June 17, 2012 (El Cajon )—The County Medical Examiner has identified a teen found dead Thursday at a car crash site as Mario Arturo Rodriguez, 18, an El Cajon resident. He died of head injuries, the Medical Examiner concluded.

East County Magazine to form carpools from San Diego to desert vigil June 23-24

By Miriam Raftery

June 13, 2012 (Ocotillo) –  As bulldozers raze their ancestors’ graves, Native American tribes across the southwest are asking for the public’s help to stop the desecration. 

If you believe this heartbreak funded by taxpayer dollars is wrong, please join with tribes of all nations to take a spiritual stand together against despoilment of these once protected desert lands for private corporate gain.

Determined to halt the Pattern Energy's Ocotillo Express wind energy project, tribes of all nations will gather for a traditional dusk-to-dawn ceremony to mourn disruption of their ancestors' burial sites. From 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 to dawn on Sunday, June 24, members of the public are encouraged to join with Native American neighbors in the Ocotillo desert for these spiritual ceremonies.

By Miriam Raftery

June 9, 2012 (San Diego) – By a unanimous vote, San Diego's Planning Commission voted Friday to deny Iberdrola Renewables’ application for five 492-foot-tall wind turbines on private land under county jurisdiction.

June 14, 2012 (Penasquitos) - San Diego Police have been advised by authorities in Orange County that Kevin Stapp has been found, according to Lt. Andra Brown with SDPD.

Scroll down for our prior report on his disappearance.

By Sierra Robinson

June 11, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Last month, a tragic incident in Florida, now nationally known as the ‘Florida Zombie Attack’, has been attributed to a dangerous drug most commonly known as ‘bath salts’. But just how dangerous is this new drug? Are we all in danger of such a horrific attack like that in Florida? 

Use of ‘bath salts’ has been dramatically increasing.  The American Association for Poison Control Centers took 303 calls about the drug in 2010; while in the first eight months of 2011, 4,720 calls were received regarding use of such synthetic drugs. Local and national authorities now warn the public about an alarming rise in serious health reactions and violent incidents linked to these drugs.  But what are they, exactly, and what makes them so dangerous? 

June 11, 2012 (San Diego) -- No sweltering summer heat today!Gary Kelley brings you the latest forecast at Your Online Weather:

June 9, 2012 - Always a good sport, Gary Kelley gives us a field-level view of the Rancho San Diego girls' softball team in action in this weekend's weather forecast.  If you're heading outdoors, have a ball!  (Want to sponsor our weather section and have your activities promoted here?  Contact ads@eastcountymagazine.org.)

June 4, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for mountain and desert areas in San Diego and Riverside Counties beginning this afternoon and extended to late Tuseday night.  A low pressure trough is moving inland, bringing southwest to westerly 20-30 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph locally.

June 1, 2012 (San Diego) -- The County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing June 8 at 9 a.m. on a major use permit requested for the Energia Sierra Juarez high-voltage transmission line, which would transmit power across the U.S.-Mexico border to the proposed East County (ECO) substation.  The project would include three steel lattice towers approximately 150 feet in height.  For full details, read more.