July 13, 2010 (Alpine) –A Life-Flight helicopter has been called to transport a five-year-old boy struck by a vehicle to a local trauma center. The child is breathing and conscious, but may have broken bones, according to a Sheriff’s official.
The child was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the 2100 block of Alpine Glen Place in the Japatul Valley area around 5 p.m. and reportedly was crushed between the vehicle and a block wall. A search is on for the driver of the vehicle after law enforcement obtained the address at which the vehicle is registered, ECM has learned.
July 13, 2010 (Lemon Grove) – Two people have been transported to a hospital after being stung by a swarm of bees in the 7400 block of Mt. Vernon in Lemon Grove this afternoon, Lt. Munson of the San Diego Sheriff’s office confirms. “A bee removal service removed some of the bees and calmed them but, but will come back later for the rest,” he cautioned.
July 10, 2010 (Pine Valley) – Donald Patterson, 57, of El Cajon has been identified by the San Diego Medical Examiner as the driver of a pickup that plummeted off I-8 near the Sunrise Highway exit in Pine Valley on Wednesday, sparking a brush fire.
July 12, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Shortly after 7:00 this morning, Heartland Fire Dispatch received calls of a structure fire in the 1000 block of Mollison Avenue in El Cajon. As crews arrived on scene, they found the attached garage of the home fully involved in flames and spreading into the home.
July 10, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Fault lines in and near East County have become more active since the Easter earthquake in Mexico. Both the San Jacinto and Elsinore faults have potential for a quake measuring 7.0 or higher, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Fortunately, planning and identifying hazards ahead of time can reduce risk of serious harm before an earthquake hits.
For example, repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lights to the ceiling, and upgrading to meet local seismic building standards help reduce the impact of a quake. Creating an emergency supply kit and a family evacuation plan are also important. Below are earthquake safety tips providing by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that you can take now—before a major quake hits our region.
July 9, 2010 (San Diego's East County) - What are the odds of a big quake striking your community? Now there's a website where you can type in your zip code and learn the probability of a major quake striking in the near or distant future.
I typed in my own zip code (91941 La Mesa) and was startled to learn that the odds of a 6.0 magnitude quake or greater striking within the next 10 years is 50%--and in some nearby towns the chances are even greater.
What should you do to stay safe when an earthquake strikes?
July 9, 2010 (San Diego) – East County Magazine added another award to its growing list of honors last night at the Society of Professional Journalists awards banquet at the Bali Hai restaurant in San Diego. SPJ-San Diego presented ECM with a first-place award for investigative reporting in the daily news reporting category.
July 9, 2010 (El Cajon) --The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation wants to notify residents to leave the alcohol at home when visiting Hilton Head County Park, which features an aquatic center with a pirate-themed water-spray for children.
July 8, 2010 (La Mesa) – A 74-year-old woman whose car crashed through a fence and tumbled 60 feet down an embankment on Aztec Drive in La Mesa has been rescued. Heartland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the accident at 12:30 p.m. and found the vehicle had landed in a drainage ditch. It took ten firefighters approximately half an hour to extricate the woman from the vehicle by removing the roof of the car.
July 7, 2010 (Pine Valley) -- A man is dead of injuries sustained in a rollover accident on I-8 near the Mt. Laguna exit near Pine Valley this afternooon. The accident caused a small brush fire that was swiftly contained by U.S. Forest Service firefighters.
July 7, 2010 - A strong earthquake jolted East County at 4:53 p.m. today. The quake, which was centered 13 miles north northwest of Borrego Springs in San Diego's East County, was initially rated a 5.9 on the Richter scale but subsequently downgraded to a 5.4 according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
"Montezuma Valley Grade had boulders rock and come loose, laying in the roadway, a citizen reported," a deputy at Borrego Springs told East County Magazine. "They felt it was a safety hazard and I dispatched County Roads...Cell phone service went out for about five minutes also; all circuits were busy."
"It was a rough jolt," Linda Narrin, an employee at Orchard Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn in Julian, told East County Magazine.
July 6, 2010 (Santee) –Highway 67 will be closed in both directions Thursday night and early Friday morning due to extension of the highway into Santee.
Southbound lanes will shut down starting Thursday at 9 p.m. between Woodside and Prospect. Northbound lanes in the same section of highway will be closed starting at 11 p.m., along with Bradley Avenue and Prospect Avenue onramps. Additional closures are as follows:
July 6, 2010 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on July 1st unveiled an innovative new on-line tool aimed at helping consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources to access quality, affordable health care coverage.
