Four killed, 11,000 injured last year by fireworks nationwide

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office:

Image credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

June 30, 2017 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department wants everyone to have a safe Independence Day free of serious injuries or jail time. That means never driving if you’ve been drinking alcohol or taking drugs (including medications that impair your driving), never setting off illegal fireworks and not allowing juveniles to drink alcohol at your house party.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Vigil following 2015 San Bernardino shooting

June 30, 2017 (Sacramento) – U.S. District judge Roger Benitez with California’s Southern District Court has granted a preliminary injunction sought by the National Rifle Association, temporarily blocking part of Proposition 63 that required Californians to dispose of large-capacity ammunition magazines by Saturday or face fines and potentially, jail time.

By Jo Moreland, Alpine Chamber of Commerce

June 30, 2017 (Alpine) -- Follow the money at the next “Hot Topics Breakfast” of the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce. Guest speaker Dan McAllister, the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, will give an overview of what his office does during the Tuesday, July 11 Chamber meeting.

Originally built in 1972 with 12 beds, the expanded emergency department will nearly double its patient capacity with space for future expansion

East County News Service

June 30, 2017 (San Diego) -- San Diego-based general contractor Pacific Building Group raised the final beam Thursday to complete or “top out” the steel structure of Alvarado Hospital Medical Center’s expanded emergency department while 100 guests looked on. Hospital staff and community members signed the beam, now situated within the structure.

East County News Service

June 30, 2017 (San Diego ) – The San Diego County Sheriff is asking all County residents to be on the looking for Pablo Duran, who goes by multiple aliases and is considered armed and dangerous.

He is wanted for suspicion of murdering his employer, contractor Robert Pierro,on June 7 in Vista.  According to a press release issued today, he fled from law enforcement and his whereabouts are unknown. There is an active felony arrest for him.

Hear audio of the meeting: 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/vf31iozwi183wxj/ElCajonHomelessForum1.mp3

By Paul Kruze

June 30, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Spurred on by a mentally ill homeless woman who made her street home in front of a shuttered El Cajon motel on East Main Street earlier this month and numerous homeless individuals settling in central El Cajon, some 50 El Cajon residents gathered in the Community Room at the El Cajon Police Department for a town hall meeting last Monday night hosted by El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and Chief of Police Jeff Davis.

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Story by Liz Alper

Photo:  Dinelson Lamet was stellar tonight:  seven innings, four hits, no runs, one walk and eight strikeouts and only 96 pitches.  Via @Padres on Twitter

June 29, 2017 (San Diego) - The Padres put in good offensive work last night and stopped the Braves’ rally to even the series at one win apiece.  They had the chance to take the series tonight as the Braves’ Jaime Garcia faced Dinelson Lamet.

East County News Service

June 29, 2017 (El Cajon) – John “Mac” McLaughlin, president and CEO of the USS Midway Museum and a retired Navy Rear Admiral, will be the keynote speaker at the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Luncheon. The event takes place on August 17 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center in El Cajon.

By Greg Dunne

June 28, 2017 (Alpine) -- The melon season has started!  With the start of summer, California melons from the desert are starting to come to the market. This melon season get bold and try a variety you haven’t tried before.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Mojave rattlesnake

June 28, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The canine rattlesnake vaccine has been administered to over 100,000 dogs since it came on the market in the early 2000s. While only about 1 percent of dogs had side effects, the bad news is “there remains little fact-based data to support the efficacy of the vaccine to date,” according to Valerie Wiebe, Pharm.D with the University of California, Davis. In other words, it’s not clear if the vaccine actually works.

East County News Service

June 28, 2017 (El Cajon) – Ross Mathews is bringing his famed, “Straight Talk with Ross Mathews” live podcast to San Diego for one night on Thursday, July 13. He will be accompanied by his straight-talking crew for an interactive, crowd-engaging show.

June 28, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect 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:

U.S.

• Supreme Court Deals Blow to Property Rights (Reason)
• Disabled protesters taken away by Capitol police (Reporting San Diego)
• Vouchers for religious schools:  are vouchers for religious schools next? (EdSource)
• Senate bill would cause 22 million to lose insurance (Reuters)
• Supreme Court limits government’s power to revoke citizenship (The Hill)
• Once on the outside conservative Koch network warms to Trump (Reuters)
• Trump sued for allegedly violating Presidential Records Act (NPR)
• Ex-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort registers as foreign agent (Wall S. Journal)
• Trump admits he doesn’t have tapes of Comey (Time)

WORLD

• Humanitarian Aid is 'Broken,' Says Former U.N. Official(NPR)
• U.N. Says World's Population Will Reach 9.8 Billion By 2050 (NPR)
• Venezuela crisis: Helicopter ‘launches attack’ on Supreme Court (BBC)
• Iran’s flag on Israel’s border: ‘We are coming.’ (Jerusalem Post)
• Under pressure, Western tech firms bow to Russian demands to share cyber secrets (Reuters)
• Arab states issue ultimatum to Qatar: close Jazeera, curb ties with Iran  (Reuters)
• Russia's election commission says Navalny cannot run for presidency (Reuters)
•  Hezbollah operates on Lebanon border under guise of fake environmental NGO (JPost)
• Venezuela's Maduro warns of war if 'revolution' toppled (Reuters)
• Former Al-Jazeera anchor says TV network aids terrorists (Jewish World News)

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

By Jo Moreland

June 28, 2017 (Alpine) -- Browsing and buying cheap goods, great services and delicious food made the Alpine Flea Market the spot to shop on June 24.

Shoppers and vendors at 45 booths ignored the warm weather in order to make hot sales.at the flea market, located in the parking lot at Joan MacQueen Middle School.

House approves legislation to cut red tape, help veterans qualify for jobs in commercial trucking

East County News Service

June 28, 2017 (San Diego) – The House of Representatives has approved bipartisan legislation to ease veterans’ transition into civilian employment opportunities by streamlining the process for trained service members to obtain commercial drivers’ licenses (CDL). The move comes as the commercial trucking industry faces a shortage of roughly 48,000 drivers, according to data from the American Trucking Associations. This legislation would allow veterans, many of which are already trained to operate heavy military vehicles, to help fill this gap.