TEEN DRIVER HAD HISTORY OF STREET RACING

Update September, 12, 2021:  Passenger Jiovanni Solorio Roman, who was in a coma after the crash, has died, 10 News reports.

Update August 23, 2021:  The student killed in a high-speed crash has been identified by his father as Gady Cruz, NBC 7 reports.  One of the passengers, Jiovanni Solorio Roman, is in a coma, according to his mother. Identities of the other two injured passengers have not been disclosed. According to the Medical Examiner, Cruz was 16 years old and was not wearing a seatbelt when the vehicle crashed and overturned. CBS 8 reports that Cruz  previously posted videos on social media of himself racing at speeds over 100 miles per hour on local freeways.

By Miriam Raftery

August 21, 2021 (El Cajon) – A black 2018 Honda Civic crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of Fletcher Parkway and Navajo Road in Fletcher Hills around 2:11 a.m. The driver, a senior at Grossmont High School, died and three passengers were seriously injured, including two 11th grade Grossmont students.

In a press release, the Grossmont Union High School District stated, “Our district is working closely with the El Cajon Police Department as their investigation of the incident continues. Due to privacy,our district is unable to release further information regarding the students’ names or health conditions. We will release more information as we are able to do so. As our school community begins to deal with this tragedy, our district will be providing additional grief support on campus at GrossmontHigh School and will also make it available to students throughout our close-knit GUHSD community.”

East County News Service

August 20, 2021 (Borrego Springs) – Bob Kutscher snapped this photo on August 11, the morning after a storm dumped three quarters of an inch of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning – all preceded by a Haboob, or dust storm that left particles to intensify the sunrise hues.

East County News Service

Photo by Barry Jantz

August 20, 2021 (Jamul) -- The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) today announced the approval of $21,652 in reimbursements to help the County of San Diego cover the costs of operating a Local Assistance Center (LAC), as well as the removal and replacement of five road signs following last year's Valley Fire. The fire started in the Japatul area near Alpine and burned 20 residential structures as far south as Jamul. 

 The reimbursements represent the state's 75-percent share of the county's $28,870 in costs related to the work that are eligible under the California Disaster Assistance Act following California Governor Gavin Newsom's State of Emergency Proclamation on September 26, 2020.

August 20, 2021 (La Mesa) --  As part of the Livable La Mesa Age Friendly project, the City of La Mesa Community Relations and Veterans Commission will host a virtual and in-person forum on Wednesday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m.  to share information and discuss hate crimes in California. In partnership with the La Mesa Police Department,

La Mesa Conversations and the San Diego District Attorney Office, the event will cover what is considered a hate crime in California, how hate crimes differ from hate incidents and the current trends in San Diego County. Presenter Leonard Trinh is the Lead Hate Crime Prosecutor and a San Diego Deputy District Attorney. Questions, comments and suggestions are encouraged from residents as the City looks to increase awareness of hate crimes.

The event is being held in person at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center, 8450 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa, CA, 91942 and will be streamed live on Facebook at “City of La Mesa – City Hall.”

East County News Service

Video by Richard Edwords, Alpine resident and owner of Camp’s Propane, who is driving a water tender truck in the Dixie Fire

August 20, 2021 (Sacramento) -- Today more than 12,460 firefighters continue to battle 14 large wildfires across the state, Cal Fire reports. Yesterday firefighters responded to 27 new wildfires, all of which were quickly contained. Since January 1, there have been 6,630 wildfires that have burned more than 1.4 million acres. 

Source: TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through January 18, 2022.

On January 31, TSA announced the initial face mask requirement with an expiration date of May 11. On April 30, TSA announced an extension to the face mask requirement through September 13, 2021 amid a surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

August 20, 2021 (San Diego) - Avanti Frozen Foods Pvt. Ltd, is voluntarily expanding a prior recall issued on June 25,2021 to include certain consignments of various sizes of frozen cooked, peeled, deveined, shrimp (with some packaged with cocktail sauce) sold in various unit sizes, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The frozen shrimp products were distributed nationwide from November 2020 to May 2021.

By Miriam Raftery

August 20, 2021 (El Cajon) – A suspect who reportedly shot and injured an employee inside Western Medical Training Center in El Cajon on August 19 later opened fire on an El Cajon Police officer seated in his patrol vehicle. The officer fired back, injuring the suspect who later died at a local hospital.

Officers responded to a report of the initial shooting in the 100 block of East Main Street around 2:13 p.m. yesterday. While some aided the victim, others searched for the suspect.  A person matching the shooting suspect’s description was spotted near the intersection of Ballard and Decker. 

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 19, 2021 (San Diego) - San Diegans with moderately to severely compromised immune systems can get a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine to fight waning immunity.

East County News Service

August 19, 2021 (Descanso) - On Sunday, September 5, Our Lady of Light Catholic Parish is back and is excited to invite all to their 84^nd Deep Pit BBQ. Dubbed Holy Smoke this year because the beef is slowly smoked in a deep pit while sending up heavenly holy smoke! Located in the Cuyamaca Mountains in San Diego County, visitors will have a day full of fun and beautiful surroundings of Descanso.

Source:  County of San Diego Planning & Development Services

The Aztecs will play six of their first nine conference games at home

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

August 17, 2021 (San Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball team has revealed their Mountain West schedule for the 2021-22 season. After a shortened 2020-21 season, SDSU and the Mountain West will return to its 18-game conference slate (nine home and nine road games), with each school playing eight opponents twice (home-and-home) and two opponents once.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

ECM file photo, left, of Karas.

Aug. 16, 2021 (La Mesa) Twenty-nine-year-old Zachary Alexander Karas was sentenced to 33 months in Federal custody on Aug. 13, according to court documents, for possessing explosive devices, Molotov cocktails, during the La Mesa riots in May of 2020.

The protests were in response to racial justice and policing issues.

In court documents Karas claimed he made the decision to make Molotov cocktails while he was under the influence of alcohol.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office Karas could have faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. An appeal has already been filed.

Source:  San Diego County Sheriff

August 15, 2021 (Vista) - Sheriff's Homicide detectives continued their investigation and identified 22-year-old Jheran Beverson as the suspect in the murder of Shannon Betz, who was found by his roommate murdered in the 1100 block of Delpy View Point in Vista on August 8. Beverson was arrested yesterday and booked into Vista Detention Facility for one count of murder. 

The league reverts to an 18-game slate for the eighth time in nine years, after scheduling 20 conference games during the 2020-21 season

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com/Justin Tafoya, Clarkson Creative Photography

August 14, 2021 (San Diego) - San Diego State men's basketball released the initial version of its Mountain West Conference schedule for the 2021-22 campaign on Friday, the first phase in the scheduling process. After a year in which teams were scheduled to play two-game series at home against half the league and on the road against the other half, for a total of 20 contests, the format has reverted to 18-games (nine home and nine road games) with each team playing eight opponents twice (home-and-home) and two opponents once.  For the Aztecs, league games begin on Jan. 1 and wrap up on March 5.