SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING PARTY

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TO DRENCH REGION OVER EASTER WEEKEND

GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL BOARD SLASHES STAFFING, OVER OBJECTIONS OF VOCAL CROWD

CONSUMER ALERT FOR SAFELY FILING YOUR TAXES

VIEW OUR INTERVIEW: LA MESA ACTIVISTS OBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL BANNING REMOTE PARTICIPATION

WINTER STORM WARNING

EASTER BRUNCH AND EGG HUNT MARCH 30 IN EL CAJON

BIA SAN DIEGO PARTNERS WITH WORKFORCECONNECT TO UTILIZE JOBS PLATFORM, WHILE ADDRESSING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WORKFORCE SHORTAGE

RECENT FIRE DEATHS HEIGHTEN CALLS FOR FIRE PROTECTION BALLOT MEASURE IN SANTEE

COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND TANYA TUCKER LIVE AT THE MAGNOLIA MAY 19

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK COMMUNITY NIGHT SLATED FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 4

UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS SHOW FLIPS IN TWO KEY RACES HOLDING

News

HIGH WIND WARNING ISSUED AS STORM SWEEPS INTO REGION

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for mountains and deserts in San Diego County  and other inland areas in Southern California.  Dangerous gusts of 70 miles per hour or more are possible. The warning is in effect today through Saturday evening.

Rain is also forecast, along with snow at elevations over 4,500 feet.


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IRAQI ELECTIONS APRIL 30; LOCAL VOTING APRIL 27 & 28 IN EL CAJON

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2014 (El Cajon) – Iraq will hold elections for parliamentary offices including Prime Minister on April 30.  All Iraqi-born people living in the U.S. are eligible to vote, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce announced today.  Locally, eligible voters can cast their ballots on April 27-28 at the Crystal Ballroom, 414 North Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon from 12-2 p.m.

“This is arguably the biggest election since the fall of Saddam Hussein due to the unique circumstance of post-troop withdraw and immense violence,” said Ben Kalasho, president of the Chamber.


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SANTEE LAKES DROPS ZIP LINE PROJECT

 

 

 

“I don’t want Disney Land in my backyard!”—Santee Lakes Resident

Jessica Richmond

April 24, 2014 (Santee)-- Amid growing residents’ concerns, Santee Lakes park administrators dropped the proposed plan for a recreational zip line, removing it from a proposed master plan. After meeting with community members, staff decided it would be in the best interests of the residents and the park to keep incursions into the peaceful out-door serenity to a minimum. Many Santee resident were outspoken in their protests against the addition of a zip line for fears that it would endanger wildlife and increase noise, traffic, and parking problems, leading to over-commercialization of the natural beauty at the lakes.


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SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT: EL CAJON COUNCIL VOTES TO FUND SAN DIEGO YOUTH CHOIR

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 24, 2014 (El Cajon) – By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council on Tuesday voted to grant $10,000 to fund the San Diego Youth Choir, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community youth choir based in El Cajon. The group’s mission statement is to empower young leaders through musical excellence.  It’s mantra is “Empowering San Diego County youth, one note at a time.”

“What it really is, is an investment in children’s future,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told East County Magazine. “$10,000 today could save us $100,000 tomorrow in police costs and property crimes.”  He added that performing together also builds self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment, as well as forging bonds that can last a lifetime.  “My son still has close friendships in Hollywood that started when he was in Christian Youth Theater in San Diego,” Kendrick recalled.

 The San Diego Youth Choir (www.youthchoirsd.org) aims to be housed in a central location in El Cajon with state of the art rehearsal space, practice rooms, dance rooms, and a recording studio.


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APARTMENT FIRE IN SPRING VALLEY

 

April 23, 2014 (La Mesa) - A structure fire is burning at a multi-family apartment complex at 3430 Helix Street in Spring Valley. The Incident Commander has requested that the street be closed in both directions. 

Units are on scene, or responding shortly before 4 p.m. from Heartland and Monte Vista. So far there are no reports of injuries.


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DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING?

 

April 21, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --The deadline for paying your federal income taxes on April 15th is now passed.

But do you know where your tax dollars are going?  You may be surprised to find out just what the federal government is prioritizing – and what it’s not.


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CONSUMERS WIN: GENERAL MILLS BACKS DOWN ON STEALTH SIGNING AWAY OF YOUR RIGHTS

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 21, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - It’s not often that a multi-national corporation backs down from a strategy to save money.


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ELDERLY LA MESA PEDESTRIAN DIES OF INJURIES

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 19, 2014 (La Mesa)—Louis Bernath, 92, of La Mesa died April 10th of injuries sustained when he was struck by a vehicle while out walking on April 1st on Parkway Drive in La Mesa.


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SAILOR FROM RAMONA KILLED IN HEAD ON COLLISION

 

April 19, 2014 (Ramona) – The Medical Examiner has not yet released the identity of a 29-year-old active duty sailor and Ramona resident who died April 11 following a head-on collision in Julian.


