ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

 

October 4, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views.  Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

WORLD

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


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS


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MAN SHOT IN HEAD DIES: LA MESA RESIDENT CHARGED WITH MURDER

 

Update June 6, 2019 -- Artale has been found guilty of second degree murder. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 4, 2017 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident Christopher Artale is now charged with murder after the man he allegedly shot in the head, Aldo Alfonso Prado, died during the night of his injuries, La Mesa Police report.

Artale, 40, has pled not guilty. If convicted, he could face 35 years to life in prison. His bail is set at $1.5 million, NBC 7 reports.


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HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS


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ASSEMBLYMAN VOEPEL ANNOUNCES 71ST DISTRICT "LISTENING TOUR"

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 4, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Today, Assemblyman Randy Voepel (R-Santee) announced he will be holding a "Listening Tour" through multiple communities within the 71st Assembly District including Santee, Julian, Lakeside, El Cajon, Ramona and Idyllwild.  The Listening Tour will provide an opportunity for constituents to hear a legislative update, ask questions, and offer ideas for how to improve California.


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HELP STOP CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING: WORKSHOP OCT. 7 IN LA MESA

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 4, 2017 (La Mesa) -- The FBI has classified the San Diego area as a high intensity child prostitution area. San Diego ranks among the worst 13 cities for child prostitution, an 810-million-dollar criminal enterprise locally.


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SAN DIEGO HALL OF CHAMPIONS ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER STARS OF THE MONTH

 

By Liz Alper

October 4, 2017 (San Diego) - No high school stars last month, but there were plenty of pro and amateur stars that made the cut.


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FARMING IS A GROWING BUSINESS, 2016 COUNTY CROP REPORT SHOWS

 

East County News Service

October 4, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Agriculture values in San Diego County returned to their growing ways in the latest annual County Crop Report, increasing by 2.63 percent to nearly 1.75 billion dollars last year.  That’s a big shift, after two years of decline during the drought.


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DESTINATION EAST COUNTY: TOP FESTIVALS AND EVENTS OCT. 6-31

 

East County News Service

October 3, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) --This week’s Destination East County includes Oktoberfest in El Cajon, Camels and Apples at the Oasis Camel Dairy, an art reception with international artist Padre Johnson at Heritage of the Americas Museum, a Circular Visions dance show, the Ramona Air Fair and Fly In, Summers Past Farms’ Pumpkin Patch, Scotty’s Scare Trail, and the Pumpkin Express haunted train ride in Campo.

Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions, including the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, Kids Care Fest in Lakeside, the Borrego Days celebration, El Cajon’s Haunt Fest on Main, a Haunted Elks Lodge, a Halloween Harvest Family Festival on Mt. Helix, a spooky sleepover at Lions Tigers and Bears in Alpine, and the Boulevard BOO Parade.

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


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CONGRESS LETS CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE PROGRAM FOR NINE MILLION POOR KIDS EXPIRE: CHIP FUNDS ALSO COVERED MATERNITY CARE

 

Meanwhile, Congress weighs bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks, but robs babies of healthcare at birth

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2017 (Washington D.C. ) – Nine million children in low-income families and poor  pregnant mothers are losing healthcare nationwide due to the Republican-led Congress failing to allow a vote on renewing the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), letting  it expire on September 30th, the Washington Post reports.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: INTERPOINT

 

By Robert Gehr

October 3, 2017 (El Cajon) – This beautiful sculpture, with its gracefully flowing curves, sits unassumingly yet boldly in front of the San Diego County courthouse entry area in El Cajon at 250 East Main street.

Created from stainless steel with a highly polished, reflecting surface, one can certainly be mesmerized by looking skyward as it towers 31 feet above the viewer.


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CAMELS AND APPLES: OPEN FARM AND SHOWS OCT. 7-9

 

East County News Service

October 3, 2017 (Ramona) -- The Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona joins in celebrating Julian’s apple season, inviting visitors to treat camels to sweet, tart, crisp apples.  On October 7, 8 and 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. the celebration also include an open farm tour with friendly farm animals and curious camels. Plus, at 1:30 p.m. each day, you can enjoy a humorous and entertaining animal show.


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AZTECS FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE 10/3: NATIONAL TV?

 

 

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Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories!

Story by Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

For Quest Truxton and Trey Lomax's portion of the press conference, click "read more" and scroll down

October 3, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State football is cruising this season; they're now 5-0 and ready to make their national TV debut for the season on Saturday night against UNLV.   This week, head coach Rocky Long and seniors Quest Truxton (WR) and Trey Lomax (S) sat down with the media at the weekly press conference.


