September 24, 2012 (Washington D.C.)-- Did you know that if you live in a certain town or view certain websites, or if you use a Mac instead of a PC, you could be paying more when you shop online? Most consumers are unaware that Internet companies are now adopting a practice known as “dynamic pricing.” Without their knowledge they are using consumers’ personal information - including browser history or IP address– to alter the price of the products.
September 24, 2012 (San Diego) – On one of my many college days spent in the South Wing of Cal State, Fullerton's Pollak library, I came across Timothy Leary's book The Politics of Ecstasy. It was a fascinating read unlike any nonfiction I previously encountered before then. It was a collection of the disgraced Harvard professor’s essays and lectures on the psychedelic drug LSD. In the chunk that I read, he defends the drug, and cites research and studies that he claims demonstrate its benefits on its people’s minds, lifestyle, and ways of thinking. He argues that as long as you know what you’re doing, or better yet, if you have a “guided trip” with someone experienced in LSD use, it’s not only safe, but beneficial.
September 24, 2012 (San Diego) – Last year’s Moneyball was a smart baseball movie, a behind-the-scenes look at the world of front office politics. While slightly laid back and relaxed, everybody meant business. Not too serious, but plenty of drama. What happens when you fuse all that with Clint Eastwood-style wit and bit? You get something like Trouble with the Curve.
September 24, 2012 (San Diego)—Many survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers avoid routine medical care because it’s too expensive, despite the fact that most have health insurance, an article published today in CANCER, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society, reveals. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The results indicate that expanding insurance coverage for young cancer survivors may be insufficient to safeguard their long-term health without efforts to reduce their medical cost burdens.
September 24, 2012 (San Diego)--Who will replace Pam Slater Price, who is stepping down from the County Board of Supervisors? The new Supervisor could be a pivotal vote on major land use issues and much more.Tonight at 7 p.m., a debate will be held between Dave Roberts, a Democrat endorsed by Republican Slater-Price, and his opponent, Steve Danon.
September 24, 2012 (La Mesa) – Space Bar Internet Café hosts an Open Mic night on the fourth Thursday each month from 7:30-10 p.m. at 7454 University Avenue, La Mesa.
This week, poet Kate Harding, a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, will join host Jim Moreno. Her first collection of poetry, "Santa Monica Disposal and Salvage," has earned praise from Steve Kowit, Marge Piercy and Diane Wakoski. Writing under the pen name Penny Perry and as Kate Harding, her poems have appeared in numerous magazines, including Poetry International, Earth's Daughters, Spillway, and the San Diego Poetry Annual. Kate is the fiction editor for the new on-line Knot Journal. She was a fellow at the American Film Institute and her movie, "A Berkeley Christmas" aired on PBS.
September 24, 2012 (Alpine)--The California State Bird is the California Valley Quail. Over the past two seasons, I have had the pleasure of having a covey of California Quail living in my back yard!
My last count, as of yesterday, is nine quail living in my back yard. I remember seeing the new little chicks around the end of April. The chicks are now as big as the adults are, however, you can still tell the juveniles from the adults by the size of the plumes on the top of their heads as well as the markings and feathers that are not as deep and striking as the adults’ markings.
September 24, 2012 (Sacramento)--Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday, September 21 signed into law three bills by Assemblymember Marty Block (AD-78) aimed at assisting military families and returning veterans.
“I’m thrilled that the governor approved my bills – AB 1904, AB 2202 and AB 2462. They will help California repay the tremendous debt we owe our veterans,” Block said.
County, Cal Fire, City, SDG&E and UCSD Share Technologies to Enhance Fire Safety
September 24, 2012 (San Diego)_ – Innovative emergency response equipment and technology were showcased on Wednesday, September 18 when San Diego regional leaders gathered at Montgomery Field airport to promote cooperative disaster response efforts among government, university and private sector agencies.
September 24, 2012 (Valley Center) – Collin Barnes, a 21-year-old college student and church preschool teacher who lived with his parents in Valley Center, told his parents he was going for a run up Flat Top Mountain near their home to photograph the sunset on September 13. When he failed to return, his family called the Sheriff’s Department.
