By Miriam Raftery

November 29, 2014 (San Diego)--The holiday shopping is here, and the County wants to remind consumers to double-check receipts  and make sure you’re not getting overcharged by faulty cash register price scanners.

By Miriam Raftery

November 27, 2014 (Alpine) - Phevos will soon be the newest tiger to call Lions, Tigers and Bears home.  The Alpine rescue facility has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a permit to import the tiger, who was suffering in abusive conditions in a foreign zoo.

By Miriam Raftery

November 26, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A strong Pacific storm may bring significant precipitation to the entire state early next week, Mark Moede, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in San Diego, predicts. A strong probability of rain is forecast here between November 30^th and December 4^th.

U.S. Bee Buffer Project is Providing Bee Forage Kits to California Land Owners

November 27, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--The U.S. Bee Buffer Project, a Pollinator Partnership (P2) initiative, is immediately seeking 300 farmers, ranchers and foresters in California to set aside small plots of land as bee buffer zones. The soon-to-be-established honey bee forage supports pollination-reliant crops, which represents one-third of the food we eat.

East County News Service

November 27, 2014 (San Diego) – Demonstrators in City Heights Tuesday night placed a sign over a memorial to slain San Diego Police officer Jeremy Henwood, making it read “Michael Brown Memorial Park.”  The action was part of a protest over a jury verdict not to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot an African-American teen in Ferguson, Missouri.

Henwood was shot and killed in his police car after pulling over to assist a vehicle that had flashed its lights on August 7, 2011.  A white beat officer in City Heights, one of his final actions caught on camera was giving a cookie to a young African-American boy at a nearby McDonalds.  By numerous accounts, he was an officer who was respected in the community he patrolled.

The San Diego Police Officers Association has issued a statement after the incident:

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2014 (San Diego) – For years, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has ranked highest in the nation—or nearly so--for the most expensive utility rates in America.  The annual survey is conducted by Jacksonville Electric Authority.

But now SDG&E has stopped providing its data to Jacksonville in 2013, after the company received bad publicity for its high rates.  So San Diegans no longer know where our city ranks in utility rates.

East County Magazine asked SDG&E why it stopped participating in the survey. Stephanie Donovan, senior communications manager for SDG&E, sent this response:

Photo courtesy Times of San Diego

Update November 26, 2014:  Two protests were held last night in San Diego. A downtown rally was peaceful, but protesters in City Heights engaged in civil disobedience blocking a bridge; some bottles were hurled at police officers, UT San Diego report.  In Washington, President Obama called for calm after the jury verdict, but voiced concerns over the racial divide and mistrust of police, adding that despite strides made in civil rights, America still has a long way to go.

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2014 (San Diego)—A Grand Jury in Ferguson, Missouri announced Monday night that there will be no indictments against police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teenager.  Jurors heard conflicting testimony from witnesses including some who said Wilson shot Brown when his hands were up as if to surrender, but others described Brown as confrontational and one witness claimed Brown charged at Officer Wilson, head down.

The verdict has prompted protests in cities across the nation.  California Campaign to End Police Terror has announced demonstrations statewide including a protest planned Monday night, November 25^th at 6 p.m. at the City Heights library, located at 3795 Fairmount Avenue in San Diego.

November 22, 2014 (Dulzura) – If you’re waiting on a UPS package, you might be out of luck.  A UPS delivery van filled with parcels caught fire and was destroyed Wednesday in Dulzura.

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2014 (Washington D.C.)—A two-year investigation by the Republican-controlled House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has resulted in publication of a report   on November 21^st. That report concludes that accusations made by Republican leaders over terrorist attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya are untrue.  The committee found no wrongdoing by any administration officials, and it concluded  that the CIA  and U.S. military acted appropriately before, during and after the Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans.

The following bullet points are direct quotes from the committee’s conclusions:

By Leon Thompson and Miriam Raftery

President Barack Obama last night announced immigration reforms, just as       Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before him took unilateral actions to  expand  protections for immigrants after Congress failed to act. 

President Obama 's plan will offer temporary relief from deportation to the parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for more than five years, work and pay taxes. He will also extend a program that already allows undocumented migrants brought here as children to stay in the country.  The reforms are temporary, however, and could be undone by a future President and Congress.

Besides offering protections for a limited number of immigrants already in the U.S., the President also announced plans to strengthen enforcement at the border and prioritize enforcement resources to focus on deporting criminals who have convicted felonies, not families or working parents of U.S. citizens.

By Miriam Raftery

November 18, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)—Last week, President Barack Obama announced that he is sending an additional 1,500 U.S. troops to Iraq to train and advise Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the region, doubling the current number of troops deployed there. The President will also ask Congress for an addition $5.6 billion to help fight the terrorist group ISIL (also known as ISIS), or the Islamic State.

By Miriam Raftery

Satellite: Photo: Strip mining of Athabasca oil sands, courtesy NASA

November 18, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – By a single vote, the Senate blocked passage of a measure to authorize building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.  The measure previously passed the House of Representatives 252-161.

But with Republicans taking control of the Senate in January, Senate Majority Leader-elect Mitch McConnell vowed to bring the matter up again soon after the new Congress convenes. Even if passed, however, the measure could face a veto by President Barack Obama.

California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer opposed the XL Pipeline, calling it the “Extra Lethal Pipeline.” She cited health risks from chemicals that can cause lung damage as well as serious environmental concerns.  "The facts are the facts are the facts," she said. "If you're not a scientist then be humble and listen to the peer-reviewed scientists.”