October 9, 2013 (Julian ) –Amid cold, stormy conditions, a ground search is being conducted by Sheriff’s Search and Rescue in the Julian area for a Piper Mooney plane.   The small plane took off from Palm Springs for El Cajon’s Gillespie Field, but never arrived.

“They’re starting a ground search up in the Julian command area,” Lieutenant Dave Schaller with the Sheriff’s office told ECM tonight.  “We’re unable to get ASTREA up in the air due to the weather.” Lighting has knocked the webcam atop Volcan Mountain offline and snow is forecast to dip down to around 5,500 feet tonight.  Volcan Mountain is 5,350 feet.

By Miriam Raftery

October 8, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reveals that attacks on the  power grid have occurred, the Arkansas Times reported on October 7.  The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to arrest of those responsible for these crimes.

The attacks included setting fire to a substation, rigging a cable in an attempt to cause a train to take down power lines, cutting down power poles, and downing a high voltage transmission line.  A warning painted on a control panel read, “You should have expected U.S.”

National security experts have long voiced concerns over a terrorist cyber-attack on the power grid. But the attacks  in August and September in Arkansas were of the low-tech variety, yet capable of major disruption. 

Update October 8, 2013 - Johnny Singleton has been found in the 600 block of Main Street and is now home with family, according to a Sheriff's tweet thanking community members for tips.

October 6, 2013 (El Cajon) – A search is underway  to find  64-year-old Johnny Singleton. He walked away from his home in the 200 block of Hart Drive in the unincorporated area of El Cajon around 2:00 p.m. today.  He has medical issues which put him at risk. He might be trying to find his way back to his old neighborhood in the City of San Diego at 30th Street and Imperial Avenue.

Johnny was last seen wearing a light grey polo shirt with horizontal stripes, blue jeans, white and blue Nike shoes and a ball cap. He has a goatee and short grey hair. He does not drive a car. He likes football, Pepsi and tacos.

October 5, 2013 (San Diego) – A proposal by Supervisor Dianne Jacob to encourage beekeeping will be heard by the County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, October 9.  Find meeting details here.

European honey bees have an important role in the $5.1 billion agriculture industry in San Diego County. Currently, crops pollinated by bees account for approximately one-third of food eaten. There has been a sharp decline in the bee populations throughout California, prompting municipalities and beekeeping organizations to step-up efforts to promote safe beekeeping in both urban and rural areas.

October 5, 2013 (San Diego) -- Construction crews working on State Route 52  will close lanes and ramps starting tonight, announced Caltrans.   The work is part of an ongoing project to repair dips in pavement and is expected to be completed by late winter. Closures are as follows:

• Saturday-Sunday: all lanes on eastbound SR-52 will be closed for pavement work from Convoy Street to Kearny Villa Road from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday. 
• Tuesday and Wednesday nights: eastbound and westbound Convoy Street on-/off-ramps will be closed for pavement work from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning.
• Thursday: all lanes on westbound SR-52 will be closed for striping from Kearny Villa Road to Convoy Street from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday.

By Nadin Abbott

October 3, 2013 (San Diego) Early this morning MCAS Miramar announced that this year’s show, slated to start tomorrow, has been cancelled due to the federal government shut-down. Colonel John P. Farnam told reporters that "The timing couldn't be worse, but it is what it is."

Those who bought special access passes will be reimbursed, as well as exhibitors.

So if you were planning to attend what was an already scaled down show due to the sequester, now with the shutdown the show will not go on. Proceeds from this show usually go into supporting military families, but that money will not be there this year.

By Miriam Raftery

Since Congress failed to pass a spending bill by the September 30^th deadline, funding stops for many government services.  This occurred because House Republicans are refusing to approve any spending bill to keep the government operating unless it includes taking all funding away from federal healthcare reforms.  Democrats control the Senate, which has refused to approve such a measure and President Obama has said he would veto it even if the Senate passed it.

So how might this impact you or your family?

But feds still outlaw cultivation of hemp, leaving farmers in legal limbo

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2013 (Sacramento) – Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act,Senate Bill 566.  The measure authorizes growing of hemp for industrial purposes—but only varieties that don’t contain substantial levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical in hemp’s close relative, marijuana.  

