July 2, 2012 (Otay Lakes) – Refugio Robert Medina, 30, of Bonita has been identified as the victim in a fatality accident that occurred June 29 at 10:50 p.m. on Otay Lakes Road south of Highway 94.
Medina was driving his red Chevy Suburban SUV at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a right-hand curve in the roadway, according to Officer Brian Pennings with the California Highway Patrol.
By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 2, 2012 (East County) -- Each year, especially during the early summer weeks around the Fourth of July, thousands of people are treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries. While some are minor, many of these injuries are serious, for example, resulting in burns or blindness. In 2008, seven deaths from fireworks-related injuries were reported; perhaps these could have been prevented.
July 4, 2012 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon will officially be turning 100 years old on Monday, November 12, 2012. In celebrating our mission statement, “Honoring and Celebrating the People Who Make El Cajon the Valley of Opportunity,” the City will be hanging colorful Centennial banners on light posts in El Cajon, depicting various historical moments during the past 100 years in El Cajon.
July 4, 2012 La Mesa resident Chris Sichel, president/CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego, has been elected treasurer of the San Diego Better Business Bureau’s 2012-2013 board of directors. Sichel has served on the BBB board since 2007.
July 2, 2012 (Santee) – Five office buildings on Riverview Parkway in Santee have been acquired by El Cajon-based San Diego Christian College, which plans to open a new campus in Santee.
July 1, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal-Fire has stopped the forward spread of a two-acre brush fire that started in the 14000 block of Otay Lakes Road near the Thousand Trails Campground at Pio Pico.
No structures were threatened by the blaze, which IPN reported at 2:18 p.m. Cal-Fire halted the forward spread of the slow-burning fire at 2:57 p.m.
July 1, 2012 (Tijuana) -– A great opportunity for models is coming up. Innovative fashion designers are looking for female models that can showcase the border region’s dynamic style. There will be a casting call on Saturday, July 7, in Tijuana. The selected models will star in an international fashion show on Oct. 14 during the conference called Tijuana Innovadora.
July 1, 2012 (Spring Valley ) -- Arren William Dangler, 29, has been arrested for the murder of Brian Hammett, 29. Hammett was found lying in a driveway with multiple wounds on June 15 around 12:30 a.m. in the 8600 block of Troy Street in Spring Valley. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died shortly before 2 a.m.
July 1, 2012 (Washington, D.C). —In 1960, manufacturing accounted for 28 percent of jobs in the United States. Today, manufacturing accounts for only 9 percent of jobs. “
This dramatic decrease has limited job opportunities for all Americans. Worse yet, with the globalization of manufactured goods, the U.S. consumer has become desensitized to the “Made In America” label,” Congressman Duncan Hunter said. To bring attention to the declining manufacturing sector and promote U.S.-made goods, representatives Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Hunter (R-CA) have introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate the first week of July as “Buy American Week.”
Group says “No to NAFTA on Steroids,” announces week of protest activities and international “people’s conference” this week in San Diego
“No to NAFTA on Steroids,” group says
July 1, 2012 (San Diego)--From June 30 to July 8, the secret, super-treaty negotiations known as the 13th Round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations are being held here in San Diego at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel. The Coalition to STOP TPP todayannounced a week ofrallies, a march, protests, and a week-long international community-based “People’s Conference: A Better World Is Possible.”
July 1, 2012 (Otay Ranch) -- SANDAG implemented across-the-board toll reductions for the South Bay Expressway (State Route 125 toll road) today and marked the historic occasion by hosting a free community celebration at the Otay Ranch Town Center.
Dignitaries at the event included SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks, Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox, and County Supervisor Greg Cox.
July 1, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) -- A special study (pdf) conducted by CPSC staff found that 65 percent of all fireworks injuries in 2011 were sustained during the 30 days surrounding the Independence Day holiday. More than half of these injuries were the result of unexpected ignition of the device or consumers not using fireworks as intended.
