East County News Service

November 9, 2017 (Ramona) - The Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona invites you to Pomegranate Days on November 24^th through 26^th. 

You can cuddle with camels, feed them apples and pomegranates, watch an exotic bird show and a turkey stampede, shop for camel’s milk soaps and lotions, and see the Russell Brothers family circus performing magical feats beneath a big top tent.

For details on this one-of-a-kind event, you can visit www.CamelDairy.com.

East County News Service

November 8, 2017 (La Mesa) - On Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11, Grossmont Center is pulling out all the stops to honor our veterans.  The event kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday evening in the Courtyard with a concert by the Navy's SW 32nd Street Brass Band.  These outstanding musicians will be performing traditional New Orleans jazz, Navy favorites and pop tunes.

East County News Service

November 8, 2017 (Lakeside) - Lakeside’s Chamber of Commerce invites you to celebrate the Spirit of Christmas on Maine Street in downtown Lakeside on December 2^nd from 4 to 9 p.m. This event features Santa Claus, craft booths, vendors, jumps and rides for kids, performances by local school students, and the lighting of a community Christmas tree for plenty of old-fashioned family fun this holiday season.

Admission is free.  Find details at www.LakesideChamber.org and at www.LakesideRodeo.com.

East County News Service

November 8, 2017 (Santa Ysabel) - Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures in Santa Ysabel, (4424 State Route 78) just outside of Julian, will be offering a holiday hayride activity package on November 25^th from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Activities include a holiday hayride with caroling, candle dipping, rustic ornament making, cider pressing, a country hoedown, petting zoo, tomahawk throwing, rope making, a ghost town, slingshot range, hoops and stick relay races, plan racing, nature walks and a tire swing.

For more information, visit http://www.FortCross.com. 

East County News Service

November 8, 2017 (El Cajon) - The 71^st Annual Mother Goose Parade will be on November 19^th, the Sunday before Thanksgiving.   This year’s parade theme is “Family Traditions!”  The parade begins at 1 p.m.  You can see over 100 colorful and exciting parade entries, including floats, marching bands, clowns, equestrians, local dignitaries, TV celebrities, and Santa Claus!  The parade Grand Marshal is Randy Jones, former San Diego Padre and CY Young award winner.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

Photo:  About 3,000 Nicaraguan legal immigrants will become undocumented by January 2019 unless Congress acts to give them permanent legal status. Photo via Pixabay.

November 8, 2017 (Sacramento) - Latino groups are speaking out against the decision by the Trump administration on Monday to end legal status for some people from Central America who were given temporary protected status over the past two decades.

By Miriam Raftery

November 8, 2017 (San Diego) — Across the nation, Democrats scored decisive victories in elections held Tuesday.  As CNN put it, “Across the map, in mayoral contests, state legislative races and ballot measures, everything broke Democrats' way.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

November 7, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – A man suspected of savagely stabbing a female delivery driver, 35, this morning at a convenience store in La Mesa has been taken into custody.  Sheriff’s deputies are investigating whether he may be linked to another woman found stabbed this morning in El Cajon.

The chilling sequence of events began shortly after 3 a.m. when a Frito Lay delivery truck driver was stabbed repeatedly outside of the 7-Eleven store on Avocado Boulevard in unincorporated La Mesa.  She staggered into the store, where she collapsed after telling a clerk she’d been attacked, 10 News reports.

November 7, 2017 (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:

LOCAL

• San Diego home price increases outpace nation, most U.S. cities (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Texas Shooter Served One Year in the MCAS Miramar Brig (KPBS)
• Meb Keflezhigi finishes 11^th at New York marathon, ends career where it started (Times of San Diego)
• La Mesa moves along with new ideas for MacArthur Park (SD Union-Tribune)
• Sons of Charity under scrutiny after entire board resigns, alleging misuse of funds(East County Californian)
• Marine Corps Waits for Nuke Waste Removal from San Onofre (KPBS)
• Fact Check: More than $100M for Mental Health Is Sitting in the Bank (Voice of SD)
• Suggestions for resolving the San Onofre case depend on who's talking (SD Union-Tribune)
• SDG&E's new computer system would cost almost $1B over its lifespan (SD Union-Tribune)

STATE

• As wildfires raged, insurers sent in private firefighters to save homes of wealthy (Wall St. Journal)
• East Coast Republicans push back against Trump’s tax plan: why didn’t California’s GOP? (Los Angeles Times)
• Marijuana is about to get expensive in California (Patch)
• A Russian Twitter bot promoted California secession, or Calexit (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• PG&E Reports Describe Falling Trees, Downed Power Lines on Night Deadly Fires Started (KPBS)
• State water board scraps restrictions on toxic metal (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

November 7, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Scientists Solve 50-Year-Old Mystery About Breakbone Fever (NPR)
• Gut bacteria 'boost' cancer therapy (BBC)
• Surrogate mother of 'twins' finds one is hers (BBC)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Broadcom Offers Qualcomm $130 Billion in Takeover Bid (KPBS)
• Russian Interference Campaign Was Broader Than First Known, Big Tech Tells Hill (NPR)
• Russian hacker groups targeted email accounts around the world (CS Monitor)
• Russian ads, now publicly released, show sophistication of influence campaign (Washington Post)

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

By Hannah Boss

November 4, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - The holiday known for the turkey, the stuffing and the pies (are you hungry yet?) is unfortunately also known for meals that are chock full of fat, sugar and sodium - all things that are bad for your heart.

By Miriam Raftery

November 6, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - A new Climate Science Special Report, part of the fourth national climate assessment, concludes that it is “extremely likely” that human activities are the “dominant cause” of global warming, NPR reports.

By J.A. Ellis, Lemon Grove

November 6, 2017 (Lemon Grove) -- I have lived in Lemon Grove since 2005. I appreciate the small town feel of the folks who live here.

We have seen a controversy recently, as medical marijuana retailers have attempted to locate their businesses in Lemon Grove wherever they desire – whether that be near a daycare facility or a school or the like.

Kalasho claims he’s being framed by beauty queens and taco shop owner suing him;

Kalasho’s wife admitted visiting friend In Cerritos, when the allegedly fake nude beauty queen photos were posted online from her friend’s home

By Miriam Raftery

November 6, 2017 (El Cajon) – Today, plaintiffs suing El Cajon Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho filed an anti-SLAPP motion asking that Kalasho’s countersuit against two beauty pageant contestants and a taco shop be dismissed as retaliatory and violating their First Amendment rights to speak to the press about their case.   

California’s anti-SLAPP statute prohibits public officials from filing what are known as SLAPP suits to retaliate against members of the public for exercising their free speech and right to petition the government for redress of grievances.  Kalasho’s countersuit took issue with plaintiffs talking to the media, specifically the Reader, about their case.

Source: Attorney General

November 6, 2017 (Sacramento) -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced a multistate settlement with VietNow National Headquarters, Inc., a charity that falsely claimed to help veterans. As part of the settlement, the organization will be dissolved and its funds will be distributed to two national and well-respected veterans charities, Fisher House Foundation and Operation Homefront.