Source: Ramona Valley Vineyard Association

Photo:  Outgoing RVVA president Micole Moore (left) and incoming RVVA president Bill Schweitzer (right) pose with the speaker, Master Sommelier Frederick Dame (center), at the 2016 Lum Eisenman Wine Competition awards dinner on June 22, 2016.

Jnuary 26, 2017 (Ramona) - The Board of Directors of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association (RVVA) selected Bill Schweitzer as their new president for the next three-year term.

East County News Service

Photo:  City of Poway tweeted this image of a boulder that shut down Poway Road

January 24, 2017 (Sacramento) — Governor Jerry Brown today issued an emergency declaration for San Diego County and 56 other California counties hard-hit by the recent winter storms. 

East County News Service

January 25, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• U.S. judge finds that Aetna misled public about its reasons for quitting Obamcare (LA Times)
•  1 in 4 U.S. men have cancer-linked genital infection (CBS)
• Why Is Extensively Drug-Resistant TB On the Rise? (NPR)
• Study: US abortions now at lowest rate since Roe v. Wade (CS Monitor)
• Food as Medicine: It's Not Just a Fringe Idea Anymore (NPR)
• Sedentary lifestyle in older women 'ages body cells' (BBC)
• Antibody-making B cell's metabolic switch found (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Brazil sees sharp rise in yellow fever cases (BBC)
• New Medical Worry: Deadly Fungal Infection That Resists Treatment (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• US libraries hit by ransomware attack (BBC)
• Qualcomm faces FTC lawsuit over patent licensing (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Ambulances to jam car radios in Sweden (BBC)
• MIT develops 3-D printing 'undo’ option (CS Monitor)
• Massive networks of fake accounts found on Twitter (BBC)
• Surprise! Endangered shark hatches fatherless babies (+video) (CS Monitor)

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

East County News Service

January 25, 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.

• Trump signs directive to start border wall with Mexico, ramp up immigration enforcement (Washington Post)
• Journalists come together to address press freedom issues with President-elect Trump (KNSD)
• Dow hits 20,000 for the first time as stocks' post-election rally continues (SD Union-Tribune)
• Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Replacement for Obamacare (Reason)
• Wave of Bomb Threats Targets Jewish Centers, Again (NPR)
• CIA releases 13 million pages of classified documents online (BBC)
• Trump invites Netanyahu to Washington: White House (Reuters)
• Trump organization documents show he has resigned from over 400 companies (CNN Money)
• Report: Trump WH hiring Breitbart writer (Huffington Post)
• EPA freezes grants, tells employees not to talk about it (Huffington Post)
• On Inauguration Day, Washington offers portrait of a polarized America (+video)  (CS Monitor)
• Emoluments lawsuit: political maneuvering for Trump's tax returns, or viable tactic? (CS Monitor)
• U.S. deficit to shrink to $559 billion in fiscal year 2017: CBO (Reuters)
• Since Obama Took Office, Debt Has Nearly Doubled (Reason)
• Ohio to Libertarian Party: You Can't Qualify for the Ballot by Winning Votes Since We Won't Let You on the Ballot (Reason)
• Toyota Motor to add 400 jobs at Indiana assembly plant (Reuters)

WORLD

• El Chapo, Mexican drug king, extradited to U.S. (New York Times)
• Syrian peace talks: Armed groups come in from the cold (BBC)
• China's birthrate rises after one-child policy loosened (Fox News)
• Photos show 'weaponised commercial drones' in Iraq (BBC)
• Exclusive: Canadian energy firms at bigger risk from cyber, bomb attacks - spy agency (Reuters)
• Nigerian air force kills 50 in air strike on refugee camp: MSF (Reuters)
• Palestinian, 44, killed during attempted stabbing attack (JPost)
• 75 People Arrested, Accused of Trafficking Stolen Art and Archaeological Relics (NPR)

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

East County News Service

January 25, 2017 (Santee) – County Supervisors have unanimously approved plans to build new county offices on Mission Gorge Road in Santee, near the Edgemoor skilled nursing facility.  

East County News Service

January 25, 2017 (Mission Trails) -- Gregory Page will perform a free concert (donations appreciated) at the beautiful Visitor’s Center Concert Hall at Mission Trails Regional Park on March 5that 3 p.m.  Please join Mr. Page to be among the first in the world to hear selections from his brand new soon to be released album, So It Goes as well as other classics from the extensive Gregory Page Songbook. 

Do you have a son or daughter that plays a sport at a level other than varsity?  Drop a line on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!

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

Story and photos by Liz Alper

January 25, 2017 (La Mesa) - The Helix High varsity boys soccer team is off to a decent start in conference play with only one tie.  The 6-2-4 overall Highlanders stayed at home today and faced El Capitan.  The Vaqueros are 0-1 in league play and 5-5-1 overall.

By Miriam Raftery

January 25, 2017 (San Diego) – President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to cancel the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact with 12 Pacific Rim nations.

The action is being hailed by even many Trump opponents who did not support the trade deal, but has drawn criticism from others, particularly in the business community.

By Mimi Pollack

January 24, 2017 (Lemon Grove) -- In her 80 years, Janet Gastil has worn many hats and is a true Renaissance woman. She has been a wife and mother, teacher, musician, realtor, and politician.  Her son, George, has followed in Janet’s footsteps, dedicating himself to teaching and public service, as well as raising his family. 

East County News Service

January 24, 2017 (Spring Valley) – San Miguel Fire District’s board meets Wednesday, January 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the District’s board room (2850 Via Orange way in Spring Valley).  The hot agenda item is a proposal to shift dispatch services from CAL FIRE to Heartland Communications, by joining Heartland’s Joint Powers Agremeent along with the cities of El Cajon, Lemon Grove,  La Mesa and Santee as well as fire districts in Alpine and Lakeside.

Do you have a son or daughter that plays a sport at a level other than varsity?  Drop a line on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!

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

Story and photos by Liz Alper

January 24, 2017 (El Cajon) - Deep in the heart of conference play, the El Cajon Valley High School Braves varsity boys basketball team looked to improve their 0-2 record in conference play against the Matadors of Mount Miguel.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Crestwood summit on I-8 by Don Lumb

January 24, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – “I was nearly killed by a large boulder on Friday night,” a reader told ECM, adding that multiple rock slides occurred along the highway to Ramona along the San Pasqual grade.  “The County needs to evaluate that road right now before people are killed by the boulders.”

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

Photo credit:  Joe McHugh, California Highway Patrol

January 24, 2017 (San Diego) -- Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today delivered his State of the State address, departing with the traditional practice of listing every issue and priority to instead address the "broader context of our country and its challenges."



The Governor vowed to "defend everybody - every man, woman and child - who has come here...and has contributed to the well-being of our state" and committed to protecting the state's gains on immigration, health care and climate change, guided by the principles that make California "the Great Exception" - truth, civility and perseverance.

East County News Service

January 24, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Helix Water Talks is the Helix Water District’s new series of facility tours and panel discussions to give customers an inside look at how it provides a safe and reliable water supply – from the science and engineering to the policies and operations. The series begins with “On Demand: How We Deliver Water” on January 28 in El Cajon.

See below for details:

East County News Service

January 24, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- The Trump Administration has not yet announced if it will roll back a rule imposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) during the Obama Administration that effective yesterday, imposes $125 million in new costs on propane consumers, according to a press release issued by the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) last week.