May 13, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation (MTRP) will present an exhibition featuring two award winning photographers Jodie Hulden and Robert Treat. This exhibit will be on display in the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center Art Gallery May 23 – June 19, 2015.  The public is cordially invited to a reception in honor of the artists on Sunday, May 31, 2015 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

May 13, 2015 (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:

NATIONAL

• China, India Surpass Mexico As Leading Sources Of New Immigrants To U.S. (NPR)
• Court ruling against NSA practice could reverberate far beyond phone spying (CS Monitor)
• Federal Judge Rejects Warrantless Search of Laptop Seized at Airport (Reason)
• House Approves USA Freedom Act, Extending And Revising The Patriot Act (NPR)
• U.S. House votes to ban most abortions after 20 weeks (Reuters)
• Texas, Arkansas governors declare disasters after deadly tornadoes (Reuters)
• Illinois languishes as lowest ranked state by credit: survey (Reuters) 
• Christians In U.S. On Decline As Number Of 'Nones' Grows, Survey Finds (NPR)
• Puerto Rico orders water-rationing measures amid dry spell (AP)

INTERNATIONAL

• Exclusive: Czechs stopped potential nuclear tech purchase by Iran - sources (Reuters)
• North Korea warns of 'targeted strikes' against South's navy (Reuters)
• Nepal earthquake kills dozens, triggers panic (Reuters)
• 1,600 Rohingya, Bangladeshi migrants reach land while thousands remain at sea (CS Monitor)
• Insulting police online banned by Granby, Que., bylaw (CBS News)
• Israeli general sees common interests with Hamas (Reuters) 
• Venezuela Faces Crime Epidemic (NPR)
• Police torture in China still routine despite reforms: rights group (Reuters)
• Diplomats: Traces of chemical weapons agents found in Syria (AP)

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

Sunbelt Publications is holding a Spring Showcase on Thursday, May 14, from 5-9 PM at the O'Dunn Fine Art, a multi-artist show and author exposition featuring local Sunbelt authors. Brad Bruce, a professional wine procurer, will be pouring some high end tastings for the event which also includes books and paintings.

The following authors will be there:

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

May 13, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. Each year more than 135,000 Americans die from stroke—or one person every four minutes—died from stroke, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. May is Stroke Awareness Month reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

May 13, 2015 (Alpine) – Yesterday at 1:55 p.m., detectives from the Alpine Sheriff’s station responded to a radio call reporting a structure fire in the 1400 block of Marshall Road in Alpine.  Finding a home fully engulfed in flames, deputies evacuated nearby neighbors and check surroundings for any victims.

By Miriam Raftery

May 13, 2015 (San Diego) – UT San Diego, our region’s largest daily newspaper, has announced an agreement to sell to Chicago-based Tribune Publishing. The fourth largest newspaper chain in America, Tribune Publishing owns the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and other major newspapers.  The $85 million deal would end local ownership of the 146-year-old newspaper and the controversial reign of developer Doug Manchester as publisher, opening the door to a potential shift toward higher journalistic standards.

By Robert Gehr

May 13, 2015 (El Cajon)--Around 3 p.m. on May 4th, a fire broke out in a four-unit apartment building in El Cajon - located at 345 West Park Ave.

Earthjustice attorney says tough questions need to be Asked

Originally Published on the ECOreport

By Roy L Hales

May 11, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - According to Earthjustice attorney Trent Orr, California’s current water crisis is a man-made phenomenon. It is the outcome of the mid 20th century notion that equates progress with giant public works projects and assumes that we can engineer our way out of all sorts of problems, including living on a drought-prone state. This doesn’t work.

May 11, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation announces the 14th season of the City of La Mesa’s “Sundays at Six” free outdoor concerts.  The popular concert series are held at the beautiful outdoor amphitheater at Harry Griffen Park, 9550 Milden Street, La Mesa, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Following is a listing of the 2015 season concerts:

May 11, 2015 (El Cajon) - The Home of Guiding Hands (HGH), an El Cajon-based non-profit organization that provides services, training and advocacy for people with developmental disabilities, will present its 41st annual Home of Guiding Hands Gala from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday, June 6, at the Hotel Del Coronado. Proceeds will benefit programs and services HGH provides to more than 1,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties. Former Padres pitcher Randy Jones, a National League Cy Young Award winner, will be the master of ceremonies.

-- Health care library’s `Wellness Wednesday’ meeting will discuss de-cluttering and downsizing for health on May 27

May 10, 2015 (La Mesa) - The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free program on  “De-Clutter and Downsize for Happiness and Health,”  from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27. The program is part of the Grossmont Healthcare District library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

May 9, 2015 (Santee) - The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County region, has sent a letter to the Navy stating its opposition to the pending closure of a health clinic in Santee.

By Jack Haworth. Photos by permission of the artist, Kim Stringfellow.

Professor Kim Stringfellow of the School of Art + Design at San Diego State University has been awarded the 2015 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for her latest research project called, The Mojave Project.

“For me, the Guggenheim Fellowship is one of the most honorable recognitions possible for an artist and photographer,” Stringfellow said. “Some really important projects have been done on Guggenheim fellowships so it means a lot to join this group of fellows.”

Of the 3,100 applicants this year, the Fellowship awarded 175 recipients an average of $43,000 each to assist them with their work.

May 7, 2015 (Sacramento) - California water regulators adopted sweeping, unprecedented restrictions on how people, governments and businesses can use water amid the state's ongoing drought, hoping to push reluctant residents to deeper conservation, KPBS reports.