By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

January 5, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- The naked, partially decomposed body of a man was swept downstream in a storm drainage channel from El Cajon to Santee. 

“His death was definitely not related to today’s rains,” Lee Swanson, public information officer at San Diego Fire and Rescue told East County Magazine.  Swanson said it was evident that the man had died days or more before to the current storm. His identity is unknown.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Damage from polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), courtesy of the University of California, Riverside

January 4, 2016 (San Diego)—A destructive new pest, the tiny polyphagous shot hole borer beetle, has attacked over 200 different species of trees in  Southern California.  Infestations range from avocado groves to ornamental trees in residential yards, entomologists at the University of Riverside report. 

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, that includes thousands of trees in the Tijuana River Valley that have been destroyed suddenly in recent months.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Centers for Disease Control

January 2, 2016 (San Diego)—Though threats of terror attacks have captured headlines, fast-spreading diseases carried by tiny mosquitoes may pose serious danger to far more people in the western hemisphere. These include Zika virus, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, and West Nile Virus.

Before May 2015, Zika virus had occurred only in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. But the virus has spread rapidly and has now been contracted in 13 countries or territories in the Americas. In Brazil, where over a million cases of Zika have occurred,  the virus has been linked to 3,000 babies born with brain damage known as microcephaly.  Ominously, new research now suggests Zika virus can now be sexually transmitted from a patient bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus to a partner.

East County News Service

January 1, 2016 (San Diego's East County)--“What could be better than the Rose Parade? How about a parade of storms!” The National Weather Service website in San Diego states on New Year’s morning. Starting late Sunday, the first in a series of storms will move in, bringing light rain across Southern California, with the heaviest rainfall forecast for southern San Diego County.  More storms will bring additional rain throughout the week, with heavy downpours  at times.  Snow is forecast for 4,500 feet elevation and higher.

Watch for blowing snow and dust in the mountain and desert areas.

By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2015 (San Diego) –California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ office may file criminal charges against Michael Peevey,  former president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), over back-room dealings concerning a settlement deal over the shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear facility.

A sworn affidavit by Specia Agent Reye Diaz with the Attorney General’s office in late September and recently unsealed reveals  that Diaz found “probable cause to believe” that Peevey and Southern California Edison vice president Stephen Pickett  “conspired to obstruct justice” by knowingly engaging in illegal private communications to craft a shut-down deal advantageous to Edison, but  disadvantageous to other interested parties.

By  Kiki Skagen Munshi

December 30, 2015 (Julian)--The Hoskings Ranch development will be discussed with staff from the Country Planning Commission and the developers at the Julian Town Hall on January 12, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.  The public is encouraged to attend.

Development plans for the Hoskings Ranch, which extends south and west from the junction of Pine Hills Road and Highways 78/79, include 24 lots each of which may have up to two houses and various other buildings and facilities.  Local residents are concerned about the impact of this upscale subdivision on water resources, local roads, and the rural character of the area.  Plans were originally scheduled to be presented to the Planning Commission for approval on December 11, 2015, but the hearing was postponed to February 5 to allow time for the public to review the planning documents.

By Miriam Raftery

Steele Canyon High School’s Assistant Principal, Paul Battle, risked his life to save a young woman who was ejected from a vehicle onto Interstate 8 in Alpine.  The woman, Natali Kestenian, calls Battle her “guardian angel.”

East County News Service

December 27, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A diverse group of people and organizations topped our headlines this year.  Some made a positive difference in our communities. Others sparked controversy.  Still others have been fighting for changes in our East County region.

These are our top newsmakers of the year in categories that include animal protection, business, the Chaldean community, education, elected officials and candidates, the environment, health, land use controversies, law enforcement, music, Native Americans, philanthropy, and watchdogs of democracy.

East County News Service

File photo: Snow in Cuyamacas by Grace Schleiser

December 28, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A winter storm is bringing snow, ice and fog to our mountain regions.

Chains are required due to icy/snowy conditions on the Julian-Sunrise Highway from State Route 79 to Old Highway 80, according to the County Department of Public Works. Caltrans reports icy conditions on I-8 at Mountain Pass as well as on State Route 76 at Palomar Mountain.

The Laguna Mountain Lodge reports on its Facebook page that snow is falling on Mt.Laguna.  Residents across East County report snow in the Lake Cuyamaca area, an iced over pond in Descanso and cold conditions across our inland region.

East County News Service

December 28, 2015 (Bonita) - Vanessa DeLaCruz, a preschool teacher, died inside a burned home in Bonita that is owned by former Assemblywoman Shirley Horton.  Four other people were taken to UCSD Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

East County News Service

December 28, 2015 (Alpine) — Response time is critical during medical emergencies — and for residents in rural areas of East County, that response time has now been improved,  thanks to an air ambulance  stationed at the Viejas Indian reservation in Alpine.

East County News Service

December 28, 2015 (Santee) — A 66-year-old San Diego man has died after driving a black Mercedes Benz the wrong way on State Route 52.  At 12:58 a.m., while approaching Oak Canyon west of Mast Blvd., the Mercedes drove off the road and plunged down into the ravine.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: A private detention facility run by Corrections Corporation of America at Otay Mesa for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

December 26, 2015 (San Diego) – The University of California has divested over $25 million of its holdings in private prison corporations, in response to a resolution by the Afrikans Black Coalition, a student advocacy group.

“The goals of the private prison industry are to profit from the incarceration, labor and rehabilitative treatment of black and immigrant lives,” said Kamilah Moore, organizer with the coalition.  In an e-mail statement, she added  that by selling the shares, the UC system has sent a message that it is “against human rights abuses,” the Daily Bruin reports.

The rise of private prisons in modern times began in 1984 and has mushroomed since then. According to the U.S. Justice Department, by 2013, private prisons were housing 19.1% of all federal prisoners and 6.8% of state prisoners, reaping billions of dollars in revenues.  Private prison corporations also operate immigrant detention facilities, with over 23,000 immigrants currently behind bars. But serious questions have been raised about both racial injustice and failure to live up to promised cost savings.

By Miriam Raftery

December 24, 2015 (Poway) – Sheriff’s deputies responded to an accidental shooting shortly after noon today at the Poway Weapons and Gear shooting range in Poway.