May 18, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A border fire in Jewell Valley that has been burning for several days is now 100% contained.However a new fire erupted this afternoon on Marron Valley Road near Dulzura.The new fire, known as Border Fire #7, is now 70% contained and its spread has been stopped, according to Cal-Fire.
Border Fire #7 has burned about 25 acres in the U.S. and 15 in Mexico.The Incident Commander has released three fire crews and all air-tankers assigned.
May 18, 2012 (Lakeside) – The 3rd annual Lakeside Relay for Life will be held June 9-10. This is a 24 hour, free family fun event open to the public to raise funds and awareness for The American Cancer Society while having a great time together.
Teams of people camp out and take turns walking or running around the track. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event, which represents the reality that cancer never sleeps and neither do we. By participating, you honor cancer survivors, pay tribute to the lives we've lost to the disease, and raise money to help fight cancer in your community.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- Nine candidates are in the running for the redrawn 52nd Congressional district seat currently held by Republican Brian Bilbray. Eight of them answered a detailed questionnaire provided by the Pomerado News--all but Bilbray himself, who failed to respond to questions.
May 18, 2012 (Santee)--In the heart of Santee, on a small corner of land, some inspiring things are happening — week after week, the whole year ‘round:
May 18, 2012 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon Recreation Department will once again be offering week-long summer camps that begin June 18th. To see the variety of camps that will be offered go to the website at http://www.elcajonrec.org. Whether you’re looking for indoor soccer, gymnastics, aquatics, fun in the sun, or any other camps. Register online or by mail starting May 29th. If you prefer to register in person, walk-in registration begins June 4th at any of the recreation centers during operational hours. Many of our camps will sell out, so register early! For more information, call (619) 441-1516.
May 18,2012 (La Mesa ) -- What is bullying?Why does it happen?Has it happened to you?What can be done about it?Who can help – and how? These are the questions the young people of the United Church of Christ of La Mesa (UCCLM) have been brainstorming on Sunday mornings, questions which sprang from class assignments, observation, personal encounter and the recognition that different school districts approach the problem differently – some aggressively, some only in response to specific incidents.
May 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- San Diegans Richard Lederer and Caroline McCullagh are the proud parents of a bouncing baby book, American Trivia: What We All Should Know About U.S. History, Culture & Geography (Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2012). Over a span of a year, the co-authors will share with you their journey through American history. You can order inscribed and signed copies of the book by writing to richard.lederer@pobox.com.
Update May 18, 2012 (3:15 p.m.) -- San Diego County (Engineer Springs)| Major Brush Fire South end Marron Valley Rd.|Fire now 20+ acres on US side. Large resource required helicopters, 2 type 3 striketeams, and water tenders.
Update May 18, 2012 (8 a.m.) -- The fire is now 60% contained at 150 acres on the U.S. side, with full contained expected by tonight and full control by tomorrow night, according to Cal-Fire's Roxanne Provaznik.
Currently there are 20 engines, 8 fire crews, 4 water tenders, 1 air tanker, and 4 helicopters assigned to fight the fire.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- San Diego County's Planning Commission will consider several major issues on its Friday agenda, including the Tule Wind Energy major use permit for McCain Valley, as well as the related General Plan Amendment and Zoning Reclassification for the Mountain Empire and Boulevard subregional plan areas.
Planners will also hear staff responses to concerns raised by planners in last week's Wind Energy Ordinance Amendments workshop. The meeting beginas at 9 a.m. at 5201 Ruffing Rd., Suite B in San Diego.
May 17, 2012 (La Mesa) – Zane Holloway, 18, has been arrested for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon after injuring a Walmart employee with a knife. La Mesa Police Department received a radio call at 3:45 p.m. yesterday of a robbery that occurred at Walmart in Grossmont Center Employees reported a male suspect attempted to leave Walmart without paying for merchandise.
May 17, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
WORLD
Forty-nine headless corpses found in Mexico (Reuters)
Merkel’s conservative party routed in Germany (Reuters)
May 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- The spread of a 600-acre fire that has burned over 15 acres on the U.S. side of the border in the Jewel Valley area has been stopped, CAL-FIRE reports.
“There is extensive mop up on this portion of the incident, and crews will be committed well into the night,” said Roxanne Provaznik with CAL-FIRE. “The fire is still spreading eastward in Mexico. We will continue to monitor the fire activity in Mexico to determine any threat.”
There is one minor heat-related injury to a firefighter.
May 17, 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
Mother Goose Parade celebrity bookings probed (UT San Diego)
Shedding light on UT San Diego: Editor’s partisan comments to Nathan Fletcher open daily paper to scrutiny (CityBeat)
County budget to decrease by 2% (La Mesa Patch)
Construction expected soon at Sempra’s Baja wind farm (San Diego Business Journal)
How to prepare for the big eclipse on May 20 (UT San Diego)
STATE
Gov. Jerry Brown: State budget now $16 billion (Sacramento Bee)
Human trafficking measure qualifies for ballot (Sacramento Bee)
Scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) – With Nathan Fletcher leaving the Assembly to run for Mayor, the race is on till fill the open seat.DemocratRuben “R. J.” Hernandez is among four candidates seeking to represent the newly redistricted 77th, which include inland communities such as Tierrasanta, Scripps Ranch, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo and as well as areas as far west as Del Mar Heights.
May 17, 2012 (Lakeside)--The Lakeside Chamber of Commerce is once again sponsoring the Harry J. Spence ‘Citizen of the Year’ Award. This annual award is given to a man or woman in the community who has been an outstanding contributor to the community.