September 24, 2012 (Ramona) – A man, 34, was shot and killed in Ramona on September 16 at 3 p.m. following an altercation with a homeowner and the homeowner’s son in the 1300 block of Walnut Street.
According to Lt. Glenn Giannantonio with the Sheriff’s Homicide Detail, the victim was unknown to the homeowner. “The man got into an argument with the homeowner and the two started fighting. The homeowner's adult son also got involved in the altercation. The homeowner's son retrieved a gun from the residence and the man was ordered to leave at gunpoint. There was a struggle over the gun and the man was shot by the homeowner.”
September 24, 2012 (San Diego)—La Mesa resident Norrie Robbins, PhD helped organize a San Diego rally yesterday in support of Proposition 37, a ballot measure that if passed will require labeling of genetically modified foods.
September 24, 2012 (San Diego)--My trusted veteran sources tell me that we may soon know if Veterans for Common Sense v. Eric K. Shinseki, the historic lawsuit filed by veterans advocates against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) way back in 2007, will be heard by the Supreme Court.
Block’s AB1731 requires lifesaving testing of newborns for heart disease
September 17, 2012 (San Diego)--Little Caleb Peltier celebrated his second birthday today at the Balboa Park playground with his parents, his brother and some new friends who all celebrated the fulfillment of the one birthday wish they all had for the toddler who has experienced more familiarity with hospitals, surgeries, and emergency rooms than many adults.
BLM Begins Rio Mesa Project EIS Process to Strong Opposition Over Desert Solar Siting
Story and photo by Robert Lundahl
September 17, 2012 (Blythe, California)--The Bureau of Land Management scoping meeting for the Rio Mesa Solar Plant outside Blythe, California likely caused heartburn for the BLM, applicant Brightsource, and related subcontractors and agencies last Thursday.
September 24, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire reports this morning that an estimated 20 homes have been destroyed and another 10 damaged, along with approximately 15 outbuildings. The fire is now 2,000 acres and 10% contained.
Homes lost are all in the Tierra del Sol area, Mike Mohler of Cal Fire told ECM. “We’re going to go out right now to compile a list of the addresses,” he said when asked for details on locations of residences that burned.
“Tierra del Sol and Jewel Valley remain evacuated and are still threatened,” Roxanne Provaznik of Cal Fire said in a release issued at 6:50 am. Highway 94 is closed between the Shockey Truck Trail east to Jewel Valley.
September 23, 2012 (Campo)-- On arrival at the Golden Acorn Casino, a plume of smoke rose in the distance.The wildfire, named Shockey Fire by CAL-Fire, was making swift progress east towards Jacumba. Some residents forced to evacuate were looking on, concern etched on their faces, as the thick billows rose into the sky.
Update 12:10 a.m. September 24 -- Due to the wildfires, all schools in the Mountain Empire Unified School District will be closed on Monday Sept. 24.
Update 11:45 p.m. – The Shockey Fire has swelled to 2,000 acres and is 10% contained, Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Mike Mohler advises. Evacuation advisory for Jacumba; structure threat and evacuations continue for Boulevard and Tierra del Sol communities. Numerous structures are damaged or destroyed; Southwest power grid is also threatened.
September 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County)Update 5:10 p.m. - The Shockey Fire has topped 1,000 acres, IPN reports. Numerous outbuildings have burned, Cal Fire confirms. Scanner traffic now indicates that at least four homes have burned in the Tierra del Sol area.
SDG&E reports that the Shockey Fire has left 183 customers without power in Live Oak Springs, Boulevard and Jacumba. Powerlines have burned and some lines are down.
Jewel Valley is under mandatory evacuation orders following earlier evacuations of 77 homes in Tierra del Sol.
The Evacuation Center has been changed to Mountain Empire High School, 3305 Buckman Springs Road. If you need help evacuating large animals, call 619-767-2675 or 619-236-2341.
Please join us this evening to enjoy some cheer and help fund live reporting of wildfires and other hot news in East County! We now have THOUSANDS of dollars in great prizes!
Join us Wed. Sept. 26 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at El Cajon Brewing Co. for beer-tasting, great food, live music by Charlie Rae (she's opened for Sheryl Crow and other stars), tons of prizes, hot cars from Carrera Coachwerks and more during El Cajon's Classic Cruises' season finale.
