July 6, 2012 (Santee) – Enjoy an  evening of romantic jazz performed by the Chris Klich Jazz Quintet, a well-known local ensemble has played at venues all over San Diego County.  The group’s album "Blue Skies" was nominated for best jazz album at the San Diego Music Awards.  

July 6, 2012 – It’s been many years since rock star Bruce Springstein performed in San Diego.  Now fans of “the Boss”  can enjoy his music performed by Thunder Road, twice nominated as best tribute band in the San Diego Music Awards. 

Best of all, this concert is free! Thunder Road takes stage at the Viejas Casino V-Lounge in Alpine this Friday, July 6 from 8 p.m  to midnight.

July 5, 2012 – The Homeowners Bill of Rights is one of the most significant consumer protection reforms this year. Find out how your representatives in San Diego County voted on this important legislation, which passed both houses in Sacramento and is expected to be signed by Governor Jerry Brown.

Status: On Governor’s desk awaiting action

By

Miriam Raftery

July 4, 2012 (Valley Center and Pauma Valley)– San Diego Farm Bureau’s latest farm tour offered guests the opportunity to visit four unique farms including a citrus ranch, vineyard, cactus farm, and ranch raising turkeys and other livestock.  Tour-goers met with farmers, took a tractor-ride, and learned about the joys and challenges of local farming.

It may surprise you to learn that San Diego County is home to more small farms (under 10 acres) than any other county in America.  Some are generations old, while others are new businesses sprouting up in the fertile soils of our sunny inland regions.

• CA Wildfire liability bill emerges from the ashes (Sacramento Bee)
• This summer, electric cars are merging into California’s traffic (New York Times)

• Citizen protests $11 million no bid contract; Grossmont school district (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa war hero survived wounds, not runaway car (UT San Diego)
• Plug pulled on San Diego power plant (KPBS)
• 16-year-old driver in SR 52 crash pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter (Santee Patch)
• How Darrell Issa’s pursuit of Attorney General Eric Holder is playing back home (Daily Beast)
• Great white shark sighting closes beach (UT San Diego)
• San Onofre workers lack whistleblower protections (KPBS)
• County makes a disaster of the Brown Act (CityBeat)

July 5, 2012 (San Diego)--FREEZE! Do a good deed and get a cool treat from Sheriff's Deputies.

Sheriff's Deputies are issuing a different kind of "ticket" to children this summer.

Don't be alarmed if deputies stop you along a bike path or sidewalk or call you over to the patrol car, a release issued by the Sheriff’s office cautions. This summer, deputies will "ticket" kids caught in the act of doing a good deed with Slurpee© beverage coupons.

July 5, 2012 (San Diego) -- The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, will take full effect by 2014. In light of a recent Supreme Court decision ruling the law constitutional, you may wonder how the law will affect California's small businesses.

Update 10 p.m.: This incident has been cleared.

July 5, 2012 (San Diego) – A possible bridge jumper is on the Federal bridge over eastbound 94. According to the CHP website, he is a white male adult wearing a black shirt and plaid shorts.

The man was spotted shortly after 8 p.m. putting his leg over the bridge rail.  San Diego Police has been dispatched to the scene. 

By Rick Rogers, DefenseTracker.com

July 3, 2012 (San Diego)--The scourge of sexual assaults in the military seemingly cannot be stopped.

With the military unable or unwilling to protect our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, it’s time women refuse to join the military and to disband the farcical Uniformed Code of Military Justice – an inadequate and unequal court system more interested in protecting the military than dispensing justice.

Cut off from it fastest growing pool of recruits – women – we’d find out exactly how fast our military leaders could correct this national embarrassment.  

July 4, 2012 (La Mesa) –A bottle bomb thrown at a passing trolley at the Spring Street station (4250 Spring Street) exploded shortly before 8 p.m. last night.  There were no injuries and the trolley was not damaged. 

Police seek tips to identify the individual who committed this crime.

Updated July 5, 2012 with roll-call votes for San Diego legislators

July 2, 2012 (Sacramento) – “Sometimes David beats Goliath...Just a few minutes ago, the Homeowner Bill of Rights was passed by the California State Legislature," the Alilance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) annouced. "This means that Wall Street Banks are on notice: California will no longer tolerate the unfair and abusive foreclosure practices of the big banks." 

The legislation sought by California Attorney General Kamala Harris is now on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk awaiting signature. Hailed as a victory for homeowners, the landmark legislation passed despite the banking industry spending $70,000 a day on lobbying efforts to defeat the bills.

By Leon Thompson

June 30, 2012 (Lakeside)--In October 2003 the Cedar Fire incinerated 280,000 acres, destroyed 2820 homes and killed 15 people.  Like many others, Lakeside’s Wildcat Canyon resident Ingrid Coffin was alerted in the middle of the night that she was in the path of the most devastating firestorm our state had ever seen.