December 2, 2010 (Spring Valley) -- San Miguel Firefighters responded in force to a multi-casualty accident which injured a driver and three Mount Miguel High School students who were walking home from school just after 3 p.m. today.  A section of Sweetwater Road was shut down, allowing Mercy Air to transport the most seriously injured student, according to Leonard Villareal, spokesman for San Miguel Fire.

Governor issues emergency declaration; County provides health advice

December 2, 2010 (Escondido)--Sheriff’s officials, Sheriff’s Bomb/Arson Unit, Escondido Police and Fire, CHP and CALTRANS met today to discuss evacuation and traffic control plans prior to burning a home containing the largest stash of home-made explosives ever found in the U.S. 

The Governor has declared San Diego County an emergency zone, meaning that environmental restrictions are waived. Some residents will be evacuated for the burn, while others are advised to shelter in place. However people with asthma or other respiratory conditions are advised to leave shelter-in-place areas during the burn. If ashes fall on your property, do not handle the ashes. Wash fruits and vegetables from your garden and do not allow children to play in ashes. Follow the health tips and cleanup instructions recommended by the county.    

“If he did make it out of there, someone must have seen him or knows what happened to him, and we need them to call and tell us.” - Sgt. Don Parker, San Diego Sheriff Department

By Caleb Trainer
 

December 1, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) --The blue Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 16-year-old Mickey James Guidry was found abandoned in the Anza Borrego desert two days after Thanksgiving. That was Thanksgiving a year ago. No one has reported seeing him since.

County declared disaster area; top disaster official seeks state disaster declaration--a move that would waive environmental laws

By Miriam Raftery
November 30, 2010 (Escondido) – An Escondido home described by a prosecutor as a “bomb factory” will be burned down to destroy the largest cache of homemade explosives ever found on U.S. soil. Protective barriers will first be erected around the property at 1954 Via Scott.

November 30, 2010 (Lemon Grove) – A fire reported shortly after 4 a.m. in the 2000 block of Massachusetts Avenue in Lemon Grove caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to a garage and its contents. . After attempting to douse the blaze with a fire extinguisher, the resident alerted other family members, who evacuated safely.

November 29, 2010 (Spring Valley) – A mother with two children smelled smoke and discovered her bed on fire this morning. Fortunately, the family as well as two guests all evacuated safely from the duplex apartment, located in the 3100 block of Bernis Court in Spring Valley.

November 29, 2010 (El Cajon)--Nominations are now open for the selection of El Cajon's 2010 Citizen of the Year. The City invites all of El Cajon's civic, service and fraternal organizations to nominate a candidate. Nominees will be honored at the Citizen of the Year luncheon to be held on February 14, 2011 at the Community Center.

November 27, 2010 (Lakeside) – Lakeside Fire Protection District received a report of a paraglider that had experienced a rough landing at the Blossom Valley Glider Port, resulting in injuries to the pilot. A rescue response was dispatched, including one structural engine, one rescue unit , an ALS ambulance, and Battalion Chief Lawler.

November 26, 2010 (El Cajon)--Late Tuesday night, just before 11:00 p.m., Heartland Fire Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call of a fire at the Lexington East Apartments in the 200 block of Jamacha Road in El Cajon. Firefighters from Heartland Fire & Rescue arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the open front door of one of the apartment units.

By Miriam Raftery

November 26, 2010 (San Diego, California) – As temperatures hit record cold Thanksgiving night, San Diego’s homeless still had no winter shelter.

“People are literally freezing out there,” said Bob McElroy, director of the Alpha Project, which helps San Diego’s homeless and mentally ill get off the streets.

Council first considered a shelter in the East Village area, to serve homeless people countywide. (East County has no winter shelter.) Then in October, Council voted to open Golden Hall as a temporary winter shelter—but reneged on that pledge the day after the election, voting to shift the shelter to Barrio Logan instead. But yesterday, workers were still assembling beds—leaving the homeless outside in a bitter cold that dipped below freezing.

November 25, 2010 (El Cajon) – Alex Gilliam, Jr., 53, was struck and killed Tuesday evening by a westbound car while crossing the 500 block of East Chase Avenue in El Cajon on his motorized scooter.

By Tanya Huang

November 23, 2010 (San Diego) — San Diego State students, faculty and staff were blocked from areas around the trolley station for almost three hours while the San Diego State University (SDSU) Police Department investigated an undisclosed, suspicious package which was later deemed nonthreatening.

November 22, 2010 (San Diego)-- Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego officially opened today by providing its first burials of veterans and family members at the new facility.

Military honors at the opening ceremony included a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.” Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Steve Muro gave remarks and was joined by VA and local officials in the interment of cremated remains. Casket burial options will be available in early 2011.

November 22, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -Construction crews from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have day and night work scheduled for State Route 67 (SR-67) on Tuesday. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. crews will close the southbound on-ramp at Magnolia Avenue. The northbound Bradley Avenue on-ramp and Prospect Avenue off-ramp will close along with the southbound Magnolia on-ramp.Then at 9 p.m. all lanes of State Route 67 between Prospect and Woodside Avenues will close.

November 21, 2010 (San Diego) – Angela Dawn Mendez, 33, died in a pre-dawn 4:45 a.m. yesterday morning on I-15 south of State Route 76 in Fallbrook. She was the driver and sole occupant of a 2004 Range Rover Discovery that veered off the highway, rolled down an embankment several times, and landed on its roof on a service road below.