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EL CAJON MAN DIES IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 19, 2014 (El Cajon) – Egon Karl Vanderlee, 52, of El Cajon has been identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiner as the victim who died in a fatal collision on April 11.  The accident occurred at the westbound State Route 94 transition to southbound State Route 15 at 5:25 p.m.


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LA MESA MAN KILLED IN 3-VEHICLE COLLISION

 

April 19, 2014 (La Mesa) – A 71-year-old La Mesa man, Michael James Bliss, died at the scene of a three-car collision on I-8 west of 70th Street that occurred last night at 10:42 p.m.


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LISTEN NOW: WHISTLEBLOWER INTERVIEW ON FIRE STATION CLOSURES, DANGEROUS UNDER-STAFFING

 

 

 

 

April 19, 2014 (San Diego's East County) --Listen to a tape of the fire whistleblower interview here, which originally aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM on April 18, 2014

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

Just how effective is the new County Fire Authority at fire protection?  While some areas have improved since the 2003 and 2007 wildfires,Craig Williams, an information technology specialist with Campo Fire Department shares shocking details on fire stations unmanned across our backcountry—and what could be done to keep rural residents safe. 

Audio: 


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ATTENTION MOTORISTS! APRIL IS DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH

 

April 18, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.


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HOT TOPICS ON OUR SHOW WEDNESDAY! BIG THREATS TO EAST COUNTY & HOW TO SAVE OUR BACKCOUNTRY

Listen online here from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wed. April 16: http://knsj.org/knsjpopup.html

Hot topics:

  • ECM special investigative report on Sheriff response times. How safe is your community?
  • Solar leader Daniel Sullivan says "absolutely" industrial wind/solar projects in our backcountry are not needed. We can produce more clean power for less money AND save our scenic areas. Find out what must change to stop this senseless devastation.
  • Frank Tsimboukakis, candidate challenging State Senator Joel Anderson, takes stand against big energy projects in our region and shares his plan to eliminate tuitions at public universities and colleges in California.
  • Ariele Johannsen’s Destination East County tells you about the hottest events coming up—from a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt to Lakeside's Western Days, a wine-and-rails ride through our backcountry and many others.

All this and more on this Wednesday's East County Magazine show!

You can listen online at the link above (it may take a few moments to load, after you click the play button) or on KNSJ 89.1 FM at 5 p.m. Wednesday.


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COUNTY ASKS RESIDENTS TO CONSERVE WATER

 

April 16, 2014 (San Diego County) - April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. But so far, this April has brought very little rainfall—so the County is asking your help to conserve water.


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PADRE DAM AWARDED TRANSPARENCY CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

 

April 17, 2014 (Santee) – Padre Dam Municipal Water District received the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of its outstanding efforts to promote transparency and good governance. The award was presented to the Board of Directors at the April 16th board meeting.


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GROSSMONT HOSPITAL OVERSIGHT GROUP ISSUES REPORT

 

April 15, 2014 (La Mesa)--The Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (ICBOC), a group of volunteers monitoring how the Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is spending millions of dollars in taxpayer-approved bonds for new and improved patient care facilities at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, has issued its 2013 Annual Report to the Community.


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CPUC REQUIRES SDG&E TO REPAIR FENCING AT SUBSTATION

 

April 14, 2014 (Boulevard) – In response to a complaint filed by Donna Tisdale, the California Public Utilities Commission has instructed San Diego Gas & Electric Company to make repairs to a torn, flapping construction fence at the Boulevard substation site along state scenic highway 94.


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QUAIL BRUSH APPLICANT ASKS FOR 1 YEAR EXTENSION OF APPLICATION SUSPENSION

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: simulation of plant viewed from campground at Mission Trails Regional Park

April 14, 2014 (San Diego) – One year after the California Public Utilities Commissions suspended an application for the controversial gas-fired Quail Brush power plan proposed near Mission Trails Regional Park and schools in Santee, the applicant has taken steps to keep the proposal alive.


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"BLOOD MOON" TO BE VISIBLE

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 14, 2014 (San Diego)-- Tonight, San Diegans will be able to view a rare astronomical sight:  a blood moon, which is an unusual type of eclipse in which the moon appears red or orange.


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BILINGUAL PROGRESSIVE NEWSPAPER TO LAUNCH IN ESCONDIDO

 

By Miriam Rafferty

April 13, 2014 (Escondido) – On May 1st, a new  bilingual newspaper will launch.  The "Escondido Alliance/Alianza Escondido" aims to fill the news void left by closure of the North County Times, which folded after U-T San Diego publisher Doug Manchester purchased the publication.  The former Escondido Times-Advocate had previously been absorbed by the North County Times, so the series of acquisitions has left Escondido without a local press to cover politics, events and more –until now.

