March 22, 2011 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Superior Court has closed today due to a power outage caused by a short circuit in the electrical system. Phone service is also not working. 

Smoke detectors went off around 1:40 a.m. and firefighters found the electrical box smoldering, El Cajon spokesperson Monica Zech indicated. The incident also knocked out a backup power system for the courthouse.

March 20, 2011 (Borrego Springs) – Copter 10, crewed by Cal-Fire and San Diego Sheriff personnel, was dispatched to aid a downed hiker in Palm Canyon in the desert at Borrego Springs around 4:55 today. “Initial reports were that the victim had overdosed on a hallucinogenic drug and had possibly sustained a spinal injury,” Deputy Scott Bligh said.

March 20, 2011 (Valley Center) – An electrical fire that started in the basement has severely damaged Saint Stephens Roman Catholic Church in Valley Center, causing an estimated $150,000 in damage. County building inspectors have found the structure to be unsafe, requiring immediate stabilization before salvage and repair can begin.

“The most inexpensive way to meet your SQ (seismic qualification) is to lie. The industry does it all the time.”

--Greg Palast, former lead investigator in  government nuclear plant fraud and racketeering investigations

By Miriam Raftery
 

March 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) –Catastrophic failures at a half dozen nuclear facilities in Fukushima, Japan has led to questions regarding the safety of nuclear reactors in America-- both existing facilities and new ones proposed—including some designed or operated by the same companies responsible for the nuclear meltdowns in Japan.

Core damage confirmed at 3 reactors; spent fuel rods a rising concern at 4th;
U.S. urges evacuation within 80 kilometers (50 Miles) around stricken plants

March 16, 2011 (San Diego) – The United Nations has released a forecast indicating a radioactive plume from damaged Japanese nuclear reactors at Fujushima Daiichi cold reach the Aleutian Islands off Alaska on Thursday and Southern California late on Friday, then east to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and likely points beyond.

The U.N. has not issued a statement on how much radiation the plume could contain, however numerous other experts have indicated that amounts are expected to be small and below levels likely to harm human health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is setting up additional radiation monitors on the West Coast as a precaution. An existing monitor in San Diego is currently non-operational, according to the EPA’s RadNet real-time radiation monitoring database online.

Murray Jennex, a nuclear expert at San Diego State University, told by ECM of the non-operational monitor locally, called back a short time later to reveal, “We’re going to set up monitoring here and try to get real numbers."

By Jeremy Los & Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)—As Japan’s nuclear crisis worsens, the European Union and some Asian nations are taking steps to protect their food supplies from Japanese imported foods and fish that may be contaminated by radiation.

“FDA will be examining both food products labeled as having originated in Japan or having passed through Japan in transit,” the U.S. Food & Drug  Administration said in the Bloomberg Businessweek article. “The same is true for raw ingredients.”

In a conference call today, Howard Backer, M.D., Associate Secretary of Emergency Preparedness for California Health and Human Services Agency, told ECM that the FDA is "screening all shipments that come from Japan for food products.  This is not new; for anti-terrorism reasons our ports already do screening of radioactivity for all containers."

March 16, 2011 (San Diego) -- Radiation levels on the the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii are not elevated overall above normal expectations as of early this morning, according to data on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency RadNet site.  Some West Coast cities showed levels below many locations in points farther east.

Radiation levels around the crippled reactors now high enough to cause “immediate harm to human health” Japanese authorities say, adding core containment may be breached.

“I wouldn’t be within 50 km right now. If I was not a Japanese national, I would be making plans to leave.” – Murray Jennex, nuclear expert at San Diego State University, tells ECM in exclusive interview

Updated March 15, 2011 1:40 a.m. - Russia, S. Korea on "high alert" for possible radiation poisoning

By Miriam Raftery

March 14, 2011 (San Diego) – NHK TV in Japan this evening has broadcast the latest grim twists in the nuclear crisis at plants in Fukushima. Radiation levels over 400 milisieverts--that's 1,000 times higher than the microsievert measurements earlier reported (the equivalent of 400,000 microsieverts)-- are now present following a third explosion-- this one at reactor #2 and considered more serious than two prior explosions at reactors #1 and #3.

According to a radiation expert interviewed on NHK, exposure at these levels can cause infertility. “Just in an instance you mean?” a reporter asked. “Yes,” the expert confirmed, adding that at 500 ML, lymphocytes (white cells) in blood will decrease. Anyone without protective clothing is at risk, he emphasized, adding that radiation at these levels “can affect your genes….It is very dangerous.”

U.S., other nations issue travel warnings for Japan; France and Germany advise citizens to leave Tokyo

By Miriam Raftery

Disturbing videos document flights near nests, possible collision with a pair of eagles, plus an eagle now missing part of its wing and its mate

By Miriam Raftery

Video by Billy Ortiz
 

March 11, 2011 (Otay Mesa) – A woman talking on her cell phone walked against a red light into the path of a tractor trailer on Paseo De Las America at Sempre Viva Road in Otay Mesa. The truck ran over the woman, 31, as the driver, 37, made a right turn.

TOKYO FLOODED BY TSUNAMI

TSUNAMI COULD REACH SAN DIEGO FRIDAY  

AT 8:41 A.M.

TSUNAMI WATCHES/WARNINGS ISSUED FOR HAWAII, ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, AUSTRALIA, RUSSIA, TAIWAN, GUAM, PHLIPPINES, INDONESIA, MARIANAS ISLANDS, SOUTH AMERICA, ANTARCTICA & MORE

March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) --After a courageous battle with cancer complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Richard “Rick” Allen Smith, 67, passed away peacefully at his home in Lakeside on February 18th.  He held leadership positions on Lakeside's fire and planning boards, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. 

“His dedication to the community of Lakeside will have a lasting affect for many years to come and his experience and wisdom will be sorely missed by all who knew him," said his daughter-in-law, Michelle Dimsey. "He maintained his trademark sense of humor and “can do attitude” all the way to the end.”

March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) -- Lakeside Fire Department responded to a reported multi-family residential structure fire at 8810 Winter Gardens Blvd at 38 minutes past midnight. Units from El Cajon and Santee also responded, along with medics. Heartland Fire Dispatch reported to the responding units en route that the fire was located in the storage units in front of the Mountain View apartments.

Mother says Madrid police indicate son may have been drugged, Sacramento Bee reports

March 8, 2011 (San Diego) – The body of Austin Taylor Bice, a San Diego State University exchange student studying abroad in Spain, has been found in the Manzaneres River near the Spanish nightclub where he was last seen February 25th, SDSU’s news center announced today.

“The San Diego State campus is saddened byt his tragic news which confirms our worst fears,” SDSU president Stephen Weber said in a prepared statement. “Our thoughts this morning are with Austin’s family and friends who have our deepest sympathies.”