By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

January 18, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- The New Year brings more than just champagne and fancy parties — it's also when we start a new fire recruit academy.

East County News Service

January 18, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is slated to take place this Wednesday, January 19 in front of the Capitol. Washington D.C.is under heavy security following last week’s capitol insurrection, with 25,000 National Guard troops stationed there—five time more than the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

Due to threats of violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of guests will be limited to mainly members of Congress and guests. The Capitol mall is closed to the public for security reasons. The event will be live streamed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.  You can also watch the inauguration on C-span, CNN and other major networks. Throughout the day and evening, a variety of inaugural events will be held that the public can watch or paticipate in virtually.

By Miriam Raftery

January 18, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – State Senator Brian Jones has provided an update from the Employment Development Department (EDD) regarding unemployment benefit extensions and suspended payments due to fraud screening

If your EDD account has been suspended‚ please read the following statement regarding the identity validation process here.

Additionally‚ if you have any questions regarding unemployment benefit extensions‚ you can read the most frequently asked questions here.

January 18, 2021 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include: 

LOCAL

• San Diego DA to aggressively prosecute violent participants at inauguration-related protests (10 News)
• San Diego County Officials Push People To Use New Small Business Relief Program (KPBS)
• Taylor Guitars announces complete transition of ownership to its employees (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Biden chooses San Diego Unified superintendent as deputy education secretary (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Column: Reps. Jacobs and Issa: Profiles in courage and cowardice (San Diego Union-Tribune: Michael Smolens)
• The Capitol siege was far from San Diego. Its fringe ideologies were right at home (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Most police departments in San Diego County are more White than the communities they serve, data show (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Defend East County Chief in D.C. Cites ‘Duty to Overthrow Tyrannical Government’ (Times of San Diego)
• Council Unknowingly OK’d Surveillance Gear for Secretive Police Group (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• California expects record revenues in stunning Covid budget reversal  (Politico)
• Newsom calls up National Guard, CHP denies permit for pro-Trump rally at California Capitol (Sacramento Bee)
• A day before Capitol attack, pro-Trump crowd stormed meeting, threatened officials in rural California (Los Angeles Times)
• Ambulance crews told not to transport patients who have little chance of survival (Los Angeles Times)
• California on brink of 3 million infections, despite coronavirus surge heading to plateau (Sacramento Bee)
• California clears dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccines (10 News)
• San Francisco Supervisors Approve Ban On Natural Gas In New Building Construction (CBS)

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

January 17, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Post-COVID lungs worse than the worst smokers' lungs, surgeon says (CBS)
• Federal COVID-19 reserve is now empty, prompting angry reponses (The Hill)
• Trump tries to claw back billions from COVID-19 distributor (Ars Technica)
• Adequate Levels of Vitamin D Reduces Complications, Death Among COVID-19 Patients (Boston University School of Medicine)
• 240 Israelis found with COVID after vaccination, underscoring need for vigilance (Times of Israel)
• Brazil researchers report disappointing 50.4% efficacy for China's CoronaVac vaccine (Reuters)
• South Africa COVID strain: what you need to know (CNBC)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Look, up in the sky - it's a flying Cadillac! GM unveils futuristic vehicle (Reuters)
  
  
  
  Amazon Is Booting Parler Off Of Its Web Hosting Service (Buzzfeed)
• Google Play suspends Parler for failure to moderate posts that incite violence  (CBS)
• PayPal and Shopify remove Trump-related accounts, citing policies against supporting violence (CNet)
•  Facebook bans Trump from posting for remainder of his term in office (CNN)
• Twitter permanently bans Trump (CBS)
• Parler CEO says social media app, favored by Trump supporters, may not return  Reuters)

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

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

January 16, 2021 (Logan, Utah) -  Steven Ashworth scored 17 points off the bench to lift Utah State to a 64-59 win over San Diego State on Saturday, the Aggies' 10th straight victory.

East County News Service

January 16, 2021 (La Mesa) – Bob Kruse, 62, a La Mesa resident who oversaw over 50 local Goodwill sites as Director of Facilities, has died of COVID-19.

Supervisor Anderson plans pilot programs for more homeless help in the future

By Miriam Raftery

January 16, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to apply for $12 million in additional state funding for the No Place Like Home program.  No Place Like Home provides funding for the creation of affordable housing units for those with serious mental illness who are experiencing or are at-risk of homelessness.

Tuesday’s authorization also provides County behavioral health supportive services for tenants in No Place Like Home units for a period of 20 years.

So far, the County has approved six developments through the No Place Like Home program in in San Diego, the South Bay, and North County – but not East County, even though East County has a large homeless population in places like El Cajon, Spring Valley and Lakeside.The County has previously received some funding through the program and could ultimately qualify for up to $117 million through 2024.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

By Miriam Raftery

January 15, 2021 (San Diego) – Santa Ana winds are forecast to roar into our region, bringing high fire danger Friday and Saturday along with soaring temperatures up to 20 degrees above  normal.

SDG&E has announced possible public safety power shutoffs to more than 11,000 customers across San Diego County’s mountain and rural communities. For updates, see the outage page at www.SDGE.com.

The National Weather Service warns that “strong, damaging Santa Ana winds” are expected to again be likely Monday through Wednesday—along with likely high fire danger if humidity remains low.

Mercedes Staples scored a career high 24 points

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

January 14, 2021 (Ssan Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball team (4-7, 2-3) rallied to knock off Utah State (4-5, 2-2) 68-60 Thursday evening inside Viejas Arena. SDSU trailed nearly the entire game, but Mercedes Staples and Flo Vinerte scored 20 of SDSU’s 23 fourth quarter points to help the Aztecs complete the comeback.

From Howe Street To Accra: My Adventures Working On The Groundbreaking Film Coming To Africa, by Frank James IV (AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2020, 62 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

January 14, 2021 (San Diego) - Coming at a time of the sequel to the iconic movie Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, scheduled for release in December of 2021, Frank James IV has written a memoir, From Howe Street to Accra: My Adventures Working on the Groundbreaking Film Coming To Africa. I actually envy the author for having the opportunity to go to Africa, and then, to film a movie!

Perhaps hoping to capitalize on the upcoming remake of the Eddie Murphy film coming out in December of 2021, the author writes of his experiences in Accra, Ghana. There are many anecdotes throughout this intuitive and thought provoking book that has one feeling as if they were actually there.

By Miriam Raftery

January 14, 2021 (Jamul) – A deadly collision on Otay Lakes Road in Jamul on January 10th shortly before 10 a.m. claimed the lives of a motorcyclist and a bicyclist.

The victims are identified as Jonathan Michael Charbonnet, 43, and Julias Kim G. Cunanan, 40, both of Chula Vista.  Charbonnet was riding a motorcycle eastbound when for unknown reasons, he struck Cunanan, who was riding with a group of bicyclists

By Miriam Raftery

January 14, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) --Under the authority of the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County, the Rancho Helix De Oro is a newly formed fire safe council dedicated to educating and preparing our community in order to avoid devastating fires. The group has created an educational fire-safe flyer  (click link to view flyer) with information including tips for fire safety, an evacuation map, who to call during an emergency, and how to get emergency notification for the communities of Rancho San Diego, Mt. Helix and Casa de Oro.

The new group was formed with support from then-County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, the Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association, Valle de Oro Planning Group, Casa De Oro Alliance, and community members in collaboration with San Miguel Fire and Rescue, Cal Fire, San Diego County Sheriff, San Diego Gas & Electric, and the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County.