By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Richard Edwords: Harrowing ride along State Route 94 during Border Fire

September 15, 2016  (San Diego’s East County) – The County’s Border Fire 2016 After Action Report  presents a review on the regional response to the Border Fire that ignores many serious complaints lodged by rural residents in the fire. The report was written entirely by official agencies and  does not include concerns raised by the public, leading rural planning officials,  residents and a community news editor to contend the county whitewashed their concerns.

 The blaze killed two people , destroyed five homes and left countless animals without care in triple-digit heat while residents were refused access  for days after the fire. While residents praise efforts of firefighters who worked valiantly to prevent worse losses, many feel betrayed by officials in the wake of the Border Fire report and other complaints that residents say have yielded little or no meaningful changes.

The report omits entirely any mention of controversies over the deaths of Potrero residents Jim and Kyrie Keefe,  whose bodies were found by community volunteers.  Agencies praised themselves in the report, while omitting criticisms on issues such as lack of  adequate care for animals stranded in triple-digit heat and inadequate evacuation notifications -- in some cases, just yellow caution tape stuck on mailboxes, with no explanation or direct contact with residents in danger after their phone lines, cell towers and Internet service all  went down in communities such as Potrero and Lake Morena.

Hunters urged to be fire-safe; lead ammo now illegal in state forests

East County News Service

September 12, 2016 (Sacramento) – If you’re hiking in California forests, you may want to wear bright colors to make sure you can easily be seen.  Deer hunting season opens Saturday, Sept. 17 in most zones in the state.

East County News Service

Photos:  Dr. Kokernot and his Grossmont letterman’s sweater

September 11, 2016 (El Cajon) — “We’ve lost another wonderful Foothiller,” the Grossmont  High School museum curators wrote in an e-mail announcing the death of Dr. Robert Hutson Kokernot, 94. Dr.Kokernot was a graduate of the class of 1940 and was inducted into the Hall of Honor at Grossmont in 1967.

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2016 (San Diego) – Spraying chemicals to kill Aedes mosquitoes that can transmit Zika virus is being done in communities across the nation where returning travelers have been diagnosed with Zika. But a report in South Carolina of massive bee kills from aerial spraying has raised concerns over how to protect bees from poisoning while also protecting public health from the dangerous Zika virus.

East County News Service

September 7, 2016 (El Cajon) -- A memorial tribute was held Monday night at Grossmont High School to honor the life of Ryan Wilcox, 18, who passed away after a valiant battle against cancer since age 3 and more recently, leukemia.  Ryan’s struggle captured the hearts of people across the community, even drawing Hollywood celebrities to his home in El Cajon.

By Miriam Raftery

Update Sept. 6, 2016 3 p.m.:  Federal Judge James Boasberg in Washington D.C. today issued a temporary restraining order in response to the tribe's emergency request to halt machines destroying recently identified sacred sites: "The Court ORDERS that no construction activity on the DAPL may take place between Highway 1806 and 20 miles to the east of Lake Oahe. Construction activity to the west of Highway 1806 may proceed."

September 6, 2016 (San Diego) – Thousands of Native Americans with support from hundreds of tribes have converged  in  North Dakota, seeking to protect their water,  lands and ancestors’ remains from the Dakota Access Pipeline, also known as the Bakken pipeline. (#NoDAPL) The pipeline would transport oil from fracking from North Dakota to Illinois, passing over major waterways including the Missouri and Mississippi  rivers that are the lifeblood for tribes in several states.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has filed a request for an injunction to halt construction, after discovering sacred artifacts at the site, and a court decision is expected this week. But the pipeline owner, Energy Transfer Partners, defiantly bulldozed a two-mile-long by 150-feet-wide swath over Labor Day weekend, despite having no easement approved yet by the Army Corps of Engineers.

On Saturday,  desperate to halt the devastation until a Judge could weigh in, tribal members marched at the site, with at least one chaining himself to earth-moving equipment.  A private contractor hired by the pipeline owner then attacked the Native Americans with pepper spray and with dogs including pit bulls,  leaving tribal members bloodied and outraged.

