February 15, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Conservatives in Congress are threatening to let the Department of Homeland Security shut down on February 27th, refusing to fund a measure authorizing funding of Homeland Security unless they can secure approval of language to repeal President Obama’s executive orders on immigration. The agency was formed to protect national security after the 9/11 terrorism attacks in 2001.
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February 13, 2015 (San Diego)— With Valentine’s Day approaching, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials want to remind travelers of prohibited flowers from Mexico, so there are no surprises at the border.
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Council also heard city’s quarterly financial report and filled Parking Commission vacancy
By Janis Russell
February 13, 2015 (La Mesa)- At the La Mesa city council meeting Tuesday, former Police Chief Ed Aceves presented the quarterly crime report-and some good news: crime last year declined from 2013. Chief Aceves said the crime rate overall is down, “the lowest it’s been since 2011.”
He also presented charts. One showed that in 2014, there were no homicides. However there were 16 rapes, 68 robberies, and 124 aggravated assaults (assault with some type of injury). The aggravated assault had the biggest increase from 2013. 28 robbery cases were cleared, or solved, in 2014.
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NOTE: Check with the County of San Diego if you plan to attend the hearing at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 20th, in case the hearing is postponed. San Diego County Planning Commission meets in the COC Conference Center Hearing Room at 5520 Overland Avenue, San Diego. Phone: (858)-694-3816. Agenda changes must be made 72 hours before the hearing.
February 12, 2015 (Ranchita)—Visitors driving to the Anza-Borrego Desert on Highways S2 and S22 pass through the small community of Ranchita. The unincorporated community of Ranchita is approximately 12 miles southwest of Borrego Springs at 4,065 feet elevation. A Telecommunication Facility Major Use permit application—APPLICATION #P-11-034—has been made by Vista Towers, LLC, a company that owns and manages a number of urban and suburban sites. Its website states,“Our specialty is developing multi-carrier facilities in underserved rural areas.” The proposed Verizon and AT&T cell towers would be visible from designated Scenic Highway S22. In fact, the proposed site is only 800’-1000’ from what is called the “view shed” on roads designated as scenic highways or byways. A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail goes through this area, also.
A hearing is scheduled in San Diego at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 20th to review the permit application made by Vista Towers, LLC, Wireless Site Solutions.
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February 10, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – President Barack Obama is asking Congress to approve military force against the Islamic State terrorists, also known as ISIL or ISIS, over the next three years.
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February 11, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--A group calling itself the Cyber Caliphate hacked into Twitter accounts in the U.S. on Tuesday, issuing threats against first lady Michelle Obama, the President’s children, and American military spouses.
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February 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --Hundreds of Christians in Iraq are taking up arms and training to fight against Islamic State forces and reclaim their towns, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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Update 10:40 p.m.: The suspect is now in custody, CBS 8 reports. San Diego Police, also on scene, took the lead in convincing the suspect to surrender.
Photo: Suspect Mike Montana, courtesy ECM news partner 10 News
February 10, 2015 (El Cajon) - 9:06 p.m. -- The El Cajon SWAT team has surrounded a home at Prescott & Noden in El Cajon, seeking suspect Mike Montana wanted for shooting of CBS News 8 sports anchor Kyle Kraska. Kraska was shot and seriously wounded earlier today outside his Scripps Rancho home.
There are many emergency vehicles in the area of Chase and Avocado in the vicinity of the SWAT action, ECM reporter Paul Kruz reports. AVOID AREA. View map .
The suspect was seen leaving the shooting scene in white van with Superior Painting logo on the side.
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February 10, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - The Sheriff's Department is looking for horse owners and riders who would like to become members of the Volunteer Mounted Patrol.
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February 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The Metropolitan Water District, which supplies San Diego County with water, warned Monday that it may cut water deliveries by 5 to 10 percent or even more this summer. The decision will be made in April, after assessing how much water the District gets from the State Water Project, the Colorado River and other supply sources.
