January 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued an urgent high wind warning for San Diego County mountains and deserts. The warning is in effect from now through 10 p.m. tonight as a strong storm moves through the region.

January 25, 2012:  Updated to include comments by Terry Francke, General Counsel at Calaware, who concludes this was not a Brown Act violation and a response from the San Diego District Attorney declining to prosecute the matter.

By Miriam Raftery

January 21, 2012 (Alpine) – Alpine Community Planning Group member George Barnett appears to have violated the Brown Act when he expressed his views on an agenda item in an e-mail to members of the ACPG’s Public Facilities Subcommitee meeting, a top County official has concluded. In the e-mail, Barnett voiced strong views regarding a hand-out by the East Alpine Property Owner’s Alliance on proposed land-use changes, calling its conclusions “nuts” and “needlessly alarmist.” 

By Miriam Raftery

January 21, 2012 (Spring Valley) –More than 70 homeless people in San Diego have a clean, dry mat to sleep on – thanks to the tireless efforts of Wilma Groh. 

Supervisors accused of approving items not on agenda regarding cutting red tape for development projects

By Terry Francke, General Counsel, Californians Aware

January 20, 2012 (San Diego)--Californians Aware has filed suit against the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, challenging its decision at a meeting last month as a violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law for local government.

The petition, filed today in San Diego County Superior Court, cites the Board’s immediate approval of a slate of recommendations from an advisory committee on cutting red tape in development approvals.

 By Miriam Raftery

 
New online tool provides customers with easy access to energy use data

 
January 20, 2011 (San Diego)--San Diego Voice & Viewpoint newspaper will host a forum on leadership in the African and African American Communities on Januuary 26. The purpose of this event is to discuss the differences and similarities between communities, and to begin to work more collectively on issues. Thoughts and comments are welcome to this discussion on relations between those in the African and African American communities.  

Man crushed in EDCO packing machine remains hospitalized

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – A worker crushed inside a packing machine December 31 at an EDCO recycling center in Lemon Grove remains hospitalized three weeks later, ECM has learned.

“We understand his condition is improving,” said John Snyder, general manager at EDCO.  Snyder declined to provide the worker’s name or details of his injuries, citing medical privacy laws. But he said the man, 57, is a long-time employee.

By Manuel Ocana (Spanish translation below)
 

January 19, 2012 (San Diego) --Philippino undocumented immigrant and Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Jose Antonio Vargas was the keynote speaker for the All People's Breakfast honoring Dr Martin Luther King on Monday, January 16.

January 19, 2012 (El Cajon)--Grossmont High School and Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) broke ground last week for a new humanities building at Grossmont High School. The two-story, 35,000-square-foot building now under construction is the largest classroom project funded by the Proposition U construction program passed by voters in 2008.

January 19, 2012 (San Diego) – The Regional Task Force on the Homeless seeks volunteers to help with its annual countywide point-in-time count of homeless people in our region. Titled the “We all County Campaign,” the count will be held on Friday, January 27 from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. To volunteer, sign up at http://www.rtfhsd.org/pitc/weallcount-registration/.

January 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – If you’re seeing smoke over our local mountains, don’t panic.  Cal-Fire confirms that it is assisting the Rancho Cuyamaca State Park with a controlled burn today.

IPN indicates the burn is at the Middle Peaks area of the Park.

January 18, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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:  

• Obama seeks to revamp government, focus on exports (Reuters)
• Limits on military funeral protests advance (San Diego Union Tribune)
• USDA says it will close 259 offices to save $150 million (San Diego UT)
• Tea Party may get rebuffed in tax cut showdown (Reuters)
• Cantor: US allies have doubts about policies to control Iran (The Hill) 

• Huntsman drops out, endorses Romney (CNN)
• Romney takes some heat over Bain Capital’s actions (Winona Daily News, South Carolina)
• Judge rejects Republican candidates requests to be on Virginia ballot (Fox News)
• Mitt Romney’s lies (US News & World Reports)
• Which presidential candidates have earned the defense industry’s support? (RawStory)
• CNN Poll: Ron Paul tied with President Obama (CNN) 

• Government says Hezbollah profits from U.S. cocaine market via link to Mexico drug cartel (Propublica) 
• U.S. warns Iran over military posturing (CBS News)
• It’s official: S&P announces mass downgrade of Eurozone countries (Business Insider)
• Iran says nuclear expert killed by bomb attach (NPR)
• Russian ship stopped with arms bound for Syria (NPR)
• Shiite and Sunni: what are the differences? (Christian Science Monitor)
   

• Research provides diabetes hope (BBC)
• New tuberculosis strain thwarts all antibiotics (NPR)
• Lights at night not a bright idea (Jerusalem Post)

 
January 18, 2012 --  (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:   

• California lawmakers take another crack at single payer healthcare bill (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry Brown’s budget demands would strip demands, payments from local governments (Sacramento Bee)
• Education magazine gives California a “C” for its students (Sacramento Bee)
• California in eye of Internet piracy storm (San Francisco Chronicle)