First 100 guests get a $10 voucher for FREE FOOD OR BEER!
September 23, 2012 (Boulevard) – Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale has provided ECM with a dramatic eyewitness account of the Shockey Fire, which started on the Campo Reservation just west of her home in Boulevard. Power and phone lines have burned down, she reports, adding that the area has no cell phone reception.
“A Deputy showed up to warn us and recommended evacuation.We stayed and the fire raged through parts of our Morning Star Ranch and our son's property next door. Together we have over 300 acres--much now looks other worldly, stark and smoldering,” wrote Tisdale, who sent photos taken from her property.
September 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Help tell East County’s story through photos!
The Far East Project, a print/multimedia anthology and performance project, is comprised of personal narratives, interviews and histories from East County communities and residents. This living history project for our region is sponsored by San Diego Foundation Arts and Culture Foundation along with So Say We All.
You’re invited to submit photos that “capture the soul of East County” as you see it. Deadline for entries is Sunday, October 7, 2012.
September 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- A Cal Fire vehicle traveling east on Highway 94 at Forrest Gate, in the vicinity of the Shockey Truck Trail fire, has been struck by shots fired. The shots are believed to be from a pellet gun, a Cal Fire individual reported, scanner traffic indicates. The driver's side window was broken, but no one was injured.
September 23, 2012 (Del Mar)-- Democrats gathered on the off ramp of Ted Williams Parkway at Carmel Country Road, waving protest signs as Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s motorcade passed by yesterday.
Among the crowd of about 50 people were veterans, senior citizens and workers, a cross-section of the “47 percent” slammed by Romney in remarks caught on video released last week. In the video, recorded secretly at a fundraiser with wealthy donors, Romney denigrated the 47 percent of Americans who receive some form of government assistance (including Social Security retirees, the military, disabled and poor Americans) as well as those who pay no taxes.
September 23, 2012 (San Diego) -- For the first time ever, voters in our state can now register completely online -- no paper form needed. Californians whose current addresses match the address they have on file with the DMV can register (or reregister) at www.sandiegovotes.org.
Update September 23, 2012 -- The Sheriff has identified the victim as Dillon A. Davis, 20, of 4S Ranch.
By Miriam Raftery
September 20, 2012 (Jamul)—Firefighters summoned to extinguish a vehicle fully engulfed in flames in the 16200 block of Skyline Truck Trail in Jamul at 4 a.m. found the charred remains of a human body.
"We are treating this as a homicide. The position of the body was suspicious," Captain Duncan Fraser with the Sheriff's homicide detail told ECM. "The body was not behind the wheel." He added that there was no evidence of a vehicle accident and that "it appears to be a deliberately set fire."
Officials want to hear from any witnesses or individuals who have information, he added.
Update 1:40 p.m.: The Shockey Fire is now over 100 acres and spreading rapidly to the east, being driven by a southwest wind, Cal Fire’s Roxanne Provaznik reports. The Incident Commander has requested 5 additional engines, 4 additional airtankers, 2 additional water tenders, and 1 additional bulldozer. There are structures out ahead of the fire but they are not immediately threatened, per Cal Fire.
September 23, 2012 (San Diego)—Back in July, the state suspended the Ralph M. Brown Act. As a result, cash-strapped cities and counties no longer have to provide agendas to the public prior to meetings--opening the door for a return to backroom actions without public scrutiny. On July 24, Supervisors affirmed that they intended to continue following the Brown Act anyhow.
But just two weeks later, Supervisors announced resignation of Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard—and named a replacement in the same meeting, with zero public notice. San Diegans for Open Government, which has sued the County for prior Brown Act violations, sent a cure and correct letter to the County on August 14.
The County’s response? County Counsel Ellen Pilsecker fired back a letter stating that there’s “no legal basis” for a lawsuit because the Brown Act “no longer exists.” Clearly, voters can no longer count on open government in San Diego County--a fact confirmed by other recent troubling actions by Supervisors.
September 23, 2012 (Spring Valley)--"Bullying is tough on kids. It's tough for adults because no one teaches the grownups how to handle it!" says Scot Conway, Ph.D. "Very often, adults end up playing the bully's game. With every good intention in the world, adults end up giving power to the bully."