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EX-AZTECS MEN'S GOLF STAR XANDER SCHAUFFELE NAMED PGA TOUR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

 

SDSU alumnus becomes fourth member of the 2011 high school class to win rookie honors

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

October 3, 2017 (San Diego) - Former San Diego State men’s golf All-American Xander Schauffele was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, as voted on by the Tour’s membership for the 2016-17 season.


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SAN MIGUEL FIRE HOSTS OPEN HOUSES OCT. 7 IN SPRING VALLEY AND EL CAJON: LEARN HOW TO PREPARE FOR FIRE AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

 

East County News Service

October 3, 2017 (Spring Valley) -- As the fire season approaches, San Miguel Fire District is kicking off Fire Prevention Week with an Open House on Saturday, October 7 at four of its fire stations in the East County. 

Residents will learn:

* Sidewalk CPR

* How to create Defensible Space around the house

* What to place in an Emergency Kit

* How to develop an Emergency Plan for the family.

Firefighters in each station will be available to answer questions.  Kids will be given Firefighter helmets and fire badge stickers.

Refreshments will be served.


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BRAVO! EAST COUNTY DINING CLUB EVENT AT TIRAMISU TRATTORIA IS ANOTHER SUCCESS

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

 

October 3, 2017 (La Mesa) – Our second East County Dining Club event once again filled a local restaurant to capacity. Guests savored special Italian dishes, homemade pasta,Italian and local wines, and  live Italian vocal music  at Tiramisu Trattoria in La Mesa--also winning a wealth of prizes, meeting neighbors and making new friends.


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CAMPO-LAKE MORENA PLANNING GROUP OFFICIAL THREATENS TO PUNCH SENIOR WOMAN IN THE FACE

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2017  (Campo) – After being blocked on a neighborhood watch forum, Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group member Keven Owens posted a profanity-laced podcast on his “Erroneous Opinions” webpage in which he threatened to punch 69-year-old Claudia Millerbragg in the face.

A partial transcript of his more than 20 minute rant is below, asprovided in writing by Owens in an email response after ECM sent him an inquiry. You can hear an audio excerpt at the audio link above published under the Fair Use doctrine on a matter of clear public interest:

Audio: 

Keven Owens threatens Claudia Millerbragg on tape

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LISTEN NOW: OUR JULY AND AUGUST 2017 RADIO SHOWS ARE NOW ONLINE

 

Our July and August 2017 radio shows are now online. For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews,  click here, or click "read more" and scroll down. (Sound files may take a few moments to load).

Our newsmaker interviews included Eric Lund with the East County Homeless Task Force, 50th Congressional district candidates Josh Butner (ex- Navy Seal) and Andrew Velt  (Sheriff sergeant), La Mesa Interfaith Council’s Nancy Ryan and Suellen Treadwell on an International Day of Peace, and Mission Trails Regional Park ranger Rebecca Smart on dog safety for local trails. Plus we covered hot issues locally and nationally that impact people in our region.

 The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.  Read more and listen to our July and August shows:

Audio: 


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OTAY WATER BOARD TO VOTE ON FIVE-YEAR RATE PLAN OCT. 4

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2017 (Spring Valley) – Otay Water District’s Board of Directors, at its October 4 meeting at 3:30 p.m., will hold a public hearing and vote on rates, fees and charges for fiscal year 2017-18 and to consider authorizing a five-year pass-through of cost increases from water wholesalers and district rate increases. That rate may not exceed 10 percent a year for all costs other than pass-through costs. 


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INVASIVE AEDES MOSQUITOES FOUND AT 273 TRAPS ACROSS REGION, INCLUDING MANY EAST COUNTY COMMUNITIES

 

Residents in La Mesa, Mount Helix, and other local neighborhoods complain of swarms biting during daylight hours

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (Mt. Helix) – After numerous residents on the Mt. Helix Next Door forum complained of swarms of small, aggressive mosquitoes biting during daylight hours and often, indoors, East County Magazine contacted County Vector Control. We learned that the invasive Aedes mosquitoes have been found in 273 traps at 23 different locations between January 1st and September 21st this year.  View map.


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LA MESA RESIDENT ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING CAR VANDAL IN HEAD

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (La Mesa) — Last night, La Mesa Police detectives arrested La Mesa resident Christopher Artale, 40, for attempted murder of Alfonso Prado, 35, of National City.  Artale shot Prado in the head following an altercation Sunday afternoon in front of Artale’s home.


