ISSA BILL WILL INCENTIVIZE WILDFIRE PREVENTION THROUGH TARGETED TAX RELIEF

EL CAJON POLICE ARREST PAROLEE IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM, NARCOTICS AND AMMUNITION

DRIVER CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE, DUI IN FATALITY LEMON GROVE CRASH

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: RACCOONS IN SAN CARLOS

MARINES NOW STATIONED IN CAMPO AT BORDER; NEWSOM OFFICE: 'DANGER' TO COMMUNITY

INJURED MOUNTAIN LION RETURNS TO WILD; 2 OTHER CUBS CONTINUE REHAB AT RAMONA WILDLIFE CENTER

SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER AT PARKWAY PLAZA

SUPREME COURT LIMITS INJUNCTIONS THAT BLOCKED TRUMP’S PLAN FOR BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

ECM WINS TWO JOURNALISM AWARDS

GUHSD BOARD FACES MULTIPLE LITIGATION THREATS

LAKESIDE FIRE PANCAKE BREAKFAST JUNE 28

WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN LOSES SD COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY FUNDING

News

GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL SAYS GOODBYE TO FORMER FOOTBALL COACH

 

Ron Murphy passed away at age 48
 
By: Ryan Schuler
 
February 20, 2012 (La Mesa) Former Grossmont High School head football coach Ron Murphy passed away on Tuesday after a battle with skin cancer. Murphy was 48 years old.
 
Grossmont High School dedicated its basketball game against Helix High School in honor of Murphy. Grossmont High School also held a celebration of Murphy’s life on Saturday morning at the football field on campus.


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STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS, SDG&E NOISE VARIANCE REQUEST AMONG AGENDA ITEMS FOR ALPINE PLANNERS FEB. 23

 

February 20, 2012 (Alpine) – The Alpine Community Planning Group’s agenda for February 23 includes addressing SDG&E’s request for a noise variance to fly helicopters on Sundays through May. Also on the agenda is a subcommittee recommendation for Albertson’s Park, a presentation by the County on streetscape improvements (phase 2) for Alpine Boulevard, and an update from SDG&E on Powerlink, streetscapes and underground utilities.  

 


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FIRE CREWS SAVE NEIGHBORING HOMES DURING HOUSE FIRE IN EL CAJON

 

February 19, 2012 (El Cajon) -- A residential fire in the 500 block of Millar Avenue in El Cajon early Saturday morning threatening neighboring homes briefly.  Heartland Fire & Rescue crews arrived five minutes after receiving a call and found heavy fire and smoke coming from the front windows of the single story residence.

Fire crews stretched hose lines to the interior of the house and aggressively fought the fire while a truck crew simultaneously cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the structure. The coordinated quick attack by firefighters confined the fire to the residence, saving nearby homes.


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WOMAN RESCUED FROM ROLLOVER CRASH IN LAKESIDE

 

February 17, 2012 (Lakeside) – Firefighters from El Cajon and Lakeside Fire Departments utilized the jaws of life to free an injured motorist in a rollover accident on Aurora Drive.  The crash occurred around 2:30 p.m. yesterday.  The female driver was traveling west on Aurora when she failed to slow down at a sharp corner and hit a curb, causing her vehicle to flip over, according to the CHP.


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LAKESIDE FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE TRAPPED DOG

 

 
February 17, 2012 (Lakeside) – Toby, a Shiba Inu dog belonging to Lakeside resident Tim Ellis and his wife is free, thanks to the efforts of Lakeside firefighters.  While chasing a squirrel, the dog got its head caught between rocks in an artificial waterfall. 

 


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WORKER BREAKS 8 RIBS, INJURES SHOULDER IN FALL FROM POWERLINK TOWER

By Miriam Raftery

February 17, 2012 (Lakeside) – A lineman for a PAR Electric subcontractor working on SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink suffered serious injuries yesterday in a fall in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley.


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JACUMBA: A TOWN SURROUNDED

 

How many massive energy projects are too many for one rural community to absorb?

“They want to put these all out here, because we’re throwaway country people.” – Howard Cook

By Mia Myklebust and Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2012 (Jacumba) – Walking along the shores of Lake Jacumba, it’s clear that Howard Cook has big dreams for his community.  Chairman of the Lake Restoration Committee, he has wrested a pledge from the Audubon Society to restore the once-dry lake.

“We want to have fishing, boating, and recreation,” he says.  Cook is working with others who dream of “making this another Taos—art, wildlife, hiking, Indians and birds.”

But there’s trouble on the horizon.  Multiple industrial-scale wind and solar farms soon stand to surround this tiny town, jeopardizing its most cherished natural treasures. Sites include publicly owned recreation lands, notably a spectacular scenic gorge known to locals as “our Grand Canyon,” Cook points out.

Jacumba is a proverbial canary in the coal mine—a warning of what other publicly-owned preserves and rural communities across America may soon face. 


