October 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Understanding the risks of ebola and what direct contact means (New York Times)
• More Active Play Equals Better Thinking Skills For Kids (NPR)
• Foster Farms recalls nearly 40,000 pounds of chicken in U.S. states(Reuters)
• Why pregnancy and pot don’t - and shouldn't - mix (UT San Diego)
• Experimental Drug Jams Ebola Gene To Fight The Virus (NPR)

SCIENCE

• Antarctica's ice loss is messing with Earth's gravity, scientists say (CS Monitor)
• 35,000 walrus in Alaska: Why they came ashore (+video) (CS Monitor)
• How Hong Kong Protesters Are Connecting, Without Cell Or Wi-Fi Networks (NPR)
• Here’s How Easily Someone Can Steal Your ATM Pin Code Without You Noticing And How To Prevent This From Happening (True Activist)

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

Update October 9, 2014, 3 p.m. --CAL-FIRE'S air tanker fleet is back in the air effective 11 a.m. today, CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Nick Schuler has informed East County Magazine, after inspections found no structural or agfe-related problems.

By Miriam Raftery

October 9, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Retired CAL FIRE Chief Chief Bob Robeson called East County Magazine this morning with additional details on the crash that killed a CAL FIRE pilot in Yosemite and grounded CAL-FIRE’s 22 S-2T air tankers including details on backup aircraft available through the federal government.

Update October 8, 2014:  The search for Sally Estabrook continues.  A witness reported seeing someone resembling her Monday walking near mile marker 15.  A dog search team and helicopters with night-vision goggles have joined in the search.

East County News Service

October 6, 2014 (Julian) – Take a look at these newly-released photos of 75-year old Sally Estabrook, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and has been missing since Saturday, October 4th  from the Pinezanita RV Park & Campground on Highway 79.  Dozens of Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers have joined professional search teams from across Southern California.

The Sheriff is asking anyone with surveillance video (home or business) from the day she disappeared to come forward, in hopes of finding clues.

Estabrook’s husband discovered she was missing after he finished taking a shower around 4 p.m. Saturday.  The search has been going on ever since then.  On Monday, the search area was expanded to five miles outside of the campground.

October 8, 2014 (El Cajon)--The East County Economic Development Council (ECEDC), a local non-profit, business-growth organization founded in 1984, will host its own 30th birthday party with a special celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, inside an aircraft hangar at High Performance Aircraft, 1850 Joe Crosson Dr., El Cajon. The public is invited to attend.

A Review of the video Good News, from Climate Reality

Originally Published in the ECOreport

View video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTH3otcW_hs[/embedyt

By Roy L Hales

October 9, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - "Good News," from Climate Reality, is good propaganda. The message is clear and, to a large extent, true - only it also perpetuates a myth. Solar and wind energy are not necessarily good, it depends how they are used.

October 8, 2014 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Justice Dept. will review practice of creating fake Facebook profiles (Washington Post)
• Dems ask for hearing on Ebola response funding (The Hill)
• Contact lost with planes one by one as FAA fire spread (Bloomberg News)
• Sen. Warren: We Need Regulators Who 'Work For The American People' (NPR)
• Walmart cuts healthcare for 30,000 workers (The Hill)
• Oklahoma reconsiders energy plans (Spokesman)

WORLD

• North Korea, already under U.N. sanctions, prepares launch site for longer-range rockets (Reuters)
• Kobane:  IS and Syria Kurds in fierce gun battle (BBC)
• Hong Kong's 'Umbrella Revolution': the politest protests ever? (CS Monitor)
• Special Report: In 'Umbrella Revolution,' China confronts limits of its power (Reuters)
• UN: At least 1,119 Iraqis killed in September (UT San Diego)
• At least 10 people killed in shelling on and near school in Ukraine's Donetsk: city authorities (Reuters)

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

October 6, 2014 (San Diego)--Voters interested in casting their ballots early for the Nov. 4 Gubernatorial General Election can now do so at the County Registrar of Voters new office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa.

East County News Service

October 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)—Amid peak fire season, a fatal crash has grounded all of California’s 22 S-2T air tankers, the Los Angeles Times Reports. That’s troubling news in San Diego, where the two worst wildfires in the state’s history both occurred in late October.

Yesterday, an air tanker battling the Dog Rock Fire in Yosemite National Park crashed, killing the pilot.  The cause is not yet known and the tankers will remain grounded until officials deem that they are safe, according to Daniel Berlant with CAL-FIRE.  

The tankers are capable of carrying up to 1,200 gallons of fire retardant each. Temporary grounding of the remaining 22 S-2T tankers leaves CAL-FIRE with 11 UH-1H Super Huey helicopters and 14 OV-10A airtactical aircraft. The aircraft can reach most fires within 20 minutes from 13 air attack and nie Helitack bases statewide, according to CAL FIRE’s website.

San Diego County News Service

October 7, 2014 (San Diego) -- More than two dozen neglected horses rescued by County Animal Services are now healthy enough to be put up for adoption on Saturday.

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – Wedding bells will soon be ringing for same-sex couples in many more states, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied hearings on all appeals pending.

American Civil Liberties Union attorney James Esseks called the decision “a watershed moment for the entire country.”

The high court refused to hear appeals of same-sex marriage rulings in five states where appellate courts ruled that bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional.  However,the decision is expected to expand same-sex marriage rights to a total of 11 states that are all under jurisdiction of the federal appeals courts that ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.  Add those to the number of states where same-sex marriage already is legal, including California, and the U.S. will likely soon have 30 states—a majority--where same-sex marriage is protected.

(Amazona Viridigenalis); also known as Green Cheeked Amazon, Mexican Red-Headed Parrot

By Robert Gehr

October 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--Native to Northeastern Mexico, and well established in San Diego’s East County, the Red Crowned Parrot is a gorgeous, yet extremely “vocal” bird. Sadly it is also on the endangered species list. Only an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 are left, and the population appears to be declining even further. Causes which contribute to this are mainly illegal trapping and export, combined with loss of native habitat, caused by forest destruction.

By Miriam Raftery

October 4, 2014 (Sacramento)—Governor Jerry Brown earlier pledged to sign a $100 million funding bill for the University of California and California State University systems ($50 mlilion each)—but only if property tax revenues met or exceeded projections.

The most competitive applicant pool in SDSU history has yielded its highest achieving freshman class

October 3, 2014 (San Diego)--The numbers are in and San Diego State University’s incoming class of freshmen is the highest-achieving in the history of the university.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

October 4, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - It’s hot outside, so make sure you stay hydrated.  Give the lawn a break, but don’t cut-back on yourself.  Dehydration occurs when your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should.A.D.A.M. “Dehydration can be mild, moderate, or severe, based on how much of your body's fluid is lost or not replaced. Severe dehydration is a life-threatening emergency says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.”