By Miriam Raftery

Updated February 3, 2016 with SoCalGas response.

February 2, 2016 (San Diego)—Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacy today announced filing of four misdemeanor criminal charges against Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) over the leak at its San Aliso underground natural gas facility. The leak has pumped 80,000 metric tons of methane into the air, sickening residents of nearby Porter Ranch and causing thousands to relocate.

 In addition, California Attorney General Kamala Harris today announced a civil suit filed by California against SoCalGas, which provides gas to most southern California counties.  The new suits, along with suits filed by residents, add to the financial toll that SoCalGas and potentially, Sempra ratepayers may ultimately be forced to cover.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy SoCalGas

January 31, 2016 (San Diego) — “The worst environmental disaster in California history is continuing to occur without any investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC),” says Raymond Lutz, founder of Citizens Oversight in El Cajon.  Now, Citizens Oversight has filed a petition along with Consumer Watchdog and Paul E. Hunt, calling on the CPUC to hold an open investigation into the Aliso Canyon/Porter Ranch methane gas leak north of Los Angeles.

East County News Service

January 29, 2016 (San Diego) -- If you are a low-income family or individual, save your money. The County can help you file your taxes completely free—and assist you in receiving federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits that could amount to thousands of dollars in your pocket.

By Mike Allen

January 28, 2016 (El Cajon)--A plan to expand operations at Gillespie Field and develop a 70-acre site once occupied by the El Cajon Speedway was put in a holding pattern because of a lack of federal funding.

Earlier this month, board members from the Gillespie Field Development Council, a five-member board that oversees the county-owned airport, heard that expected federal grant funding to finance the estimated $30 million project wasn’t available.

By Miriam Raftery

January 28, 2016 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Jacumba Solar LLC has cancelled its contract with the Jacumba Community Services District to purchase water for a large-scale solar project..  The project would include over 81,000 solar panels on 304 acres near the SDG&E substation.

“I I think it’s for the best,” Eric Kallen, vice chair of the Jacumba Community Services District, told East County Magazine.

The contract called for Jacumba Solar to pay a $100,000 “gift” on signing with an additional $250,000 lump sum payment due January 15^th.   The District was to provide 40 acre feet of water with an option for Jacumba Solar to purchase 28 additional acre feet if needed for construction, plus three or four acre feet a year long-term for maintenance after the project was built.  The solar projecrt was proposed by Nextera, a Florida-based company.

East County News Service

January 28, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – A significant winter storm is forecast to roll into our region Saturday night and Sunday. Very strong winds up to 80 miles per hour  are possible Sunday afternoon and evening, along with moderate rainfall across much of the county and heavy snow in our mountain areas.

By Sunday night, traces of snow could dip as low as 3500 feet, which could impact I-8 in East County east of Alpine.  Elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 feet, such as Julian, could get 1-3 inches  of snow while up to a foot could fall on Mt. Laguna above 5,000 feet.

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2016 (El Cajon) -- A fifth-wheeler trailer erupted into flames on Terrace Hill Road around 10:30 this morning, sending a plume of black smoke visible across much of the community on the boundary of El Cajon and Lakeside.  The fire briefly threatened a home before firefighters subdued the blaze.

Heartland's El Cajon Fire, Lakeside Fire, San Miguel Fire and Cal Fire responded to the incident.

East County News Service

January 26, 2016 (Ramona) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has withdrawn its plans for an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course at the Golden Eagle Farm in rural Ramona off Highway 78.

Photo: Greg Palast with ECM editor Miriam Raftery

By Miriam Raftery

January 24, 2016 (San Diego) - “I want to report on the theft of the 2016 election before it happens,” famed investigative reporter Greg Palast said at a benefit event for KNSJ radio in La Jolla on January 10^th.  He then proceeded to detail the shocking findings of his latest investigation, which will be the subject of an upcoming film, “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy:  A Tale of Billionaires and Ballot Bandits.”