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FILNER PLEDGES TO OPEN VETERANS’ OFFICE AT CITY HALL, ASSIST SAN DIEGO VETERANS WITH JOBS AND MORE

“The official casualty count of Iraq and Afghanistan is 5,000 plus killed and about 45,000 wounded…You know how many men and women have approached the VA for help for war-related injuries from those two wars? Almost a million," said Congressman Bob Filner. "We need to take care of these kids when they get back here…Veterans are THE issue for Democrats.”

 

By Miriam Raftery and Mia Mykleberg

February 16, 2012 (San Diego) –Thousands of soldiers are returning home to San Diego County as the Iraq war ends and troop draw downs occur in Afghanistan. 

At the California Democratic Party’s newly formed Veterans’ Caucus, Congressman and Mayoral candidate Bob Filner, former Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, laid out detailed plans to welcome home veterans with respect and hands-on help--including establishing a Veterans' Office for San Diego if he is elected Mayor.


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ATTORNEY WHO ARGUED ROE V. WADE TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS CONFERENCE AT THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL OF LAW FEB.24

 

Reproductive Justice Still Hot Topic as 50th Anniversary of Landmark Case Approaches 

February 16, 2012 (San Diego) --  Reproductive rights is the focus of Thomas Jefferson School of Law's 12th Annual Women and the Law Conference on Friday, February 24, 2012. The highlight of the conference will be the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lecture, which will be delivered by Dr. Sarah Weddington, the Texas attorney who made history when she successfully argued the landmark Roe v. Wade case before the United States Supreme Court.

 


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OFFICERS SEARCHING FOR HIT AND RUN SUSPECT IN LAKESIDE


 
February 15, 2012 (Lakeside) –A manhunt is on for a hit-and-run driver following a collision at 7:56 p.m. at Highway 67 and Riverford Road involving a white car and a Toyota pickup. According to the CHP website, the suspect fled on foot and a search is on in the vicinity of Woodside Avenue.

 


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WIND SPIN: PUFFED-UP CLAIMS FROM THE WIND POWER LOBBY. AND SOME OPPONENTS.

 

February 15, 2012  (Pennsylvania) -- Reprinted with permission from FactCheck.org (a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania)
 
Originally published February 9, 2012 at http://www.factcheck.org/2012/02/wind-spin/ 
 
Summary
 
The wind-power lobby is spinning the facts in a $1.4-million TV ad campaign aimed at extending a lucrative tax break worth billions to the industry.

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DALAI LAMA WILL VISIT SAN DIEGO APRIL 18 & 19

 

 Tickets go on sale Feb. 22 at 10 a.m.
 
February 14, 2012 (San Diego)-- The 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, will make his first trip to San Diego April 18 and 19 for public events at San Diego State University, the University of San Diego and the University of California, San Diego.
 
The Compassion Without Borders symposium will include three major public events: 

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THE WOMAN WHO STOOD ALONE AGAINST THE “THIEVING BANKS”

How Kamala Harris played hardball and won $18 billion to help California homeowners 

Story by Miriam Raftery, photos by Ron Logan

February 13, 2012 (San Diego) – Last September, the U.S. Department of Justice and attorney generals from other states were ready to sign a multi-state settlement of misconduct by banks that resulted in foreclosures.  The deal on the table? An estimated $4 billion or less for California, the state hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. Moreover, no wrongdoers would be prosecuted.

So California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris stood up—and walked out. 

Her actions led to a dramatically different settlement reached last week that is expected to ultimately reach $40 billion—including an estimated $18 billion for California and $1.5 billion for San Diego homeowners.


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I-8 WEST SHUT DOWN DUE TO SUICIDE

Update 12 p.m. The freeway is now reopened.

February 13, 2012 (San Diego) 11:00 a.m. -  I-8 west is shut down due to a suicide.  According to the CHP website, a man waved to passing motorists before jumping to his death off a bridge at 805.  Traffic is being diverted off I-8 at Texas Stsreet and a SIG ALERT has been issued.  


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MONTH-LONG UNIVERSITY AVENUE SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT STARTS FEB. 15

 

February 14, 2012 (La Mesa)-- The City of La Mesa has awarded a construction contract to replace the sewer pipe beneath University Avenue from Massachusetts Avenue to Harbinson Avenue.  Construction is scheduled to take place at night, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6 a.m. beginning February 15. The work is expected to take four weeks to complete.

 


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LOVE SNOW? VALENTINE’S STORM BLANKETS EAST COUNTY—WITH MORE YET TO COME

Story by Miriam Raftery, photos by Billy Ortiz

February 14, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A late season storm left a dusting of snow across rural and mountain areas in East County, dipping as low as Descanso along I-8. 


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SUICIDE OFF BRIDGE ONTO 805 SOUTH

February 10, 2012 (San Diego) -- An individual who jumped off a bridge in an apparent suicide was struck by a vehicle and died at the scene, Officer Larry Landeros of CHP informed ECM at 1:40 p.m. All lanes but one have been shut down on southbound 805 at Balboa. 


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PROP 8 RULING BY FEDERAL COURT MAY BE A LASTING VICTORY FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES

By Serena Scaglione

February 9, 2012 (San Diego)--Tuesday’s decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional may withstand a challenge to the nation’s highest court, due to the tight legal grounds surrounding the issue that are specific to California. 