East County News Service

Sources for graphs: Graph 1: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update

Graph 2: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update

Note: Regions based on Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts.

September 2, 2016 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline was $2.24/gallon (gal) on August 29, the lowest price on the Monday before Labor Day since 2004, and 27¢/gal lower than the same time last year.

Update: The fire is holding to 10 acres, Cal Fire reports. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left, by Troy

September 1, 2016 (Lyons Valley) –Multiple structures on Skyline Truck Trail in the Lyons Valley area of Jamul are now immediately threatened by a fast-moving brush fire.

The fire began shortly before noon at 3046 Lyons Creek Lane. The fire is threatening multiple structures and currently burning behind the Lyons Valley Trading Post, burning northward.  The fire is 5 to 10 acres with potential for 50 to 100 acres.

CHP has requested closure of Skyline Truck Trail at Lyons Valley and at Lawson Valley.  Vehicles are being turned back to State Route 94.

East County News Service

September 1, 2016 (Lakeside) – The much-anticipated reopening of San Vicente Reservoir is slated for September 22^nd, SDFISH.com reports.  The lake has been closed since September 1, 2008 for construction of the largest dam-raise in the U.S.  SDFISH.com has also set up a discussion forum on San Vicente’s opening here.

Fishing and boating reservations must be made in advance through Ticketron roughly four weeks in advance.  The following information is available on the city of San Diego’s website for San Vicente:

East County News Service

August 30, 2016 (Jamul) — Oak boring beetles have killed thousands of oak trees across East County.  But now there is hope to save them. On October 1^st, the Lyons Valley Trading Post (17608 Lyons Valley Road in Jamul) will host a free workshop under the oak trees. Experts from U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Riverside and Cal Fire will be on hand to share the latest information including treatments that can save your trees.

By Miriam Raftery

August 30, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E has responded to our inquiry asking why it took 16 hours to fully restore power to communities including Potrero and Dulzura.

East County Magazine reported on complaints about a CCA private immigration detention facility in San Diego County back in 2011

By Miriam Raftery

August 29, 2016 (Washington D.C.) – Just one week after the U.S. Justice Department announced plans to phase out its use of 13 private prisons due to reports of serious abuse and ineffectiveness, as ECM reported,  Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson today called for a review to determine if use of private immigration detention facilities should be eliminated. The review should be done by November 30.

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2016 (Anza-Borrego Desert) – A reader of East County Magazine has come forward to say that he saw Mickey James Guidry , then 16, at the site where the Jeep driven by the teen broke down in the Anza-Borrego Desert over Thanksgiving weekend back in November 2009—just before Mickey went missing  The witness says he saw Mickey speaking with a couple who offered him a ride, and showed him a map with possible routes Mickey may have later taken on foot.   

The Jeep Mickey was driving was found 22-miles along Fish Creek Wash, its tire worn down to the rim and bumper torn off. Mickey’s wallet and ID were left in the Jeep. His cell phone was not working.  To this day, nobody knows if he managed to walk out or get a ride and go away voluntarily.

August 25, 2016 (Potrero) --Residents in the  Potrero area /unincorporated San Diego East County are encouraged to use the County’s one-day household hazardous waste collection event Sept. 17 at the Old County Fire Station in Potrero.

Did you know?  Many products used in the home may be hazardous to people, pets or the environment and should not be thrown in the trash or dumped down the sewer or storm drains.  While it is always best to use up your household chemical products, the County of  San Diego’s Department of Environmental Health would like to notify you of a one-day collection event where residents living in the unincorporated county can bring their household chemicals for proper disposal or recycling—for free!

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Federal immigration detention facility in Otay Mesa run by Corrections Corporation of America, a private prison company exposed for abusive actions at other locations investigated

August 21, 2016 (Washington D.C.) — Private, for-profit prisons are more dangerous and less effective than government-run prisons, a new report by the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General concludes.   On August 18th, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates announced that the Justice Dept. will be “reducing—and ultimately ending—our use of privately operated prisons.”