By Roger Coppock



October 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) Everybody has heard of global warming. There is at least one article in the news every day. Scientists who study and write about global warming have reasons to say our Earth's near surface is on average warming.  All their instruments are in agreement. During most of the last couple of hundred years things have gotten hotter.

October 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Alcarion, 28, has suffered major injuries in a motorcycle accident this morning.

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – Wedding bells will soon be ringing for same-sex couples in many more states, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied hearings on all appeals pending.

American Civil Liberties Union attorney James Esseks called the decision “a watershed moment for the entire country.”

The high court refused to hear appeals of same-sex marriage rulings in five states where appellate courts ruled that bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional.  However,the decision is expected to expand same-sex marriage rights to a total of 11 states that are all under jurisdiction of the federal appeals courts that ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.  Add those to the number of states where same-sex marriage already is legal, including California, and the U.S. will likely soon have 30 states—a majority--where same-sex marriage is protected.

Community Update: Missing person at risk found safe – East County

October 5, 2014 (Santee) – A missing person at risk from Santee has been found safe. 27-year-old Jennifer Klos was located in El Cajon around 6:15 p.m. She was not hurt, but was taken to a local hospital where she was treated for mild dehydration. Klos has now been reunited with her family.

October 5, 2014 (Julian)-- Sheriff's Search and Rescue has been activated in an effort to find a 75-year old woman with Alzheimer's who walked away from a campground in Julian.

Sally Estabrook was last seen Saturday, October 4th, around 4:00 p.m. at the Pinezanita RV Park & Campgrounds in the 4400 block of Highway 79. When Estabrook's husband finished taking a shower, he noticed she was gone.

East County News Service

September 30, 2014 (Sacramento) – Today, Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. signed into law over a dozen bills to strengthen privacy and consumer protections.

SB 828 aims to protect consumers from warrantless electronic spying on e-mails and phone calls. It prohibits any state agency from assisting the federal government in collection of personal electronically stored data, with certain circumstances.

East County News Service

September 30, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - The Forest Service will host a public meeting on SDG&E’s proposed power line replacement projects and how those may impact Cleveland National Forest. The meeting will be on Wednesday, October 1^st in the Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Boulevard in Alpine, from 5 to 7pm.

New simulations show 10-story project viewed from downtown village and neighboring streets, obscuring and dominating views. To view them, click here

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, top left:  High-rise viewed from La Mesa Village intersection by Por Favor

September 29, 2014 (La Mesa) – On October 1^st, a revamped version of the Park Station high rise project will be presented at the La Mesa Planning Commission at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

September 29, 2014 (San Diego)--The National Weather Service warns that an upper-level high pressure system is building over the San Diego, raising temperatures through next weekend. Highs will rise to near normal by Tuesday, then another 5 to 15 degrees above normal by the weekend with Saturday forecast to be the warmest day .

East County News Service

September 24, 2014 (San Diego)—Residents in El Cajon and City Heights have been approached by representatives of a company called “Spark Energy” claiming to be selling a discount natural gas service plan.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: U.S. Department of Defense

September 23, 2014 (Washington D.C.)—The U.S. Constitution states that Congress has the power to declare war.  Yet Congress has not provided such declaration to presidents for any war since World War II, back in the 1940s.  That puts presidents in the hot seat when confronting threats including those from terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and now, ISIL, or the Islamic State.

Photo: Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, right, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel testify before Senate Armed Services Committee on the threat from ISIL

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2014 (Washington D.C.)--U.S. military & partner nation forces have begun striking ISIL targets in Syria using mix of fighters, bombers and Tomahawk missiles, Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon Press Secretary, confirmed Monday evening.  The U.S. has previously led over 150 air strikes in Iraq, before joining with allies to expand the assault on ISIL, or Islamic State, forces into Syria.

Residents of Raqqa, the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed capital, have reported attacks on the city on social media sites.  An estimated two-thirds of ISIL forces are located in Syria.

Two-thirds of Republicans would support sending ground troops, but 71% of Democrats would oppose risking soldiers on the ground

Photo: Raptors carry out air strikes in Syria; courtesy U.S. Air Force

September 23, 2014 (Washington D.C.)--A new poll by CBS news and the New York Times has found that Americans overwhelmingly support U.S. airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria.

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2014 (San Diego)--Recently, we reported on the San Diego Unified School District’s decision to return an armored vehicle it received through the Department of Defense’s Excess Property Program.  Now it seems that may be the start of a trend.

Listen to our radio show Monday on KNSJ 89. 1 FM at 5 p.m. to hear our audio report on Project Wildlife’s event.

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2014 (Lakeside) – At Project Wildlife’s “We Like It Wild” event in Lakeside last week, guests had up close and personal encounters with exotic and local wildlife at the Pillsbury Ranch owned by Joan Embery, the San Diego Zoo’s ambassador.  They also heard a special announcement from the Project Wildlife’s executive director Beth Ugoretz, who said Project Wildlife plans to merge by November 1^st with the San Diego Humane Society.

Gary Weitzman, president of the San Diego Human Society and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, emphasized that goal is to keep Project Wildlife “strong” and leverage the strengths of both organizations.  Project Wildlife’s focus on rescuing and rehabilitating local wildlife will continue, and the need is great, since the drought, wildfires and development have put increasing stress on local animals from birds and reptiles to larger animals such as raccoons and coyotes.