County News Service

June 6, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Diego County farmers, ranchers and businesses may seek some relief from the drought through two loan programs.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

June 6, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- The Descanso Ranger District in Alpine, and the Palomar Ranger District in Ramona, have recently gained over 30 years’ experience between them with the addition of 2 new district rangers. Christopher Dowling for the Palomar, and Bob Heiar for the Descanso, both come from an extensive Forestry background and have already begun making substantial head weight on improving recreational opportunities, enhancing community protection, and enforcing ecological restoration. Forest Supervisor William Metz believes the expertise and timing couldn’t be better, "This comes at a crucial time as we head into fire season and begin preparations on the ground. Our focus is to meet the mission of public safety by increasing resources and expanding expertise, demonstrating our continued commitment to the people of San Diego County.

East County News Service

Photo: 10 News Twitter feed

June 6, 2016 (San Diego) – At a concert and rally in Qualcomm’s parking lot Sunday, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders told a crowd of around 4,500 supporters that Donald Trump will  not win in November, “because in the year 2016, the American people will not accept a bigoted president.” 

First, though, Californians will head to the polls for Tuesday’s primary election—and California polls show Senator Sanders running neck and neck with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  

Sanders told San Diego supporters, “Real change has never taken place from the top down, only from the bottom up.” He urged people to reject income inequality and billionaires seeking to “buy elections.”

East County News Service

June 5, 2016 (Lakeside) - The Lakeside Library will host "Country Living:  Let's Talk Turkey" on Saturday, June 18th at the Lakeside Library on 9839 Vine Street in Lakeside.

East County News Service

June 4,2016 (San Diego) – At bat in our lineup of radio interviewees recently was Kirk Kenney, author of 100 Things Padres Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die.

Kenney, a sportswriter with the San Diego Union-Tribune, shared some colorful insights and fascinating facts with our Bookshelf editor Reina Menasche on the East County Magazine Show,  aired originally on KNSJ  89.1 FM Radio.  

You can listen online now to our interview by clicking the audio link below (sound files may take a few moments to load).

By Liz Alper

Photo:  Girl Scout Troop 6116 from Imperial Beach presents the colors on Bitmoji Night.  Courtesy @Padres on Twitter

 

June 4, 2016 (San Diego) - The Padres got a much-needed simple win last night.  They looked to do it again tonight against the Rockies.  Andrew Cashner was on the mound for San Diego against Chad Bettis for Colorado.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: U.S. Department of Labor

June 4, 2016 (San Diego)— By a slim two-vote margin, a measure that would have given farm workers the same overtime pay as workers in other industries failed to win passage in the state Assembly  after emotional testimony on both sides.

In non-agricultural businesses, workers are entitled to overtime pay if they work more than eight hours a day or over 40 hours a week.  Although federal law does not mandate any overtime pay for farm laborers, California does require overtime pay for those working more than 10 hours a day or over 60 hours a week.  Assembly Bill 2757 would have required that farm workers who labor more than 8 hours a day would receive time and a half, while those working over 12 hours a day would receive double pay by 2020.

East County News Service

Photo: Temecula Fire along I-15, via Twitter by Sofie Casillas

June 4, 2016 -- We have reports and updates on several fires burning across southern California including I-15 between Rainbow and Temecula, the Pala fire in San Diego's north county, and a hay truck on fire near the county line in Inkopah on I-8.

An open letter to the California State Parks and Recreation Department

"The parks do not belong to the government. They belong to the people." 

By Paul Pitt

Editor’s note:  The state is proposing to ban hiking, climbing or other public access off designated trails in all California state parks, including Rancho Cuyamaca, Anza Borrego Desert , Palomar, Mountain, and Torrey Pines State Beach locally among others. Deadline for comment is June 6^th.  Learn how to make your voice heard by  clicking here. 

 Dear Sirs: Like millions of others I have been visiting California Parks and  natural treasures  MOST of my 75 year old life..  I have visited (with great pleasure) all of the National Parks and most of the state parks.  I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexican Border to Warner Springs, from Humber Park to Taqhitz to the Tram and all of Golden Trout wilderness . Yosemite of course and Sequoia, Truckee to Hallelujah Junction, Ft. Bragg to Yreka, Channel Islands.  All of this takes some time--and now the government is going to forbid PEOPLE from using THEIR PARKS?  That is absolute tyranny.  How dare you?

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Ben Kalasho presents scholarship check to Zhala Tawfiq, Miss Middle East USA 2016

June 3, 2016 (San Diego) — “Our goal is to empower and embolden Middle Eastern women and redefine the world,” said Ben Kalasho, president of the Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce, organizer of the  Miss Middle East USA Pageant. “This was such a unifying event in San Diego; the nation must see that there are strong, independent women from the Middle East who aspire to lead by example and promote equality and women’s rights.”

East County News Service

June 3, 2016  (Sacramento) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed reviewing petitions to list nine species in California and Nevada under the Endangered Species Act and a petition to delist one species.  The Service determined the petitions to list the California spotted owl, Inyo Mountains salamander, Kern Plateau salamander, lesser slender salamander, limestone salamander, Panamint alligator lizard, Shasta salamander, southern rubber boa, and tricolored blackbird contained substantial information and warrant more in-depth review of these species’ conservation status.  The petition to delist the Stephens’ kangaroo rat, an endangered species, did not provide substantial information to indicate delisting is warranted.

East County News Service

June 3, 2016 (Santee) - Padre Dam Municipal Water District released its draft 2015 Urban Water Management Plan on May 31, 2016. Padre Dam’s Board of Directors will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. to receive public comments on an update to its Urban Water Management Plan, prior to its adoption.   

Update June 3, 2016:  Trump has fired back, stating, "“My temperament is so much tougher, and so much better, than her temperament. And, by the way, we need a tough temperament,” The Hill reports. He further blasted Clinton over the federal investigation into her emails, claiming "Hillary Clinton has to go to jail."

By Donald H. Harrison; photo by Chris Stone

Originally published in Times of San Diego, a San Diego Online News Association member

June 2, 2016 (San Diego)--Democratic presidential hopeful and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took aim in San Diego at Donald Trump’s views on foreign policy, saying they are “dangerously incoherent” and “not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies.”

“He is not just unprepared, he is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility,” she said in a major foreign policy speech.

Peppering her speech with one-liners casting doubt upon Trump’s readiness for office, Clinton spoke in the Prado Auditorium of Balboa Park’s House of Hospitality before 300 invited attendees and nearly as many members of the media, whose working areas described a giant “L” on two sides of the room.  Her speech was interrupted by some 40 instances of applause, cheers, and occasional “boos”– the latter deriding Trump’s positions.

East County News Service

June 3, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- The California Department of Parks and Recreation proposes prohibiting public access off designated trails.  The public has until June 6 to comment. California State Parks System Map  In San Diego County, that would include Rancho Cuyamaca and Anza Borrego Desert state parks.

The Anza Borrego Desert Foundation raises serious concerns about negative impacts to the public in their message below, which includes links to send your comments:

East County Alert

June 1, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for inland areas of San Diego and Riverside County due to a strong pressure ridge over the southwest.  Temperatures as high as 108 degrees are forecast in some desert areas, with Borrego Springs expected to reach 103 degrees this weekend and mountain areas forecast to see temperatures close to 80.