By Miriam Raftery

March 13, 2013 (San Diego)—The law firm of former City Attorney Mike Aguirre has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Masada Disenhouse seeking an injunction to halt the California Public Utilities Commission from holding a closed-door , invitation-only meeting with energy industry stakeholders at the Scripps Seaside Forum in San Diego on March 20. Disenhouse asked to attend, but her name was removed from the list. 

“California Government Code section 11123 requires that all meetings of a state body shall be open and public, and  all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body,” the lawsuit states.  The suit further notes that Government Code section 11120  requires that “proceedings of public agencies be conducted openly so that the people may be informed.”

By Nadin Abbott, photos Tom Abbott

March 12, 2013 (San Diego)—Today, Supervisor Dianne Jacob urged citizens in San Diego County to contact the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) at Closurecomments@FAA.GOV  and oppose closure of the Ramona Airport’s air traffic control tower, a vital component in fighting wildfires and protecting safety of firefighting crews. Tomorrow at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time is the deadline for comments.

 The Board learned that the Federal Aviation Administration has targeted the Ramona Air Traffic Control Tower for closure as as early as April 7. This means, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ray Cheney, that the airport would revert back to an “uncontrolled airport, where pilots have to avoid each other and announce their intentions.”  

This was the way it was back on June 21, 1995 when there was a midair collision between a United States Forest Service Beechcraft and an NTSB air tanker, leading to the deaths of the air tanker crew. An open space, instead of a controlled space, will increase the risk of mid-air collisions, since a “controlled airport controls the air traffic sequencing.”

March 12, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--The United States Postal Inspection Service is warning the public about foreign lottery scams. In three years, American consumers lost over $42 million in lottery scams.  Lottery fraud victims not only suffer the devastation of a financial loss, but even worse, the psychological pain and suffering that take a physical toll on the victims.  And many victims suffer alone, because they are too embarrassed to report the crime and seek assistance.  These scams continue to plague our nation’s citizens and can only be stopped by educating the public about this devastating crime.

March 12, 2013 (Spring Valley)--San Miguel Fire District Firefighters responded to a fully engulfed mobile home fire tonight at Avalon Estates in the 1200 block of Grand Avenue, Spring Valley.

Two of the family’s four residents were home when the fire broke out. One resident, a female broke a bedroom window and escaped the flames, said Leonard Villareal, public information officer at San Miguel Fire Department. The other person home, a young man suffered severe to moderate burns over an estimated 25-percent of his body as he ran through the flames to escape from the front door. He was given stabilizing care on the scene and then rushed to the UCSD Burn Center.

March 12, 2013 (La Mesa) – Mark Christopher Lawrence from NBC’s hit series “Chuck” will headline a Brew Ha Ha comedy show Wednesday, March 13 at Haritna Mediterranean Restaurant, 7303 El Cajon Blvd. in La Mesa. Haritna was voted best Mediterranean food in San Diego by San Diego “A” List.

A mixer begins at 6 p.m. followed by the show from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Mediterranean food is available, plus hookah on the patio.

By Ariele Johannson

March 9, 2013 (Ranchita) -- For most people, their home is their sanctuary. Having a cell tower erected close to your home or in your neighborhood would be an issue. Yet, if you disagreed with a neighbor’s application to install a cell tower, ranging in height to 58’, would you be able to do anything about it? In the unincorporated community of Ranchita, which is 4,065 feet elevation and approximately 12 miles southwest of Borrego Springs, a group of residents is finding out. These residents have formed an organization, Ranchita Community Group for Responsible Cell Tower Siting. They have committed to proving to the county that the proposed location of a new Verizon cell tower is inappropriate. The construction company is Vista Towers, LLC. The county’s job is to review the application for the tower.

March 8, 2013 (San Diego) – The California Highway Patrol reported 343 collisions during today’s rain storm in just five hours, between 12 noon and 5 p.m , throughout San Diego County.  That’s several times higher than a normal good weather day, which averages 50 to 75 crashes.

March 8, 2013 (La Mesa)--Shortly after 6:00 a.m. this morning, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews in La Mesa, with  assistance from San Diego Fire, responded to reports of a structure fire in the 5700 block of Baltimore Drive.  As crews arrived on scene, flames were seen coming from the roof area of a two-story condo unit at 5715 Baltimore Drive. The end unit was unoccupied and in the process of being renovated, the neighboring condo was evacuated.

March 8, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--March 10 is the time of year when we turn our clocks ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m., or turn your clocks ahead before going to bed the night before.

In addition, remember to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home and/or business. 

March 6, 2013 (Ramona) -- Gregg Beason, 45, died at Palomar Medical Center on March 4, 2013 of injuries sustained in an accident on March 1. 

Beason was driving a pickup when his vehicle was T-boned by another pickup at the intersection of Martin Road and Ramona Oaks Road.   Emergency responders extricated him from the vehicle and he was transported to the hospital, but did not survive.

By Miriam Raftery

March 4, 2013 (San Diego) – The California Public Utilities Commission has announced that it has moved a hearing on the Quail Brush power plant from San Francisco to San Diego .  The hearing, at which a vote is expected, is set for March 21 at the Conference Center Hearing Room, 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego 92123 Click for Map. 

The announcement comes after five postponements of the hearing, amid allegations that CPUC's Chairman violated state open meetings law to exert undue influence; project opponents are calling for his recusal from the vote.

The California Energy Commission, meanwhile, has cancelled a public workshop set for March 3 at Grossmont College. 

Quail Brush, a gas-fired power plant proposed near Mission Trails Regional Park, has generated strong community opposition. Save Mission Trails, an activist group battling the project, has announced it plans to stage a rally at 8 a.m. prior to the 9 a.m. hearing.

March 6, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for local mountains and deserts effective now through 3 a.m. on Thursday. Gusts of 45 mph or more are predicted, with breezy though less strong winds continuing Thursday.

A cold winter storm is forecast to bring heavy snow to East County’s mountains; the NWS has issued a winter storm watch from late Thursday through Friday evening.

By Billy Ortiz

Video and pictures by Billy Ortiz 

March 4, 2013 (Lakeside)--Children at the Lakeview School area in Lakeside now have a safer place to walk to school. To see a video of the sidewalk development process here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saUjx_WTvMY.

By Mike Hancock

March 3, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)—Three people have died in the past four days in crashes on East County roadways--including two accidents on Highway 94 and a third in Borrego Springs.

Devices transmit power over existing power lines

By Miriam Raftery

March 3, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Smart meters have become a public relations nightmare for utility companies in California. After a flood of complaints by consumers alleging health problems suspecting of being caused by electromagnetic radio frequencies (EJF), the California Public Utilities Commission ordered utilities to allow consumers to opt out, or to have smart meters removed if already installers. Many homeowners have done so, but must pay for removal plus a monthly fee for reading meters.

Now Idaho Power has begun offering its customers smart meters that claim to avoid these problems. The company's website states: “Smart meters being deployed in Idaho Power's service territory do not transmit radio frequencies. Our smart meters do not use any wireless communication media or generate any high-frequency signals. Our system uses only wired infrastructure to communicate to and from our smart meters utilizing the low-frequency 60 hertz (Hz) power line signal as the carrier for our communications. This may be of interest because some smart meter deployments in California have raised concerns that radio transmission, wireless transmission or high-frequency transmission may pose health risks. The technology we're deploying is fundamentally different from the technologies in question in California.”

This begs the question: Why aren't these devices available to Califiornia ratepayers?