January 2015 Articles

NEW LAW ALLOWS PATIENTS TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIALITY IN HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS

 

January 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- As the second wave of open enrollment into Covered California is in full swing, individuals covered under their parent or spouse's health plan can start feeling safe enough to actually use their insurance. SB 138 - the Confidential Health Information Act - took effect on January 1st to close loopholes in existing state and federal laws that result in breaches in patient confidentiality through Explanation of Benefits letters and other standard communications from health insurance plans.


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36 LOCAL VONS & ALBERTSONS STORES TO BE BOUGHT BY HAGGEN

 

Updated January 8, 2015 with more details from Haggen.

January 7, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Over two dozen Albertsons and Vons grocery stores in our region are being bought by Haggen Food & Pharmacy, a small grocery chain headquartered in Washington State and focused on healthy, natural and gourmet foods.


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HAVE A HEALTHY NEW YEAR

 

County News Service

January 6, 2015 (San Diego)--It’s the time of year when people make ambitious resolutions and many of them seem to focus on getting fit, losing weight or just living a more active lifestyle.


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FDA APPROVES TRIALS OF SAN DIEGO COMPANY'S EBOLA TREATMENT

 

By Chris Jennewein

Photo: Aethlon Medical’s Hemopurifier blood filtration system.

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association.

January 6, 2015 (San Diego)--San Diego-based Aethlon Medical Inc. announced Friday the Food and Drug Administration has approved a clinical protocol to treat Ebola-infected individuals in the United States with the Aethlon’s Hemopurifier blood filter.


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

January 6, 2015 (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/REGIONAL

STATE

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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SAFE SURRENDER LAW IS SAVING BABIES' LIVES

 

East County News Service

January 6, 2015 (San Diego) -- In an effort to protect newborn babies from being abandoned in unsafe places or facing an even worse fate, California has a Safe Surrender Law.  Parents can bring their infant, up to three days old, to any fire station or hospital in California, as well as other designated sites. Parents are protected against prosecution as long as the child has no signs of abuse.


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FREE TAX HELP FOR SENIORS AND LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS

 

East County News Service

January 5, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --The American Association of Retired Persons, is offering AARP Tax Aid, free tax preparation and online-filing of tax returns for seniors, low income residents and others in need in the East County Community.


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SAFEWAY SETTLES $9.9 MILLION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CASE

 

January 5, 2015 (San Diego)--Safeway Inc. will pay nearly $10 million to settle  charges that more than 500 of its California stores, including 64 in San Diego County, violated hazardous waste storage and disposal laws, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.


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DEPUTIES ASSAULTED

 

East County News Service

January 5, 2015 (Rancho San Diego)--A man who threatened the lives of Sheriff’s deputies and hurled metal objects at them is now under arrest.


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MILHOLLAND SOLAR AND ELECTRIC CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

 

 

East County News Service

January 5, 2015 (El Cajon)--Milholland Solar and Electric, the premier solar installation and electrical contractor in Southern California, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.


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THE ATTORNEY'S CORNER: STEPPARENT ADOPTION

 

“Articles Concerning Trusts, Wills, Probate, Family Law & more”

By: Stephen C. Ross, Esq.

January 4, 2015 (San Diego County) – A stepparent adoption is the process of terminating a biological parent’s parental rights and recognizing the step-parent as the child’s legal parent. A biological parent’s rights can be terminated by consent or court order.


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NASA LAUNCHES SATELLITE TO MEASURE SOIL MOISTURE


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STATES CRACKDOWN ON BUSINESSES EVADING SALES TAXES

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 4, 2015 (Sacramento) – Businesses that falsify records to cheat on the amount of sales tax they owe cost the state of California an estimated $214 million in 2010.  Many of them did so by using sales suppression software known as “zappers” to make sales appear lower, often by not reporting cash transactions.


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HOT HEARINGS IN EAST COUNTY THIS WEEK: LAKESIDE, BOULEVARD, COUNTY SUPERVISORS AND HELIX WATER BOARDS

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 4, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –Many hot agenda items are coming up before boards, commissions and councils across East County during this first week of the new year.


