeed Moalin, a cabdriver, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted by a federal jury of providing material support to the terrorist group al-Shabaab. At the same hearing, Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, the imam at a popular mosque frequented by the city’s immigrant Somali community, was sentenced to 13 years in prison; Issa Doreh, who worked at a money transmitting business that was the conduit for moving the illicit funds, was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego ) – East County Magazine photographer Tom Abbott has informed ECM that he received an automated phone call this morning urging him to exercise his right to vote – on November 20, one day AFTER the San Diego mayoral election.
Abbott said he tried to dial *69 to redial the number and learn where it came from, but before he could do so, another call came in.
There is no evidence--yet--to reveal which candidate or independent expenditure group is behind the deceptive (and illegal) call. Both Abbott and his wife are registered independents, so the motive apparently isn't partisan. But one is a union member and other is a naturalized citizen of Latino descent, raising the possibility that union members or minorities could be targets of an organized effort to suppress the vote.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego) – Marcos Rodriguez-Perez was sentenced today to 56 years in prison for his participation in the July 2009 robbery and murder of United States Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas, Jr. Rodriguez-Perez, a 28-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty in August, admitting he was one of three gunmen who lured the agent into a trap to steal his night-vision goggles and then fatally shot him during a struggle. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnaping, robbery of personal property of the United States, and use and carrying of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
November 18, 2013 (Los Angeles) – Country-of-Origin-Labeling, or COOL, requires labels on meat sold in the U.S. to clearly state where that meat comes from.
And it isn’t sitting well with some foreign countries, along with groups in the U.S. that are working to get the rule quashed.
Joe Maxwell is a livestock farmer and the vice president of outreach and engagement for the Humane Society of the United States. His organization has helped form a coalition to try to keep the law in place.
As a livestock farmer, Maxwell says this should be a major concern for consumers and farmers alike, as some countries do not have health and safety rules for raising animals, and meat processing standards are lower.
November 18, 2013 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Historical Society will be hosting its 25th Annual Holiday Home tour on Saturday, December 7, 2013, beginning at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Enjoy a self-guided tour of five unique homes in the Lakeside area.
The homes include a view lot atop Rattlesnake Mountain, two homestead cottages in Morena Valley complete with Clydesdale horses and a collection of antiques, another Morena Valley home with a beautifully landscaped yard, and a Eucalyptus Hills home, all decorated for the holidays.
November 18, 2013 (El Cajon) – Senator Joel Anderson cordially invites the public to a “Holiday Open House” at Toyota of El Cajon, 965 Arnele Avenue, on Thursday, November 21, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The holiday season is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. This open house will provide you with the opportunity to receive a 2013 legislative update and to submit your ideas to improve the state government.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego) – The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation (MTRP) is pleased to present an exhibition featuring three award winning photographers: Debbie Beals, Darci Hook, and Janice Roudebush.
This photography exhibit, "Elements: Three Perspectives on Nature," will be on display in the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center Art Gallery November 16 through December 13, 2013. The public is cordially invited to a reception in honor of the artists on Sunday, November 24, 2013 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – On September 24, the County Board of Supervisors threw their support behind a Southern California drone testing zone. This rash decision puts San Diego County at risk for $2.7 billion in liability for the property alone if a Drone goes down and starts a fire in the back country. The County Board of Supervisors need to rethink this position quickly, before the FAA opens our skies to drones for testing purposes, and put us all at risk.
November 18, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA has awarded nearly $10 million to a consortium of academic, industry and government organizations led by Colorado State University (CSU) and their partners to research using insect-killed trees in the Rockies as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy.
