Source: AMTRAK

Photo courtesy of AMTRAK 

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

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom by Ron Logan

May 15, 2022 (Sacramento) - Citing rising inflation and a large surplus, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a revised state budget of $301 billion on Friday that is $14 billion higher that his initial proposal in January.

By Katie Cadiao, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 13, 2022 (San Diego) - The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and its partners are working together to get the word out about CalFresh benefits during the month of May, which is designated as CalFresh Awareness Month.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- County Supervisor Joel Anderson has sent a formal request to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer and Sheriff, urging them to take action mirroring recent action by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to remove encampments along public roadways that pose critical safety concerns. Caltrans’ clearing of an encampment in the Berkeley area was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on April 27.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service forecasts a heat wave this weekend through early next week, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal in San Diego County’s inland areas.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Operating room, CC by ND via Bing

May 10, 2022 (San Diego) -- The Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report released today by The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit health care watchdog organization,  gave most local hospitals an “A” rating for patient safety during the pandemic, including Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, which serves East County. But East County’s other hospital, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, received a dismal “C” rating due largely to its below average performance in preventing infections including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics. 

By Elijah McKee

May 8, 2022 (Lakeside) — Lakeside residents concerned with the Sheriff’s handling of the recent hate crime stabbing investigation still await clarity, while the 16 year-old boy charged in the attack on a teen girl has his next court appearance on June 6. He has pleaded not guilty on attempted murder and hate crime charges. His 15 year-old girlfriend was also recently rearrested for further involvement in the attack than previously thought. 

The boy’s father, who was present for the attack, has not been arrested. The District Attorney’s office has said the investigation is ongoing. 

The stabbing, which took place on April 16 around 11 p.m. at the Woodglen Apartments on Mapleview Street in Lakeside, was related to previous verbal altercations between the parties, who live near each other. Racial hate speech was present during these verbal incidents as well as during the physically violent escalation.

Source: San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)

May 7, 2022 (San Diego) -- SANDAG, Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), North County Transit District (NCTD), and the County of San Diego joined the community on Friday morning to announce the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program. The new program is the first of its kind in the San Diego region, offering free public transit to anyone 18 and under, with a Youth PRONTO account, from May 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.  To sign up for the pass to receive free rides, visit https://youthopportunitypass.sandag.org/.

Source: City of El Cajon

Photo: Children’s hospital in Mariupol bombed by Russians, courtesy of Ukrainian Army

May 6, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Last month, the California Office of Emergency Services reached out to local law enforcement agencies throughout the State with a list of equipment needed in Ukraine. This week, the City of El Cajon Police Department donated 45 ballistic vests and 8 ballistic helmets as aid to Ukraine.

Alito and his four cohorts on the Supreme Court are attempting to bury the last fifty years of safe, legal abortion, now supported by at least 70% of the U.S. population.

By Amy Goodman, Dennis Moynihan, staff writers, Common Dreams

Reprinted under a Creative Commons license from Common Dreams

Photo: CC by SA via Bing

May 6, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC is truly august, its Corinthian columns and ornate pediments reminiscent of ancient Rome's Temple of Mars Ultor, erected by Emperor Augustus to commemorate Mars, the god of war, in his role as avenger. Augustus employed the imperial design to convey that a new order had arrived after quelling a civil war that had consumed the region for fifty years. Two thousand years later, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has unleashed his own form of vengeance, from within the Supreme Court's columned walls, revealed in a draft opinion he authored, leaked by a person or persons not yet publicly known then published by Politico.

Source:  San Diego Superior Court

May 6, 2022 (San Diego) – The Honorable Joseph P. Brannigan has retired after nearly 18 years of service on the San Diego Superior Court Bench, ending a storied career that started with a stint as an officer in the U.S. Army followed by time spent as an FBI agent, deputy district attorney and assistant U.S. attorney. 

Through vehicles detoured at Washington Street and B Street May 8-11

East County News Service

May 5, 2022 (Julian) – Caltrans crews will limit vehicle access to a one-block section of State Route 78 (Main Street)between Washington Street and B Street in Julian starting Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8) at 8 p.m. through Wednesday, May 11 at 5 p.m. for drainage repairs.

By Mike Allen

May 1, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- A new estimated cost for the Advanced Water Purification project, a system of recapturing sewage and transforming it to drinkable water for about 500,000 East County residents, escalated to about $850 million, an increase of more than $300 million above the estimate three years ago.

By Elijah McKee

Rebecca Jefferis Williamson contributed to this report.

April 29, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — Lemon Grove Councilmember Liana LeBaron was arrested and charged with domestic violence on April 18 by the San Diego County Sheriff’s department, following an altercation with her husband over his life insurance policy.

A restraining order was filed the next day under the name Timothy C. Howell, which required that LeBaron leave her home upon its court approval. The protective order will last until May 10, when LeBaron will appear in court to address the issue. 

Register at SoundTheAlarm.org/SoCal to volunteer on May 14; new volunteers welcome

Source:  American Red Cross

April 13, 2022 (San Diego)  — Volunteers are needed to help install more than 400 free smoke alarms for local families in El Cajon.

The American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties is leading the Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation and home fire safety event on May 14 with Heartland Fire and Rescue, as part of a national Red Cross initiative in May to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country.