By Miriam Raftery

January 5, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—Governor Brown has signed 930 bills into law, covering a broad spectrum of issues.  These range from laws to protect consumer rights and privacy to laws that affect gun owners, immigrants, senior care facilities, renters and condo owners, youth sports, students, prisoners, dog owners, parents, business owners, and many others.

East County News Service

January 6, 2015 (San Diego) -- In an effort to protect newborn babies from being abandoned in unsafe places or facing an even worse fate, California has a Safe Surrender Law.  Parents can bring their infant, up to three days old, to any fire station or hospital in California, as well as other designated sites. Parents are protected against prosecution as long as the child has no signs of abuse.

By Roger Coppock



January 4, 2015 (San Dego's East County) -- NASA is launching a microwave instrument to measure soil moisture. Details at https://smap.jpl.nasa.gov and http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov/webcam/webcam.html.

By Miriam Raftery

January 3, 2015 (Sacramento)—“I wish everyone bone-appetit,” quipped Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, author of a bill signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown that now makes it legal for restaurants to allow patrons to bring their dogs for dining on outdoor patios, effective January 1^st of this year.

January 2, 2015 (San Diego)--If you are low-income and need a child car seat, the County has one for you.

A total of 1,944 child car seats will be distributed among low-income parents thanks to a $245,500 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The free seats will be given out through September 2015.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: courtesy 10 News

January 2, 2015 (Julian)--This week’s snowstorm transformed much of East County into a winter wonderland.

Nine inches of snow fell in Julian and a full foot blanketed the top of Mount Laguna, with several inches all the way down to Descanso, KNSJ’s home town.

The road to Julian has been ploughed and cleared for travel – but over this holiday weekend, that’s led to traffic jams as snow-loving San Diegans headed to the mountains.

By Miriam Raftery

January 1, 2015 (El Cajon) – New Year’s Eve ended in tragedy for an elderly El Cajon couple. Rosie Mondejar, 80, and her husband, Merlin, were struck by separate vehicles while crossing the street shortly after 8 p.m. in the 300 block of West Washington. Both were transported to a hospital, where Rosie was pronounced dead of serious injuries. Merlin was treated for minor injuries and released.

December 31, 2014 (San Diego)--The old song says, “It never rains in Southern California.”

But when we do get rain or snow, like this week’s storm has brought, driving can be an adventure.

To make sure it doesn’t become a mis-adventure, here are some handy driving tips from San Diego County’s Department of Public Works , or  DPW,  that will help make your rainy drive safer.

By Miriam Raftery

December 31, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A thick blanket of snow has fallen across much of  San Diego’s inland region, transforming the terrain into a winter wonderland this New Year’s Eve. Lindy Klengler sent photos taken at her Hidden Meadows home in Escondido at just 1700 feet elevation, showing snow around her swimming pool and atop palm trees. “Been here 22 years and never had this happen,” she says.

Melody Munoz and Donna Tisdale sent photos from Boulevard, where three to four inches of snow fell overnight and the temperature on New Year’s morning is a chilly 21 degrees. Snow has also blanketed Descanso and coated landmarks in Jacumba.

Julian received 9 inches of snow and on Mt. Palomar, 12 inches—a foot—has fallen, according to the National Weather Service.  ECM  news partner 10 News observes that level “beats Big Bear!”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Updated December 30, 2014

December 29, 2014 (San Diego)--The USS Sampson, a Navy ship homeported in San Diego, has joined the recovery effort for the AirAsia Flight 8501, the Pentagon has announced.  The flight went missing Sunday and  crashed into the Java Sea off Indonesia with 162 passengers and crew on board. Debris and bodies found are confirmed to be from the ill-fated flight.

Photo Credit: Department of Defense

December 28, 2014 (San Diego)--It’s official: the longest war in U.S. history is now over.

On Sunday, the U.S. and NATO held a ceremony at their headquarters in Kabul to mark the end of combat in Afghanistan.

East County News Service

December 28, 2014 (San Diego)--The U.S. State Department has broadened its warning for U.S. citizens regarding risks of traveling to parts of Mexico due to criminal activity that has resulted in deaths of 85 American citizens this year, including some who were innocent bystanders. Kidnappings are also on the rise; 130 American citizens were kidnapped during the first 11 months of this year.

By Leon Thompson

December 27, 2014 (Washington D.C.)--The U.S. Senate passed a measure authorizing the nation’s defense programs and along with it, managed to give lands sacred to Native Americans to a foreign company that owns a uranium mine with Iran.