The heist involves a conspiracy in red states to toss out millions of minority voters by falsely claiming they voted twice. How?  By eliminating  voters with the same or similar names in different states – even if they have different middle names or different Social Security numbers, or tossing out their votes if cast.  Voters are never informed that they’ve been disqualified, or given any chance to correct errors.  The effort, according to Palast’s investigation, is funded by billionaire backers of the Republican party.

The scam targets African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other likely Democratic voters with common names such as “Jose Rodriguez” and “Mohammed Mohammed” said Palast, who brought copies of purged voter lists he obtained.  Despite accusations against millions Americans of alleged double voting, not a single one has been arrested or prosecuted, Palast says.

Photo: David Charles Price   1929 - 2016                            

January 22, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Services will be held Saturday, January 30 in Carlsbad for David C. Price, who passed away January 13 at age 86.

A lifetime San Diego resident, David C. Price was instrumental in the formation and operation of several San Diego area businesses and real estate developments, and was actively involved with various philanthropic ventures benefiting San Diego County. Most recently he lived in Carlsbad and formerly resided on Mt. Helix with his family for over 30 years. He also served for eight years on the Cajon Valley School District board in the 1960s. 

Price was born in San Diego on October 21, 1929.  He was a 1947 graduate of Grossmont High School and graduated from San Diego State University in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. After serving two years in the Army, he worked in the aeronautical industry for 15 years, including serving as General Manager of Advanced Structures in La Mesa, a division of Whittaker Corporation.

Caltrans News Service

January 21, 2016 (San Diego) – Caltrans crews will close the connector ramp from southbound Interstate 805 (I-805) to southbound State Route 163 (SR-163) for the rest of Thursday night from 7:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. the following morning for guardrail repairs.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Contaminated water in Flint, Michagan (Flint Water Disaster on Facebook)

January 20, 2016 (Washington D.C.)—On the heels of the poisoned drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan caused by the state cutting corners to save costs and then covering up the consequences, President Barack Obama vetoed a measure passed by the Republican-controlled Congress that would have killed an Environmental Protection Agency clean water rule that allows the federal government to protect the nation’s waterways and keep them clean. 

San Diego’s Republican Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa voted for weakening clean water protections and shifting responsibility for many waterways back to the states, while Democrats Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas voted against.

In Michigan, Republican Governor Rick Snyder’s administration ordered that the polluted Flint River  be used for drinking water to save money and ignored federal law requiring an anti-corrosion additive that would have cost just $100 a day.  That decision caused lead pipes to corrode, leeching lead into the public’s drinking water. For two years, families have been drinking contaminated water. Now children are suffering irreversible lead poisoning including brain damage. Also, 10 people have died of Legionnaire’s disease believed tied to tainted river water.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2016 (Los Angeles) – Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) announced yesterday that its relief well drilling to stop the massive Aliso Canyon natural gas leak north of Los Angeles is “proceeding ahead of schedule and the company expects to stop the leak by late February, if not sooner.” 

The relief well drilling began December 4^th and must reach a depth of 8,500 feet.  “Once the well is sealed, it will be taken out of service permanently,” a SoCalGas press release states.

In addition, the company announced it has abandoned its earlier proposal for a gas capture system to burn off leaking gas because of safety concerns expressed by its engineers. State regulators had also expressed concerns that the plan could potentially result in a fire.

By Mike Allen

January 18, 2016 (Santee)--Santee’s City Council has voted to amend an earlier ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, adding the explicit prohibition of cultivating and delivering weed within the city.

The city already prohibited the sale of weed dating to 2009, and has never allowed the activity, but a recent slate of regulations adopted by the state and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in October has prompted many cities to pass additional laws ensuring that the cities maintain local control.

The vote on Jan. 13 was 5-0, although one council member said the city should take another look at the issue especially in light of the money the city is spending to enforce the ban.