By Sierra Robinson and Miriam Raftery

May 16, 2013 (San Diego) – “This is the worse crime that’s ever been committed against the East County wilderness. Period,” Craig Maxwell, former La Mesa mayoral candidate and outdoor enthusiast told ECM after San Diego Supervisors voted 4-1 yestesday to approve a wind ordinance that industrial-scale wind turbine projects in rural and scenic backcountry regions.

Only Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who represents East County, made an impassioned plea to protect the health and safety of rural residents, who have repeatedly voiced concerns over risks from infrasound, stray voltage, noise , fire danger, turbine collapse and blades thrown off.

Emphasizing those points, less than 24 hours after the vote, a turbine in nearby Ocotillo threw off an 11-ton blade. (photo)

April 29, 2013 (Julian)--Following last year’s success, Julian’s 2nd Annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival, benefiting Volcan Mountain Foundation, returns May 17 – 19, 2013. This year's festival features an expanded program of 44 new films, almost 12 hours of unrepeated screening time broken into 9 sessions from Friday evening to Sunday evening.

The weekend is packed full of entertainment to delight audiences of all ages, as well as other activities ranging from wine-tasting to a hike up  Volcan Mountain to a party with dancing and live music for festival attendees.

May 16, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights brings you cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future.

• New Closed-Captioning Glasses Help Deaf Go Out To The Movies (NPR)
• A powerful use for spoiled food (Los Angeles Times)
• Why wind farms kill eagles with federal impunity (Christian Science Monitor)
• Is It Safe To Use Compost Made From Treated Human Waste? (NPR)
• Fears grow over deadly new virus (BBC news)
• Agent Orange Linked To Lethal Prostate Cancer In Veterans (KPBS)
• Ice wave comes ashore in Minnesota (Christian Science Monitor)

Click "read more" and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

May 16, 2013 (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/REGIONAL

• SDSU ranked 7^th most dangerous college (Daily Aztec)
• No Vegas, baby: Council denies Mayor Madrid’s trip to annual conference (La Mesa Patch)
• Grossmont High arts program honored (U-T San Diego)
• Nuclear board rules San Onofre restart requires public input (Reuters)
• La Mesa Meadows project plows ahead despite outcry over bird deaths  (La Mesa  Patch)
• La Mesa Prostitution Investigation (La Mesa Today)

STATE

• Quest for clean water enters unknown, expensive territory  (U-T San Diego )
• Israel divestment vote at UC Berkeley the latest sign of hostile campus environment
• Calif. fails to screen substance abuse counselors (Sacramento Bee)

“Your source for Trusts, Wills, Probate, Family Law & more”

By: Stephen C. Ross, Esq.

May 16, 2013 (San Diego County) – Advance planning concerning your medical care decisions is important for both you and your family. It ensures your desires will be met while providing guidance to loved ones making difficult decisions regarding your care. People have varying opinions concerning what procedures to allow, medications to take, whether-or-not to prolong life and organ donation. Having an understanding of the terminology and decisions you may have to make will help ensure your wishes are met by those responsible for making your medical care decisions in the future.

May 15, 2013 (Bonita) – A man has been arrested for sexual assaulting a teenager in the 3200 block of Bonita Road at 10:48 on May 13. The victim reportedly fought off the attacker and flagged down a motorist who gave her a ride.  They called law enforcement while maintaining visual observation of the subject, who was on foot.

The victim reported that she believed the suspect grabbed her with the intent of pulling her into the bushes to be sexually assaulted. The suspect, a 20-year-old African American man, was captured after briefly attempting to elude deputies in heavy vegetation, according to Sgt. D.M. Ting.

May 15, 2013 (El Cajon) – Concerned Citizens of El Cajon will be meeting on May 29 at 6:30 p.m. at IHOP, 1286 Oakdale Avenue, El Cajon.  The meeting will be to address concerns and solve problems.  Everyone is welcome and can bring their concerns.  Concerns can also be posted at http://www.elcajonneighbors.org/blogs.html.

President of the San Diego CSDA Chapter, Kathleen Coates Hedberg presents a check to Science Teacher Rosie Beck and the SeaPerch team, Katarina Gustin, Jake Connors, and Benjamin Evans.

May 15, 2013 (La Mesa) -  In an effort to provide educational outreach and awareness of Special Districts and their role in local government, the California Special Districts Association, San Diego Chapter and sponsor Helix Water District, provided St. Martin of Tours Academy (www.stmartinacademy.org) $515 for the 2012/2013 school year to pursue implementation of a SeaPerch Remote Operated Vehicle school program (www.SeaPerch.org).  St. Martin Academy entered their SeaPerch project at a local San Diego SeaPerch competition held on April 27, 2013, at Grossmont Community College and won first place.  The competition consisted of three-student teams who built the underwater vehicle, provided a presentation, competed in an obstacle course, and a deep water recovery mission.

