By Brigitte Garcia

January 12, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Hoverboards were among the hottest gifts of the holiday season, but if you received one this Christmas, you may be having more problems than fun. That’s because these futuristic products have been banned from college dorms, shopping malls, businesses, and other locations due to many hoverboards that have burst into flames.

East County News Service

January 7, 2016 (El Cajon) –  Montgomery Middle School in El Cajon is among six California schools chosen as Exemplars of 21^st Century Learning, a prestigious designation given out by the national coalition Partnership for 21^st Century Learning (p21.org/exemplar-program).  Montgomery Middle School is an International Baccalaureate school that provides an environment of collaboration, innovative technology use, and inquiry based problem solving, all set in real world situations for a diverse population of students.

By Miriam Raftery

December 23, 2015 (Alpine) – Just in time for Christmas,  Judge Joel Pressman issued a decision in the Alpine high school case that gives neither side what it wanted. 

The Judge denied the Grossmont Union High School District’s motions to dismiss the case but also denied a request from Alpine Union School District and Alpine Taxpayers to issue a summary judgment in their favor.

Judge Pressman did determine that the Appeals Court found Grossmont made a promise to build a high school that is binding. However, that promise hinges on whether or not the enrollment trigger was met or not.

Fears of school violence spark concerns among parents

By Miriam Raftery

December 16, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – On Tuesday, an e-mail that threatened bombings and shootings caused Los Angeles Unified School District to shut down and 1,500 schools, impacting 650,000 students. Searches proved the threat was a hoax. A similar threat was received in New York City, where the school district opted to remain open, deeming the threats not credible.

Today,10 News reports that the L.A. e-mail  also warned, “If you cancel classes, the bombings will take place regardless, and we will bring our guns to the streets and offices of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, and San Diego.”   

The e-mail writer claimed to be a Muslim who had been bullied in L.A. schools and claimed to be working with “32 comrades” willing to die. The hoaxter claimed to have pressure cooker bombs hidden in backpacks to be detonated with cell phones as well as “nerve gas agents” set to go off at lunch time,automatic weapons and grenades to massacre students “mercilessly.”

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2015 (Alpine) – A lawsuit over a high school for Alpine is slated to be back in Superior Court downtown on December 17at 9:30 a.m.

Alpine taxpayers and the Alpine Union School District have filed a  reconsideration request asking Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman to grant Alpine’s  motion for summary adjudication and deny Grossmont’s motion for summary judgment, in  light of a Court of Appeals decision that found  Propositions H and U contain a promise to build an Alpine High School. 

Grossmont filed a  response asking just the opposite – urging Judge Pressman to deny Alpine’s motion for reconsideration.

Part 2 in our series on foster youth programs.  Read Part 1 here.

By Tasha Matthews

November 25, 2015 (San Diego)--Just in Time (JIT) is an organization that helps foster youth receive necessary resources in finance, education, basic needs, and life skills.  Just in Time for foster youth was a part of the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation in 2003 (now known as Promises2Kids).  Since then, Just in Time has vastly expanded, dedicated to helping foster youths through their early adult years. Just in Time has eight programs and is growing more along the way:

November 24, 2015 (El Cajon)--Students coming from foster-care backgrounds struggling to get through college will get much needed help, thanks to a $1.2 million grant the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will receive from the state starting next year.

November 21, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--A new report from the U.S. Fire Administration highlights factors that led to the deaths of 118 college students in 85 fatal fires from 2000 through 2015, The report found many of these tragedies were preventable. Key findings include:

Board to vote Nov. 19 on whether to incur $550,000 in new debt to fund continuing legal battle

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2015 (Alpine)— Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman  has set a December 17^th hearing date for a trial filed against the Grossmont Union High School District by supporters of an Alpine High School. The suit seeks to assure that a fair share of bond money approved by voters will be used to build the long-promised school.  

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Judge Pressman urged both sides to settle and even offered to help—after an appeals court ruled that Grossmont violated an obligation to voters by failing to build the Alpine high school and upheld Pressman’s decision to order funds set aside.

But far from seeking to settle, the GUHSD this week will be considering approval of $550,000 in additional legal fees to continue the battle. The GUHSD already has authorization to spend $1.8 million and had spent $1.4 million as of June on the case, board documents reveal.

East County News Service

November 14, 2015 (La Mesa)--Winners of La Mesa’s K-8 Our Planet, Our Home Environmental Literacy and Art Contest have been announced. Mayor Arapostathis has kindly agreed to hand out the awards at the Block Party on November 14 at 11:15 a.m. at the Farmer’s Market site on Allison Avenue near La Mesa Blvd, and the winning flat artwork will be exhibited for one month in the foyer of the La Mesa Library.

The contest is a cooperative effort of the City's Environmental Sustainability Commission, the La Mesa Urban Trails grant from the County, the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and the La Mesa Library branch. Sponsorship and prizes for the contest were contributed by SDGE and the Water Conservation Garden.

November 11, 2015 (Alpine)--The Alpine Education Foundation (AEF) hosted its second annual PunkinChunkin Competition Sunday, November 8 at Joan MacQueen Middle School in Alpine.

Pep rally march, war memorial ceremony and homecoming carnival among events

SDSU Media Center

November 11, 2015 (San Diego)--San Diego State University will host several events this week, leading up to its nationally televised homecoming football game against the Wyoming Cowboys at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Aztecs of all ages are invited back to campus to share in SDSU's Aztec pride with weeklong Homecoming 2015 events and are invited to follow the hashtag #SDSUHomecoming2015 on Twitter and Instagram.

November 9, 2015 (Lakeside)-- Lindo Park Elementary School, a K-5 school that has served the Lakeside community for over 60 years, received a $5,000 education grant earlier today from the Barona Band of Mission Indians. The Lakeside school teaches students to excel in a global society by integrating a research-based curriculum in a 21^st century environment.

The grant, which was sponsored by Assemblyman Brian Jones, will be used to purchase Life, Earth and Physical Science materials for the school’s fourth and fifth grade science laboratories.

November 9, 2015 (El Cajon)--As student loan debt is reaching record proportions, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D–San Diego) will host a forum on college affordability on Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m.  (Registration is at 6 p.m.) The forum will include representatives from the Department of Education and financial aid officers from local colleges, as well as a Legal Aid Society lawyer will discuss student consumer rights.

Experts will be on hand to answer questions about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), other types of student aid for high school and college students, the applications process, as well as responsible loan ownership. Learn about recent changes announced to the FAFSA.