Fireworks injuries most often resulted in burns to the hands and head, including the eyes, face, and ears. According to the special study, sparklers, firecrackers, and aerial devices were associated with the most incidents.
July 1, 2012 (Washington, D.C.)—Federal wildlife agencies are suppressing information about wind energy projects’ negative impacts on America’s wildlife, claims a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit American Bird Conservancy (ABC) June 26 in Washington D.C. District Court.
"It’s ridiculous that Americans have to sue in order to find out what their government is saying to wind companies about our wildlife—a public trust,” said Kelly Fuller, Wind Campaign Coordinator for ABC. “ABC is concerned that many of these projects have the potential to take a devastating toll on songbirds, majestic eagles, and threatened and endangered species,” she added.
July 4, 2012 (San Diego) -- Gam3rCon, the first local event dedicated to celebrating the world of video games and interactive entertainment, returns July 11-15 with even more to offer than it had in its first two years. In addition to the video gaming lounge, with tournament play of the most popular games; the Retrocade featuring old-school Atari, Sega, and other early systems; and the table-top gaming lounge; there will also be rooftop parties and live theater. The event runs concurrent with Comic-Con International offering an additional venue for geek fun for those who couldn’t get tickets to Comic-Con, or just want to focus on gaming.
“She had an attitude of gratitude,” La Mesa resident Ethel Rudolph says of her mother, Titanic survivor Anna Sofia Turja
By Ellinoa Blake
July 1, 2012 (La Mesa)--In the heart of La Mesa lives a hidden historical gem: Ethel Rudolph, whose mother, Anna Sofia Turja survived the Titanic tragedy. In her cozy home, Ethel sat down with East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery and I to share her mother’s moving tale.
In honor of this year’s 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking after striking an iceberg, Rudolph recently visited Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum, which runs through September 9.
She reflected, “It brought back a lot of nostalgia, things Mother had said.”
Scroll down to read her dramatic story, including a video interview describing an eyewitness account of one of history's greatest tragedies.
June 30, 2012 (La Mesa) --La Mesa Police along with the Sheriff's helicopter and K9 officers are looking for a “dangerous person” in the area of Culowee and Clearview tonight. The suspect may be armed, Incident Page Network states.
He is a white male wearing a black hat and black shirt. Please call 911 if you see him.
From drumming to mummy making, a treasure-trove of learning
June 29, 2012 (El Cajon) – Cuyamaca College is offering College for Kids July 9 – August 9 at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon.It is a summer enrichment program for children between the ages of 8-14 that will teach new and meaningful skills through participation in classes such as art, dance fitness, science, media and more.
June 30, 2012 (Lakeside) – Tumbleweed Riding Club will be having a Used Tack Sale on July 7 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Club, 13315 Willow Road, Lakeside.The gates will open at 7:30 a.m. for sellers to set up.
The cost is $5 per seller and is free to buyers.Sellers must bring their own tables, chairs, racks, tarps, etc.
June 29, 2012 (El Cajon )--Three cheers to the El Cajon City Council for its recent decision to give backyard hen keeping a try. El Cajon residents spoke and the city listened. The fight to keep backyard chickens began in 2004, when the people of Madison, Wisconsin took on the city for the right to legally keep hens.
So what’s the big deal? Why are so many people keen on backyard hen keeping? Aside from the superior eggs, natural pest control and nitrogen rich fertilizer, people keep backyard poultry for three main reasons: economics, property rights and food security.
June 30, 2012 (Lakeside)--In July of 2011, the Lakeside Fire District initiated an age-50-and-over volunteer program where selected district residents assist firefighters and district staffers with those functions specific to logistics. The Logistics Section performs functions that support operations personnel (firefighters) with supply chain management, transportation of equipment and personnel, and many other logistics functions such as incident support.