The award, provided under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), is part of USDA's effort to develop modern solutions for climate challenges in agriculture and natural resource management. AFRI is provided under the Farm Bill, and Secretary Vilsack highlighted the need for passage of a comprehensive, long-term Food, Farm and Jobs Bill to continue groundbreaking agricultural research across the nation.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The #1 source of Greenhouse Gases is not buildings or transportation, but electricity. That’s because 42% of it is still generated from coal. There are other questions regarding natural gas, which now supplies a quarter of the nation’s power, and aging nuclear plants. Renewable energy sources – hydroelectricity, biomass, wind, and solar – supply 13%. These are supposedly all “clean,” but some have actually caused great damage to the environment.
Take the city’s survey (available in English, Spanish and Arabic)
November 18, 2013 (El Cajon) – The City of El Cajon receives approximately $1 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds and $420,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Funds each year for housing and community development projects. The City invites the public to have input in how the City programs this money over the next five years.
November 18, 2013 (Washington D.C.) -- A battle is brewing in the U.S. Senate over a proposal aimed at protecting women in the military from sexual assault.
According to the Defense Department, REPORTS of sexual assaults shot up 46 percent in the last budget year, with 3,353 complaints filed from October through June.
But Senator Kirsten Gillebrand points out that an anonymous survey of military personnel conducted by the Pentagon found that the 26,000 said they were sexually assaulted last year. Senator Gillebrand says most sexual assaults were not reported because victims didn’t trust the chain of command or feared retaliation. So she is proposing to strip commanders of authority to prosecute cases of sexual assault, instead handing off these cases to experienced military lawyers outside the chain of command.
November 17, 2013 (Ramona) – A Ramona resident and a transient have been arrested for the attempted murder of a San Diego Police officer in Poway last night after shots were fired during a traffic stop.
“Your source for Trusts, Wills, Probate, Family Law & more”
By Stephen C. Ross, Esq.
November 17, 2013 (San Diego County) – The California Probate Code provides three summary procedures that may be used to avoid formal probate when transferring property in small estates. Summary procedures are most beneficial when the estate value is small, the number of successors to decedent’s assets is minimal, there will not be any adverse tax consequences, the decedent had few or no debts or liabilities and entitlement to the property is not disputed. Compared to formal probate administration, summary administration usually reduces the time and expense required to transfer property to the persons entitled to it. However, certain requirements must be met in order to use the summary procedures.
Critics cite pharmaceutical funding of organizations pushing new guidelines
November 17, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Many more American may soon be prescribed statin drugs to prevent heart disease. That’s due to new guidelines just released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology for use of cholesterol lowering drugs – specifically statins.
November 17, 2013 (San Diego) -- Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego) will convene the first hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Higher Education in San Diego County on Thursday, November 21 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The hearing will be held at the State Building, 1350 Front Street, Room B-109 in San Diego.
This informational hearing will examine the state of education within the San Diego region. Specifically, the hearing will focus on assessing student access, and exploring what educational opportunities exist within the region. One issue the Committee will explore is why residents have so few public higher education options although the County is the third most populated in the state.
November 14, 2013 – As international relief groups pour into the typhoon-ravaged Philippines, the Women’s Refugee Commission has issued an alert identifying ten crucial needs to protect the victims – including special needs of women and children.
Beyond such essentials as food and water, the WRC urges steps to prevent women and children from sexual violence or human trafficking and to provide medical care to minimize mortality among pregnant women and their babies. Other needs include providing education for displaced youths, economic opportunities for women, and help for the disabled.
November 17, 2013 (San Diego) – A malfunctioning drone has struck the U.S.S. Chancellorsville on Saturday night off the Southern California coast near Point Magu, the Navy announced.
Two sailors sustained minor burns. The guided missile cruiser ship will return to San Diego for an assessment of damages. The Navy did not reveal what type of drone went awry. However the Los Angeles Times reports it was a 13-foot-long drone with a six foot wingspan that slammed into the port side of the ship.
The accident heightens concerns among East County residents who have voiced alarm over a proposal to test drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over San Diego’s backcountry.
November 16, 2013 (Crest) -- In response to a community request, the San Miguel Fire District’s Board of Directors will hold a special meeting on Novemer 20, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. in the Crest Community Clubhouse, 113 North Park Drive in El Cajon.