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CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY THEATER DELIVERS: TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS 2014

                                                                                                                                          

 

By Ariele Johannson

Photos Credit: Vittoria Allen

January 4, 2015 (San Diego)--Christian Community Theater of El Cajon delivered a charming and amazingly comprehensive Christmas experience to theatre enthusiasts performed this year at the Don Powell Theatre on the campus of San Diego State University from December 19th through 23rd, 2014, with the 21st Annual Traditions of Christmas, A Musical Spectacular. San Diego theater enthusiasts enjoyed an evening of holiday cheer in the form of musical theater, performed to a live band conducted by Ryan Beard. The entire show from beginning to end was an absolute delight for all ages.


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READERS & WRITERS CALENDAR: FROM JANUARY 4, 2015

 

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

Readers

January 5 (Monday, 7:30 pm) — Publishers Weekly’s review of Genesis Code by Jamie Metzel notes: “Metzl, a former member of the U.S. National Security Council, offers up a tense vision of the near future with this science fiction thriller…Metzl enhances it with a philosophical protagonist, scientific plausibility, and a keen sense of mood.” This futuristic thriller offers a frightening look at a new kind of superpower race—of humans. As women unknowingly impregnated with genetically enhanced embryos are murdered, Rich Azadian, a historically-burdened Armenian-American reporter for the Kansas City Star, begins the fight of his life, under growing danger, to try to figure out who is killing these women and why, and whether any others like them may still be alive.


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BILL TOONE'S ECOLIFE: WORKING TO SAVE NATIVE WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE

 

By Mimi Pollack

January 4, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)-- There are so many different subjects one could mention when writing about Bill Toone, such as California condors, monarch butterflies in Mexico, mountain gorillas in Uganda, Aquaponics, Patsari and Massai stoves, holistic conservation, guided trips to Mexico and Africa, yet in the end, they all tie in together.


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MEDITERRANEO BISTRO OWNERS HOST A FABULOUS FAMILY REUNION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo, top left:  Gil Frank and Melissa Medina

Photo, top right: Linda Frank Luz (center, in white) with her extended family

By Leon Thompson

January 4, 2015 (Alpine)--A very special holiday party and family reunion took place at the Mediterraneo Italian Bistro in Alpine on Saturday, December 20th.   

Linda Frank Luz is the mother of Gilbert Frank III, co-owner with Enzo Croce of Alpine’s popular upscale restaurant.  She’s the perfect hostess, welcoming and introducing friends and family from as far away as Portugal and Brazil. The Frank and Croce families have long colorful histories in San Diego, from humble fishermen to a fleet of tuna boats to bankers then hotels and restaurants. 

I felt honored to be there, invited as a longtime friend of the restaurant, chef and owners.  I was surrounded by warm and hospital people with movie-star good looks.


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DINING WITH YOUR DOG NOW LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 3, 2015 (Sacramento)—“I wish everyone bone-appetit,” quipped Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, author of a bill signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown that now makes it legal for restaurants to allow patrons to bring their dogs for dining on outdoor patios, effective January 1st of this year.


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WHOLE FOODS RECALLS CHEESES DUE TO HEALTH RISKS

 

East County News Service

January 3, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Whole Foods Market is voluntarily recalling Bleating Heart brand cheeses sold in California, Arizona and Hawaii.


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OUR NOVEMBER RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

January 2, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Our November radio shows are now online!  You can listen online now (note sound files may take a minute to load). For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics and interviews in November, click here and scroll down.

We covered many hot issues and spoke with fascinating newsmakers including: Kumeyaay elder and former Hot Shots firefighter Charlie Brown,  Gretchen Burns-Bergman from A New Path on drug sentencing changes,  Anne Hoiberg with the United Nations and  KNSJ president Marie Johnson on efforts to stop violence against women, Pastor Harold Brown from East County Transitional Living Center on his programs helping the homeless, Art Neill from New Media Rights on net neutrality, insurance broker Marilyn Lyons on Covered California and Medi-Cal options, Tyler Strauss from Outlier Collective on medical marijuana issues, former State Senator Nathan Fletcher on his Three Wise Men foundation to help veterans, Chaldean community leader Mark Arabo on local priests ordered to Iraq, Grossmont school board candidate Barbara Stevens, and Pastor Terry Masango from Salvation Army on the East County Toy and Food Drive. 