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SCOTTY'S SCARE TRAIL PROMISES CREEPY FUN WEEKENDS IN OCTOBER

 

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (El Cajon) — Scotty’s Scare Trail, located at the Marshall Scotty’s abandoned amusement park, is rumored to be haunted to old employees and children who never left.  Left in a “scary decrepit state,” the site is “the perfect destination to let our monsters out of their cages to roam free,” the Halloween venue’s webpage states.


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HEPATITIS OUTBREAK PROMPTS VACCINATIONS IN JAIL SYSTEM

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (San Diego) – The countywide hepatitis outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people includes several cases contracted in San Diego County jails.

That prompted criticism from Dave Meyers, a candidate running against Sheriff Bill Gore in 2018. Meyers, in an email sent to those on his distribution list, states, “Sheriff Bill Gore has ignored basic CDC standards for sanitation and disease prevention in the county jails and has managed them as if they are a solution to homelessness.  As a result, the county jails have served as an incubator for this epidemic.”


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PUMPKIN PATCH FUN IN OCTOBER AT SUMMERS PAST FARMS

 

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (Flinn Springs) — The Pumpkin Patch at Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs invites you to Pumpkin Patch Weekends complete with corn maze, jumpy for kids, popcorn and more. There are also special dates for petting and meeting a variety of animals from alpacas to pigs, as well as a dog show, costume contest and more.


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REPORT: CUYAMACA COLLEGE PROVIDES ROADMAP FOR CA REMEDIATION REFORM

 

New data reveals dramatic surge in completion rates following college’s policy transformation

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (Rancho San Diego) -- The California Acceleration Project (CAP) today released its latest report in a series highlighting California community colleges that are successfully transforming their remediation policies. Leading the Way spotlights Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, where completion of transferable, college-level math has increased almost seven-fold among students previously classified “remedial.”


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VACANCIES ON GROSSMONT BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

 

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (La Mesa) - Grossmont Union High School District seeks applicants to fill two vacancies on its Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. The Committee oversees implementation of school bond funding measures Proposition U and Measure BB.


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HIGHWAY 67 LANE CLOSURES IN RAMONA

 

East County News Service

October 2, 2017 (Ramona) -- Caltrans has announced lane closures on State Route 67 at Dye Road and Highland Valley Road on Monday and again this Wednesday and Thursday night from 7 p.m.to 5 a.m. each night.


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U.S. FOREST SERVICE: FIGHTING FIRES TAKING MONEY FROM OTHER PRIORITIES

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Forest Service, in a series of messages sent on its Twitter account, warns that the growing cost of wildfires is taking money from other programs –including those that reduce fire threats.


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RESIDENT ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING MAN IN HEAD IN LA MESA

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (La Mesa) – A La Mesa resident allegedly shot a man in the head at Glen and Mariposa Streets, near State Route 125 above Lemon Avenue elementary school Sunday afternoon around 4:45 p.m. The street is also close to La Mesa Village where the Oktoberfest was ongoing at the time.


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MASS SHOOTING IN LAS VEGAS: 400 INJURED, 50 DEAD

 
 
Update 8:15 a.m.:President Trump issued a statement calling for prayers for victims and their families, adding, "We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community and the comfort of our common humanity. Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our bonds cannot be broken by violence. And though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of citizens, it is our love that defines us today and always will forever.” President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Update 7:30 a.m.:   The death toll has climbed to 50, the Los Angeles Times now reports, with over 400 people transported to hospitals. This is now the deadliest mass shooting inn U.S. history. The suspect is identified as Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada,  ABC News reports. Other hotels now believed safe; rumors of explosives arose from police use of them at Mandalay to access shooter's room.
 
For families looking to locate missing loved ones,call 1-866-535-5654.
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
October 2, 2017 (San Diego) 1:45 a.m. - A horrific mass shooting has just occurred in Las Vegas.  Police confirm that at least 20 people are dead and more than 100 injured, many seriously. The shooting occurred at the Route 91 Harvest country music concert outdoors across the street from  the Mandalay Bay hotel.

The shooter, who shot from a hotel window at the Mandalay onto the crowd below with what audiotapes suggest was a fully automatic  military-style weapon, is now dead. Authorities also found 10 "assault" weapons in his room, Las Vegas authorities told media. 

Police are reportedly looking for a "companion" named Marilou Danley, described as an Asian woman 4 ft. 11 inches in height and a second woman for whom no description has been provided.  They are also searching for two vehicles: 

Hyundai Tucson | Nevada license plate 114B40

Chrysler Pacifica | Nevada license plate 19D401


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