By Miriam Raftery

January 16, 2019 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump today signed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act into law, which passed Congress with bipartisan support.  It provides that furloughed and exempted federal employees will receive back pay whenever this shutdown ends.

But it does not grant any back pay to federal contractors, many of who are struggling without pay.

East County News Service

January 16, 2019 (El Cajon) -- The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Citizen of the Year luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 5 from 12-2:30 p.m. at the El LCajon Elks Lodge (1400 E. Washington Ave., El Cajon).

Cost per person is $20.  For more information, please contact the Chamber office at (619) 440-6161.

By Tom Spiggle

January 8, 2019 (San Diego) - If you work for the federal government, the partial shutdown has probably kept you up at night, leaving you with a lot of questions.

East County News Service

December 14, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce today announced that it has accepted the resignation of chief executive officer Eric J. Lund, effective January 11, 2019.  Lund who has servedfive years with the Chamber, Lund has accepted an opportunity with another organization.  

Las Americas Premium Outlets was forced to close on the busiest shopping weekends of the year, as a sky made hazy by tear gas bit at customers’ throats and eyes

By Kendra Sitton

Photos by Philip Ballew

Updated November 30, 2018 with figures from a Reuters news report on economic losses to hotels in our region due to the border conflict

November 26, 2018 (San Diego) — In a Monday tweet, President Trump threatened to shut down the border if Mexico does not remove the Central American migrants, thousands of whom are still arriving in Tijuana over the next week. He has made similar threats before, but this time Trump said he would close the ports of entry permanently if need be. 

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  Shutterstock

November 19, 2018 (San Diego) - Cash registers ring, are you listening? Black Friday’s back, sales are glistening! Make sure your shopping is sweet, double check your receipts.

So you’re not accidentally overcharged by faulty cash register price scanners.

OK, so the last part didn’t rhyme, but you get the idea. Overcharging does happen, and the County’s Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM) wants to make sure that if you’re shopping, you’re checking your receipts.

East County News Service

November 14, 2018 (Alpine) -- Two years after construction of Sunrise Powerline left Alpine Boulevard bare though the heart of rural Alpine, a beautification project is taking root.

Source: San Diego Professional Editors Network

November 6, 2018 (San Diego) - On Thursday, November 15, 2018, Natalie Harris of Mindful Accounts will help self-employed taxpayers prepare for the changes in the tax code resulting from last year’s major tax reform bill. Her presentation, titled “How the New Tax Laws Impact the Self-Employed,” will address:

From Maine lobsters to wine slushies, games to rock ‘n’ roll music, urban winery is pulling out all the stops for anniversary bash Oct. 13 from  12 noon to 10 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

October 11, 2018 (La Mesa) – With a motto of “when all else fails, wine works!” La Mesa Wine Works opened its doors two years ago as a cooperative urban winery tasting room serving up award-winning vintages from San Pasqual Winery and Wyatt Oaks.  Now the space has become a hub of activities ranging from live music on weekends to trivia nights, classes, fundraisers for charities and the ever-popular $5 wine night complete with wine slushies and frozen sangrias.

“Business has been good,” says Mike McWilliams of San Pasqual Winery.  On Saturday, October 13^th from 12 noon to 10 p.m., Wine Works is celebrating its two-year anniversary with festivities that start with Cousins Maine Lobster truck from noon to 3 p.m. and Quick Stop Grill from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Live music wil include the Sock Monkeys from 3 to5  pm. and the Phoenix Band from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.  Guests can also enjoy games and in the afternoon, $5 specials on all glasses of wine, wine slushiness and frozen sangrias. The party will go on rain or shine.

East County Seeks to Inspire the Next Generation of Manufacturers

Source:  East County Economic Development Council

September 30, 2018 (El Cajon) -- San Diego’s East County is kicking off Manufacturing Week by hosting the largest Manufacturing Expo in the County on Tuesday, October 2 at Allen Airways Flying Museum (2020 N. Marshall Ave.) in El Cajon from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Expo brings together over 30 manufacturers ranging from the industrial and aerospace realm to candy and wine makers from throughout San Diego! The event is part of Manufacturing Day, a nation-wide effort to celebrate and showcase modern manufacturing and meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers and skilled-workforce.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

September 20, 2018 (El Cajon) - One of the oldest and largest community college job fairs in the county continues its successful run with the 40th Annual Career Expo at Grossmont College set for Wednesday, Oct. 10. It is free and open to the public.

Source:  Better Business Bureau

September 18, 2018 (San Diego) - The number of identity fraud victims in the United States (US) has reached an all time high rising to 16.7 million reported instances in 2018, 8 percent more than in 2017, with loses reaching $16.8 billion according to  Javelin Strategy & Research. California is ranked third highest per capita with reported ID theft complaints of 140 per 100k population, according to Experian.

By Miriam Raftery

September 9, 2018 (Jamul) – Unveiling of a new logo, giveaways for guests, and a VIP dinner with Master Chef Ron DeSantis crowned a rebranding celebration last month at the Jamul Casino.

Jamul Indian Village and the Jamul Indian Village Developmemt Corporation hosted a block party after taking back management from Penn Gaming at the facility formerly known as Jamul Hollywood Casino.

By Miriam Raftery

September 3, 2018 (Washington D.C.) -- President Donald Trump started the Labor Day weekend by issuing an executive order cancelling a modest 2.1% pay raise for federal workers, and ended the weekend Monday by denouncing Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor union.

The President did Tweet, “The Worker in America is doing better than ever before. Celebrate Labor Day!” But his administration has taken a string of  actions to undermine the wellbeing of workers taken since Trump took office.