Report: Janitors’ low wages a blotch on biotech's shining reputation
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- Janitors who clean the offices and laboratories of San Diego's highly profitable biotech companies generally aren't paid enough to live on, while their low wages are excluded from the industry's claims of creating good jobs.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--One of the most important services the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce offers to the entire business community is our ongoing advocacy, including ballot initiatives and legislative issues. We are proud to serve as the voice of the business community in East County, and take that responsibility seriously.
East County Chamber opposes Prop 29, which would increase taxes on cigarettes
EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
May 17, 2012 (Escondido) -- Dear EarthTalk: I understand there is an effort underway to allow all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorbikes, motorboats and other motorized vehicles into wilderness areas, which would overturn a long-standing ban. What’s behind this? -- Harry Schilling, Tempe, AZ
Update 1:20 p.m. - The fire has burned 15-20 acres on the U.S. side of the border, Incident Page Network and Cal-Fire report. Additional strike forces teams were ordered however Cal-Fire Roxanne Provaznik now states that good progress is being made on the fire and that two of four air tankers have been released.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--CAL FIRE/San Diego Fire Authority is on the scene of a brush fire along the U.S./Mexico border. The fire in Mexico is approximately 600 acres and has just crossed into the U.S.
May 17, 2012 (Flinn Springs) – The Strings of Spring Music Festival is being held at Summers Past Farms, 15602 Olde Hwy 80, Flinn Springs on May 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Bring lawn chairs and blankets. The event benefits the Challenge Center which provides physical therapy and assisted fitness services for the disabled.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- Nine candidates are in the running for the redrawn 52nd Congressional district seat currently held by Republican Brian Bilbray. Eight of them answered a detailed questionnaire provided by the Pomerado News--all but Bilbray himself, who failed to respond to questions.
“The radiation caused by the failure of the spent fuel pools in the event of another earthquake could reach the West Coast within days. That absolutely makes the safe containment and protection of this spent fuel a security issue for the United States.”—Senator Ron Wyden
May 17, 2012 (San Diego)—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden recently visited Japan and issued a warning thatthe U.S. faces a national security risk from spent fuel pools at Fukushima’s Unit 4. View an MSNBC interview with Wyden.
If another quake strikes the already exposed spent fuel--an event seismic experts say is likely to occur this year--experts including a Nobel Prize winner and a former U.N. ambassador now say that a cataclysmic disaster could occur threatening lives across the globe.
May 16, 2012 (San Diego) – On Friday at 2 p.m., a federal judge will consider a temporary restraining order motion filed by the Quechan Indian tribe seeking to halt construction at the Ocotillo Express wind facility site on federal land.
Despite discovery of six more cremation sites with what are believed to be human remains (12 sites total) that federal law requires be preserved, Pattern Energy is moving forward with heavy equipment, destroying vast acreage in the fragile Yuha desert near Ocotillo.
“This is nothing more than a public land grab for private profit. The BLM is literally giving this away to corporations…This may be out in the desert today, but tomorrow it could be in your backyard…Already over a dozen projects are proposed in San Diego and Imperial County.” – Robert Scheid, Viejas media relations
May 16, 2012 (La Jolla) – At a press conference yesterday outside the gleaming corporate towers occupied by Pattern Energy in La Jolla, a coalition of environmental groups, Native American tribes and outraged citizens urged President Barack Obama to stop fast-tracking of massive energy projects on public lands and halt construction at the Ocotillo Express wind facility immediately.
Heavy equipment has begun grading the site, ripping massive ocotillo cacti out by the roots, burying burrowing owl nesting sites and breaking hearts of the many people who love this desert land.
ECM contacted the White House to request an interview with President Obama. No response has been received.
May 16, 2012 (San Diego County) -- In the past week the Sheriff's Elder Abuse Unit has received information about two telephone scams which prey upon elderly residents of San Diego County. The first scam involved a suspect who claimed to be a 'relative' of an elderly woman whom he could not reach by phone.
May 16, 2012 (Blossom Valley) -- Coco the Teacup has a chocolate lab look, but I am sure is a Chihuahua mix at only 9 pounds, and is the perfect fun little dog. Coco has wonderful house manners, sleeps quietly in a crate, never shows aggression towards other dogs or kids..but most of all...he is the coolest little guy I have had the pleasure of exiting from the shelter!
May 16, 2012 (San Diego County) -- Drivers who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware. The 2012 start‐of‐summer Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization kicks off May 21st to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.
May 16, 2012 (San Diego) -- La Mesa resident Chuck McPherson took the First Place Award at the San Diego Watercolor Society's May Member Show. His painting, The Judge, is of a very special person in his life.
He explains: "Judge Earl Cantos was the patriarch of a wonderful family that "adopted" me a few years back. I'd been best friends with his daughter and her husband who invited me to the Judge's Kensington home one day as she needed to check on her Dad who was showing, at 88, the symptoms of Alzheimer's.
May 18, 2012 (Lakeside) – The 3rd annual Lakeside Relay for Life will be held June 9-10. This is a 24 hour, free family fun event open to the public to raise funds and awareness for The American Cancer Society while having a great time together.
May 17, 2012 (Flinn Springs) – The Strings of Spring Music Festival is being held at Summers Past Farms, 15602 Olde Hwy 80, Flinn Springs on May 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego)—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden recently visited Japan and issued a 
Recent comments