Bellus Graduate and Artistic Director Take Top Honors at RAW Competition
June 30, 2012 (Poway) -- Bellus Academy alumnae Kristin Bacaycay and artistic director Diego Raviglione took home top honors at the nationally-broadcast Behind the Chair RAW Competition on June 3 in Orlando, Florida, beating out six other teams to take first prize. The competition, which served to single out talented beauty professionals under the age of 30, featured Bacaycay as a stylist and Raviglione as a mentor for the Proctor & Gamble-sponsored Team ICAN.
In honor of Harold Hilliker Farm Day at Lakeside Middle School, videographer Billy Ortiz created a video documentary tour of local agricultural sites
Story, photos and video by Billy Ortiz
June 30, 2012 (Lakeside)-- Lakeside Middle School held its first annual Harold Hilliker Farm Day on May 30.It was a day full of information on agriculture, highlighting several Lakeside farms for the 6th and 7th graders.
View a special video tour of local farms in Lakeside created for the Lakeside Historical Society by clicking this link.
In addition, view a presentation at Lakeside Middle School by freelance videographer Billy Ortiz here.
June 30, 2012 (El Cajon) – Residentsat the Villa Embasador Inn, a residential motel on East Main Street in El Cajon, tried valiantly to save the life of a disabled woman found floating face down in a spa last night, but were unable to revive her.The victim’s wheelchair was nearby.
June 29, 2012 (San Diego) – The Society of Professional Journalists' San Diego chapter has awarded East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery the James Julian Memorial Award for best community service series.Raftery received the honor, along with a $100 prize, for her series titled FEMA refund demand sparks firestorm of controversy.
The series also won an honorable mention in daily news reporting. In addition, Raftery won a second place award for environmental reporting for an East County Magazine article titled County issues draft wind ordinance; backcountry leaders level harsh criticism.
June 29, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- Deputies from the Santee Community Policing and Problem Solving Unit (C.O.P.P.S.), Santee Detectives, and Officers from the San Diego Probation Department conducted "Operation Overwatch" in Santee, Lakeside, and Unincorporated El Cajon at 6 a.m. on June 27.The purpose was to conduct compliance checks on subjects who were released early from custody under Assembly Bill 109, also known as the "Public Safety Realignment Act."
Dear EarthTalk: Who are the “Clean Air Ambassadors” and what are they trying to accomplish?
-- Brenda Coughlin, Pittsburgh, PA
June 29, 2012 -- Clean Air Ambassadors are everyday folks from across the U.S. who have committed to speaking up for everyone’s right to breathe clean, healthy air. The effort is part of the “50 States United for Healthy Air” campaign, a joint endeavor of Earthjustice, the American Nurses Association, the Hip Hop Caucus, the National Council of Churches and Physicians for Social Responsibility. In the spring of 2011 these Ambassadors—people from all 50 states and every walk of life—convened in Washington, D.C. to ask members of Congress, leaders at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and high-ranking officials in the Obama administration for stronger protections against air pollution.
June 29, 2012 (San Diego)--Your Independence Day celebration can be ruined if fireworks injure one of your family or friends. Cal Fire reminds everyone that all fireworks are illegal throughout San Diego County. Their use, transportation or possession could result in a fine or jail. Cal Fire also advises anyone causing a fire with fireworks would be responsible for the damages.
June 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a small study reported in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
July 1, 2012 (Washington, D.C). —In 1960, manufacturing accounted for 28 percent of jobs in the United States. Today, manufacturing accounts for only 9 percent of jobs. “
From drumming to mummy making, a treasure-trove of learning 
June 30, 2012 (Lakeside) – Tumbleweed Riding Club will be having a Used Tack Sale on July 7 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Club, 13315 Willow Road, Lakeside.
June 29, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- Deputies from the Santee Community Policing and Problem Solving Unit (C.O.P.P.S.), Santee Detectives, and Officers from the San Diego Probation Department conducted "Operation Overwatch" in Santee, Lakeside, and Unincorporated El Cajon at 6 a.m. on June 27.
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