By Janis Mork



September 30, 2013 (City Heights) - On the weekend of the 21st, some 30 would-be urban farmers flocked to hear Farmer Bill Tall from City Heights Farmers Nursery offer advice on how to raise chickens.  San Diego, along with several other jurisdictions locally, recently legalized backyard ownership of hens – though not roosters.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Tall led off with tips on keeping eggs.

“You don’t have to refrigerate them as long as you don’t wash them,” he said.  He advised storing washed eggs in a separate container from foods.

When a woman wanted to know why stores refrigerate the eggs, Tall answered, “Because they wash them,” then added that eggs do last longer in the refrigerator.

By Miriam Raftery

September 29, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--Following our recent  special report, we’ve received some good news for East County veterans.   Our  investigation into County Veterans’ Services found that rural veterans were not getting their fair share of services. 

After our story aired on KNSJ radio last week, Supervisor Jacob’s office contacted us.   A staffer informed us that Supervisor Jacob held a meeting last week with County Veterans Service and asked for more equitable staffing.  The staffer informed East County Magazine that Supervisor Jacob plans to introduce a measure before the Supervisors that would bring  County Veterans Service representatives to County libraries throughout our region – including the most rural areas.

September 27, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has coordinated with local organizations and volunteers nationwide in a call for photographs and back stories of Vietnam War veterans listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. for display at The Educational Center at The Wall.

In 2003, legislation passed that authorized the construction of the Educational Center at The Wall by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Plans for the exhibitions at the center include the display of pictures and stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, some of the 400,000 items left at The Wall and a celebration of service member values in all wars.

By Miriam Raftery

September 24, 2013 (Sacramento) – Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law AB 1371, which requires drivers of motor vehicles to allow at least three feet when passing a bicycle on a highway traveling in the same direction, under most circumstances.

An exception is made if a driver is unable to allow three feet due to traffic or roadway conditions, such as a very narrow road, bad weather, poor visibility, or road surface conditions.   In such cases, the driver must slow down to a speed that is “reasonable and prudent” and may pass only when doing so would not endanger the safety of the bicyclist.

September 19, 2013 (El Cajon ) – Four children and two adults are staying with family members temporarily after an attic fire damaged their two-story home at 930 Prescott Avenue in El Cajon this afternoon. 

Quick action by fire crews from Heartland Fire & Rescue in El Cajon and La Mesa, along with firefighters from Cal Fire, kept the fire from reaching neighboring homes.  Heartland Fire reports the fire was knocked down in less than 20 minutes.   The damage was mostly to the attic and roof area.

By Nadin Abbott

September 17, 2013 (San Diego)—The San Diego City Council voted 7-0 to approve the controversial Castlerock housing project on the border of Santee and San Diego. The resolution proposed by Council Member Scott Sherman (District 7) and Council Member David Alvarez (District 8) reads in part, “approve the Staff’s recommendation (Annexation being the preferred scenario).”

It is clear that San Diego would prefer the project to go to Santee.  One key reason is fire response, which San Diego Fire Department cannot do in a timely manner, due to the location of the nearest fire stations and how busy Santee roads can be at rush hour.  With annexation, Santee will have jurisdiction to dispatch fire engines and other emergency services.

"In short, the parties  seeking rehearing have made one last ditch effort to obfuscate the facts of this case in the minds of the Commission’s decision makers by throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if they can get anything to stick. Instead, all they’ve managed to do is make a big mess,  which others are obligated to clean up.” -- Jonathan Knapp, CPUC attorney

By Miriam RAftery

September 12, 2013 (Live Oak Springs) – In May, we reported that the California Public Utilities Commission called for takeover of the Live Oak Springs Water Company and a million dollar fine for putting public health at risk. The CPUC  iin May, asked the Superior Court to appoint a receiver to operate the water company and  takeover the property, including the bankrupt Live Oak Springs Resort , where cabins and a restaurant remain closed. http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/13272

Live Oak Springs filed for a rehearing, claiming “wrongful and malicious” wrongdoing on the part of the CPUC and suggestion a conspiracy with the CPUC and county officials. Now CPUC attorney Jonathan Knapp with the Division of Water and Audits  has issued  a scathing response following the CPUC investigation:   http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M076/K841/76841425.PDF