Photo: David Charles Price   1929 - 2016                            

January 22, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Services will be held Saturday, January 30 in Carlsbad for David C. Price, who passed away January 13 at age 86.

A lifetime San Diego resident, David C. Price was instrumental in the formation and operation of several San Diego area businesses and real estate developments, and was actively involved with various philanthropic ventures benefiting San Diego County. Most recently he lived in Carlsbad and formerly resided on Mt. Helix with his family for over 30 years. He also served for eight years on the Cajon Valley School District board in the 1960s. 

Price was born in San Diego on October 21, 1929.  He was a 1947 graduate of Grossmont High School and graduated from San Diego State University in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. After serving two years in the Army, he worked in the aeronautical industry for 15 years, including serving as General Manager of Advanced Structures in La Mesa, a division of Whittaker Corporation.

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2016 (El Cajon) – Grossmont Union High School District’s board voted unanimously last Thursday to shift from at-large elections to district elections in which each trustee will represent a specific portion of the district. The move comes after an attorney for Diego Valley Charter School sent the district a letter advising that it may be in violation of the Voting Rights Act and threatening legal action.

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2016 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of some models of Britax infant car seats due to fall hazards, as well as Britax strollers due to a choking hazard. Below are details from the USPSC:

East County News Service

“The Water-Wise Garden Tour” Will Showcase Drought-Tolerant Home Gardens

January 21, 2016 (El Cajon)—The Water Conservation Garden invites the public to its first annual Water-Wise Home Garden Tour.  The tour will highlight a variety of five beautiful gardens utilizing an array of color, variety, and low water usage.  The gardens also emphasize plants from semi-arid regions of the world including Australia, New Zealand, Southwestern U.S. and South Africa.

Caltrans News Service

January 21, 2016 (San Diego) – Caltrans crews will close the connector ramp from southbound Interstate 805 (I-805) to southbound State Route 163 (SR-163) for the rest of Thursday night from 7:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. the following morning for guardrail repairs.

East County News Service

January 21, 2016 (San Diego's East County) --A large sinkhole has opened on I-8 at Waring Road in the College area, forcing closure of the two right lanes through tomorrow morning.  A SIG ALERT has been issued and motorists are advised to use other routes if possible to avoid traffic delays.

10 News estimates the sink hole is 20 feet wide and 20 feet deep, caused by water that undermined the freeway.  For additional coverage visit www.10News.com.

Hear our interview with Steve Lauria, California Health Network, on Santee's Health Awareness Month (originally aired on KNSJ radio):

http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/pvv1xj39d8/Newsmakers-SteveLauriaSanteeHealthMonth-CAHealthNetwk.mp3

By Steve Lauria

January 20, 2016 (Santee) -- At the end of December, we ran a story on January being Health Awareness Month in Santee. With the month halfway over, here is an update: more than 30 organizations have offered a free or discounted service to the citizens of Santee, for the month of January. The specials can be found here:

www.californiahealthnetwork.org/healthawarenessmonth.

Some organizations, such as Volunteers in Medicine, offer free service, year around to people who can’t afford medical service.Many organizations are offering free services, such as personal training sessions, chiropractic exams,  exercise classes, dance classes and more.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Contaminated water in Flint, Michagan (Flint Water Disaster on Facebook)

January 20, 2016 (Washington D.C.)—On the heels of the poisoned drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan caused by the state cutting corners to save costs and then covering up the consequences, President Barack Obama vetoed a measure passed by the Republican-controlled Congress that would have killed an Environmental Protection Agency clean water rule that allows the federal government to protect the nation’s waterways and keep them clean. 

San Diego’s Republican Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa voted for weakening clean water protections and shifting responsibility for many waterways back to the states, while Democrats Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas voted against.

In Michigan, Republican Governor Rick Snyder’s administration ordered that the polluted Flint River  be used for drinking water to save money and ignored federal law requiring an anti-corrosion additive that would have cost just $100 a day.  That decision caused lead pipes to corrode, leeching lead into the public’s drinking water. For two years, families have been drinking contaminated water. Now children are suffering irreversible lead poisoning including brain damage. Also, 10 people have died of Legionnaire’s disease believed tied to tainted river water.

East County News Service

January 20, 2016 (San Diego) -- The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a community forum in San Diego on Tuesday, February 2 at 6 p.m. to discuss and answer questions about the CPUC’s July 2015 decision to significantly change residential electricity rates, including the requirement that starting in 2019 all residential customers will be offered time of use rates as a default.  The event will be held at the Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego 92114.

By Miriam Raftery

January 20, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- According to the U.S. Humane Society, bad behavior is one of the top reasons people give up their pets. January is National Train Your Dog Month and to help promote responsible pet ownership to help pets stay in their fur-ever homes, Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow, the nation's largest pet care franchise offers tips for training your dog. Training not only helps to build a strong owner-dog relationship, but it gives you a reason to spend quality one-on-one time with your pet.

January 20, 2016 (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

• Planners find compromise among winery owners (Ramona Sentinel)
• Study: Borrego water woes dire ( San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Job is homecoming for new Cuyamaca president (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• U.S. border/water panel seeks San Diego applicants (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Downhill from water flow, residents fear floods )San Diego Union-Tribune)
• State of the City - La Mesa (La Mesa Today)
• Program Trains Community College Employees To Help Police Stop Active Shooters (KPBS)
• County gonorrhea spike outstrips national trend (U-T)

STATE

• Sempra utility understated benzene levels in leak (U-T)
• California Ranks No. 1 On Gains In Health Coverage For Hispanic Kids (KPBS)
• California to investigate whether Exxon Mobil lied about climate-change risks (Los Angeles Times)

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

Listen to Destination East County, also aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.

We thank the County of Diego for a Community Enhancement Grant to support Destination East Couny.

January 19, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes disaster preparedness classes, hawk watching in Alpine, wine tasting with East County wineries from along Highway 94, desert hikes, and Health Awareness Month in Santee. 

ECM interviewed Officer Pak in December

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Kelsey Hauser, courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

January 19, 2016 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Police Department has identified Officer Samson Pak as the patrol officer involved in a fatal shooting of a woman passenger (photo, left) and a dog in the vehicle on Sunday following a high-speed chase. The identities of the driver and all three passengers have also been released, including two El Cajon residents.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2016 (Los Angeles) – Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) announced yesterday that its relief well drilling to stop the massive Aliso Canyon natural gas leak north of Los Angeles is “proceeding ahead of schedule and the company expects to stop the leak by late February, if not sooner.” 

The relief well drilling began December 4^th and must reach a depth of 8,500 feet.  “Once the well is sealed, it will be taken out of service permanently,” a SoCalGas press release states.

In addition, the company announced it has abandoned its earlier proposal for a gas capture system to burn off leaking gas because of safety concerns expressed by its engineers. State regulators had also expressed concerns that the plan could potentially result in a fire.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Just in time for Tobacco-Free Awareness Week, WalletHub, a financial website, has analyzed the cumulative cost of smoking a pack of cigarettes daily over several decades, along with health care expenditures, income losses and related expenses.