October 11, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - - -Our July 2015 radio shows are now online!  You can listen online now (sound files may take a minute to load). For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics and interviews in July, click here and scroll down.

Our newsmaker interviews included Bruce Wilcox on a plan to save the Salton Sea, John Bolthouse with the Water Conservation Garden and some water-saving tips, author Paula Marguelies, representatives from the San Diego Concert Band, Mark Stevenson from the McAllister Institute, winery industry leaders on drastic new changes proposed to the county’s tiered winery ordinance, and our own interns with analysis on top presidential contenders, plus much more.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  The shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

East County Alerts

October 11, 2015 (San Diego)--The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a heat advisory for San Diego County inland coastal and western valley areas from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (today).

Temperatures are expected to range from 90 to 95 degrees for inland coastal areas and 95 to 99 in western valley areas.

The County issued an alert at 10:45 a.m. today. The County continues to operate the Cool Zones program and has designated buildings as cooling centers.

Lamplighters Community Theatre, La Mesa, Oct. 9-Nov. 8

By Miriam Raftery

October 11, 2015 (La Mesa)--When a caustic critic is lured to an old theatre under the pretext of a documentary about Lincoln assassin/actor John Wilkes Booth,  he swiftly finds himself drugged,  trussed up and tormented by an actress he’s savaged in reviews. The stage is set for mayhem and potentially, murder.

Devi Noel  portrays first the prim and proper Miss Leamington, who soon sheds her disguise to be revealed as the wickedly scheming actress, Mitzi Crenshaw.  Donning multiple costumes to portray notable roles in between extracting tortuous confessions from her captive critic,  F.F. Charnick, Noel clearly relishes the role and keeps the audience on edge throughout Lamplighters’ production of Stage Fright, a play by Charles Marowitz of Ventura.

By Miriam Raftery

October 10, 2015 (El Cajon ) – The family of Elijah “Bear” Diaz, 20,  who vanished on August 29^th, will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and raffle at Barona Clubhouse on October 23, 2015 at 6 p.m. 

“Since we believe Bear is not missing on his own terms, the family has hired a private investigator which these funds will go toward,” Katey Hoffman told East County Magazine. She is working with Lelanie Thompson,  Bear’s mother.

The cost is $10 and includes spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, drinks and desert.  Raffle tickets are $5 and prizes include jewelry, art, cooking wares, and gift cards.  Donations of additional raffle prizes are welcome.

October 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Militants with ISIS, the Islamic State, have released a video that appears to show executions of three Assyrian Christian hostages captured  in Syria in February, the Guardian reports. The terrorists are threatening to kill 200 more hostages, including women and children, unless hefty ransoms are paid for each prisoner, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Assyrian and Chaldean Christians have faced genocide at the hands of ISIS for refusing to convert to Islam. International leaders are urging President Barack Obama and Congress to take action, but thus far those please seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Locally, Mark Arabo, a leader in the Chaldean community, issued this statement. “"It breaks my heart to see the continuous bloodshed, and the constant persecution of Christians by ISIS. Scholars, journalists, and the American public are in consensus that more must be done to end this genocide. Yet, our government continues to remain inactive. Every video is yet another reminder of the victims our government has left to rot in Iraq and Syria.”

By Miriam Raftery

October 10, 2015 (Descanso) – Weavers spun yarn, kids petted alpacas with names like Cinnamon and Swirl, while guests of all ages learned about the care and feeding of these Andean  denizens during National Alpaca Farm Days.

The event was held locally at Atlas Alpacas in Descanso, a ranch owned by Amay Alyeshmerni and her partner, David Kabbai.  The venture recently merged with Hazard Alpacas of Jamul to form Alpacas of San Diego.

 “This isn’t about selling alpacas. It’s about teaching people,” says Kabbai, adding that he loves the experience.  “Kids come up here and have no idea where their sweaters are coming from.”

East County News Service

By Ed Barrena

A new report by the National University System Institute for Policy Research (NUSIPR) has some grave warnings for San Diego County. The report states that roughly 55,000 residents and 5,000 businesses could be located in “100 year flood zones."  These areas could see flooding during the upcoming El Nino, which is forecast to be extremely severe.

East County News Service

Photo: Ambiguous on Flickr

October 9, 2015 (Ramona)--Bald tires are being blamed for a collision in which a Mercedes Benz sedan struck a county van that was transporting five senior citizens for the Ramona Senior Center.

October 7, 2015 (Lakeside) – Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) will host a legislative open house at the Lakeside Community Center, 9841 Vine St. in Lakeside on Wednesday, October 28 from 4 to 7 p.m.

13 more cases suspsected, including 2 deaths as outbreak widens

County News Service

October 8, 2015 (San Diego) – Five new patients are confirmed to have been infected with West Nile virus, bringing the total number of people who have contracted the mosquito-driven disease this year to 11. These include  the second fatality this year localy---a 73-year-old El Cajon man who died October 4.

One newly confirmed case was detected after a routine blood donation last week by a 56-year-old San Diego woman had symptoms consistent with the virus, and three other cases confirmed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in patients who were hospitalized in September: a 77-year-old San Diego woman, a 53-year-old San Diego man, and a 60-year-old Ramona woman.

In addition, there are 13 suspected San Diego County cases pending confirmation by CDPH, including two suspected deaths.

East County News Service

October 8, 2015 (Lakeside)—A dedication ceremony for the newly completed Cedar Fire Historic Monument will be held on October 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Lakeside Fire Protection Office and Fire Station 2, 12216 Lakeside Avenue in Lakeside.

The monument includes a pocket park and honors first responders , those lost in the fire, as well as the strength and resilience of survivors.  Other elements are a map of the Cedar Fire, fire resistant plants and a symbolic red flag pole.  The monument has been designed as a place to inspire people to reflect, reconnect, and remember Lakeside’s struggle and rebirth after the Cedar Fire.

Source: County News Service

October 8, 2015 (San Diego)--Agriculture continues to be an economic heavyweight in San Diego County, totaling nearly $1.82 billion in value. Trendy crops — like grapes for the region’s budding wine industry — continue to rise. Specialty crops like cacti and succulents have blossomed in spite of, or maybe even because of, the ongoing drought.