By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News.

August 24, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – Law enforcement agencies from multiple agencies  shot and killed a man in Lemon Grove who had opened fire on them following a pursuit early this morning, Times of San Diego.

  The chase reportedly began after a La Mesa Police officer  approaching a suspicious car stopped at a green light near Fletcher Parkway and Baltimore Drive heard screams; the car then sped away, according to Times of San Diego.

East County News Service

August 24, 2017 (Santee) – A Sheriff’s sergeant from the Santee substation sustained minor injuries when his patrol vehicle was struck by a trolley Wednesday evening at 6:25 p.m.

The sergeant, traveling westbound on Buena Vista Avenue at Cuyamaca Street, entered the intersection and was broadsided by the southbound trolley. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

August 23, 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.

• Five key pieces of Trump’s Afghanistan plan (CNN)
• The reactions to Trump’s Afghanistan strategy (CBS)
• 10 sailors missing after U.S. warship collides with tanker (Time)
• Media lets loose its fury after Trump attack (The Hill)
• Sheriff: Judge returns fire after being shot outside courthouse (CBS)
• Bannon’s war: How Trump’s alt-right hero and former White House strategist plotted his revenge  (Newsweek)
• Virginia police say they didn’t find caches of weapons in Charlottesville (Reason)
• Apple's Tim Cook "disagrees" with DT's take on neo-Nazi violence...pledges 1M to both SPLC & the Anti-Defamation League  (Recode)
• Trump disbands business council after CEOs quit (Reuters)
• So far 16 charities have pulled out of doing their events at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s defense of white supremacists (RawStory)
• Joint chiefs denounce racism in stark terms as Trump’s isolation grows (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Federal Government Denies a Native American Tribe Millions (NPR)

WORLD

• Spain hunts for driver in van rampage, says Islamist cell dismantled (Reuters)
• Barcelona van attackers plotted major bombings, Spanish court hears (Reuters)
• Muslim divorce law unconstitutional, rules India’s high court (Reuters)
• Following damage caused by economic rise, China tackles ambitious conservation experiment  (CS Monitor)
• Panama says to demand visas from Venezuelans, slams Maduro (Reuters)
• Report: Iran and Russia violated UN weapons sanctions (JPost)
• UNICEF: Boko Haram's use of child suicide bombers is already four times more than 2016 total (CS Monitor)
• Inside the Ring: China's $360 million gift to Harvard (Washington Times)

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

August 23, 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

• 8 hate groups are in San Diego’s backyard, civil rights groups say (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Chicago bosses clean out top editors at LA Times (San Diego Reader)
• Interpreters who help troops find safety and new life in East County (East County Californian)
• Border report:  The border agent boom hasn’t materialized (Voice of San Diego)
• Fundraiser launched for El Cajon Police dog diagnosed with cancer (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SD County unemployment higher than in the U.S. (S.D. Reader)
• New Ronald McDonald House Offers Relief for More Families with a Sick Child (KPBS)
• Four years later, ex-mayor hasn't made court-ordered restitution to charity (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Californians, here’s why your housing costs are so high (Sacramento Bee)
• California bill to protect immigrant witnesses  heads to Jerry Brown (Los Angeles Times)
• Judges in L.A. asked to unseal records in CPUC criminal probe (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• A controversial California effort to fight climate change just got some good news (Washington Post)

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

By Miriam Raftery

August 23, 2017 (La Mesa) – If you’d like to have a say-so about water rates and other issues in the Helix Water District, you may soon have that chance.  The district’s board has voted unanimously to establish an advisory board comprised of its customers.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, NASA: Consequences of climate change

August 23, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump’s administration is eliminating its climate change advisory committee, which made recommendations to federal state and local governments as well as businesses based on scientific findings.

By Miriam Raftery

August 13, 2017 (La Mesa) – The Interfaith Council of La Mesa invites the public to join millions of people around the world participating in activities to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace on September 17^th. The La Mesa event will be held starting at 3 p.m. in Aztec Park, 7945 Morocco Drive, La Mesa.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2017 (California) – Growth in commercial-scale marijuana farming has created a new set of wildfire-related issues.  Several recent wildfires in California were caused by pot growing operations, Cal Fire reveals.  But in other western states, pot farmers are facing uninsured losses when wildfires threaten their crops.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image Credit: Pixel and Paper Photography

August 22, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - Lots of purring, happy barks and maybe even a cock-a-doodle-do Monday as shelter pets from County Animal Services settle into their new forever homes. They were among 306 animals adopted from the County’s three shelters on Clear the Shelters Day Saturday. That total beat last year’s total of 304 by just a (doggie) hair and a whisker.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2017 (La Mesa) – You’re invited to experience bluegrass, Cajun, Flamenco, and country blues music this Wednesday night at Brew Coffee spot, the happening new gathering place in La Mesa, at 6101 Lake Murray Blvd.  from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m.

East County News Service

August 21, 2017 (Planet Earth) — As people across the nation sought out viewing areas, eclipse glasses and solar shields to photograph the eclipse,  the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) got the premier eclipse photo—shot from space.

Update August 22:  The fire is 80% contained and holding at 200 acres, per Cal Fire. 175 federal, state and local firefighters have been battling the blaze.  Cause has not been determined.

Update 6:00 p.m.: Forward spread of fire has been stopped and threat to Campo Indian reservation mitigated, Cal Fire reports.

Update 4:12 p.m.:  Campo Sheriff Substation reports  EclipseFire is at 200 acres. Safe zone is at Mountain Empire High School, 3305 Buckman Springs Rd. in Campo. Fire is advancing at moderate spread, 10-15 mph winds, 0% contained.

Update 3:50 p.m.:  Campo Indian reservation is also now threatened, Cal Fire tweeted moments ago. Evacuations are in progress.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Donna Tisdale

August 21, 2017 (Campo) -- The #EclipseFire has burned 25 acres at La Posta Road and Royal Willie Road in the Campo area.  Structures are now threatened and evacuations are occurring at a Navy training site on La Posta Road, Isaac Sancheez, Cal Fire public information officer, has advised ECM.

The fire is burning at moderate rate of spread and no structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire.  The California Highway has ordered closure of La Posta Road. 

SDG&E has dispatched its air crane to help battle the blaze.

East County News Service

June 27, 2017 (Spring Valley) - Thelma, Stan & Ollie - the next gathering of the Saps at Sea, the Laurel & Hardy Sons of the Desert association in San Diego, high-lights one of their favorite gals, Thelma Todd. This bubbly blonde was not only a highly respected actress and comedian, but a long time favorite of the Saps.

East County News Service

July 24, 2017 (San Diego) -- On Monday, August 21st, a total solar eclipse will pass over the Pacific Northwest affecting California’s solar resources that supply power to the grid. The eclipse is expected to occur from 9:02 a.m. to 11:54 a.m., with the moon obscuring 58 to 76 percent of solar rays, depending on the resource location, and causing a loss of 4,194 megawatts of California large scale solar electricity.

SDSU earns 1-0 win over UC Davis

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

August 20, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State earned its first victory of the season, defeating UC Davis 1-0 at a sun-splashed SDSU Sports Deck Sunday afternoon. The decision evened the Aztecs’ record at 1-1 and supplied head coach Mike Friesen with his program-record 123^rd career win.