By Paul Kruze

Link to audio of Santee City Council Meeting, Oct. 25, 2017

November 3, 2017 (Santee) -- Cinemark Theatres won unanimous approval from the Santee City Council Wednesday to operate a multiplex movie theater. The multiplex theater is to be built on a seven-acre parcel purchased last spring from the County of San Diego near the Santee Town Center shopping mall and Parc One apartment complex at 320 Town Center Parkway.

By Valerie Watts

November 3, 2017 (El Cajon) - Are you ready to see all your favorite fair tales mixed together, stood on end, and performed by an enthusiastic high school performing troupe?  Granite Hills High School Theater is presenting the Broadway version of "Into the Woods" at 1719 E. Madison Ave., El Cajon.  Performance dates are November 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. with additional matinee showings at 1 p.m. on the 11th and 18th.  Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children 10 and younger.  For more information, message 619-655-1213.

By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2017 (Washington D.C. )  -- George Papadopoulos, foreign policy advisor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, has pled guilty to criminal charges pertaining to his dealings with Russian foreign nationals. Two others,Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business associate  Rick Gates, have been arrested and indicted on felony charges, court documents unsealed on Monday reveal. 

The 12 counts include charges of conspiracy against the U.S., failing to register as foreign agents, making false statements to federal investigators, tax fraud, and laundering tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts for clients in the Ukraine,  including former Ukranian president Viktor Yanukovych, Associated Press reports. Yanukovych was a staunch ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

By Valerie Watts

November 3, 2017 (El Cajon) -- St. Madeleine Sophie's Center invites golfers to "Swing with Santa" at the Sycuan Resort Friday, November 17.  The event begins with check in at 9:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 11:00 a.m.  Lunch is included and the day is topped off with a reception starting at 3:30 p.m.  Golfers will enjoy a day on the Pine Glen Par 3 executive course, bid on silent auction items and have a great time all while supporting the good work of St. Madeleine Sophie's Center.

By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes a wildlife walk, live hawk demonstration and world music ensemble concert at Mission Trails, an Autumn Fest at the Water Conservation Garden, the Ramona Art and Wine Fest, and acoustic concerts at the Rancho San Diego and Ramona libraries.

Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions, including Veterans Day activities at Grossmont Center, a Veterans’ Day commemoration in El Cajon, the Mother Goose Parade, a holiday hay ride and many more activities at Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures in Santa Ysabel, plus a Julian Country Christmas celebration later this month.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2017 (New York) – A terrorist who plowed a rented truck onto a bike and pedestrian path, killing eight people yesterday in Manhattan and injuring a dozen more left a note pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State or ISIS,  John Miller, the deputy New York police commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said at a briefing  today.

November 1, 2017 (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Charges For Ambulance Rides To Rise In San Diego (KPBS)
• Amid crackdown, homeless move to the river (Voice of San Diego)
• New Report Shows Military Spending Supported 22 Percent Of San Diego Jobs (KPBS)
• Hundreds Sickened At San Diego Marine Corps Depot, Some With E. Coli KPBS)
• SDG&E proposes customer rebates for San Onofre failure, but it's not much (SD Union-Tribune)
• Sempra takes write-down on 2007 San Diego wildfire costs (SD Union-Tribune)
• Christian College Can’t Explain $20 Million In Expenses; Agency Cites ‘Very Sketchy’ Budget (KPBS)
• La Mesa to start pilot program for 6 p.m. Council meetings in 2018 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• African life, death shaped remarkable marathon star Keflezhigi (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Padres name Skip Schumaker first base coach (Gaslamp Ball)

STATE

• Proposed bill would block utilities from passing wildfire costs to customers (SF Chronicle)
• CPUC Postpones SDG&E Fire Settlement Vote For Third Time  (KPBS)
• Proposed initiative would end early release for some crimes, allow more DNA collection (Los Angeles Times)
• Firefighters fully contain deadly Atlas Fire (San Francisco Chronicle)

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

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  A Probation Officer administers a test that checks for alcohol on an offender.

November 1, 2017 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Probation Department will use a half-million dollar grant to keep high-risk DUI offenders from getting behind the wheel again.

Nationally, nearly one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders and 50 to 75 percent of convicted drivers continue to drive on a suspended license, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2017 (El Cajon) – El Cajon resident Darius Demon Lake, 27, is under arrest for suspicion of committing eight bank robberies in San Diego County and one in Temecula, Walt Miller with the El Cajon Police Department reports.  A second suspect, Brian Lee Barkley, also of El Cajon, was arrested for participating in one of three El Cajon bank heists.  “During that robbery, physical evidence was left by both suspects linking them to the robberies,” Miller says.

Backcountry hidden pleasures:   Our guide to unique lodging adventures in San Diego’s beautiful backcountry

By Jack Riordan

Photo, left: The Desert View Trail at the Burnt Rancheria Campground is a very easy and dog-friendly one mile scenic loop through the campground to a rewarding view of the desert floor below.  Photo by Jack Riordan.

November 1, 2017 (Mount Laguna) -- Nestled in the pines, beneath a blanket of starlight, you’ll find Burnt Rancheria.  As part of the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area in the Cleveland National Forest, this lush east county campground sits at 6000 feet above sea level, offering dream-like mountain scenery, as well as an easy escape from the day to day life in the city.

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Story by Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

For Christian Chapman's and Ron Smith's portion of the press conference, click "read more" and scroll down.

October 31, 2017 (San Diego) - Winning after two weeks of losing is spooky indeed, and on this Halloween, Aztecs football head coach Rocky Long, junior quarterback Christian Chapman and sophomore cornerback Ron Smith sat down with the media at this week's press conference.

East County News Service

October 31, 2017 (Boulevard) – The November 2^nd meeting of the Boulevard Planning Group wil include action items on Invenergy’s proposed 600 megawatt Boulevard Solar Energy Storage projects as well as Clean Focus’s 80 megawatt Rugged Solar project.  Items related to Tule Wind and the County’s Climate Action Plan are also on the agenda.

East County News Service

October 29, 2017 (San Diego) – Mission Trails Regional Park announces a series of fall activities.  These include concerts and a Native American flute circle, a star viewing party, live hawk demonstration, bird watching and wildlife walks, an art show and more.

For a full schedule of events, scroll down.  For details on all of these activities, visit http://www.MTRP.org.

East County News Service

October 29, 2017 (San Diego) – Weary of warm weather? Relief is on the horizon.  The National Weather Service predicts much cooler weather this week through next weekend, with temperatures several degrees below normal.