East County News Service

By Miriam Raftery

December 29, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – The most tumultuous year in recent memory began with the resignation of a local Congressman and the announcement that across the globe, China cancelled its Lunar New Year celebrations to mark the incoming Year of the Rat and ordered quarantine of 25 million people due to a dangerous new strain of coronavirus. 

Who could have imagined that the coming year would lead to a worldwide pandemic, widespread quarantines and economic lockdowns impacting virtually everyone?  

In addition, 2020 brought racial unrest, a riot in La Mesa, wildfires, and contentious elections, both locally and nationally. But there’s one point on which we can all agree:  we’re glad 2020 is finally over!

Below are the most significant news stories that impacted East County residents each month during this challenging year.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via CHEU:  Palomar Healthcare nurses at a protest earlier this month

December 29, 2020 (Escondido) – Registered nurses and caregivers will hold a car caravan from Palomar Medical Center to Palomar Health’s administration building today to protest a blanket waiver of nurse-to-patient ratios approved by the state Department of Health Tuesday. Nurses contend that the change is dangerous for patient safety.

The action comes as the California Office of Emergency Service announced plans to activate a vacant floor of Palomar Medical Center to handle COVID-19 patients. National Guard members arrived Wednesday to complete a buildout of the surge unit begun earlier this year. Hospital ICU units across Southern California are completely full, with zero capacity, currently due to COVID cases that have increased ten-fold locally since early November. CNN reported yesterday that one of every 1,000 Americans have now died of COVID-19.

East County News Service

Photo:  Blake Snell

December 28, 2020 (San Diego) - In probably one of the biggest offseason moves the Padres have ever made, the Friars signed top starting pitchers Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays and Yu Darvish from the Chicago Cubs, ESPN reports.

Sometimes God is a Homeless Man: A True Story of Heaven & Healing, by Kymm Civetta (Kymm Civetta, San Diego, 2020, 193 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 28, 2020 (San Diego) - Kymm Civetta, a resident of San Diego (Jamul), has written a thought provoking book that may very well challenge your beliefs and Christian faith; Sometimes God is a Homeless Man: A True Story of Heaven & Healing. Civetta, an ordained minister (Universal Life Church), singer and self-professed Christian “Clairvoyant,” chronicles her upbringing and transformation in this book.

Sometimes God is a Homeless Man, is a book about soul searching, as the author specifically states:  “Until finding Kevin’s book, I found myself in an ‘in between space’ as a ‘Clairvoyant’ but also a ‘Christian.’ Was there such a thing?” I find myself asking the same thing, and perhaps those reading this book may do so as well.

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through East County

Not a creature was stirring, in December 2020.

Cowboy boots were hung by chimneys with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

From Barona to Ramona, Jacumba to Jamul

East County folks in quarantine this Yule

Can’t party hearty with potluck dishes,

But they did send Santa these 2021 wishes.

Story and photos by Henri Migala

Photo, left:  Maskless rally participants called for all businesses to open now, despite pandemic shutdown orders from the county and state.

December 23, 2020 (El Cajon) – A rally titled “All I Want for Christmas is Freedom” was held on Monday, Dec. 21 at El Cajon Centennial Plaza calling for a lifting of pandemic shutdowns.  The timing of the rally coincides with hospital ICU units filled to capacity across Southern California, after 18 million people in the U.S. have contracted COVID-19 and 323,000 Americans have died.

There are legitimate equity questions, such as why big-box retailers have been allowed to stay open while many small businesses have been ordered shut down, particularly after data obtained from San Diego County reveals that many outbreaks have been tied to large stores such as Walmart, Home Depot and Target. Although the event was promoted as an opportunity to support local small businesses adversely affected by restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, any rational discussion of those issues was largely overshadowed at the protest by speakers, including prominent elected officials, who urged attendees to openly and actively defy local and state restrictions. Some used such inflammatory words such as devil, battle, war, evil, Marxist, tyranny, socialism, 2^nd Amendment, and even a reference to “killing babies like Planned Parenthood" that seemed largely out of context to a discussion of economic vs. public health concerns.

Eighteen “vendors” were set up, of which about half were small businesses selling products. The others were related to a political cause or agenda, such as recalling Governor Newsom, or opening San Diego. Approximately 150 people attended the event.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alert Service

Photo via Cal-Fire on Twitter

December 24, 2020 (Fallbrook) – The #CreekFire which erupted in Fallbrook overnight has burned over 3,000 acres, prompting evacuation of thousands of residents. The blaze, which began shortly before midnight in the 37000 block of De Luz Road two miles west of Sandia Creek Drive. The blaze is 35% contained as of 8 a.m., San Diego Cunty Fire authority reports.

The fire has been burning west, into Camp Pendleton.

A temporary evacuation point has been established at Fallbrook High School, 2400 Stage Coach Lane, the sheriff’s department said.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Video courtesy goaztecs.com

December 22, 2020 (San Luis Obispo) - Nathan Mensah recorded a career-high 18 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best six blocked shots to lead San Diego State to a 74-49 win over Saint Mary's on Tuesday night in a game played at a neutral site..

By Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2020 (San Diego) – East County’s Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has been appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as California’s Secretary of State, the first black woman to hold the office. The daughter of sharecroppers who were once denied the right to vote, Dr. Weber went on to earn a doctoral degree and rise to prominence as an educator and later, a powerhouse champion in the Legislature for voting rights, police reform and strengthening public schools.

Governor Newsom posted on Twitter, “Dr. Weber is a tireless advocate & change agent with unimpeachable integrity. Now, she’ll be at the helm of our elections as our next Secretary of State, the first African American to be California’s Chief Elections Officer.”  He added, “With her, CA will continue to be a model for the nation in expanding democratic participation and access to the ballot box.”

Weber, a Democrat whose district includes La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Bonita and portions of San Diego and National City, will fill the vacancy left by Alex Padilla, whom the Governor appointed to be California’s new U.S. Senator. Padilla will replace Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris in the Senate.

President also pardons other high-level allies and Blackwater guards who committed massacre in Iraq

Trump has also pardoned Margaret Hunter

Story and file photo by Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2020 (Washington D.C.) --- East County’s former Congressman Duncan D. Hunter won’t be reporting to prison in Texas in January.  Today, President Donald Trump delivered an early Christmas gift to Hunter and other Republican allies, issuing pardons for their crimes.

Hunter, a staunch Trump supporter and Republican from Alpine, pleaded guilty in late 2019 to conspiracy to diverting a quarter million dollars in campaign funds for personal use, but his sentencing was delayed due to COVID-19 in La Tuna, the federal  penitentiary near El Paso. He resigned soon after, forcing constituents to be without representation for a full year that proved to be tumultous amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Traven Pyles

December 22, 2020 (San Diego) -- We often think asbestos exposure to be a thing of the past; after all the dangerous mineral is not manufactured anymore in the United States and EPA regulations reduced its use to just 400 metric tons per year. This might seem like much, but is just a drop in a bucket when we consider the size of the US.