East County News Service

November 13, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – The nonprofit  Leapfrog Group has released its fall 2019 ratings of safety at hospitals nationwide.  Among hospitals in San Diego’s inland region, only Alvarado Hospital received an “A” rating for safety. Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Kaiser Foundation Zion and Pomerado Hospital in Poway all received “B” ratings.  

By Miriam Raftery

November 13, 2019 (El Cajon) –A band of four or five young men in their teens or 20s, wearing masks and armed with handguns and long guns, carjacked multiple passenger vehicles this morning. They also robbing a bystander on a sidewalk of his backpack.

 In one incident, a couple confronted a suspect in their parked car and a struggle ensued. The man was struck with a gun and the woman, who clung to her vehicle, was dragged a short distance when the suspect drove off and fled the scene. Both suffered minor injuries and the woman was taken to a hospital, says Lieutenant Randy Soulard.

All of the crimes occurred between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. this morning.

By David R. Shorey, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies

Photo:  East County Youth Coalition members hold up the blankets they are making to help families in need who have been affected by domestic violence, substance abuse in the home, and children in foster care. The blankets will be completed in time for the holidays. Photo courtesy IPS

November 13, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- Youth in East County are making an important positive impact on health and safety in their communities and are acquiring leadership skills in the process. Through the East County Youth Coalition, high school students advocate against underage alcohol and drug use and focus on activities that promote healthy schools, neighborhoods, and families. Coalition members are especially concerned about adults who make it easy to obtain alcohol and marijuana, both in the home and through retail stores. 

By Miriam Raftery

November 12, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove is now accepting applications for appointment to fill the vacancy on the City Council left by the resignation of Matt  Mendoza, who moved to Florida for his job.

The appointment process raises questions over what criteria should be considered, beyond basic residency and age requirements, in choosing the next councilmember.

Several campus fraternities were under investigation for alleged misconduct before the frat event that Hernandez attended

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Dylan Hernandez, via GoFundMe page

November 12, 2019 (San Diego) – A student hospitalized the morning after a fraternity party has died, prompting a police investigation and shutdown of 14 fraternities.

Dylan Hernandez, 19, was found by his roommate in his dorm room on Montezuma Road without a pulse and not breathing on the morning of Nov. 7. He had reportedly fallen out of his upper bunk bed earlier during the night and his roommate helped him back into the bed.. He was taken to Alvarado Hospital and pronounced dead on Nov. 8, the Medical Examiner reports. He had attended  a fraternity party the night before. 

East County News Service

November 11, 2019 (Campo) – The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association (PSRM), a San Diego-area historical and educational nonprofit, will mark the 100-year anniversary of the completion of the San Diego & Arizona Railway (SD&A) with a variety of family-friendly activities at its “SD&A Centennial Celebration Gold Spike Day” on Saturday, Nov. 16 at PSRM’s Campo Railroad Park and Museum in Campo, Calif. The public is invited to attend.

By Miriam Raftery

November 11, 2019 (San Diego) – Kaiser Permanente Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bernard J. Tyson passed away unexpectedly yesterday morning in his sleep, the healthcare organization announced.  Today, 170 National Union of Healthcare Workers voted unanimously to postpone a planned 5-day statewide strike of mental health employees due to Tyson’s passing.

Photos and story by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Nov. 11, 2019 (Escondido) The 5th Annual Escondido Tamale Festival was held Nov. 2 at Escondido's Grape Park.  

Tamales included traditional, vegetarian, and gourmet and included smoked bbq varieties, Oaxacan, banana wrapped, dulce and more. Holiday pre-orders of tamales was also available.

Five Aztecs scored in double figures

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 9, 2019 (San Diego) - The Aztec women's basketball team (1-1) rallied from a double-digit second half deficit to beat Towson (0-2) 80-72 in their home opener Saturday afternoon.

Five Aztecs scored in double-figures, led by Téa Adams' 16. Mallory Adams had 15 points and Taylor Kalmer had 13. Zayn Dornstauder had 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Sophia Ramos added 10, all of which came in the second half, and dished out a team-best six assists.

My Watergate Scandal Tell-All: How I Unwittingly Caused This Historic Event, by Bruce Givner (ExecuProv Press, Santa Ana, California, 2019, 258 pages.)

Book Review by Dennis Moore

“This is a story I’ll tell to my students many times. Internships can make history!”

• Larry J. Sabato, Director, UVA Center for Politics

November 8, 2019 (San Diego) - The Watergate story never dies. It has become more and more intriguing (and popular) as time goes by. It has evoked comment many a time when a Washington D.C. official becomes entangled in a self-styled web of deception. Watergate is no longer the name of a hotel and office complex. It is more than a proper noun that branded a piece of property and cemented its “title” in numerous pages of history books. It is now the go-to reference to identify any scandal, though its origin was first reserved for the most sordid political scandal our nation has ever witnessed – at least up until the writing of this book. In that respect, it ranks right up there in significance with Teapot Dome, Wounded Knee and Gettysburg.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: George Gastil, former Lemon Grove Councilmember who spearheaded the petition drive

November 8, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – The Registrar of Voters confirms that the Lemon Grove sales tax measure has qualified to appear on the March 2020 ballot. If approved, the initiative would increase the city’s sales tax by three-fourths of a cent to 8.5 percent, the same as neighboring La Mesa.

According to the Registrar, 1,987 signatures have been verified as valid, substantially more than the 1,482 required for the measure dubbed the "Lemon Grove Security Initiative."

Advocates for the measure posted on their “Sweeten Lemon Grove” Facebook page, “Shoutout to all of the volunteers who circulated 233 petitions and to every person who provided their signature in support of the measure.”

The stakes are high for Lemon Grove residents and businesses.

By Miriam Raftery

November 8, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – At a special meeting last night, Lemon Grove’s City Council voted to fill the vacancy left by Matt Mendoza’s resignation through appointment.  Applications will be accepted starting Monday, Nov. 11 through Thursday, Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

East County News Service

Photo:  Creative Commons

November 7, 2019 (Washington D.C.) – Over 2 million pounds of chicken products sold to institutions in eight states including California have been recalled by Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. due to metal contamination.