“People are so excited when we tell them we’re starting a newspaper,” said Nina Deerfield, co-publisher of the Alliance along with Marco Lopez.  “They’ve had no voice…There is so little coverage of what’s happening in Escondido.”


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SDSU CRIME ALERT: WOMAN REPORTS MAN GRABBED HER NEAR PARKING LOT

 

April 11, 2014 (San Diego) – San Diego State University campus police have issued an alert warning studies that at 10:45 this morning, a female student reported that a man grabbed her buttocks from behind and asked her to come into a parking structure with him.  The incident occurred while the student was walking on Montezuma Road at East Campus Drive.  The victim continued walking and was not injured.


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ROUGH ACRES RANCH: PROPOSED CONFERENCE RETREAT, WELLNESS CENTER & CAMPGROUND IN BOULEVARD

 

Maximum occupancy of 2,600 people is twice the population of Boulevard

Hearing May 8 at Boulevard Planning Group; Comments on proposal accepted through May 12

Photo: Protest held at same site during Sunrise Powerlink groundbreaking

By Miriam Raftery

April 11, 2014 (Boulevard) – Properties controlled by the Hamann Companies entities and family are proposed for a variety of large-scale projects on McCain Valley Road in Boulevard, gateway to the McCain Valley, a federal recreation area.  None are popular with neighbors, thus far. Hamann gained approval for industrial wind turbines as part of Tule Wind and has been pushing to convert another 765 acres to industrial solar as part of Soitec’s controversial proposed projects. The site hosted the groundbreaking for Sunrise Powerlink, drawing protesters from across the county.

Now, Hamann is also seeking a Major Use Permit to construct a conference retreat and wellness center and a campground on 713 acres. At capacity, the facility could house up to 2,600 people—or more than twice the current population of the entire town of Boulevard. 


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SHERIFF RESPONSE TIMES IN RURAL AREAS RAISE CONCERNS

 

By Miriam Raftery

 J. Richmond also contributed to this ECM special report

Records obtained by ECM show longer response times in rural areas than urban communities; new substation won't increase staffing

April 10, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- Recently, Potrero resident Tarah Corey called 911 to report that someone in her area had been crying out and screaming for help and to send officers immediately. She was shocked to finally receive a call back from the Sheriff’s department 45 minutes later to check to see if the screaming had stopped, according to posts on the Mountain Empire Community Facebook page. While you would expect a quick response to such a dire and life-threatening situation, she learned the hard way in East County’s backcountry that’s not always the case.


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BINGO HALL OPENS AT VIEJAS OUTLETS IN ALPINE

 

Believed to be the first bingo hall located in a shopping center in California

 

April 5, 2014 (Alpine)--What is believed to be California’s first-ever bingo hall to be located in a shopping center opened to the public today at Viejas Outlets, following a sneak preview and ribbon cutting yesterday. To celebrate the opening of the new Viejas Bingo at Viejas Outlets, there will be more than $45,000 awarded in April and a chance to win one of two new FIAT 500s.


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LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT: THEATER, ALPINE UNIFICATION AND WEED ABATEMENT AMONG HOT TOPICS

 

April 6, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)—The future of the East County Performing Arts Center, whether Alpine parents should be free to leave the Grossmont district, and whether a fire district should be able to declare most native vegetation as nuisance or not are among the hot items on East County agendas this week.  Click “read more” and scroll down for these and other important items being heard this week.


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PASSAGES: LAKESIDE RESIDENT AND NOTED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER LINDA SHIPMAN

 

Celebration of life planned April 13

Linda Marie Shipman, 62, of Lakeside, California, passed away on March 29, 2014. A devoted wife, mother and massage therapist, she was also known as a tireless community volunteer active in local charities, nonprofits and business organizations.


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VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS WANTED

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--The National Weather Service is looking for CoCoRahs. That stands for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow  Network, a nonprofit network of volunteer precipitation observers.All you need is a 4-inch rain gauge, the Internet, and a few minutes each day.


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BILL WOULD PROTECT CALIFORNIANS FROM DATA BREACHES

 

Lori Abbott, California News Service

April 4, 2014 (Sacramento)--A new bill that targets data breaches is aiming to protect California consumers.  The legislation comes after massive data breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus last year compromised millions of customers' credit and debit cards.


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TELEPHONE LANDLINES MAY SOON BECOME HISTORY

 

Internet-based phones worry rural communities due to spotty reception, posing threats to safety and universal coverage

By Sharon Penny

April 4, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --Many citizens are not aware that AT&T and Verizon, among other telecom giants, are lobbying the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and individual states to make telephone landlines go the way of the buggy whip. Soon, everyone in the U.S. may only have options for internet-based telephone service and cell service.

At the Boulevard Planning Group meeting held on April 3, local resident Kevin Keane, an IT and Telecommunications professional, discussed the issue with local residents, who were unaware these plans are in the works. 


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