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February 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) -- It’s shaping up to be a wild weather week, starting with waves up to 12 feet off San Diego’s coast, whipped up by strong offshore winds. Wind gusts Wednesday and Thursday could reach 50 miles an hour in inland mountains and canyons, a concern for firefighters in continuing warm, dry conditions with temperatures forecast to reach the 70s.
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February 9, 2015 (Alpine) - For more than a year, community members in Alpine have pulled together to support the family of Kylie Rowand, a toddler battling neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer. Pink ribbons painted the town pick, as we reported. Alpine residents held fundraisers to help pay the family's medical bills.
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February 9, 2015 (Mount Laguna)--The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has issued a Boil Water Order and Public Notification for the Mount Laguna water system located on Sunrise Highway, Mt. Laguna, CA 91948 effective immediately.
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Update February 10, 2015: NBC has suspended Williams without pay for six months.
By Miriam Raftery
February 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Journalists know that in the news business, credibility is everything. Former CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America.
But now Brian Williams, news anchor at NBC TV, has come under fire after apologizing for claiming he was in a helicopter struck by enemy fire in Iraq when others at the scene disputed the story. His recollections of occurrences during his coverage of Hurricane Katrina have also been cast into doubt. Williams has announced he will take a few days off as the firestorm grows, fueled by ridicule on social media.
The Twitter hashtag #BrianWilliamsmisremembers is abuzz with Photoshopped images of Williams boasting of roles in various historical events, to the amusement of the Twittersphere and doubtless the chagrin of NBC. Below are a few of the more creative examples:
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February 7, 2015 (La Mesa)--Chartered in February 1940, the Kiwanis Club of La Mesa celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a special, invitation only event at the La Mesa Community Center on Thursday, February 19, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. An opportunity drawing will be held. Complimentary hors d’oeuvers will be served, and there will be a no-host bar. Although the event is by invitation only, persons interested in attending may contact the event chair, Glenna Bloemen, at 619-743-5192 to receive an invitation.
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February 7, 2015 (El Cajon)--The City of El Cajon Teen Coalition presents a “Youth of the Year” Award, recognizing those who go above and beyond in serving their community through their leadership abilities and/or community service in El Cajon. These are the young individuals that have made a big difference in this community.
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We wrote our story after a reader, Claudia Millerbragg, informed us that there were no county services for veterans in our County's rural, mountain or desert regions--areas that lack adequate transit services, making it difficult for disabled veterans to travel and receive the services that they need. By contrast, ECM's investigation found an abundance of services in coastal areas, despite the fact that residents in those areas could access transit services--and the fact that East County has more veterans than the coastal region.
Supervisor Jacob's measure passed in March 2014 and stated that veterans service would be introduced into the El Cajon, Ramona, Julian and Pine Valley libraries by year’s end, with other locations possibly to follow.
But when East County Magazine contacted the County Veterans Services Department in January of 2015, we learned that a year and a half after our initial report, only two libraries have received veterans’ services – El Cajon and Rancho San Diego, both in suburban areas close to La Mesa, which already had services. Despite the measure passed by Supervisors, no veterans services had yet been brought to rural areas.
So we made some inquiries - and got results. Those who served our nation will soon be able to access services they need in libraries across our regoin.
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Bolt Brewery to hold fundraiser Sun. 2/8 at 1:00 p.m.
By Kristin Kjaero
February 7, 2014 (La Mesa) – 33-year old Heartland Deputy Fire Marshal Adam Beardsley needs a heart transplant, and his colleagues at Heartland are holding a fundraiser February 8 to help with the unexpected expenses. Proceeds from an opportunity drawing with prizes and t-shirts sales will go to help the family, and Bolt Brewery has agreed to donate back 50%. Donations can be made on-line here.
Since January 6 Beardsley has been living at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital. His wife, Megan Beardsley, commutes from her job at SDSU to visit him on weekends, taking on double expenses to rent an apartment close to the hospital. Beardley’s wife, sister, and parents all drive to Los Angeles on different days, so that one of them is with him at all times while waiting for a life-saving call when a donor heart may be found.
