East County News Service

September 19, 2018 (San Diego) -- Marine Sergeant Gary Wilson saved a woman from a burning SUV yesterday after a multi-vehicle collision, also freeing a second driver from the wreckage.

According to Officer Jake Sanchez with the California Highway Patrol, a white Freightliner truck was traveling south on State Route 163 just north of highway 52 at a high rate of speed. The truck rear-ended a Toyota Highlander, pushing it into several other vehicles stopped in heavy traffic.  The Highlander was pushed off the roadway and caught fire.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit: PhotoSpin

September 17, 2018 (San Diego) - Local law enforcement and health officials are warning the public about a spate of deaths in beach communities connected to cocaine laced with the highly-potent and often deadly drug fentanyl.

Fact check: Kendrick mailer on Kalasho “fraud and sex scandals” is true.

Kalasho removes social media post accusing him of stalking opponent's home -- after being served with federal lawsuit for removing critical posts and violating First Amendment.

By Miriam Raftery

September 15, 2018 (El Cajon) – Redistricting has pitted Councilmembers Gary Kendrick and Ben Kalasho against each other in what’s shaping up to be one of the most contentious election battles in East County’s history.   

A mailer from Kendrick’s campaign warns voters, “Judge ruled against Ben Kalasho in fraud and sex scandals.”  No, that’s not fake news.  The flyer contains actual headlines and excerpts from East County Magazine and the San Diego Union-Tribune documenting the numerous legal findings, allegations and scandals involving Kalasho.

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview with Councilman Bill Baber on marijuana measures, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link

September 13, 2018 (La Mesa) --The La Mesa City Council has approved by a 5-0 vote a ballot measure, Proposition V, which would allow the city to put a business excise tax on cannabis businesses in  La Mesa.  The tax, if approved, would be paid by the businesses, not consumers. The city’s finance departments estimate that the measure could raise $1.5 to $2 million per year.

“As a separate matter, we’re working on an adult use ordinance that would bring the opportunity for adult use businesses to come alongside medicinal,”  reveals Councilman Bill Baber in an interview with ECM on KNSJ Radio.  He envisions allowing dispensaries already complying with medical marijuana sales requirements to be the first to carry recreational cannabis.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: More than 50 Borrego residents made the long trip from the desert to show opposition to the project.

September 13, 2018 (Borrego Springs) – By a 3-2 vote, San Diego Supervisors rejected a request to upzone 169 acres in Borrego Springs. The proposed Borrego Country Club Estate project sought to build 169 homes on land currently zoned for just 16 residences.

The site known to locals as “Rudyville” is located in south Borrego Springs on land that includes ancient Ocotillo groves and endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep, among other species of concern.

The state has ordered Borrego to reduce its water consumption by 75 percent due to the community using more groundwater than is being replenished by rainfall, a fact that proved the key factor in blocking the project.

By Miriam Raftery

September 12, 2018 (La Mesa) — Vandals have damaged the La Mesa Depot and locomotive. Built in 1894, the depot is California’ oldest building in its original form, La Mesa Today reports.  A meeting is planned on September 25^th at the depot at the corner of Spring Street and La Mesa Boulevard to learn about efforts to raise funds to restore the depot, the last remaining station from the San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway.

By Ken Stone

Reprinted by Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Devi Ketelsen, 7, reads statement to LAFCO board while being held by mother Jamie. Photo by Ken Stone

September 11, 2018 (Julian) - The only way to save Julian’s last-in-the-county volunteer fire department is to order it destroyed, LAFCO board members declared Monday.

By a 7-0 vote, the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission accepted staff advice to dissolve the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District.

Members needed for new East County working group to study local airport noise

By Kendra Sitton

September 8, 2018 (Spring Valley) -- A working group is being formed to study the issue of airport noise in East County and provide recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in response. According to Susan Nichols, the group comprised of 15 members will look for feasible ways to reduce noise.

By Miriam Raftery

September 9, 2018 (Atlanta) – An indictment unsealed Friday by the U.S. Attorneys’ office in Atlanta reveals that charges have been filed against five call centers in India and 15 individuals, including seven arrested in the U.S., for an IRS phone scam targeting U.S. taxpayers.  

East County News Service 

September 6, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Dee Dean, owner of The San Diego County Herald LLC, publisher of The East County Herald, a weekly community newspaper with a circulation of 15,000, has announced her retirement due to her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis. Dean also has ceased publishing the Herald with the final edition on Thursday, Sept. 6, which is the 20-year anniversary of her first edition.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo: Judge Kenneth Medel is now assigned to the Kalashos' case.

September 5, 2018 (El Cajon) -- In the zig-zags of the sexual harassment and fraud case involving El Cajon Council Ben Kalasho and his wife, Jessica Kalasho, the case zagged on Tuesday when San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy D. Taylor recused himself, ordering the case to be reassigned. By day’s end the case was assigned to Superior Court Judge Kenneth J. Medel.

By Miriam Raftery

September 5, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Indicted Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Alpine) could lose his Congressional pension if convicted of felony corruption charges under federal reform laws. Those include the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act” that his father, Duncan Hunter Sr., voted for in 2007.

Kavanaugh previously argued that presidents should be immune from criminal prosecution, while working at the Bush White House

By Miriam Raftery

View video clip: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4746944/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hear...

September 4, 2018 (Washington D.C.) -- The Senate confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court justice nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, opened today over strenuous objections from Democrats who asked for postponement to allow time to review “42,000 pages of documents that we have not been allowed to read or analyze,” according to California Senator Kamala Harris and others. The documents, reflecting Kavanaugh’s tenure as White House Staff Secretary to President George W. Bush, were provided to committee members only the night before the hearing.

But Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley refused to recognize any Democrats on the committee. Several Senators asked for adjournment of the hearing, as protesters interrupted to call for justice, but the chair refused all requests.

A key concern raised is that Kavanaugh put forth arguments that a president should be above the law, not subject to criminal prosecution while in office or for actions undertaken as president.  With special prosecutor Robert Mueller already securing numerous indictments and guilty pleas in his probe of Trump-Russia ties, critics argue that as an unindicted coconspirator who could potentially face charges or impeachment,Trump  shoudl be blocked by the Senate from appointing a nominee who believes that a president should not be held accountable legally for his actions.

Judge issues warrant because of no-show by Councilman’s wife at key court hearing

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

September 1, 2018 (El Cajon) -- Life got way more complicated on Friday for Jessica Kalasho, wife of embattled El Cajon City Council member Ben Kalasho.

Jessica Kalasho was scheduled to appear on Friday morning at a judgement debtor’s conference in San Diego Superior Court, however she was a no-show--much to the dismay of presiding Judge Timothy B. Taylor and attorney Jimmie Parker. Parker is representing three contestants who participated in a beauty pageant put on by the Kalashos in 2017 and the owners of an El Cajon taco shop. Plaintiffs allege sexual harassment, fraud and defamation by the Kalashos.

East County News Service

September 2, 2018 (El Cajon) – As sexual abuse scandals rock the Catholic Church, Patriarch Cardinal Luis Rafael Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Babylon yesterday sent a letter to bishops published today by Kaldaya.ME, a Chaldean news site. In his letter, Patriarch Sako addresses “sexual harssment/ (solicitation)” and “concubinage” as well as financial scandals in the Chaldean Catholic Church.