We also spoke with authors and artists including La Mesa Police Chief Dan Willis on his book, Bullet Proof Spirit, San Diego Jewish World editor Don Harrison on his new book, Schlepping Across the West: There’s a Jewish Story Everywhere, Author Paula Margulies on her novels from a Native American viewpoint, and Maestero Anthony Mostardo with the San Diego Festival and Chorus, airing Vivaldi's Gloria.

Audio: 


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COUNTY TO GIVE AWAY ABOUT 2,000 CHILD CAR SEATS

 

January 2, 2015 (San Diego)--If you are low-income and need a child car seat, the County has one for you.

A total of 1,944 child car seats will be distributed among low-income parents thanks to a $245,500 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The free seats will be given out through September 2015.


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FDA ISSUES POWDERED CAFFEINE WARNING

 

January 2, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning recommending that the public avoid powdered pure caffeine—especially bags sold over the internet.  At least two young men who used powdered caffeine have died, the FDA reports.


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IMMIGRANTS LINE UP TO APPLY FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES

 

East County News Service

January 2, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Starting January 1st, California has begun issuing special driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. Across San Diego, lines formed as immigrants stepped up to apply for the new licenses, which are valid only for driving and are not valid for use as a federal ID, such as applying for a passport.


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FIRE DAMAGES HOME IN EL CAJON ON NEW YEAR'S NIGHT

 

January 2, 2015 (El Cajon)-- Heartland Fire Dispatch received reports at 6:21 p.m. on January 1st of a structure fire at 1753 Woodburn Street in El Cajon.  As fire crews arrived on scene they found the attic area of the home in flames. Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon, with assistance from the Santee Fire Department, quickly had the fire out in ten minutes.


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SNOW JAM!

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: courtesy 10 News

January 2, 2015 (Julian)--This week’s snowstorm transformed much of East County into a winter wonderland.

Nine inches of snow fell in Julian and a full foot blanketed the top of Mount Laguna, with several inches all the way down to Descanso, KNSJ’s home town.

The road to Julian has been ploughed and cleared for travel – but over this holiday weekend, that’s led to traffic jams as snow-loving San Diegans headed to the mountains.


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CACTUS AND CANYONS PHOTO TOUR JAN. 17

 

January 1, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Nature and landscape photographers Ernie and Kati Cowan will lead a Cactus and Canyons photo tour to explore some of the most scenic and secret places of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on Saturday, January 17th. This all day-hike runs from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.


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SAN DIEGO WEATHER EVENTS: YEAR IN REVIEW

 

East County News Service

January 1, 2014 (San Diego) – “The end of 2014 has come and despite the cold air and low snow levels,  the year will end up being the warmest on record,” Alex Tardy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego says.. “2014 also featured the worse 3 year drought for the state of California. The drought continues, but the year was also full of interesting and impacting weather events across southern California.”


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NEED WORK? SHERIFF IS RECRUITING IN JANUARY

 

January 1, 2014 (San Diego)—The San Diego Sheriff’s office is hiring.

Recruitment for sworn positions will open for ten days in January. It means you can apply on-line for the position and register to take the written exam. The application process is often suspended to process all those that have come in.


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ELDERLY WOMAN KILLED, HUSBAND INJURED IN EL CAJON PEDESTRIAN INCIDENT

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 1, 2015 (El Cajon) – New Year’s Eve ended in tragedy for an elderly El Cajon couple. Rosie Mondejar, 80, and her husband, Merlin, were struck by separate vehicles while crossing the street shortly after 8 p.m. in the 300 block of West Washington. Both were transported to a hospital, where Rosie was pronounced dead of serious injuries. Merlin was treated for minor injuries and released.


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