“Pattern Energy is going to pollute what it couldn't destroy… Monsanto’s Roundup is an herbicde cousin  to Agent Orange--the defoliant sprayed in Viet Nam that harmed a generation of veterans and their children… This herbicide—a neurotoxin--is going to get carried downwind. Did Pattern fail to notice that there is still a community with children here in spite of its industrialization of the area with 112 turbines and a substation?”

By Linda Ewing, Ocotillo resident

Photo: Sahara mustard, a “weed” the BLM wants to eradicate with toxic herbicides

May 14, 2013 (Ocotillo) -- Herbicide Mitigation? What is that? I heard these two disturbing words and felt panic.

I knew instinctively that it was going to have something to do with this Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility because nothing good has come from this controversial project since the day Pattern Energy uttered its first words of deception to the town of Ocotillo. Since the day the company first tried to convince us that its massive 438 foot-tall industrial-sized wind turbines were good for the economy.  And yes, the very same day we realized that human lives were disposable and irrelevant in the statistical world of giant wind turbine developers.

Mother misled investigators about location of drownings, authorities say

May 13, 2013 (Mt. Helix) --A one-year-old girl is dead and her two-year-old brother have died after their mother awoke this morning and found both children unconscious  in a swimming pool. The family had been staying at the residence on Mt. Helix at 10011 Sunset Avenue in unincorporated La Mesa.

The mother pulled the children from the pool with help from her friend and drove to La Mesa Fire Station #13 for assistance. “After arrival at the fire station, the friend ran away and has not been located,” Lt Gle,n Giannantonio with the San Diego Sheriff’s Homicide Detail reported.

Match-up set the stage for infamous Billie Jean King-Bobby Riggs "Battle of the sexes"

By Richard Muscio

I just returned from the Ramona suburb of San Vicente on Mother’s Day 2013, where I spent the weekend to see what festivities or activities might be going on to commemorate the 40th anniversary of one of the most historic tennis matches in our country’s history. Sadly, I found nothing there, beyond the beautiful scenery.

On Mother’s Day 1973 (May 13, 1973 to be exact), the first “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match took place there, as a sales gimmick put on by the legendary real estate developer Ray Watt.  Aimed at drawing the Hollywood crowd 120 miles south to the still-remote San Diego Country Estates, developer Watt hoped to bring attention to the 3,000 vacant lots he had for sale there, in hopes that actors and actresses and other luminaries would buy his vacant lots and construct glorious vacation homes thereupon.

May 13, 2013  (Geneva) – A new report released today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reveals that 32.4 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2012 by disasters such as floods, storms and earthquakes.  While Asia and west and central Africa bore the brunt, 1.3 million were displaced in rich countries, with the USA particularly affected.

Nearly all (98%) of displacement in 2012 was linked to climate- and weather-related events.

By Iolanda Scripca

She just hoped she wouldn't die alone but made sure to leave her door unlocked so someone, anyone would find her...

May 12, 2013 (San Diego)—I wonder if there is a definition for the words "forgotten mother?" If not I was thinking to add to all the dictionaries of the world – your definition...and mine.

Sometimes I wonder if I am one of those mothers or heading in that direction.

View video  of fire  and airdrop  by Adam Cameron.

Photos by Leslie O'Brien and Nancy Hauer

Update: Forward spread is halted; firefighters are expected to remain on scene through this evening.

May 12, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- A brush fire that began near the river bed at 13425 Old Highway 80 near Las Coches Road could reach 20 acres or more and is now burning mobile homes.   A female burn patient from a homeless camp that burned has been transported to a hospital.

Two strike teams and a helicopter have been ordered.  CHP is shutting down traffic on Las Coches.

By Nadin Abbott

May 12, 2013 (Lakeside) Updated May 13, 2013—A fire that led to voluntary evacuations on Mapleview in Lakeside yesterday serves as an early warning of the difficult fire season forecast due to unusually dry conditions this year.  According to Lakeside Fire Chief Andy Parr, the fire started at 3:40 p.m. and crews quickly mobilized. The fire started at the top of the hill and raced downhill towards the San Diego River.

“It is very dry, it was bigger and moved faster than they usually do at this time of the year,” Chief Parr told ECM. This is expected to be a very busy fire season and Chief Parr emphasized, “it is critical that residents have defensible space.”

At the top of the hill, one property stood out. (Photo, top left).   The owner had cleared 100 feet of defensible space as recommended around the property, Chief Parr pointed out.