East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – If you’re in search of Irish music, Irish beer or feasting on Irish foods to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,  here are some St. Patrick’s Day happenings in East County.

East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Congress is considering a bill that will effectively end California’s 20-plus year civil protection system for victims of elder abuse or neglect perpetrated by health care providers.



“H.R. 1215 is a corporate wish list of anti-justice measures to immunize health care providers from accountability for terrible care by limiting justice for victims of health care malpractice,” warns California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a nonprofit that advocates for improving care for patients needing long-term care. “The bill is misleadingly named the `Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017.’  A more apt name for H.R. 2115 would be `Obstruction of Justice for the Injured.’”

East County News Service

Photo courtesy 10 News, ECM news partner

March 9, 2017 (Rolando) – A gunman fired multiple rounds into the Blue Nile Hookah Lounge shortly after midnight, but fortunately no one was injured.

Panicked customers dove for cover to avoid bullets that went through a front window and also struck vehicles in the 7200 block of El Cajon Blvd.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Tammy Rimes and her husband/winemaker, the late William Holzhauer

March 9, 2017 (Ramona) – Hacienda de las Rosas Winery in Ramona is closing its doors.   The last day in business will be Saturday, April 29^th. The property will be going up for sale in April, owner Tammy Rimes announced in an email to wine club members.

East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Overprescribed: veterans and the painkiller problem (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Health Officials Monitor Jump in Human Cases of Bird Flu in China (NPR)
• Forbidding Forecast for Lyme Disease in the Northeast (NPR)
•  Did You Get Bit by a Lyme-Infested Tick? Here's What to Do (NPR)
• Drugs disaster (BBC)
• Patients Demand The 'Right to Try' Experimental Drugs, But Costs Can Be Steep (NPR)
• Reports of Medical Breakthroughs Often Don't Prove Out (NPR)
• WATCH: Raindrops Catapult Bacteria into the Air, and It's Beautiful (NPR)
• Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time on Social Media May Be Why (NPR)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• This Tiny Home Was 3D Printed in 24 Hours (Apartment Therapy)
• New insight into secret lives of Neanderthals (BBC)
• DNA clues to why woolly mammoth died out (BBC)
• Ancient human tree cultivation shaped Amazon landscape (Reuters)
• Scientists create first artificial mouse 'embryo' from stem cells (Reuters)
• Doctor Launches Vision Quest to Help Astronauts’ Eyeballs (NPR)

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

East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (Alpine) -- Forbes Travel Guide has  unveiled its annual Star Rating list, naming Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine as a new Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel. Viejas Casino & Resort will be showcased with all of the Star Rating recipients on ForbesTravelGuide.com. Read the Forbes review here:  http://www.forbestravelguide.com/san-diego-california/hotels/viejas-casino-resort.

By Miriam Raftery

March 9, 2017 (San Diego) — On Wednesday, March 15,  San Diego County Supervisors will consider amending zoning regulations to outlaw all marijuana facilities,  medical and recreational.  At a recent meeting, Supervisors instructed staff to draw up language to ban all facilities including shutting down existing lawfully operating dispensaries. However staff is recommending that existing medical marijuana facilities be allowed to stay open.  County staff also recommended that  Supervisors consider possible zoning ordinance amendments to address regulations permitting cannabis farming in agricultural zones, though thus far Supervisors have voiced opposition to requests from farmers seeking to grow cannabis.

East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A motorcyclist has died at a local hospital after suffering serious injuries in a collision in Lemon Grove.

According to witnesses, the Harley Davidson motorcycle rear-ended a Toyota Corolla car, then struck a parked vehicle on Massachusetts Avenue Sunday night shortly before 7:30 p.m. The motorcyclist was ejected from the vehicle, said Sgt. Jorge Dueno with the Sheriff’s Department.

East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (El Cajon) – A man was killed March 6^th while trying to stop a truck from rolling down a hill at 13220 Aurora Drive in El Cajon. He has been identified as Roy Sterner, 39, of Chula Vista.

Sterner was visiting a friend’s residence to work on the truck, but while he was pushing it to the front of the driveway, the truck began rolling downhill.  Sterner ran after the vehicle and tried to get in through the open window on the driver’s side, with his upper body in the vehicle and his lower body outside.

UPDATE:  Helix will host West High School at 6 p.m. March 11

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

March 8, 2017 (La Mesa) - In Round I of the Division IV CIF boys basketball playoffs, the Highlanders of Helix faced another set of Highlanders, those from Granada Hills Charter in Granada Hills, a city just north of Santa Monica.  Both team’s colors are green and white.  Both teams’ mascot is a highlander.  Both are charter schools.

East County News Service

Photo credit:  Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson

March 8, 2017 (La Mesa) – Rebecca Jefferis Williamson sent in this photo of trails left by airplanes over Mt. Helix, taken from the Fuerte Street bridge this morning. Some have called these chem trails but they are actually simply water vapor that has condensed/frozen due to cold temperatures high in the atmosphere. The scientific name is contrails.

East County News Service

March 8, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- The state of California has established a new website called the Human Right to Water Portal, in compliance with a 2012 law that makes California the first state in the U.S. to recognize a right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water for all state residents.  But a review of the new website shows that many East County communities, schools and public water systems are in violation of safe, clean drinking water standards.

By Jonathan Goetz

March 7, 2017 (La Mesa) - At its February 28 meeting, the La Mesa City Council spent over an hour learning about and discussing cannabis legislation, following a lengthy introduction by City Attorney Glenn Sabine who consulted a conditional Use Permit (CUP) process and cannabis taxing consultant.

Baseball sees five-game win streak end

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Jorge Fernandez was one of seven SDSU pitchers in Tueday's contest vs. USC.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

March 7, 2017 (San Diego) - USC scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning and two relief pitchers made that marker stand up as the Trojans downed San Diego State, 1-0, Tuesday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Aztecs’ Zaria Meshack hits key two-run single in 2nd

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Sydnee Cable hit a two-run HR in the bottom of the fifth vs. UDM on Tuesday.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

March 7, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State overcame a wobbly start Tuesday to register its fourth straight victory with a 5-2 triumph over visiting Detroit Mercy in a non-conference game at SDSU Softball Stadium. With the win, the Aztecs raise their record to 12-7 on the year, while the Titans slip to 3-15 overall.