Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration

July 16, 2021 (Washington D.C.) - Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. is voluntarily recalling all lots of five NEUTROGENA® and AVEENO® aerosol sunscreen product lines. Internal testing identified low levels of benzene in some samples of the products.

Source: County News Service

July 16, 2021 (San Diego) -- The County Board of Supervisors received the results of a new local survey on July 13 with details about why some are still hesitant to get vaccinated. Supervisors also approved an investment of $24 million in federal funds to support COVID-19 response in high-risk communities.

First, the Board received an update on COVID-19 rates in San Diego County.

The number of local COVID-19 cases has been rising the past few weeks, increasing the case rate from 1.9 cases per 100,000 residents on June 15 to 3.7 cases per 100,000 residents now. The daily case count increased to 355 on July 12 and has been at or above 200 for the last seven days.

“We are now seeing about double the number of cases that were being reported a month ago,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “This has led to a 46% increase in hospitalizations and 10% uptake in intensive care unit admissions in the past few weeks. We expect further increases in ICU admissions since they lag behind the trend in cases and hospitalizations.”

By Zayna Syed, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

July 15, 2021 (San Diego) - Sixth grade teacher Hilary Hall had just started teaching one Monday morning in September when her teacher’s group chats at Newhall School District exploded with confused messages. Teachers in the Santa Clarita school district — located just north of Los Angeles — were panicking.

Lane closures and one-way traffic control may cause delays

Source:  CalTrans

July 15, 2021 (Ramona) - Crews will begin pavement microsurfacing operations on several small sections of State Route 67 (SR-67) in the community of Ramona for six consecutive nights beginning Sunday at 8 until 5 in the morning, according to Caltrans. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Outdoor dining at Antica Trattoria in La Mesa

July 15, 2021 (La Mesa) – Expanding onto sidewalks and parking lots provided salvation to many local restaurants and shops during the pandemic, when indoor dining was banned or capacity limited.

To help local businesses recover financially over the next year, La Mesa’s City Council recently voted to extend temporary outdoor permits in public spaces for restaurants and stores through July 16, 2022.

This essay won second prize in the East County Leadership Council (ECLC) 2021 COVID-19 essay contest. Prize money has been provided through the generosity of ECLC donors and a grant from the Foundation for Economic Justice.

By Anonymous Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) student in East County Leadership Council’s (ECLC) COVID-19 Essay Contest (Second Prize)

July 14, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Every single one of us has been affected by the current COVID-19 virus whether it was in a positive or negative way. However, the pandemic has affected people differently depending on our social status and our income. While some are adapting to school online and staying home for quarantine others are adapting to losing their jobs. COVID-19 has caused many businesses to go out of business, resulting in an overall of 25% of U.S. adults being laid off or losing their job. This doesn’t only have an effect on the adults but even on the children. From personal experience, I constantly think and stress about bills being paid because the idea of being homeless again is terrifying. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused low-income families to struggle to put food on the table and struggle with paying household bills as well as medical bills. It has been proven that the pandemic has hit low-income families the hardest, specifically African American and Hispanic households. 

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  A San Diego teen is vaccinated at a mobile site at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. Image from county video

July 14, 2021 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported 348 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday as the more infectious “delta” variant spreads and vaccinations slow.

Update July 16, 2021:  D.A. announces no charges filed -- Gabriela Shepherd was scheduled to be arraigned at the El Cajon courthouse Thursday, but District Attorney spokeswoman Tanya Sierra said in a statement,"Charges are not being filed at this time. The investigation is ongoing and we will review the case as we get more information."  Shepherd has been released from Las Colinas and will be reunited with the couple's two children, NBC 7 reports.

By Miriam Raftery

July 14,2021 (Lemon Grove) – Gabriela “Gabby” Rose Shepherd, 26, has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of her husband, Rev. Noah David Shepherd, 29.  The couple has two young children, Sam and Joel.

Sheriff’s deputies responding to a call reporting gunfire on July 12 around 6 p.m. found the victim in the backyard of the couple’s home in the 2500 block of Camino de las Palmas, Lemon Grove. Despite lifesaving efforts by deputies until fire personnel arrived, Noah Shepherd was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at a hospital.

Gabby Shepherd claimed that she had accidentally shot her husband when he entered their home through a back door, said Lt. Mike Arens with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. However following an investigation by the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit, Gabby Shepherd was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Raspberries are ready to pick when the fruit is firm but soft, deeply colored, and easily slides off the hard core

By Melinda Myers

Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com

July 13, 2021 (San Diego) - Easy care raspberries are high in fiber and Vitamin C, making them a healthy snack as well as delicious in jams, jellies and desserts. Enjoy the best flavor and reduce pest problems with proper harvesting and summer care.

Update July 15, 2021:  On July 13, the Medical Examiner's Office conducted the autopsy and has identified the victim as Donte Anthony Lopez, 42, of San Diego. Lopez's family has been notified of his death. The preliminary cause of death is gunshot wound and the manner of death is homicide.

East County News Service

July 12, 2021 (La Presa/Spring Valley, Calif.) -- Law enforcement is encouraging anyone with information about a shooting last night around 11 p.m. near the intersection of Elkelton Blvd. and Crestmore Ave. in unincorporated San Diego County to come forward and speak with the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit, or, to stay anonymous, Crime Stoppers.

Source:  San Diego Humane Society

Match has already taken steps to ensure its web disclosures and processes comply with California’s Automatic Renewal and Dating Service Contract laws.

Source: DA News Center

July 12, 2021 (San Diego) -- County District Attorney Summer Stephan (photo, left) announced Wednesday that Match Group, Inc., the owner of numerous popular online dating sites including Match.com, PlentyofFish, OkCupid and Tinder, agreed to pay $2 million in civil penalties and costs, in addition to victim restitution, as part of the settlement of a consumer protection lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in Santa Cruz county in November 2020 by the California Auto Renewal Task Force (CART), which includes the District Attorney’s Offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office, and alleged that Match’s online dating service subscriptions violated provisions of California’s automatic-renewal and dating service contract laws.