By Miriam Raftery

Photo: SDG&E webcam

Other photos:  Steve Wingfield of Jamul

Update August 16:  The fire in Mexico has been renamed  #Border8Fire. It is now over 1,500 acres and is 30% contained. Cal Fire is preparing to send a strike team to assist firefighters in Mexico.

Update August 15:  The fire is now 1,100 acres but still confined to Mexico. Cal Fire is monitoring the situation.

August 14, 2019 (Tecate) – A fire burning in Mexico has scored over 250 acres in the Tecate area and has potential to cross the border near Potero.  Cal Fire has pre-treated fuels on the U.S. side of the border and will have crews remain on scene overnight at the fire, dubbed #BorderFire.  The blaze is within 1/8 of a mile from the international border Cal Fire reports.

Republicans Bill Wells and Carl DeMaio voice intent to challenge Hunter; others silent on whether they will run if Hunter is on the ballot

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy Times of San Diego

August 14, 2019 (San Diego) – Judge Thomas Whelan has ruled that Congressman Duncan Hunter’s federal corruption trial will be postponed until January 14th.  That’s after the Dec. 6 deadline for candidates to run for the seat, posing a dilemma for some Republican candidates who have said they would not run if Hunter is still in the race. If the trial extends into February, voters could be casting early vote-by-mail ballots without knowing if Hunter has been found guilty or not.

Update: The board adopted both sets of civility standards 3-0, with members Jill Barto and Jo Alegria absent.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Creative Commons by NC-ND

August 13, 2019 (El Cajon) – At tonight’s Cajon Valley Union School District board meeting, the agenda includes proposed governance standards of civility for board members that would allow the district to ask a Grand Jury to remove a board member from office under Government Code section 3060 for engaging in repeated abusive conduct toward other board members, administrators, employees, students or members of the public.

Section 3060 allows a grand jury to take action to remove an elected official for “willful or corrupt misconduct in office” though the statute is vague on what constitutes such actions.

The agenda also includes proposed civility standards for employees and administrators; repeated acts of abusive conduct may result in discipline or ultimately, termination of employment.

Both items were placed on the agenda by Board Chair Tamara Otero, who has publicly clashed with board member Jill Barto on multiple occasions after Barto raised questions on board expenditures including the awarding of a construction contract to a company owned by Otero’s son.

The proposals seek to waive the customary second reading, in order to push through approval on a single vote, while board member Barto is absent due to a family emergency.

East County News Service

August 12, 2019 (Santee) – The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association (PSRM), a San Diego-area historical and educational nonprofit, will host a free presentation on the history of railroading in San Diego County at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 17th at the Santee Historical Society’s barn building, 9200 Magnolia Ave., Santee. The public is invited to attend.  For more event information, visit www.santeehistoricalsociety.org.

East County News Service

Augut 12, 2019 (San Diego) - Would you like to support your local firefighters when they need it most? If so, check out the Firefighter Go Bag Community Support Program a California based company is offering.  

FireMom.com’s Community Support Program delivers all of the health, hygiene, and nutritional items that are truly unique to firefighters’ needs, when they’re out fighting fires for days at a time, in one convenient Go Bag.

When you purchase bags from the program, FireMom.com delivers them directly to the fire departments that need them the next time a large fire happens. The program ensures firefighters get the supplies they need in a complete kit, with no lag time, or trying to piecemeal items together.  

By Donald H. Harrison

Originally published at San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Network

Photo:  plaque overlooking battle area.

August 11, 2019 (San Pasqual) - When a U.S. Marine Corps detachment from the USS Cyane marched from the shore of San Diego Bay to the plaza in Old Town San Diego on July 29, 1846 and raised the American flag without serious challenge, thus ending  Mexican control over this city, someone must have thought, ‘Wait a minute! Isn’t this too easy?”

East County News Service

By Liz Alper

Photo: Cal Quantrill pitched a stellar game, going seven innings, gave up five hits, no runs, no walks, no earned runs and struck out five. Via @Padres on Twitter

August 9, 2019 (San Diego) - After a good win last night, the Padres took the field for game two against the Rockies.  Kyle Freeland started for Colorado against Cal Quantrill.

By Miriam Raftery

August 9, 2019 (Jamul) -- Over 200 guests turned out at the Jamul Winetasting Festival July 27th at D&S Farms in Jamul, home to Granite Lion Cellars Winery.  A golf cart ferried guests to the festivities in a shady oak grove complete with waterfall, twinkle lights and a stage area carved into a rocky mountainside—all to benefit the St. Pius X Catholic Church building fund.

Source:  Center for Biological Diversity

August 8, 2019 (Point Reyes, Calif.) -- The National Park Service released a draft plan today that calls for shooting native elk to allow for expanded cattle ranching and commercial agriculture at Point Reyes National Seashore. The plan would allow the killing of tule elk, damage to wildlife habitat, harm of endangered species, degradation of water quality and create new conflicts with other native wildlife species.

East County News Service

August 8, 2019 (Lakeside) – The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit is investigating the death of a woman, 60, found dead in a trailer at 11361 Oak Creek Drive in Lakeside.

East County News Service

August 8, 2019 (Lakeside) - The 49thtth annual Barona Powwow takes place Friday, August 30th through Sunday, September 1st at the Barona Sports complex on the Barona Indian reservation.

The public is welcome to come watch Native dancers and drummers from across the nation compete at the powwow, where you can also find craft vendors and food such as tacos made with Native American fry bread. 

August 8, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• FDA investigating 127 reports of seizures after vaping (CNBC)
• Are video games or mental illness causing America’s mass shootings? No, research shows (Washington Post)
• Is Juul bad for you? Doctors weigh in (CNet)
• Cancer patients are being denied drugs, even with doctor prescriptions and good insurance (Fresno Bee)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Pentagon testing mass surveillance balloons across U.S (Guardian)
• Will taking down 8chan stop the worst people on the Internet? (Washington Post)
• 8chan vowed to fight on, saying its ‘heartbeat is strong.’ Then a tech firm knocked it offline. (Washington Post)
• 112-year-old fish has broken longevity record (National Geographic)

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

AGs provide policy guidelines to streaming industry to combat increasing use of tobacco products by young people

Source:  Attorney General Becerra

August 8, 2019 (Sacramento) - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson today led a bipartisan coalition of 43 attorneys general in urging the streaming industry to limit tobacco use in their video content. Due to the growing use of tobacco products amongst teens, the attorneys general urge the streaming industry to take proactive steps to protect the lives of young viewers. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes rose from 2.1 million in 2017 to 3.6 million in 2018.