EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

December 16, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Mysterious car-sized drones spotted in night sky above San Diego County (CBS 8)
• Desert sculptor who created iconic Borrego Springs creatures hospitalized (NBC 7)
• San Diego's Ponzi Scheme Queen, Gina Champion-Cain, Seeking Early Release On 15-Year Sentence Due To 'Horrific' Sexual Abuse At Infamous Prison (SanDiegoville.com)  
• Decades old clothing store will remain open with help of another business owner (10 News)
• What Cajon Valley Board Member Anthony Carnevale Won’t Say (Voice of San Diego)
• Julian-based nonprofit says property managers don't want them at low-income community (10 News)
• South County Report: ‘Forever’ Chemicals Discovered in South County Water (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• California’s plan to stabilize its home insurance market is now law. Will it work?(San Jose Mercury News)
• The price tag on Project 2025’s abortion plan: $300 million cut to Medi-Cal (Cal Matters)
• Battle Over Trans Student-Athletes Roils California High School Sports (Patch.com)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

LOCAL

Mysterious car-sized drones spotted in night sky above San Diego County (CBS 8)

After a wave of large drone sightings in New Jersey, similar objects are being spotted in the skies above Southern California.

Desert sculptor who created iconic Borrego Springs creatures hospitalized (NBC 7)

The Borrego Springs artist is hoping to sell his art can help pay for an unexpected medical emergency

San Diego's Ponzi Scheme Queen, Gina Champion-Cain, Seeking Early Release On 15-Year Sentence Due To 'Horrific' Sexual Abuse At Infamous Prison (SanDiegoville.com)  

Gina Champion-Cain, a former San Diego restaurateur serving a 15-year prison sentence for orchestrating a $400 million Ponzi scheme, continues to push for early release, this time citing severe abuse during her incarceration at the now-closed Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA. Known as the "rape club," the facility gained infamy for widespread reports of sexual misconduct and inadequate protection for inmates.

Decades old clothing store will remain open with help of another business owner (10 News)

A decades-old clothing store in La Mesa that was at risk of closing its doors is now moving two blocks down from its current location. ABC 10News Anchor Aaron Dickens first met the owners of Act II, Deanne Ross, and her mom, Dolores Buller, a few weeks ago. They said someone had bought their building and tripled the rent...Theresa Favro, the owner of the Home and Soul gift shop, has known Ross for years. After seeing 10News's coverage, she decided to sublease her entire space to Ross.

What Cajon Valley Board Member Anthony Carnevale Won’t Say (Voice of San Diego)

Despite labeling a group of nonprofits the ‘groomer cartel,’ Cajon Valley Trustee Anthony Carnevale won’t say what he thinks the organizations are grooming kids into.

Julian-based nonprofit says property managers don't want them at low-income community (10 News)

Backcountry Communities Thriving has been helping residents at Butterfield Ranch for years.

South County Report: ‘Forever’ Chemicals Discovered in South County Water (Voice of San Diego)

Recent tests discovered toxic industrial chemicals in Sweetwater Reservoir. Officials say the water is safe to drink but ratepayers are concerned. Treating the chemicals could cost $40 million. 

STATE

California’s plan to stabilize its home insurance market is now law. Will it work?(San Jose Mercury News)

California’s plan to stabilize its faltering home insurance market is now law, meaning homeowners in fire-prone areas and beyond may soon have an easier time finding coverage. But consumer advocates worry it will also mean steep rate hikes for many policyholders and remain skeptical that insurers will actually offer more policies.

The price tag on Project 2025’s abortion plan: $300 million cut to Medi-Cal (Cal Matters)

Under Project 2025, all 50 states would be mandated to report detailed abortion-related data to the federal government or risk funding cuts. California is one of three states that currently does not report. 

Battle Over Trans Student-Athletes Roils California High School Sports (Patch.com)

Two teen girls filed a lawsuit in Riverside County. Meanwhile, state officials brace for new policies under President-Elect Donald Trump.