September 22, 2012 (San Diego) – A local organization is accusing Congressman Brian Bilbray of being a “slum lord.” The independent expenditure group, Much Better Choices, has filmed a video revealing numerous apparent building code violations. Fox 5 aired the video on Sept. 21.
The video shows old boats, gas cans, a trash-littered weedy lot, and a dilapidated trailer with a growth resembling mold or fungus around windows--all on an unfenced lot adjacent to a school. Neighbors confirm the allegations and have said that they hope to see fines levied and the mess cleaned up.
September 24, 2012 (Washington D.C.)-- Did you know that if you live in a certain town or view certain websites, or if you use a Mac instead of a PC, you could be paying more when you shop online? Most consumers are unaware that Internet companies are now adopting a practice known as “dynamic pricing.” Without their knowledge they are using consumers’ personal information - including browser history or IP address– to alter the price of the products.
By Brian Lafferty
By Brian Lafferty
September 24, 2012 (San Diego)—Many survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers avoid routine medical care because it’s too expensive, despite the fact that most have health insurance, an article published today in CANCER, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society, reveals. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The results indicate that expanding insurance coverage for young cancer survivors may be insufficient to safeguard their long-term health without efforts to reduce their medical cost burdens.
September 24, 2012 (La Mesa) – Space Bar Internet Café hosts an Open Mic night on the fourth Thursday each month from 7:30-10 p.m. at 7454 University Avenue, La Mesa.
By Greg Dunne
September 24, 2012 (Sacramento)--Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday, September 21 signed into law three bills by Assemblymember Marty Block (AD-78) aimed at assisting military families and returning veterans.
County, Cal Fire, City, SDG&E and UCSD Share Technologies to Enhance Fire Safety
September 24, 2012 (Valley Center) – Collin Barnes, a 21-year-old college student and church preschool teacher who lived with his parents in Valley Center, told his parents he was going for a run up Flat Top Mountain near their home to photograph the sunset on September 13. When he failed to return, his family called the Sheriff’s Department.
September 24, 2012 (Ramona) – A man, 34, was shot and killed in Ramona on September 16 at 3 p.m. following an altercation with a homeowner and the homeowner’s son in the 1300 block of Walnut Street.
By Nadin Abbott
By Jamie Reno
Block’s AB1731 requires lifesaving testing of newborns for heart disease
BLM Begins Rio Mesa Project EIS Process to Strong Opposition Over Desert Solar Siting
By Miriam Raftery
By Nadin Abbott
Update 12:10 a.m. September 24 -- Due to the wildfires, all schools in the Mountain Empire Unified School District will be closed on Monday Sept. 24.
September 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County)Update 5:10 p.m. - The Shockey Fire has topped 1,000 acres, IPN reports. Numerous outbuildings have burned, Cal Fire confirms. Scanner traffic now indicates that at least four homes have burned in the Tierra del Sol area.
Please join us this evening to enjoy some cheer and help fund live reporting of wildfires and other hot news in East County! We now have THOUSANDS of dollars in great prizes!
By Miriam Raftery
September 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Help tell East County’s story through photos! 
September 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- A Cal Fire vehicle traveling east on Highway 94 at Forrest Gate, in the vicinity of the Shockey Truck Trail fire, has been struck by shots fired. The shots are believed to be from a pellet gun, a Cal Fire individual reported, scanner traffic indicates. The driver's side window was broken, but no one was injured. 
By Nadin Abbott
September 23, 2012 (San Diego) -- For the first time ever, voters in our state can now register completely online -- no paper form needed. Californians whose current addresses match the address they have on file with the DMV can register (or reregister) at 
Update September 23, 2012 -- The Sheriff has identified the victim as Dillon A. Davis, 20, of 4S Ranch. 
By Miriam Raftery
September 23, 2012 (Spring Valley)--"Bullying is tough on kids. It's tough for adults because no one teaches the grownups how to handle it!" says Scot Conway, Ph.D. "Very often, adults end up playing the bully's game. With every good intention in the world, adults end up giving power to the bully."
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