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February 5, 2015 (El Cajon ) -- Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon were at 5:17 a.m. Wednesday following reports of a residential structure fire in the 1000 block of East Madison Avenue in El Cajon. Fire crews arrived within five minutes to discover heavy fire and smoke coming from three sides of a single story duplex. Firefighters contained the fire within 10 minutes, and stopped the fire from spreading to nearby units. There were injuries reported.
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February 6, 2015 (El Cajon)--Gillespie Field in El Cajon ranks high among airports in California in potential for sustainable economic growth and job creation, according to a recent study by the California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Aeronautics.
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Looking for the most romantic places in East County? Feast your eyes on our "Romance in East County" special section.Click here!
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February 4, 2015 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The state has approved funding for construction of infrastructure improvements at the Jacumba Hot Springs airport . Back in 2012, County Supervisors authorized a co-pay with the state to pave the runway and make other upgrades.
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February 5, 2015 (La Mesa)--A Hazmat crew was dispatched to downtown La Mesa this morning after a city engineering crew found an underground storage tank. Fire crews were summoned and after abnormal readings were found, a Hazmat crew as called in.
The old storage tank contained no gas, but did have trace amounts of kerosene and water, Sonny Saghera, public information officer for Heartland Fire and Rescue, told East County Magazine. The tank was too old to show up on any city records and may predate the century-old city.
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February 3, 2015 (El Cajon)--El Cajon Police officers and Fire Department paramedics responded to reports of a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle in the intersection of Cuyamaca Street and Weld Boulevard in El Cajon at 5:28 a.m.
Based on preliminary statements, an adult female pedestrian in her mid-50's was crossing westbound at the intersection of Weld Boulevard and Cuyamaca Street when she was struck by an SUV travelling South on Cuyamaca in the #1 lane. The pedestrian was transported to a local trauma center with serious injuries, says Lieutenant Randy Soulard. He added, “The driver of the SUV, an adult male in his mid-60's, immediately stopped after the collision and is cooperating with Traffic Investigators. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the collision at this time.”
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February 2, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--The Federal Aviation Administration is reporting approximately 200 close calls in the past year between aircraft and drones. That includes two cases of drones flying too close to airport runways in San Diego County – one in East County near Gillespie Field in El Cajon and a second in Carlsbad.
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You're invited to East County Magazine's first "media meet-up" in the community!
Tues., Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at Downtown Café, 182 East Main St., El Cajon
If you believe community reporting is important in your neighborhood, or that wildfire reporting is important to sustain, please join us and share this invitation with your friends!
Tell us what news matters most to you - and help our nonprofit award-winning media outlet cover the stories that you believe are important! We're your community media - because East County matters to us all.
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February 2, 2015 (El Cajon) – A tenant at a mobile home park in El Cajon made a grisly discovery at 3.a.m. yesterday, finding the body of an 80-year-old man in a vehicle. According to El Cajon Police Lieutenant Walt Miller, the man had a gunshot wound to his chest and a gun was found beside him, City News Service reports.
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February 1, 2015 (San Diego)--San Diego County’s older adults have new opportunities to stretch, lift weights and help maintain an active lifestyle as the County’s popular Feeling Fit Club expands with three new locations—including two in East County.
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Update: Alpine Rentals is open for business, working out of a trailer temporarily, the Alpine Community Network reports.
East County News Service
Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News
February 1, 2015 (Alpine)--Things were rocking and rolling in Alpine early this morning.
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January 31, 2015 (Santee) – A young girl was injured after a fire broke out in a unit downstairs from the apartment she was in with her grandmother Friday afternoon on Mission Gorge Road in Santee. A firefighter battling the blaze also sustained injury, 10 News reports.
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Bolt Brewery to hold fundraiser Sun. 2/8 at 1:00 p.m.
February 3, 2015 (El Cajon)--El Cajon Police officers and Fire Department paramedics responded to reports of a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle in the intersection of Cuyamaca Street and Weld Boulevard in El Cajon at 5:28 a.m. 
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