U.S. Supreme Court ruling to allow unlimited corporate spending on elections heightens concerns
“Most Americans, especially champions of business deregulation and the free market, but also many members of Congress and state legislatures, would be shocked to learn that the Founding Fathers firmly believed that corporations were dangerous organizations which, if left unchecked, threatened the very freedom of the nation.” – John David Rose, author, Rescuing Capitalism from Corporatism
By Miriam Raftery
July 4, 2010 (San Diego) – At a “Defending Democracy” forum in San Diego on July 1st, a panel of experts raised concerns over the future of democracy in America from threats posed by increasing and unchecked corporate power.
July 4, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the signing of America’s most cherished document, the Declaration of Independence announcing the American colonies' freedom from British rule. Yet many today have never heard the inspiring words in their entirety.
It was 234 years ago today, while the Revolutionary War was raging, that church bells rang out across Philadelphia to celebrate the Continental Congress' adopting Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence.
National Public Radio has a tradition of inviting journalists and show hosts to read the cherished document out loud each year at Independence Day. Click here to hear the broadcast--and read the full text. Invite friends, family and neighbors to listen, too. You may be amazed to find how many issues are just as relevant today as they were back in 1776.
July 3, 2010 (Kensington) -- A motorcyclist under the influence of alcohol crashed into a palm tree in the 4300 block of Aldine Drive at 11:05 this morning, San Diego Police Department reports. The D.U.I. driver, a man in his 40s, sustained a broken hip and was transported to a local trauma center. No further details are available at this time.
July 3, 2010 (Del Cerro) – A driver who lost control of her pickup truck Thursday missed a turn on a steep downhill road, then crashed into two homes in the 6200 block of Camino Largo near Ridge Manor Avenue. The truck entered the garage of the first home, damaged an electrical sub- panel and started a fire.
The vehicle then broke through the garage wall and jumped over a property line, slamming into a neighbor’s garage wall.
Four unions that agreed to slash pensions exempted from order
“I find it wrong for a Governor worth $40 million to be telling a state worker earning $40,000 that you are only worth $7.25 an hour.” – Lace Watkins, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
July 1, 2010 (Sacramento) – State workers won’t be celebrating this holiday weekend. Late today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the State Controlled to reduce pay for state workers to minimum wage , $7.25 an hour, until the Legislature passes a state budget. The announcement has left thousands of workers worried over how to cover their families’ living expenses with wages slashed to the bone.
June 30, 2010 (La Mesa) – Last night at 11:43 p.m., a driver in La Mesa collided into a parked vehicle, causing a chain reaction collision in the 5300 block of Baltimore Drive.
Will a wedding between a provocative model and an NFL star adept at catching passes prove a marriage made in heaven?
East County News Service
June 29, 2010 (San Diego) -- Dethroned Miss USA California Carrie Prejean is about to score a new title: Mrs.
According to Hollywood publications, East County’s notorious celebrity is set to wed Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Kyle Boller on Friday at the Del Mar Inn in San Diego.
Recent coyote attacks on large dogs in East County also reported; area residents suggest packs are becoming more aggressive
By Miriam Raftery
June 28, 2010 (Spring Valley) – A coyote attacked a 12-year-old girl shortly before 9:30 this evening at 9119 Jamacha Road in Spring Valley, just one block from the Spring Valley Library and La Presa Middle School, Heartland Dispatch and the San Diego Sheriff's office have confirmed.
June 29, 2010 (Lakeside) – An accident has claimed two lives on Highway 67 near Slaughterhouse Canyon Road in Lakeside. According to the California Highway Patrol, a dark blue vehicle plummeted 200 to 300 feet down an embankment before landing upside down.
Conservation and Demand-response Programs Still Important
East County News Service
June 28, 2010 (San Diego) – Summer is here, and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) says it has lined up adequate electricity supplies and required reserves to meet customers’ expected energy needs this summer, barring extreme weather conditions
June 28, 2010 (Escondido) - San Diego Sheriff’s Department has issued details on the freak injury of a nine-year-old boy in Escondido. On Thursday, a Sheriff’s deputy, along with Escondido Police, responded to a call on San Pasqual Road in the unincorporated portion of Escondido. “
"The deputy learned that the nine year old, who had been shot with the arrow, had previously told his brother to shoot an arrow at him so he could catch it. He missed catching the arrow and was subsequently struck in the head, right above the eye,” a Sheriff’s media release stated.
