May 28, 2010 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council voted Tuesday to approve using grant money to upgrade lighting at recreation centers, City Hall, a fire station, and along maor city streets. The stimulus funds is from the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which awarded El $881,100 for the upgrade of City equipment and facilities.

UTILITY ALSO PRESENTS ITS ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN FOR OUR REGION AT ECEDC COMMUNITY LEADERS SPOTLIGHT

May 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has announced that the company will bring the world’s largest heavy-lifting helicopter in the world to our region to construct Sunrise Powerlink, which SDG&E hopes to begin constructing this summer. “It can also be used for firefighting—and it can bring up to 2,500 gallons of water,” said Michael R. Niggli, president and chief operating officer of SDG&E. By contrast, the largest firefighting helicopter previously in San Diego had a capacity of 300 gallons, he said.

Niggli made the remarks during the East County Economic Development Council’s Community Leaders Spotlight at Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego yesterday.  The company's executives also presented business and education leaders with its plans for economic revitalization and sustainable energy that SDG&E indicated will benefit East  County. 

Times have changed since La Mesa became a city in 1912--the year the Titanic sunk, Teddy Roosevelt ran as a Bull Moose, and silent movies were the hot pop culture crazes.

May 24, 2010 (La Mesa) – The jewel of the hills will be a century old in 2012—and city leaders are gearing up to celebrate La Mesa’s history and culture through exhibits, education venues, institutional presentations and community events. (Get ready to party hearty!)

How much do you know about La Mesa's history and how times have changed in the past 100 years?

May 23, 2010 (Escondido) -- Wesley Askins III, 29, was walking across Center City Parkway near Brotherton Road in Escondido with friends Friday night when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle. 

Paramedics confirmed death at the scene, the County Medical Examiner reports.  Askins, who was single, resided in San Diego. 

May 23, 2010 (Borrego Springs) – A 24-year-old San Diego man was killed Friday night while riding off-road motorcycles with a friend in the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreation Area. The victim lost control of his motorcycle and was ejected at Shell Reef Expressway at Fault Wash in Borrego Springs.

May 22, 2010 (Lakeside) -- Robert David Becker, 35, died yesterday morning in a motorcycle accident on the Yuima Indian Reservation on State Route 76 near Rincon.  According to the North County Times, Becker was riding with a group of motorcyclists when he rounded a curve and hit motorcycles stopped ahead of him. He fell into traffic and was run over by a pickup truck.

Swarm may be Africanized “killer” bees

May 21, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A 68-year-old man has been attacked by bees in the 500 block of Tecate Road. According to Cal-Fire firefighters at the scene, the aggressive swarm may be Africanized bees.

May 20, 2010 (Tierrasanta) – A 24-year-old active duty Navy enlisted man barricaded himself inside his garage yesterday at 4783 Gurke Street in Tierrasanta and committed suicide. San Diego Police SWAT team was summoned after the man, who had access to a handgun and rifle, told his wife he planned to kill himself. Neighbors were evacuated and emergency negotiators attempted unsuccessfully to communicate with the distraught man.

May 18, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- An earthquake centered 12 miles southeast of Ocotilllo in Imperial County was felt throughout San Diego's East County and the region.

The quake hit around 5:39 this evening and was first reported as a 5.1 magnitude, however the U.S. Geological Service later downgraded it to a 4.5. 

No damage has been reported. The quake is likely an aftershock from the powerful 7.2 earthquake centered in Mexico on Easter Sunday.

May 17, 2010 (Blossom Valley) – A woman, 44, became trapped after a vehicle struck a tree and caught fire on Blossom Valley Road near Red Pony around 6:10 p.m. this evening.

The roadway was shut down in both directions while rescuers extricated the woman, who was airlifted via Mercy Air to a trauma unit at Sharp Hospital, according to California Highway Patrol.

California is the Only Top Ten Producing State Without a Tax
Texas Taxes = $14.33/barrel; California only gets $4.22/barrel

May 17,2010 (Sacramento) – Last week, as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released an updated California Budget with massive cuts in services, Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) called on the Governor to support his  Assembly Bill 1604, the Oil Industry Fair Share Act. The bill would create an 10 percent oil severance tax on each barrel of oil produced in California and generate over $1.5 billion in revenues to fund public safety, education, human services, and other vital programs.

“At a time when classrooms are becoming more crowded, when more and more people are losing their health insurance due to unemployment, and numerous programs affecting seniors, and the disabled are facing increased cuts, we cannot allow the oil industry to get a free ride in California,” said Nava, who is also a candidate for Attorney General. “These resources belong to the people of California and therefore should be used for the benefit of all our hardworking families.”

May 16, 2010 (Washington, D.C). – U.S. Congressman Bob Filner has announced that San Diego and Imperial Counties will get more than $8.7 million for security preparedness. In San Diego, funds include protection of ports and public transit.

“It takes constant vigilance to be prepared and keep our country safe,” said Filner. “This money will go to keeping our critical infrastructure safe from terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies.”

Update May 20: Supervisors approved the Fuerte Ranch Estates project.
 

May 14, 2010 (Mt. Helix) – County Supervisors will vote Wednesday on whether or not to approve Reynolds Communities proposed Fuerte Ranch Estates development on the site of a former chicken ranch. Reynolds has scaled back initial plans from 76 to 36 homes on the 27-acre parcel adjacent to Damon Lane County Park at Fuerte Drive and Damon Lane.

The plan has ruffled feathers among many area residents, also raising hackles of East County planners.

Local stores pitch in to help with hair-raising project to make oil-soaking mats and booms

May 11, 2010 (Sacramento) – The Senate Education Committee has passed SB 1290 by a unanimous vote. The measure, authored by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), would allow self-defense training for middle and high school districts to provide self-defense training for boys and girls as part of the standard physical education curriculum.