October 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Eastbound I-8 will be closed for an investigation until approximately 11:30 a.m., according to the CHP website.

A multi-vehicle accident has occurred involved a semi-truck and an over-turned vehicle in the center lane on I-8 near Japatul/Highway 79.  Fire and medical personnel have been dispatched along with an ASTREA heliciopter; a suspect who fled the scene has been taken into custody by an Immigration and Customs officer.

October 9, 2012 (Santee)--Santee's City Council will consider changing speed limits at its meeting on Wednesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. at Santee's City Hall, 10601 North Magnolia Avenue in Santee.

By Miriam Raftery

October 8, 2012 (La Mesa)--Russell “Gordon” Gastil, Ph.D. has made his final journey.  The San Diego State University professor emeritus known for trekking across and mapping the entire state of Baja, Mexico as well as much of the U.S. southwest died September 29, 2012 at his La Mesa home. 

“He was gifted as a geologic visionary,”  geologic science professor wrote in a memorial published at the SDSU website.  “Gastil was an internationally renowned geologist for regional geologic mapping and work on the tedtonic evolution of convergent margins." He mapped thousands of square kilometers in Arizona, Calfiornia and the entire state of Baja, California in Mexico.

Gastil hired six undergraduate students in 1963 to produce a reconnaissance geologic map of Baja. Remarkably, the feat was accomplished in an era when there were no reliable topographic maps and virtually no paved roads, making access challenging.

By Lori Abbott, California News Service

October 8, 2012 (Sacramento)-- California farmers trying to adapt to climate change are getting some support. Governor Jerry Brown has signed two bills that will help the state reach its greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bills create a public process for determining how cap-and-trade revenue will be spent, with some of the revenue going to sustainable agriculture activities.

October 6, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Considered to be one of the largest community events in the East County, the annual El Cajon Safety & Career Expo is being held Saturday, October 13th, at 100 E. Lexington Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

After a special noon welcome ceremony, the El Cajon Police Department will have a special Police K-9 demonstration.  San Diego Gas & Electric and Mission Federal Credit Union are our title sponsors, both dedicated to education in the community.  Stop by their booths for valuable safety information and get a fire badge sticker and red fire helmet for the children.

October 4, 2012 (East County, San Diego) -- Heartland Fire & Rescue will be hosting three Fire Open House events on Saturday, October 13, 2012 in Lemon Grove, El Cajon and La Mesa. 

This is an opportunity to receive free safety tools and important lessons for you and your children.

October 4, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- A power outage has left 671 SG&E customers without electricity in the Descanso, Green Valley Falls, Cuyamaca, Guatay, Pine Valley, Mount Laguna, Viejas, and Boulder Creek communities as of 9:28 a.m. 

Power is expected to be restored by noon.  Cause is under investigation, according to the SDG&E website.

October 3, 2012 (Lakeside)—Wildcat Canyon Road is blocked in both directions due to a rollover accident.  The driver of the vehicle, a pickup truck, is walking and does not appear seriously injured, a Barona firefighter at the scene told ECM’s marketing director, who has been stuck in traffic for over 20 minutes at the scene, where tow trucks are now arriving. 

October 2, 2012 (Pine Valley) – An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale struck at 1:28 a.m., jolting some East County residents awake.  The quake was centered 22 miles east of Pine Valley and 10 miles northwest of Ocotillo.

“Kind of unnerving,” said videographer Paul Kruze, a Rancho San Diego resident.  The USGS classifies the quake as "moderate" which can include light damage.

Many people are not aware that while major quakes have been rare in our region in recent times, historically many major quakes have occurred. 

Sgt. Craig Johnson, also wounded, is recovering after surgery

Suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2012 (El Cajon )—The San Diego Blood Bank seeks blood donations for San Diego Sheriff Detective Ali Perez, who is in critical condition after being shot with a high-powered rifle yesterday during an attempted arrest in Lakeside. 

September 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – For the fifth year in a row, East County Magazine reporters and photographers will be taking home awards in the San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards.  Nadin Abbott, Tom Abbott, Jim  Pelley, Ryan Schuler, and ECM editor Miriam Raftery are all winners in the 2012 competition.

The winning categories—and just how many awards ECM has won – will be announced on October 23 at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Property owners, campers urged to take precautions to stem spread of infestation

By Miriam Raftery

September 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –A voracious new pest is gnawing its way through East County.  The gold-spotted oak borer has already killed over 21,500 trees in San Diego’s inland regions.  Infestations have been found on federal, state, private and Native American lands across 1,893 square miles.

“Has anyone driven through Japatul into Julian lately?  We did last weekend and it was a very SAD sight!  Almost all of the Oaks are BARE SKELETONS or half brown and going fast,” Jerry Williams of Deerhorn Valley wrote in an e-mail to ECM. 

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott

September 26, 2012 (Boulevard)—Around  five in the afternoon, as the sun was starting to set, the first residents of Boulevard’s Tierra del Sol neighborhood began  to come home. There was anxiety in some faces, as well as relief on others, as they learned what state their properties were in –and whether their homes had survived the devastating 2,850 acre Shockey Fire that destroyed 11 homes and claimed the life of an elderly man.

By Nadin Abbott

September 24, 2012 (San Diego)--The mood was tense as people from multiple walks of life and political views filed into San Diego City Chambers. Among them was Republican Santee Councilman Jack Dale and Democrat David Secor, candidate for U.S. Congress for the 50th district. Both Dale and Secor came to oppose the Quail Brush gas-fired power plant.

So did Massada Disenhouse, activist for the Sierra Club and Martha Sullivan, a former California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) employee, and many others.

Update 12: 52: confirmed 2 deputies & 1 suspect being transported to area trauma centers. 

September 25, 2012 (Lakeside) – Two deputies have been injured by an active shooter in Lakeside at Ashwood and Mapleview, IPN reported at 12:38 p.m. Cal Trans confirms police activity at Highway 67 and Mapleview.  Scanner traffic indicates officers calling for cover. 

One injury is reported as serious, the other minor. Medics are transporting to Sharp Hospital trauma unit. Avoid the area.