By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Bengal tiger in India, via Wikipedia

Update July 2, 2018:  Two Fish & Wildlife officials now tell ECM they believe reports of a tiger loose in East County are a hoax. Read our new story here:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/fish-wildlife-service-concludes-invest...

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo:  Existing Mortuary at 374 North Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon

 July 1, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon Planning Commission again denied the Conditional Use Permit sought by El Cajon Mortuary and Cremation Service to build a crematorium at its existing site near El Cajon’s city center. The vote was 3-0 at the June 19^th meeting, with commission members Mroz and Longoria absent.

East County News Service

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

June 30, 2018 (La Mesa) – Two small dogs stolen from a backyard in La Mesa have been reunited with their owners – thanks to a pet detective.

Mischa and Honzu were located on a pet adoption site in Rosario, Mexico by utilizing facial recognition software, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2018 (Lemon Grove) – Gustavo Flores, 38, of Lemon Grove has been arrested and charged with the murder of Juan Martinez, 47. Martinez, a Lemon Grove resident who had suffered mortal wounds, banged on the door of residents in the 7600 block of Lemon Grove on June 21^st shortly before 9 p.m.

East County News Service

June 29, 2018 (Deerhorn Valley) – “If it moves, it can parade!” say organizers of the 6^th annual Deerhorn Valley Independence Day Parade.  That includes wagons, carts, tractors,  bikes, strollers, joggers, horses, dogs, emus and other animals in a parade that reflects small town Americana at its best.

Staging for the parade in Deerhorn Valley, a small town south of Jamul, begins at 9:30 a.m. at McNeil’s Field at the junction of Elena Way and Mt. Elena (accessed off Deerhorn Valley Road: see map) with the parade rolling out at 10 a.m. A picnic follows, with hotdogs, chips, ice cream, water and free popcorn. There will also be face painting and vintage autos on display.

By Miriam Raftery

June 28, 2018 (El Cajon) – The city of El Cajon will present its annual Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration at Kennedy Park (1675 East Madison Ave.) starting at noon Wednesday and ending with a 9 p.m. fireworks show synchronized to music.  1675 East Madison Avenue. Bring  a picnic or buy food from vendors, plus enjoy live music by two bands, inflatables, crafts, games and a “kiddie train.

Schedule of events:

By Kendra Sitton

June 28, 2018 (El Cajon) -- Community-oriented business leaders from across the County descended on Suri Restaurant in El Cajon on Wed., June 20.  Business for Good SD partnered with the restaurant for World Refugee Day. During their monthly mixer, the entrepreneurs and local leaders ate Syrian food masterfully prepared by the restaurant’s staff, comprised entirely of refugees.

Source:  Adaptive Sports and Recreation Association

June 28, 2018 (San Diego) - The Adaptive Sports and Recreation Association (www.adaptivesportsandrec.org) announces their 32nd annual Junior Adaptive Sports Camp, presented by Luna Grill.  The camp will take place July 16-20, 2018, in San Diego, California.  This unique summer camp is an opportunity for kids ages 4-18 with physical impairments such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injuries to participate in approximately 15 different sport rotations over 5 days.  Founded and headquartered in San Diego, leading fast casual Mediterranean operator Luna Grill (www.lunagrill.com) is proud to be the title sponsor of the camp’s 32nd season.   

June 27, 2018 (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

• Medical marijuana dispensary in Lemon Grove, first in city, gets ok (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Travel ban ruling by Supreme Court gets passionate response in San Diego (San Diego Free Press)
• Lemon Grove to consider various ways to raise money (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Ratepayer group says SDG&E and SoCalGas made false statements about natural gas pipeline (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Appeals court orders utility regulators to produce emails in San Onofre investigation (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• UC San Diego discovers world's first known manta ray nursery (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 'Biggest schools of yellowtail I've ever seen' invade Coronado Islands (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Lawsuit challenging by-district council elections back in court (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• California utility expects to pay $2.5 billion for wildfires (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Bill Could Give Californians Unprecedented Control Over Data  (Wired)
• Big Business Is Taking Over California's Marijuana Industry (Motley Fool)
• Nearly 400 people used California assisted death law in 2017 (ABC News)
• See the 100 highest pensions in the CalPERS and CalSTRS systems (Sacramento Bee)

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

By Miriam Raftery

June 27, 2018 (Washington D.C.)-  Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has announced he will retire on July 31^st.   Kennedy has long been a swing vote on key issues including abortion, gay rights, and affirmative action, often siding with liberal justices in the key years.

Many key rulings have been decided by a single one-vote margin, so the 82-year-old justice’s retirement means President Donald Trump will have an opportunity to secure solid conservative control of the high court, potentially for decades to come.

By Miriam Raftery

June 27, 2018 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego issued a ruling Tuesday ordering the Trump administration to end separation of parents from children at the border and to reunite families already separated, except in limited circumstances.

June 26, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• FDA approves first cannabis-based drug (CNN)
• Higher vitamin D levels linked to lower colorectal cancer risk (Jewish World Review)
• Drinking Alcohol Can Raise Cancer Risk. How Much Is Too Much? (NPR)
• Researchers Find Herpes Viruses in Brains Marked by Alzheimer's Disease  (NPR)
• Keystone Virus Makes First Known Jump from Mosquitoes to Humans  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• A leading climate agency may lose its climate focus (New York Times)
• Koko the Gorilla Dies; Redrew the Lines of Animal-Human Communication (NPR)
• Adobe is using machine learning to make it easier to spot Photoshopped images (Verge)

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

By Ken Stone

Credit to Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Julian Fire Chief Rick Marinelli (left) with a Julian resident after July 2017 special meeting of fire district. Photo by Julie Pendray via eastcountymagazine.org

June 26, 2018 (Julian) - Five months before retiring, Julian’s fire chief violated state law — threatening volunteer firefighters involved in a vote of no confidence in his leadership, a labor agency says.

But Rick Marinelli, who left as chief in late May, denies allegations made in the state agency’s complaint against the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District.

East County News Service

June 25, 2018 (Ramona) – A 72-year-old woman killed in a vehicle crash outside her home has been identified as Nicole Rodriguez Estrada, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office reports.

The Ramona resident’s vehicle was found along the driveway of her home at 480 Gem Lane on June 20^th after an apparent impact into an embankment. Fire and paramedic units responded to a 911 call and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway Patrol.

Backcountry hidden pleasures: our guide to unique lodging and adventures in San Diego’s beautiful backcountry

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photos by Miriam Raftery and Paul Kruze

 June 24, 2018 (Julian) -- Nestled at the end of a series of winding roads shaded by pines and oak trees minutes from downtown Julian is William Heise County Park, a comfortable getaway just over an hour away from the bustle of downtown San Diego.  This park is the jewel of the San Diego County Park system in our inland region.