May 17, 2011 (Lakeside) – Billy Charles Hileman, 41, a divorced San Diego resident, has been identified as the man found dead behind a dumpster April 1st in the driveway of a home at 12102 Wildcat Canyon Road in Lakeside.

May 17, 2011 (Casa De Oro) -- A fast and effective attack allowed San Miguel firefighters to extinguish a fire that started in the kitchen of an upstairs apartment unit in the Casa De Oro area across the street from Spring Valley Middle School. Fire damage was confined to that single unit.

Crews were called to the Helix Square Apartments on the 3800 block of Conrad Drive at 11:21 a.m., Monday. The fire was considered knocked down ten minutes later. Inside the residence at the time of the fire was one adult male who evacuated the upstairs apartment, but was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. He was later transported to Grossmont Hospital.

May 13, 2011 (Santa Ysabel)--The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) and deputies from the Pine Valley Substation have released a photo of Patricia McGinn, 63, who has been missing since 11:30 a.m.  She was seen walking away from her car in the 4800 block of Mountainbrook Road, Santa Ysabel at 11:30 a.m.  Witnesses have indicated she seemed disoriented.

The area is near the Inaja Memorial Park (Thomas Guide page 1135-C4) in Santa Ysabel.  Patricia McGinn is a white female, 5 feet 8 inches tall, with gray hair. She was last seen wearing a light blue shirt and dark blue pants.

By Miriam Raftery

May 11, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Several of our readers have asked for updates on the crisis at the Fukushima, Japan nuclear reactors. I expected that since the story seems to have fallen off the radar of most major media, the situation might have stabilized.

Calls for end to Wall Street fund managers speculating with retirees' money

"Don't let anyone tell you that the problems with public pensions are the results of groups of avaricious kindergarten teachers and DMV workers...The fault lies with Wall Street. They abused these funds--while pocketing billions to run them into the ditch." -- William Lerach

By Miriam Raftery
 

May 10, 2011 (La Mesa) – “What might we be able to do to avoid financial Armageddon?” asked William Lerach, who led prosecutions against some of America’s most powerful corporations including ENRON, recovering billions for defrauded shareholders. “Next year, 77 million baby boomers will hobble into retirement.”  He warned that corruption and mismanagement by Wall Street managers has led to public and private pension funds that are severely underfunded. He calls the situation a “ticking time bomb” -- and proposes a solution.

ECM investigation reveals record of deaths, prior injuries from "lion walks," Africa's latest tourism attractions

By Miriam Raftery

May 7, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) Updated May 9, 2011: --A lion attack near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe has injured Rancho San Diego resident Colleen Garbaczewski. Garbaczewski, an executive with Pacific Coast Rentals and active community volunteer, had taken a “lion walk” with her husband when the attack occurred.

An East County Magazine investigation reveals that lion walks, in which tourists are encouraged to walk alongside and even pet “tame” lions, have resulted in other serious injuries and at least two deaths.

May 8, 2011 (Ramona) – A man who swerved to avoid hitting an animal has suffered injuries in a roll-over crash that killed his own dog inside the vehicle.  The accident occurred yesterday around 4:30 p.m. on Ramona Oaks Road in an unincorporated area near Ramona.

May 7, 2011 (Jamul) – A landscaper on his way home from work was struck by a passing MTS trolley in National City on May 4 at 2:07 p.m. He was transported to a hospital, where despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead soon after arrival. The San Diego Medical Examiner’s office has identified the victim as Stephen Palmer, 64, a married resident of Jamul.

May7, 2011 (El Cajon) – Braulio Soliven Ellorin, 61, of Paradise Hills was pronounced dead at the scene of an accident shortly after midnight Friday morning, May 6th. He was driving westbound on I-8 at a high rate of speed when he missed a curve at Harbison Canyon in El Cajon and veered onto the median, then back across traffic lanes. His Mazda Protage sedan went up onto the shoulder and rolled over multiple times down into a steep ravine, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner.

May 5, 2011 (La Mesa) – Heidi Durfey, 24, has died after her sports utility vehicle (SUV) with her three young children inside rolled backward 60 feet and ran over her.  The tragedy occurerd on the driveway of her home in the 8700 block of Glenira Avene in La Mesa around 9:20 a.m. 

She became caught under the SUV as it rolled and was dragged beneath the vehicle. “It came to rest in the street with the front end of the vehicle on top of the victim’s head and chest,” said Sonny Saghera with Heartland Fire & Rescue. 

By Miriam Raftery

May 5, 2011 (San Diego) – A hearing on a request filed by three East County organizations seeking an injunction to stop construction on Sunrise Powerlink until opponents’ case can be heard in court has been cancelled. The hearing was set to take place tomorrow, May 6 in San Diego federal court.

According to David Hogan, consultant for the plaintiffs seeking an injunction, “Things are moving very quickly and little information is available but it appears that Federal District Court Judge Anthony Battaglia has abruptly recused himself from several federal lawsuits filed by Powerlink opponents. The cases have been transferred to Judge Roger Benitez.”

May 5, 2011 (Harbison Canyon) – “A kitten that looks very much like the pic I have attached (our 8 week old kitten) was picked up by a hawk and dropped in the road on Harbison Canyon right down the street from Shadow Hills Elementary,” Kelly Vitek said in a post on the Blossom Valley Network community forum. According to her report, the incident was witnessed by three people, including Vitek’s husband.

“He said the kitten was freaked out but was alive and moving,” she added.

May 4, 2011 (Campo) – The driver of a Harley Davidson motorcycle who died in a crash on Highway 94 in Campo on May 1, 2011 at 5:58 p.m. has been identified as Pauline Elaine Walker, 57. She was temporarily living and working in Boulevard, though her permanent residence was in Davenport, Washington.

May 3, 2011 (San Diego) - A SIG Alert is in effect on I-15 north of Carroll Canyon Road, where a multi-vehicle accident involving a semi-truck and at least three cars occurred this morning.  The truck, which was carrying a load of water, lost its rear axles.  Lanes are closed while awaiting heavy equipment to remove the semi-truck, according to CHP and San Diego SIG Alerts.