To help brighten the holidays for families in need, the Salvation Army in El Cajon will be holding the 38th Annual East County Toy & Food Drive.
To apply for help, applications will be taken on Saturday, November 23rd and on Saturday, December 7th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Salvation Army offices, located at 1011 E. Main Street in El Cajon. Toys are for children ages 12 and under.
November 16, 2013 (El Cajon ) -- Saturday, November 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will be a day of food, crafts and entertainment for the whole family in El Cajon, where a craft fair will be held to support Rady Children’s Hospital. Activities include bounce houses, face painting, carnival games, a Kid Zone, an on-site DJ and live band.
The location is the 900 & 1000 block of Arnele Avenue, at Lexus El Cajon, Subaru El Cajon and Mazda El Cajon.
November 16, 2013 (El Cajon ) --The final car show for the season in El Cajon is the “Parade of Lights” on Wednesday, December 4.
Get in the spirit of the holidays and enjoy a parade of vehicles decorated for the season on downtown El Cajon’s Main Street from 5-8 p.m. You can also have a photo with Santa, enjoy holiday music and carolers.
November 18, 2013 (San Diego) –Union Bank N.A., joined KPBS to honor 18 inspirational individuals at the 16thAnnual Local Heroes celebration. The honorees were announced as part of the 2013 Local Heroes Program, which pays tribute to exemplary leaders who are making a difference and enriching the lives of others by improving their community, region and the world.
November 16, 2013 (La Mesa) – Paul Day, 49, of La Mesa has been arrested after leading La Mesa police on a pursuit that led through backyards and streets of La Mesa, ending after he reportedly rammed a police car and attempted to back the vehicle into two officers.
The wild chase in pursuit of the alleged prowler comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Courtruled that a La Mesa Police officer should not be held liable for an accidental injury to a homeowner that occurred during a hot pursuit of a suspect into the resident’s yard.
November 14, 2013 (San Diego) – Every time a stream of adjectives flows into my mind when describing Blue Is the Warmest Color, “unique” invariably pops up. That assessment, however, is wrong. It’s unique only in the sense that the lovers are of the same sex. Nobody would say so if the characters were a boy and a girl. Adèle and Emma love each other, make love to each other, live with each other, and eventually break up with each other. Just as a normal heterosexual couple would. In that sense, and as a result of over a century of movie conditioning, it would be viewed as a “normal” relationship.
To hear our exclusive interview with Sycuan Chairman Daniel Tucker, click here.
By Miriam Raftery
November 14, 2013 (El Cajon ) – History books in California schools teach a view of our past that focuses on Spanish missionaries , conquistadors and other Europeans while omitting the Kumeyaay Native American people who had lived here for thousands of generations before the first settlers came. A new documentary produced by the Sycuan band of the Kumeyaay nation aims to change that.
Our People, Our Culture, Our History premiered this week and will be distributed to local schools. The film reveals a side of San Diego history that most area residents have never been taught—the exploitation and near extermination of the Kumeyaay people. This powerful film also documents a triumph of the human spirit, detailing the Sycuan band’s struggle to survive and thrive as a new generation rediscovers a heritage nearly lost.
November 14, 2013 (San Diego) – Four bodies have been found buried in shallow graves in the desert at Victorville ; Missing Persons of America reports that a family member has confirmed that two of the bodies have been confirmed to be Joey and Summer McStay. Two other bodies discovered have not yet been identified, but may be those of their young children, Joseph and Gianni.
The Fallbrook family vanished in February 2010, prompting an intensive search and national media coverage.
“The news has hit me hard. I wondered for three years where they went, but I never ever thought anything like this,” said Jerrie Dean, founder of Missing Persons of America and host of the “Missing” segment on East County Magazine’s radio show.
![](/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/2013/November/254.jpg ""Say Goodbye Garibaldi" by Debbie Beals")
Photo by Melissa Jacobs
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