East County News Service

October 1, 2016 (Sacramento) -- Governor Brown has signed Senate Bill 1330 into law. The bill, which was sponsored by the United Domestic Workers/AFSCME Local 3930 (UDW) and authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), updates the “Be On the Lookout” bulletin to include individuals who are cognitively impaired or developmentally disabled.

Wine Awareness Month

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna October 1,  2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- To date, some of this year’s most destructive fires were dangerously close to the Napa, Paso and Santa Barbara Wine Regions. Our hearts go out to the victims of these dangerous wildfires. Ask any Firefighter - they take any loss personally. Sometimes were just outnumbered, many times mother nature and the fires fury is too much. Especially with these drought conditions.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 1, 2016 (San Diego) - The Registrar of Voters is urging voters to double-check their registration status on its website after some residents got letters from an organization called the Voter Participation Center claiming the residents aren’t registered to vote.



The organization’s letters offer a pre-filled voter registration form that may include incorrect or outdated information or information for persons who don’t live at the address. The letters are causing some confusion because in many instances, the voter is properly registered to vote.

East County News Service

September 30, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Recently, a reader in Julian asked us why a planned power outage announced did not occur, as well as how to tell what circuit powers their location. Since planned outages have occurred in other communities as well, we reached out to SDG&E for details.

Allison Torres, communications manager at SDG&E, indicated that SDG&E makes every effort to notify customers in advance of a planned outage or cancellation of an outage planned. She also provided details on why planned outages are needed, why they are sometimes cancelled, and how to find your circuit number. Here is her response:

By Liz Alper

September 30, 2016 (Spring Valley) - For this week's Friday Night Lights, ECM traveled to Mount Miguel High School to watch the Matadors take on the Madison Warhawks.

East County News Service

September 30,2016 (San Diego) –Following a swarm of recent small magnitude earthquakes that began on Monday near the Salton Sea in Southern California, the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) has issued an advisory that there is a small chance that an earthquake measuring 7.0 or  more on the Richter scale could occur on the San Andreas fault before October 4.

The advisory warning includes San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Kern , Imperial and Ventura counties.

New Authentic Food, Beer, Games, Contests, Dance Parties and Entertainment Highlight Largest Oktoberfest West of the Mississippi

East County News Service

September 1, 2016 (La Mesa) – The Bob Stall Chevrolet La Mesa Oktoberfest Presented by Spaten opens Friday, September 30 with a 3-day weekend dedicated to family fun, authentic German food, beer and entertainment.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Cal-Fire

September 30, 2016 (Ramona) — Firefighters discovered a body inside a burned home near Dos Picos County Park in Ramona yesterday morning.

East County News Service

September 30, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Windy conditions are forecast Sunday through Monday across the County, with strongest winds in the mountains, deserts, and over coastal waters. Gusts could reach 55 miles per hour in the mountain and desert areas, the National Weather Service predicts.

2 men wanted for stealing photojournalist’s $15,000 camera Wednesday night

By Miriam Raftery

September 30, 2016 (El Cajon)--Demonstrations continued overnight in El Cajon over the killing of Alfred Olango Tuesday by police.

  After receiving several 911 calls of 50-70 protesters blocking cars and breaking car windows, police declared an unlawful assembly. 10 News reports that tear gas and pepper balls were deployed by police. The station posted video of the incident and reported that protesters also knocked a motorcyclist off a motorcycle. Glass bottles were also thrown at officers. Two arrests were made, according to police.

 “A large group of demonstrators marched through the streets throughout the evening and into the early morning hours,”said Lieutenant Rob Ransweiler.

Police are also investigating theft of a $15,000 camera taken forcibly from a photojournalist.   A video viewed by 250,000 people on social media has led to identification one suspect, San Diego News Video reports.  Public help is requested to identify a second subject shown at the end of a video here: https://www.facebook.com/SDNVtv/videos/918156954956981/

Women officers have fewer use of force incidents, but only 9% of ECPD officers are women. Could more females on the force have prevented death of Alfred Olango?

By Miriam Raftery

September 29, 2016 (El Cajon)—Mayor Bill Wells has confirmed that the officer who fired the fatal shots in Tuesday’s controversial shooting of Alfred Olango was  Richard Gonsalves—the same officer embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal last year. 

Could a culture that encouraged women officers to join the force have perhaps prevented Tuesday’s tragedy, before Olango pulled out a vaping device mistaken for a gun?

Multiple studies over 40 years have shown  that women police officers  are better at defusing tense situations and have significantly lower use-of-force rates than male officers,  the Washington Post recently reported.

For example, A 2002 study by the National Center for Women & Policing of excessive force incidents in seven major city police departments found that “the average male officer is over eight and a half times more likely than his female counterpart to have an allegation of excessive force sustained against him … [and] two to three times more likely than the average female officer to have a citizen name him in a complaint of excessive force.”

But the El Cajon Police Department has long drawn criticism for tolerating sexual harassment  and other sexual misconduct by male officers toward women on the force--hardly a history conducive to attracting women seeking careers in law enforcement.

By Miriam Raftery

Hear full audio of the one-hour candidate forum by clicking the audio link.

September 29,2016 (Lemon Grove)—At a candidate forum hosted by East County Magazine and the Lemon Grove Library on September 21^st ,  three mayoral hopefuls shared their visions for the future of Lemon Grove. 

Council members George Gastil and Racquel Vasquez, along with former Chamber of Commerce President Teresa Rosiak, fielded questions from moderator Miriam Raftery, editor of ECM, ,as well  as audience questions.

Videos on social media show heavily armed police  arresting “water protectors” today; San Diego rally planned Oct. 30

Update Oct. 7, 2016: Hear our interview on KNSJ Radio with Bobby Wallace by clicking the audio link

By Miriam Raftery

September 28,2016 (San Diego)—“We must, we will, bring more supplies. Our number one goal is to help the people,”  Barona tribal member Bobby Wallace told East County Magazine.

Winter will soon bring bitter cold to the Standing Rock Sioux encampment in Cannnonball,North Dakota, where “hundreds of tribes” have sent thousands of people camp out and take a stand against the Dakota access oil pipeline.  Wallace has been organizing relief supplies gathered by local tribes to support  the effort.

Speaking last week at an Activist San Diego meeting in San Diego,  Wallace told of the reactions when he arrived with the first caravan of supplies for the three camps.”Men, people, had tears in their eyes.  People hugged us…just knowing people far away cared.”

East County News Service

Photo via CW6 San Diego Twitter

September 28, 2016 (El Cajon) - The El Cajon protests after Alfred Olango was gunned down by police continue peacefully, but things escalated a bit tonight after a man was attacked for wearing a Donald Trump hat and taunting protesters with racial slurs, ECM has learned.

East County News Service

Sept. 28, 2016 (East County) – The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce recently honored seven women with Women in Leadership Luncheon (WILL) awards.