June 28, 2010 (San Diego) – San Diego Police Department seeks two men who robbed a 7-11 store at 6571 El Cajon Boulevard Sunday night at gunpoint at 11:08 p.m.
June 28, 2010 (Ramona) – Cal-Fire and the Ramona Fire Department came to the assistance of five hikers who became dehydrated while hiking in the Cedar Creek area of Ramona. In addition, firefighters rescued two of the hikers’ dogs, that were bitten by rattlesnakes.
This is the latest in a series on homeless persons in East County based on first-person accounts. Because voices of the homeless are seldom heard in the media, this provides an ongoing platform for the homeless to relay their unfiltered stories. If you are homeless, or know of a homeless individual willing to be interviewed, please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
By Richard Darvas
June 28, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Lucy has lived a rootless life. In a recent interview with East County Magazine, the 46-year-old homeless woman detailed how she lost her way. (To shield her children from untoward attention, she is using a pseudonym for this article.)
July 13, 2010 (Lemon Grove) – Two people have been transported to a hospital after being stung by a swarm of bees in the 7400 block of Mt. Vernon in Lemon Grove this afternoon, Lt. Munson of the San Diego Sheriff’s office confirms. “A bee removal service removed some of the bees and calmed them but, but will come back later for the rest,” he cautioned.
July 12, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Shortly after 7:00 this morning, Heartland Fire Dispatch received calls of a structure fire in the 1000 block of Mollison Avenue in El Cajon. As crews arrived on scene, they found the attached garage of the home fully involved in flames and spreading into the home.
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
July 9, 2010 (San Diego) – East County Magazine added another award to its growing list of honors last night at the Society of Professional Journalists awards banquet at the Bali Hai restaurant in San Diego. 
July 9, 2010 (El Cajon) --The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation wants to notify residents to leave the alcohol at home when visiting Hilton Head County Park, which features an aquatic center with a pirate-themed water-spray for children.
July 8, 2010 (La Mesa) – A 74-year-old woman whose car crashed through a fence and tumbled 60 feet down an embankment on Aztec Drive in La Mesa has been rescued. Heartland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the accident at 12:30 p.m. and found the vehicle had landed in a drainage ditch. It took ten firefighters approximately half an hour to extricate the woman from the vehicle by removing the roof of the car.
July 7, 2010 - A strong earthquake jolted East County at 4:53 p.m. today. The quake, which was centered 13 miles north northwest of Borrego Springs in San Diego's East County, was initially rated a 5.9 on the Richter scale but subsequently downgraded to a 5.4 according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
July 6, 2010 (Santee) –Highway 67 will be closed in both directions Thursday night and early Friday morning due to extension of the highway into Santee. 
July 6, 2010 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on July 1st unveiled an innovative new on-line tool aimed at helping consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources to access quality, affordable health care coverage.
“Most Americans, especially champions of business deregulation and the free market, but also many members of Congress and state legislatures, would be shocked to learn that the Founding Fathers firmly believed that corporations were dangerous organizations which, if left unchecked, threatened the very freedom of the nation.” – John David Rose, author, Rescuing Capitalism from Corporatism
July 4, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the signing of America’s most cherished document, the Declaration of Independence announcing the American colonies' freedom from British rule. Yet many today have never heard the inspiring words in their entirety.
July 3, 2010 (Kensington) -- A motorcyclist under the influence of alcohol crashed into a palm tree in the 4300 block of Aldine Drive at 11:05 this morning, San Diego Police Department reports. The D.U.I. driver, a man in his 40s, sustained a broken hip and was transported to a local trauma center. No further details are available at this time.
Story and photos by Dennis Richardson
“I find it wrong for a Governor worth $40 million to be telling a state worker earning $40,000 that you are only worth $7.25 an hour.” – Lace Watkins, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Will a wedding between a provocative model and an NFL star adept at catching passes prove a marriage made in heaven?
June 29, 2010 (Lakeside) – An accident has claimed two lives on Highway 67 near Slaughterhouse Canyon Road in Lakeside. According to the California Highway Patrol, a dark blue vehicle plummeted 200 to 300 feet down an embankment before landing upside down.
June 28, 2010 (San Diego) – San Diego Police Department seeks two men who robbed a 7-11 store at 6571 El Cajon Boulevard Sunday night at gunpoint at 11:08 p.m.
This is the latest in a series on homeless persons in East County based on first-person accounts. Because voices of the homeless are seldom heard in the media, this provides an ongoing platform for the homeless to relay their unfiltered stories. If you are homeless, or know of a homeless individual willing to be interviewed, please contact 
East County News Service
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