March 15, 2010 (San Diego) -- If you're planning to travel abroad or cross the Mexican border, you may want to apply now for your passport--since fees may go up substantially soon. Public comment on the fee increases ended March 9, and the County is awaiting the U.S. State Department’s decision to see if the increases will be implemented.

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2010 (San Diego) – After completing its own testing, Toyota concluded yesterday that it could find no evidence to support James Sikes’ claim that a sticking gas pedal caused his vehicle to accelerate to 94 mph in a widely-publicized incident on I-8 in East County last week. Toyota said its tests found that Sikes rapidly pressed the gas and brakes back and forth over 250 times and that the car’s gas pedal and backup safety system were working properly.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 (San Diego's East County)- Be sure to set your clocks ahead one hour, since Daylight Savings Time starts at midnight.

March 9, 2010 (Poway) – Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) is working with the parents of slain teen Chelsea King to enact legal reforms aimed at protecting children from violent sexual predators. Fletcher’s district includes Poway and Escondido, homes of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, murdered teens whose bodies were both found in the past week.

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, driver says Toyota advised him 2 weeks ago that his 2008 Prius was not on the recall list

March 8, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – James Sikes, 61, considers himself lucky to be alive following a harrowing high-speed ordeal on a highway in San Diego's East County.

“I am still shaken up,” the local real estate agent told East County Magazine this evening, just hours after surviving a chilling 94-mph race against time after the accelerator on his car became jammed on I-8 east this afternoon. It took over half an hour to bring the runaway vehicle under control with help from California Highway Patrol, including a patrolman who bravely placed his car in front of Sikes to assure that the vehicle could be stopped before entering a perilous downhill stretch of freeway.

VIEW THE ONLINE REGISTRY AT THE MEGAN'S LAW WEBSITE

March 8, 2010 (San Diego's East County) - The tragic murders of Amber Dubois and Chelsea King highlight the need to protect ourselves and our children from known predators in our communities.  Many people are not aware that you can you view photos of sex offenders in your neighborhood, learn their addresses, and read descriptions of past crimes on the  Megan's Law website (http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/), named after slain child Megan Kanka.

March 6, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 6 p.m. tonight through 2 p.m. tomorrow. Four to six inches of snow have been forecast above 4500 feet tonight in higher elevations including Palomar Mountain, Cuyamaca, Mount Laguna, and Ranchita.

A hazardous weather outlook has also been issued for most of Southern California.

Law enforcement plans procession from Qualcomm Stadium to Shadow Mountain Church in El Cajon to honor fallen deputy

March 3, 2010 (El Cajon) – Services will be held Saturday for Sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Collier, who died February 28 of injuries sustained in pursuit of a wrong-way driver in Santee.   The memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at Shadow Mountain Church, 2100 Greenfield Drive in El Cajon. A closed-casket viewing will be held on Friday, March 5 from 5-9 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, 4300 Imperial Avenue in San Diego.

March 1, 2010 (El Cajon) – A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on March 13th for Robert Dale Hamann founder of the Hamann Companies construction dynasty in El Cajon. Hamann, 86, passed away on February 11th.

February 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Motor vehicle accidents claimed the lives of five people in San Diego’s eastern regions during the past week, the San Diego County Coroner’s office reports.

February 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –Lakeside firefighters rescued two passengers from a rollover accident February 22. At 10:08 PM, the Heartland Communications Center dispatched one engine company, one rescue company, and an ALS ambulance and Battalion Chief to the 14000 block of Highway 8 business in the Johnston community, Captain Mark Grow of Lakeside Fire District reported at http://lakesidefiredist.blogspot.com/.

Update 3 p.m.:  The tsunami effect locall remains in effect through 5:46 p.m. today for the entire west coast following an 8.8 quake in Chile.  An early tidal surge proved minor in San Diego though Santa Monica had tides 2.2 feet above normal sea level. In other regions, second and third waves were higher than the first.    

February 26, 2010 (4 a.m.)Sheriff Bill Gore has activated more than 100 Search and Rescue volunteers and deputies to locate missing Poway teen Chelsea King. King was reported missing by her family late Thursday after she did not return home from a run in the north Rancho Bernardo area.

February 24, 2010 (Spring Valley)  Firefighters are on the scene of a two-alarm blaze that has fully engulfed a residence at 8814 Bancroft in Spring Valley.  The blaze, south of 94,  has sent up a plume of black smoke visible for many miles.  The photo at left was taken from Mt. Helix.

February 21, 2010 (Lakeside) -- Multiple units from the Lakeside Fire District responded to a single vehicle rollover on rain-slickened Highway 67 in northern Lakeside this afternoon. Several passers-by including off-duty fire and police personnel performed CPR on the seriously injured driver until Lakeside Fire units arrived, Captain Scott Culkin reports.