SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING PARTY

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TO DRENCH REGION OVER EASTER WEEKEND

GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL BOARD SLASHES STAFFING, OVER OBJECTIONS OF VOCAL CROWD

CONSUMER ALERT FOR SAFELY FILING YOUR TAXES

VIEW OUR INTERVIEW: LA MESA ACTIVISTS OBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL BANNING REMOTE PARTICIPATION

WINTER STORM WARNING

EASTER BRUNCH AND EGG HUNT MARCH 30 IN EL CAJON

RECENT FIRE DEATHS HEIGHTEN CALLS FOR FIRE PROTECTION BALLOT MEASURE IN SANTEE

BIA SAN DIEGO PARTNERS WITH WORKFORCECONNECT TO UTILIZE JOBS PLATFORM, WHILE ADDRESSING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WORKFORCE SHORTAGE

COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND TANYA TUCKER LIVE AT THE MAGNOLIA MAY 19

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK COMMUNITY NIGHT SLATED FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 4

184 GUNS TURNED IN AT SHERIFF’S LEMON GROVE GUN SAFETY EVENT

IT’S OFFICIAL: GROSSMONT COLLEGE HAS SET A NEW WORLD RECORD

 
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.

INTOUCH AT HOME APPOINTS STEVE SCHWEITZER DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH & CLIENT SERVICES

 
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.

 

EARTHTALK®: EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING, E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

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?                                        
                                                     -- Ashutosh Saxena, Allahabad, India

DREAM DOGS: LOOKING FOR FOREVER HOMES

 
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.

COUNTY PLANNERS APPROVE WIND ORDINANCE, OPEN GATES WIDE FOR INDUSTRIALIZATION OF EAST COUNTY

 

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.

UCLA RESEARCHERS CREATE HIGHLY TRANSPARENT SOLAR CELLS FOR WINDOWS THAT GENERATE ELECTRICITY

 
By Jennifer Marcus (UCLA Press Release)
 
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.

SMARTPHONE FITNESS HITS COUNTY PARKS

 

Bring Smartphone, Read QR Code, Work Out, Get Fit

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.

 

SIERRA CLUB FILES CLIMATE LAWSUIT: COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO MUST FACE FACTS AND KEEP PROMISES, GROUP SAYS

 

 
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.

 

MOTORIST STRIKES AIRPLANE THAT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING ON I-15



2nd plane to land on freeway in two days

 

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.

EARTHTALK®: E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
 
By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
 
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

ACCOUNTING TECH’S SUNNY OUTLOOK A MORALE-BOOSTER TO CO-WORKERS DURING GRAY DAYS OF STATE’S FINANCIAL CRISIS

 
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 vivre that lifts the spirits of all around her was lauded at this week’s Governing Board meeting with an award for worker excellence.

READER’S EDITORIAL: SHOCKWAVES-- MASTERS SHOULD BE FIRED IF INVESTIGATION PROVES J.P. MORGAN ENGAGED IN ENRON-STYLE POWER MARKET MANIPULATION

 
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.

NEW ONLINE RESOURCE FOR CALIFORNIA STUDENTS

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.

The web address is http://www.onlineschools.org/guides/california/.

PLANE MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING ON HIGHWAY 67

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Billy Ortiz

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.

BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY RECALLS POWER STRIPS DUE TO FIRE HAZARD

 
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.

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER: WATER SAFETY

 

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. 

VIP FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE FOR DIESEL TRUCK UPGRADES

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.

FRONT AND CENTER: SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS

 
By Rick Rogers
 
July 21, 2012 ( San Diego) -- With numbing regularity the Defense Department rolls out another report on heartbreakingly high rates of troop suicides. 
 
Lately the numbers grow worse just when you think they should turn better. The military counted 154 suicides in the first 155 days of the year.

“WHISPERS IN THE WIND” STORYTELLING JULY 22

July 21, 2012 (San Diego) – Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation presents the 2nd Annual “Whispers in the Wind” storytelling event on July 22 at 3:00 p.m. in the Visitor Center Theater, One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego.  The stories are a collection of time-honored Native American folklore and animal tales.

Two of San Diego County’s best storytellers; Mary Holma and Cynthia Griffin, will spin tales to create a sense of appreciation for nature and a people’s oral traditions celebrating it.

ADVOCATES TO UNVEIL PLANS FOR LEGAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEFENSE

County's sole legal medical marijuana dispensary to challenge U.S. Attorney for straight legal test of state law

El Cajon business to announce plans for defense of "legitimate medical marijuana operations"

July 20, 2012 (El Cajon) – Advocates, patients, and concerned citizens in support of the only state and county approved legal medical marijuana dispensary in California’s four-county southern border region announced plans to unveil strategy to defend one of the model medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation.

Representatives of Mother Earth’s Alternative Healing Cooperative said they would announce the plans and a specific challenge to U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy at the press conference on the steps of the U.S. federal court house in San Diego on Monday, July 23 at 11:00 a.m.

COLORADO THEATER MASSACRE DRAWS INTENSE LOCAL REACTIONS

Did a violent film trailer trigger shootings by San Diego man? Preview depicted an attack on a movie theater 

By Miriam Raftery

July 20, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Friends and neighbors reacted with shock at news that former San Diegan  James “Jimmy” Eagan Holmes, 24, is under arrest for the mass shooting earlyl this morning of 71 people in a Colorado movie theater. 

A night of fantasy turned deadly when Holmes allegedly burst into an Aurora, Colorado movie theater where a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” a Batman movie was playing.

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