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DEVICE AT VIEJAS OUTLET CENTER FOUND HARMLESS

 

February 9, 2012 (Alpine) –At 8:15 p.m. tonight, Sheriff’s dispatch confirmed that a suspicious device has been found at the Viejas Outlet Center, 5000 Willows Road in Alpine.  The Sheriff’s Bomb and Arson squad was dispatched and found the device to be harmless.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we evacuated the outlet center," Robert Scheid, Viejas spokesman told ECM.  


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ATTORNEY GENERAL KAMALA D. HARRIS SECURES $18 BILLION CALIFORNIA COMMITMENT FOR STRUGGLING HOMEOWNERS

 
February 9, 2012 (Los Angeles) -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced an historic commitment to California of up to $18 billion that will benefit hundreds of thousands of homeowners in the state hardest hit by the mortgage crisis. 
 
"California families will finally see substantial relief after experiencing so much pain from the mortgage crisis," said Attorney General Harris. "Hundreds of thousands of homeowners will directly benefit from this California commitment." 

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NATIONAL BURN AWARENESS WEEK – FEBRUARY 5 – 11

 
It Doesn’t Take a Fire to Burn a Child

 
February 8, 2012 (San Diego) -- Across California thousands of people are burned every year in fires and countless lives are lost, including young children. During the week of February 5 – 11, 2012, CAL FIRE is teaming up with fire departments across the country to highlight the fire risks and burn injury prevention during the winter months for National Burn Awareness Week. This year fire officials are focusing on the increased risk to children for burn injuries and offer safety tips to keep them protected from burn injuries.

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SDG&E SEEKS NOISE VARIANCE FOR SUNDAY POWERLINK WORK


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JACOB ASKING STATE REGULATORS TO REVIEW GPS DATA AFTER SDG&E HELICOPTERS BREACH ‘NO FLY’ ZONES AROUND EAGLE NESTS--AGAIN


February 6, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob is asking state regulators to review GPS data from helicopters working on the Sunrise Powerlink transmission line after SDG&E helicopters violated “no fly” zones on three separate occasions last month. The “no fly” zones are designed to protect golden eagles during nesting season.

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FOREST CONSERVATION INITIATIVE LANDS IN ALPINE ON AGENDA AT JOINT HEARING OF TWO ALPINE COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP SUBCOMMITTEES TURSDAY, FEB. 9

February 7, 2012 (Alpine)—Planning group members will hear public testimony and a presentation by the County Department of Planning and Land Use on a draft land use plan for former Forest Conservation Initiative lands in Alpine.

The changes could make it easier for some landowners to build on certain properties in the Alpine area.


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CPUC APPROVES OPT-OUT OPTION FOR PG&E SMART METER OWNERS--FOR A FEE; WILL RULE NEXT ON SDG&E

 

A local elected official says SDG&E installations of smart meters are occurring at homes on opt-out list

By Miriam Raftery

February 7, 2012 (San Diego)—The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) this week voted to allow Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)  customers to have smart meters replaced with older  analog meters, for a $75 installation fee plus a monthly fee of $5 to $10, depending on income.  Ratepayers must inform PG&E by May 1 if they wish to opt-out.

Commissioners have not yet ruled on whether to allow San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) or other utilities’ customers to opt out, but are expected to make a similar ruling later this month. SDG&E has proposed even higher opt-out fees of including an initial $175-$200, an exit fee of $50 and a monthly fee of $15 to cover meter readings, the North County Times reports. 


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SDG&E TO AWARD $1 MILLION IN COMMUNITY GRANTS THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN CIVIC LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

February 8, 2012 (San Diego) -- Yesterday, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) kicked off the 2nd annual Excellence in Civic Leadership initiative, a $1 million charitable giving campaign to support non-profit organizations that focus on character development and fair and ethical leadership in youth.


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PUBLICLY FUNDED DOG TRAINING POND PROPOSAL: BOONDOGGLE OR JUST DUCKY?

 

By Miriam Raftery

February 4, 2012 (Jamul)—Revelations that public funds have been awarded to a private hunting club to develop hunting dog training ponds in the state-owned Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area has heightened controversy over the project. 


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SDG&E SUSPENDS PILOTS AFTER THREE NEW ENCROACHMENTS OF EAGLE NESTS


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GET YOUR GOAT! COUNCIL APPROVES LIVESTOCK IN SAN DIEGO CITY LIMITS

By Miriam Raftery
February 3, 2012 (San Diego) – On Tuesday, San Diego’s City Council voted unanimously to approve an “urban agriculture plan” that encourages city residents to grow their own food--and sell some items.


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BLIND CAT FROM SPRING VALLEY SHELTER EARNS RIBBON AT CAT SHOW


February 3, 2012 (Spring Valley)--This weekend at the Cat Fanciers Association cat show held at the(Del Mar Fairgrounds, an unexpected cat landed in the finals.  Gizmo is a 16 year old cat with cateracts in both eyes that has left her almost completely blind. She lives at the NatCat shelter in Spring Valley. 

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