By E.Z. Ryder

April 1, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – First came Uber and Lyft,  Now, Hump, a new ride sharing option featuring camels, has been introduced as an option for East County commuters.

“With gas prices soaring and much of East County lacking access to mass transit, this provides an economical alternative to carry rural commuters from their homes to transit stations, colleges, and other major destinations,” says Supervisor Joel Anderson, who took an inaugural ride this morning along with Nathan Fletcher, Chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

“Camels provide a sustainable form of transportation,” Supervisor Fletcher says. “Each camel can travel up to 30 miles per day, and can traverse up to 100 miles without needing any fossil fuels or even water, since their humps store around 80 pounds of fat.”

East County News Service

March 31, 2022 (Lakeside) – Lakeside’s 57^th annual Western Days Parade is set to take place on Saturday, April 23.  This year’s theme is “Reading – a passport to adventure.”

Supervisor Fletcher pledged in his State of the County speech Tuesday to finally acquire a night-flying helicopter for San Diego County

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Screenshot off Malik Earnest’s Twitter post

March 31, 2022 (Santee) – A brush fire reported shortly before midnight behind the Santee Walmart at 170 Town Center Parkway took over three hours to fully extinguish.

East County News Service

Image: CC via Bing

Update April 2, 2022: A suspect, 31, has been arrested on suspicion of arson in this case, as well as throwing a rock at the trolley.

March 31, 2022 (La Mesa) – A brush fire scorched less than an acre yesterday afternoon before being doused by Heartland Fire & Rescue crews.

By Lil Kalish, CalMatters

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

Photo by Robert Gehr in El Cajon

March 30, 2022 (Sacramento) - After more than six hours of debate Tuesday, California’s reparations task force voted that only Black Californians who can prove a direct lineage to enslaved ancestors will be eligible for the statewide — and first-in-the nation — initiative to address the harms and enduring legacy of slavery. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Ukrainian refugees crossing into Poland; Creative Commons image via Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs

March 29, 2022 (San Diego) – San Diego County Supervisors have issued statements preparing to welcome Ukrainian refugees, following President Joe Biden’s announcement that the U.S. will admit up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine displaced by the Russian invasion. 

Nathan Fletcher, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, issued a statement which reads in part, “Our county has time and again stepped up to help refugees and this time is no different. Together with Los Angeles and Sacramento, we are the largest metropolitan regions in California expected to accept these refugees.”

Fletcher added that the County has also begun helping Ukrainian refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border.

March 28, 2022 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Why Your Energy Bill Spiked This Year (Voice of San Diego) 
• Early COVID-19 indicators hint that the virus’ transmission is growing in San Diego. (KPBS)
• La Mesa city workers will get bonuses for vaccinations under new spending plan (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Realtor Brett Combs Is Ushering In a New Frontier in San Diego's Backcountry (San Diego Magazine)
• Work starts on controversial solar farm in Jacumba Hot Springs (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Pedestrian-friendly upgrades are set to start in Downtown Ramona (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Small plane crashes in East County; no injuries reported (Fox 5)
• ‘Humanitarian Parole’: U.S. Lets Ukrainians Fleeing War into United States from Tijuana (Reuters)
• Community gathers donations bound for Ukraine (East County Californian)
• San Diego Shrunk Last Year Because of Negative Domestic Migration (Voice of San Diego)
• Tire slashed in early morning road rage on a Santee highway (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Six-year sentence for driver in fiery fatal crash near Jamul (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Newsom’s ambitious new plan for court-ordered treatment aims to help stem homelessness  (Los Angeles Times)
• COVID-19 variants in California: What is BA.2 or ‘stealth omicron’ and when did it arrive?  (Sacramento Bee)
• Biden giving millions to battle the opioid epidemic. How will it help California? (Sacramento Bee)
• Newsom signs bill to prevent health insurance companies, plans from charging abortion co-pays, fees  (AP)

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

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Matt Manosh: Lemon Grove City Clerk Audrey Malone denied attorney Cory Briggs' request to inspect public records the day before a proposed censure motion of Councilmember Liana LeBaron.

March 28, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – Attorney Cory Briggs has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the nonprofit Project for Open Government against the city of Lemon Grove. The suit alleges that the city acted illegally in failing to respond to multiple public records requests related to the city’s proposed censure and discplinary actions toward Councilmember Liana LeBaron. The City also denied Briggs access to inspect public records when he came to city hall in person the day before the censure hearing, and has still failed to respond weeks later.

The suit seeks a court order requiring the city to full comply with the California Public Records Act, California Constitution, common law and other applicable laws by disclosing all records requested. Briggs also seeks injunctive relief to inspect and copy public records (or portions allowed by law), as well as attorney fees and legal expenses.

Source: County News Service

Mar. 28, 2022 (County of San Diego) The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Anthony Ray as interim sheriff on Tuesday. He will step into the top leadership role through January 2023 when the winner of this year’s election for sheriff takes office.

Ray will be sworn in on April 5. He is currently an assistant sheriff and has served more than 30 years in the department. He will oversee one of the largest sheriff’s departments in the nation, managing nearly 4,700 employees and providing primary law enforcement to nearly one million people.

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

March 28, 2022 (San Diego) – The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain was written by Eugene Yelchin, who is a member of the San Diego Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. The topic is relevant at a time when Russia has launched a war in Europe threatening freedom of neighboring Ukraine, rekindling memories of the iron curtain, an invisible barrier which separated free nations from others in Europe until the Soviet Union collapsed.

In Leningrad, Russia, Yevgeny grows up in an apartment. Except for the kitchen and bathroom, each room is occupied by a separate family. One room has a government spy. Every apartment is like this.