By Liz Alper

February 15, 2022 (Pine Valley) - The Mountain Empire under 12 soccer team wrapped up their most successful season to date, finishing with an incredible 17-1 record.  

Update: At their meeting on February 16, Padre Dam's Board of Directors voted to begin the approval process of a time change from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Staff will first research the change, such as impacts on other personnel's schedules and any financial ramifications, before sending it back to the Board of Directors for final approval at a later meeting, as per their rules.

By Miriam Raftery

February 15, 2022 (Santee) – Suzanne Till, a teacher, has asked her colleagues on the Padre Dam Municipal Water District Board to move meeting times from 3:30 to 4 p.m. since she has repeatedly been late due to the long commute from her job at a Chula Vista school.  But so far, the board has not done so.  The issue of moving the meeting time to later will be on the agenda for the board’s virtual meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m., item 12. 

But some fear the board majority, all Republicans, may vote to oust Till, a Democrat, for tardiness in a partisan maneuver rather than accommodate a minor shift in meeting times. Till has fought against water rates, also opposing fines for late payments and water shutoffs during the pandemic. She holds a PhD in water resources geography and is a former Marine Corps Captain.  Her website details her record:  www.suzannetill.com .

East County News Service

Photo: CC via Bing

February 14, 2022 (Valley Center) – David Salas, Jr. of Valley Center is charged with assaulting Sheriff’s deputies with a deadly weapon after he rammed his Dodge Ram pickup truck into multiple patrol vehicles and dragged one officer.

East County News Service

February 14, 2022 (San Diego) -- California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators assigned to Border Division’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) have arrested three suspects believed to be part of an organized retail theft ring. Investigators also recovered thousands of dollars in bras, panties and other merchandise stolen from Victoria’s Secret stores across our region.

Fraudulent, yet sophisticated, robocalls tell customers that their service will be disconnected within the hour and demand immediate payment

Source: SDG&E

February 13, 2022 (San Diego) – SDG&E is warning of a new round of scammers targeting utility customers. The robocalls tell customers that their power will be turned off within the hour and direct them to press “1” to reach customer service, where they demand immediate payment to keep service in place. This scam is troubling because the calls sound professionally produced and claim to connect customers to the billing and collections department. If the scammers do not reach a person on their first call, then they will likely call back or leave a message with the same instructions.

By Miriam Raftery

February 13, 2022 (Alpine) – High winds howled through Alpine this week, causing damage to homes over multiple days.

In the Loving Life Alpine group on Facebook, residents posted descriptions and photos, including some also sent to ECM via email.

Brandon Hamilton came home on Thursday, February 10^th  to find his propane barbecue submerged in his swimming pool. (photo, left)   

His post prompted quips from neighbors who posted quips about a BBQ pool party and a need for snorkels.

Elizabeth Livingston wrote, “Lost all of my carport.” Her damage occurred on Sunday, February 6, she told ECM. (photo, right)

Lisa Dawn Reese described the scenario as “hurricane force winds.”

East County News Service

Photo: Cargo ship, CC-by-SA-NC

February 12, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA-50) issued the following statement on Feb. 7 after passage of his amendment by the House of Representatives. The Issa legislation requires the Department of Commerce to report to Congress within 60 days outlining policy changes that can be implemented within 30 days to address the continuing supply chain crisis.

By Mike Allen

February 12, 2022 (Santee) -- Santee’s grand plan to turn part of Trolley Square into an arts and entertainment district took a big step forward on February 9 when the City Council approved the sale of a parcel for a four-story, 89-room hotel.

By Miriam Raftery

February 11, 2022 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Historical Society’s featured speaker on Monday, February 28^th at 6 p.m. will be Richard Edmonds, a Lakeside resident, retired firefighter and Africanized bee safety trainer.

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

“Now we have 5G rolling out in massive quantities, without due diligence to determine are these sources of radiation safe not only for humans but for wildlife. And the answer is, no, they are not." --Dr. Albert Manville, adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and co-author of the study

February 11, 2022 (Sacramento) -- A growing body of scientific studies showed electromagnetic fields from the extremely low frequencies common to power lines and radio-frequency radiation, the kind from cell towers and mobile devices, may be harmful to wildlife as well as humans.

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

Photo left via Creative Commons

February 11, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) - In 1933, the federal government established the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), a program set up as part of the New Deal, intending to address the large number of home loans in default because of the Great Depression and to also expand opportunities for buying homes. Between 1935 and 1940, the HOLC created a series of color-coded maps that it stated was for the purpose of identifying creditworthiness and mortgage security risk. While assessing risk is understandable, the maps and the investments they guided, created a system of inequity and institutional racism that is still affecting poor and minority communities today.

By Elijah McKee

February 11, 2022 (La Mesa) — Phil Rath could see the light at the end of the tunnel. He had the La Mesa Planning Commission’s stamp of approval, as well as the Design Review Board’s. It appeared that his employer, Urbn Leaf, would soon have a new cannabis dispensary at 7901 Hillside Drive.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo credit:  County News Service

February 10, 2022 (San Diego) – Starting February 15, fully vaccinated people will no longer have to wear masks indoors in most places in San Diego County.  But the action runs counter to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control advice, which continues to recommend face masks, particularly N95 masks, as the best way to prevent spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

By Miriam Raftery

February 9, 2022 (San Diego) – Despite a pandemic and record wildfires, California is experiencing a strong economic record and higher than expected revenues, resulting in a projected record budget surplus, The state projects a $45 billion surplus, including $20.6 billion in discretionary funds  Just how those funds should be used, however, has prompted a wide range of opinions.