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 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.
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.
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.
July 20, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A 1,500 fire burning in Mexico is putting up a lot of smoke visible across East County, but poses no current threat to the U.S., Cal-Fire spokesman Mike Mohler told ECM.
The fire is currently burning southwest of Otay Mountain.It did cross briefly into the U.S. late today, burning approximately one acre in a creek bed.“We have one engine out there keeping an eye on it,” Mohler added.
“My vision is to gracefully transform the San Diego/Tijuana Regional economy, now 98% dependent on imported energy and 90% dependent on imported water and food -- into an economy that is prosperous and completely renewable, energy, water and food self-sufficient. Accomplishing this is our best chance to leave our children and future generations a life-support sustaining future. Becoming renewable energy, water and food self-sufficient in our region will also serve as a model that can be emulated around the world.” –Jim Bell.
July 20, 2012 (San Diego) -- We humans are something special and rare.
In spite of there being an estimated 5 million to 100 million species of life on our planet -- our species is the only one that lives and makes a living in ways that hurt our local and global life-support systems.
During this test event, customers are encouraged to save energy to earn a
bill credit on next month’s bill
July 20, 2012 (San Diego County) -- Today, SDG&E will call the first, system-wide Reduce Your Use event to test its notification systems and processes.
July 20, 2012 (Mount Laguna) -- The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has issued a Boil Water Order and Public Notification for the Mount Laguna Recreation Area water system located on Sunrise Highway, Mt. Laguna, CA 91948 effective immediately. The water system serves a campground, visitor center and fire station.
July 20, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Iberdrola Renewables wants to build an industrial wind turbine facility on 15,000 acres in East County’s McCain Valley.
What happens if neighbors complain of noise?
In Fairfield, New York, weary residents asked town officials to measure noise levels at Iberdrola’s Hardscrabble wind facility.The results found levels above the legal limit of 50 decibels. But instead of reducing the noise, Iberdrola gave noise generating machines to residents in hopes of drowning out the whooshing and whirling turbine sounds. Note: The machine is set at the lowest setting in this audio link.
July 19, 2012 (San Diego) – San Diego Police asks public help to locate Brent MacNab, who was last seen on July 15, 2012, in the area of 12000 Tivoli Park Row, San Diego (Carmel Mountain).
He is listed as a faculty member at the University of Sydney, Australia School of Business. He obtained a PhD from the University of Hawaii in 2004 and has a decade of experience working with Volkswagen of America, Inc., BankAmerica Corp., and AT&T as well as in corporate consultation.
MacNab is 43 years old, 6’0”, 165 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.He was driving a silver/black 2012 Jeep Wrangler with California license 6VHC214.It is a rental vehicle.
July 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Ford Motor Company today announced a voluntary recall of 2013 model year Ford Escape vehicles equipped with the 1.6-liter engine built through July 11, 2012. Ford estimates that there have been approximately 11,500 of these vehicles distributed for sale in North America, with most in the U.S.
Ford is voluntarily recalling the vehicles to replace an engine compartment fuel line, which could split and leak fuel, potentially resulting in an underhood fire. Three fires have occurred, including two by Ford employees testing vehicles. No injuries have been reported.
July 19, 2012 (San Diego) – Tomorrow at 9 a.m., San Diego County's Planning Commission will decide whether to approve a wind ordinance that would enable construction of numerous wind energy projects in our region's mountains, rural and desert communities.
Why, then, did San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency just issue a public health position statement that amounts to a whitewash of serious health problems linked to wind turbines around the world?
July 19, 2012 (San Diego)--The San Diego Planning Commission voted not to green light the East Elliot Community Plan Amendment that would have allowed Cogentrix Energy LLC to go forward with the Quail Brush natural gas-fired power plant near Mission Trails Regional Park.
The City Council now has the opportunity to weigh in on the controversial project, which has generated near-unanimous community opposition.
July 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – After forensic dog teams identified dozens of potential ancient human remain sites at energy projects on Bureau of Land Management property in Ocotillo and McCain Valley, as ECM reported this week, ECM asked the BLM what steps it intends to take to assure that any Native American remains are protected.
Two officials from the BLM have responded to our inquiry.
Take these steps to restore Brown Act protections at state and local levels
By Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine
July 18, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Criticism is mounting over the state’s suspension of Brown Act protections, which have long required local government boards to provide at least 72 hours public notice of meeting agendas.
July 20, 2012 (El Cajon) –Three decades ago, Leo Hamel of Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers opened his first jewelry store on El Cajon Boulevard. Now the successful businessman has returned to his historic roots, opening his eighthstore, Leo Hamel Jewelry Buyers Office, in downtown El Cajon.
"Diamonds were once considered to be a girl's best friend, but now men and women alike are flocking to the precious stone," says Hamel. "The hardest stone in the world is now more rare than ever, which makes it even more of a luxury accessory and a solid investment."
July 15, 2012 (Ramona) -- Here’s a juicy story: the Oasis Camel Dairy will host its second annual Watermelon Days on July 21 & 22 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at 26757 Old Julian Hwy in Ramona.Festivities include feeding watermelon to the camels, camel rides, an exotic bird show featuring talking and singing parrots and tours of the camel dairy.
July 19, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:
LOCAL
Special report: water supplies pass tipping point (UT San Diego)
Ramona’s original horses come home (Ramona Patch)
San Diego County’s wildlife killers (Voice of San Diego)
Heartland Fire Chief steps down (La Mesa Today)
Unclaimed funds being held by county (10 News)
15-year-old Santee driver in fatal SR 52 crash sentenced to one year
A costly, cranky day for La Mesa (La Mesa Today)
La Mesa’s $1.9 million payment to state could be cut in half, says city manager (La Mesa Patch)
STATE
California Health Exchange seeks to make buying insurance a breeze (Sacramento Bee)
Lawmakers seek state parks investigation (Sacramento Bee)
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) -- 
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.
El Cajon business to announce plans for defense of "legitimate medical marijuana operations"
By Miriam Raftery
A Jim Bell & Common Sense Commentary
July 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) 
Story and photos by Nadin Abbott
o’s East County) – Criticism is mounting over the state’s suspension of Brown Act protections, which have long required local government boards to provide at least 72 hours public notice of meeting agendas.
July 15, 2012 (Ramona) -- Here’s a juicy story: the Oasis Camel Dairy will host 
Recent comments