Aztecs score six runs in seventh inning to overcome 5-2 deficit

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 14, 2021 (San Diego) - San Diego State scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday to overcome a 5-2 deficit and defeat UNLV 8-6 in the rubber game of a weekend set at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Update: The cause of death for Goffeney and his wife was fentanyl addiciton, Goffeney's daughter posted.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Mark Goffeney, Creative Commons image via Wikipedia

March 14, 2021 (El Cajon) – Mark Goffeney, the internationally acclaimed armless musician known as “Big Toe” who inspired people around the world, was found dead on March 2nd in his El Cajon apartment along with his wife, Annmaree. Both were 51. An autopsy will determine their causes of death.

Born without arms in 1969, Goffeney inspired millions with his can-do attitude. He learned to play the guitar and bass with his feet, strumming with his left foot and forming chords with his right.  He was nominated in an Emmy award in 1999 for his role in a Fox commercial, “Feet”, which later aired during the Superbowl in 2000 and 2001.  He’s performed around the world with many top celebrities, also appearing on an array of TV shows.

By Ana B. Ibarra and Rachel Becker | CalMatters

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

Photo:  a woman is vaccinated at the Sharp super station in Chula Vista. Courtesy County News Center

March 14, 2021 (San Diego) - California on Friday hit a benchmark of delivering 2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to underserved communities, triggering a big change that will transform the state’s reopening map from purple to mostly red.

By Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Graffiti drawn on a residence hall at San Diego State University, March 2021

March 14, 2021 (San Diego) - Earlier this week, an unidentified resident advisor at South Campus Plaza North, a large dormitory serving hundreds of students at San Diego State University, found scrawled on the exterior of the building three swastikas and coded messages often associated with white supremacist philosophy.  She immediately got some poster board to cover the offensive messaging, and drew hearts upon the poster board along with the message “Spread Love.”  After campus police were called to the scene and photographs taken of the offending material as part of an ongoing investigation, the antisemitic message was eliminated.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Miriam Raftery: storm clouds over Spring Valley

March 14, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Very strong, “damaging” winds are forecast for Monday and Tuesday in San Diego’s mountain and desert regions. West winds with gusts of up to 70 miles per hour will create dangerous driving conditions for high-profile vehicles due to strong winds particularly on I-8 near Jacumba Hot Springs, as well as reduced visibility due to blowing dust in desert areas.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 13, 2021 (Las Vegas) - Led by junior Nathan Mensah and senior Trey Pulliam, the San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team defeated Utah State in the Mountain West title game 68-57 today at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

By Miriam Raftery

March 13, 2021 (San Diego) – Starting Monday, March 15, people ages 16 and up in Tier 1C will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, if they live or work in San Diego County and have certain serious health conditions. The County has sharply expanded the number of health conditions, disabilities, and illnesses on the list that put people at higher risk for COVID-19 serious illness.

In addition, the County has added homeless people and those in congregate living situations such as jails, mental health facilities, or detention centers to the list.

Below is the full list of everyone who is eligible for vaccinations, starting Monday:

Phase 1C – Effective March 15

Eligible High-Risk Medical Conditions and Disabilities - Effective March 15

• Cancer, current with weakened immune system­­
• Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
• Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent
• Down syndrome
• Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (but not hypertension)
• Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m²)
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus
• Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Hypertension or high blood pressure
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
• Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
• Liver disease
• Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m², but < 30 kg/m²)
• Obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2, but < 40 kg/m²)
• Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
• Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)

In addition, people over age 16 can get the vaccine if, as a result of a developmental or other significant, high-risk disability, one or more of the following criteria applies**:

• A COVID-19 infection is likely to result in severe life-threatening illness or death; OR
• Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival; OR
• Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability.

Additional Eligible Groups - Effective March 15

• Congregate residential settings, such as an incarceratio­n/detention facilities, homeless shelters, or behavioral health facilities
  • Includes people experiencing homelessness, who may transition into congregate settings at short notice­­­

The County is also continuing to vaccinate people n phases 1A and 1B:

By Angela Kurysh

March 13, 2021 (Lemon Grove) – On Tuesday, staff members from the City of Lemon Grove hosted a virtual Zoom webinar/workshop open to residents to address the future of housing in the area they call home. Although no Council members attended this workshop, it opened up a platform for the community to express their thoughts on this project.  

By Miriam Raftery and Rick Nothano

Photos by Rick Nothano

March 12, 2021 (Spring Valley) – Two shooting victims have been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries resulting from gunfire outside of an illegal marijuana dispensary in Spring Valley Wednesday night.

Sheriff’s detectives from the Rancho San Diego station responded to multiple calls of gunshots at 8:33 p.m. near Dolores Street and South Barcelona in the Casa de Oro neighborhood, an area where numerous illegal dispensaries have previously been raided and shut down.

Deputies found a 22-year-old shooting victim along with evidence of a shooting outside a dispensary at 9966 Dolores Street, unit 107, as well as a firearm, says Sergeant Karen Bloch.