East County News Service

February 4, 2017 (San Diego) — San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has declared a state of emergency in the City of San Diego due to damage from January’s storms.  The declaration could help the city recover nearly $5 million in estimated costs of disaster response from the state under the  California Disaster Assistance Act.

East County News Service

February 4, 2017 (El Cajon) – The Grossmont Union High School District Board will hold a special budget workshop meeting on Thursday, February 16 at 4 :30 p.m. at the East County Regional Educational Center, 924 East Main Street in El Cajon. 

By Miraim Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News :  Among the first to gain entry was an Iranian infant in need of heart surgery.

February 4, 2017 (San Diego) –  Travelers barred from entering the U.S. due to President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order issued on January 27^th must now be admitted due to a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robard on Friday.  

The court issued a nationwide halt to the entire executive order, though the Trump administration has said it will appeal the ruling. The ruling applies to refugees previously approved for admission to the U.S., as well as citizens of seven Muslim nations including Syrians.  It also requires admission of green card holders with visas.

By Miriam [Mimi] Pollack

February 3, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Imagine you have had a good life with a stable job and family. Then, imagine that your life turns upside down, be it from war, religious persecution, or social unrest, and you have to start from scratch in a new country with a different language, culture, even alphabet! Welcome to the world of many of my adult ESL [English as a Second Language] students. Despite all that they have gone and continue to go through, they are very grateful to be here

Nothing is Predictable, by Adalina Mae (Adalina Mae, Charleston, SC, 2017, 261 pages.)

Book Review by Dennis Moore

February 3, 2017 (San Diego) - Adalina Mae, born in Los Angeles and with roots in Lebanon, has written an intriguing and insightful book about a complex woman named Zara that seems to center around her troubled and now deceased father. She speaks lovingly of her father, but shares intimate details of her childhood and relationship with her father that seems to reflect her current life. She speaks of therapy sessions brought about by early childhood experiences, some of which were quite troubling.

By Miriam Raftery

February 3, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Decisions made this week are drawing criticisms over President Donald Trump’s handling of sensitive foreign policy and military decisions—and who is involved in making those decisions.

Top officials for past Republican and Democratic presidents have spoken out against Trump’s executive order giving political advisor Steve Bannon a full seat on the principals committee of the National Security Council, while limiting the Director of National Intelligence and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from attending National Security Council meetings except when it considers issues in their direct areas of responsibilities, the New York Times reports.

Bannon’s last job was publishing Brietbart news, a mouthpiece for alt-right, white supremacist, anti-immigrant and conspiracy theory stories as well as conservative news.  Bannon is also an ex-Navy surface warfare officer who has  worked as an investment banker and Hollywood producer.

East County News Service

February 2, 2017 (Ramona) – An 83-year-old Poway man on a motorcycle was struck head-on by a Ford Crown Victoria that crossed the double yellow line on Highland Valley Road in Ramona this afternoon. The Poway man was ejected from the motorcycle and died at the scene.

Two East County representatives oppose measure; Anderson attacks immigrants as criminals despite actual data on crime rates  

By Miriam Raftery

February 2, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — Two local legislators have taken stands against SB 54, a measure that would prevent state and local authorities in California from cooperating with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.

East County News Service

February 2, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego), a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, was named as the Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, which plays a key role in shaping higher education policy.

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

February 1, 2017 (Laramie, Wy.) - San Diego State women’s basketball faced a Wyoming team that produced its finest shooting performance of the season and couldn’t push past, falling to the Cowgirls in Mountain West action, 80-67, at Arena-Auditorium Wednesday evening. 

Listen to Destination East County by clicking the audio link.

East County News Service

February 1, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes a powwow, a jazz piano concert, a guitar and mandolin duo at a winery, and a British farce onstage.

Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including a Celtic music concert, Cupids and Canines, Dining and Dancing with your Valentine, a production of To Kill a Mockingbird, and quarterback Marlin Briscoe at Grossmont College in honor of Black History Month.

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

East County News Service

February 1, 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

• Grossmont Healthcare District supporting new Campo clinic (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Threat Forces Evacuation of Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (KPBS)
• La Mesa looking for other groups to handle some downtown events (Union-Tribune)
• .Veterans’ choice program fails to target wait times even in Southern California (KPBS)
• Former Iraqi Translator On Why He Supports Trump’s Refugee Ban (KPBS)
• I-5 border traffic diverted from San Ysidro again (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• San Francisco sues Trump over sanctuary cities order (New York Times)
• California movement to secede gains momentum (Yahoo! News)
• 'CalExit' Secession Petition Gets Approval to Circulate (Reason)
• Rep. Hunter to Calif. Governor:  Nix illegal immigrants instead of cutting middle class scholarships (Washington Times)
• POLITIFACT: California Has the Nation’s Highest Poverty Rate (KPBS)
• POLITIFACT: More Than One Quarter of Californians Are 'Foreign-Born' (KPBS)

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

Honor recognizes comprehensive care to treat heart disease, nation's leading cause of death for women

East County News Service

February 1, 2017 (La Mesa) - Sharp Grossmont Hospital has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care by the Women’s Choice Award^®, a nationwide referral source that identifies the country’s best health care institutions based on clinical criteria and surveys. The award signifies that Sharp Grossmont Hospital is in the top 9 percent of 4,789 U.S. hospitals offering heart care services.

East County News Service

February 1, 2017 (El Cajon) - A Feb. 8 workshop tackling the mass incarceration of African-American males kicks off the spring edition of Diversity Dialogues, a series of Cuyamaca College conversations aimed at fostering a greater understanding of different cultures.

Concerns raised over personnel shortages in jobs ranging from food safety inspectors to Social Security offices

By Miriam Raftery

February 1, 2017 (San Diego) — After a public outcry, the Trump administration has issued some clarifications on his order freezing hiring of federal employees and added new exemptions.