East County News Service

Photo credit: NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)

September 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County) --Thunderstorms erupted Monday over the San Diego County mountains and drifted into the deserts, where strong slow-moving cells produced 1-2" of rain in an hour. Flash flooding was reported in the San Diego County deserts on Hwy 78 and Highway S2.

Thunderstorms are likely to form again Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in the mountains and deserts, the National Weather Service predicts. Heavy rains with any slow moving thunderstorms may produce flash flooding over the mountain areas and the lower deserts, as well as debris flows.

September 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County)--As remnants of Hurricane Linda hit our high desert and mountain regions, a Sig Alert has been issued for State Route 78.  The highway is closed down from S-2 to Borrego Springs due to mudslides. Flash flooding is also reported on State Route 78 at Yaqui Pass.

There is also heavy rain reported in the southeast portion of the county. Reader Milt Cyphert e-mailed this message: "In Jacumba we had a brief downpour. But, the major storm was Northwest of us. Machine-gun-like lightning strikes and the subsequent thunder claps and booms rattled windows and lungs here. I can only imagine what it must have been like up there where it was happening."

Sign up to receive free East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts via e-mail at the top right side of our homepage and also receive our free weekly newsletter.  We thank the Grossmont Healthcare District for their generous sponsorship of our alerts, helping to keep you safe and informed.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Miriam Raftery and Kristin Kjaero

September 7, 2015 (Ramona) -- Members of the Hacienda de las Rosas Winery's wine club kicked up their heels on Labor Day at the winery's 8th annual grape stomp.  The occasion also marked the grand reopening of the winery, which was closed over the summer following the death last winter of winemaker William Holzhaur.

Today, however, was a day of festivities as guests stomped grapes, sipped wine, savored tacos and enjoyed horse-drawn carriage rides.  The event also included a silent auction and donations to benefit the Ramona Humane Society.

September 7, 2015 (Spring Valley) – The San Miguel Fire Protection District is offering a free disaster preparedness training course for its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Classes will be held on four Saturdays Oct. 17-Nov. 7 at the San Miguel Fire District Headquarters, 2850 Via Orange Way in Spring Valley from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

East County News Service

“Eagles need forests, not electricity.” – Duncan McFetridge, Cleveland National Forest Foundation co-chair and woodcarver who created this eagle statue.

September 6, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --The Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF) has issued a written objection to a draft Record of Decision (ROD) issued by Cleveland National Forest Supervisor Will Metz. That decision permits SDG&E to replace electrical lines and poles as well as upgrade of electrical service on lands within and adjacent to Cleveland National Forest.

East County News Service         

September 6, 2015 (Jacumba Hot Springs)--In an August 21 article, we quoted a former Jacumba Planning Group chair who indicated that the Local Government Formation Commission (LAFCO) has a rule prohibiting water sales outside of Jacumba’s water district.

Update: A preview video of Hairspray is now available. Click image below to view.

A second video preview can also be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84cAj6m5nMU&feature=youtu.be.

September 6, 2015 (San Diego)--Visionary Community Theatre and Visionary Youth Theatre of east San Diego present Hairspray at the Performing Arts Center at Point Loma High School (2335 Chatsworth Blvd, San Diego, 92106) on September 10-12 & 17-19 at 7 p.m. Enjoy as the diverse and talented Visionary cast and crew welcome you to the 60’s!

It’s 1962 - the ‘50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion - to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show” and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program’s reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her ‘do?

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2015 (Jamul) – Following the September 1^st death of a construction worker employed by C.W. Driver at the site of the Hollywood Casino Jamul, the Jamul Indian Village Tribal Council has issued a statement in its newsletter voicing “great sadness” at the tragedy and a message voicing support for workers this Labor Day weekend.

Source: County Water Authority

Photo: Creative Commons image by Pro Green Grass

September 6, 2015 (San Diego)--Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation sponsored by the San Diego County Water Authority that prohibits common interest developments (typically governed by homeowners associations, or HOAs) from banning artificial turf. Assembly Bill 349, carried by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, takes effect immediately and will enhance outdoor water conservation opportunities statewide.

“Californians are making great strides to reduce their water use and hit aggressive benchmarks for conservation, and this new common sense law will give homeowners one more way to save as this drought continues,” Gonzalez said. “The grass may be fake, but the amount of water a homeowner can save by installing it is very real.”

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2015 (Santee)—A shot was fired but no one was seriously injured during a struggle to subdue a suspect, Jennifer Rebecca McKee, in Santee yesterday. Witnesses including two law enforcement officers say McKee tried to run over her boyfriend with a vehicle, then attacked him with a baseball bat and assaulted a law enforcement officer.

Video: Press conference in Los Angeles announcing OpenJustice initaitive

East County News Service

September 6, 2015 (Los Angeles) --Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has announced the launch of OpenJustice, a first-of-its-kind criminal justice open data initiative that will release unprecedented data.  The new interactive database includes disclosure in three key areas: 1)law enforcement officers killed or assaulted in the line of duty, 2) deaths in custody and arrest-related deaths, and 3) arrests and bookings.

The tool consists of two components: a Dashboard that spotlights key criminal justice indicators with user-friendly visualization tools and an Open Data Portal that publishes raw data from the California Department of Justice’s statewide repository of criminal justice datasets.

From Dancing in the Park to Oktoberfest and Hauntfest, there’s a lot of hot happenings in El Cajon in September and October.

By Monica Zech, Public Information Officer for the City of El Cajon

EVENTS

September 7 – Labor Day - All City offices will be closed in observance.  

Nominations Now Being Accepted To Honor Women In Leadership

September 5, 2015 (El Cajon) - The East County Chamber of Commerce Annual Women in Leadership Luncheon will observe its 13^th anniversary at Mission Valley’s Town and Country Resort Hotel on Friday, October 16, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The luncheon honors San Diego County women, recognized by their peers as exemplary leaders. Women will be honored in seven fields: Arts/Media/Culture; Business; Education/Academia; Hospitality; Government/Defense; Healthcare, and the Non-profit Sector. Nominees must be San Diego County residents and have demonstrated exemplary character, integrity and outstanding leadership, not only in their field, but in their community. This year, the keynote speaker is Mo Anderson, Co-Owner/Vice Chairman, Keller Williams Realty and author of A Joy-Filled Life – Lessons from a Tenant Farmer’s Daughter…WHO BECAME A CEO.  The cost is $70 per person.  The Town & Country Hotel is located at 500 Hotel Circle North.

September 4, 2015 (Alpine)--Bobbi Brink, Founder/Director of San Diego's Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) sanctuary announced that a 2.5 month old tiger cub found roaming the Southern California neighborhood of Hemet is being transferred to the accredited sanctuary in East San Diego County on Friday afternoon.

By Greg Dunne

September 4, 2015 (San Diego East County)--Labor Day signals the end of summer. It’s time to barbeque – a time for ribs, corn on the cob, watermelon, and to enjoy family and friends. If you want to stump friends at the barbeque, ask when, where and who, was the founder of the Hass avocado. Rudolph Hass first developed the Hass avocado in 1926, more later in the article. Sweet white corn and watermelons are already locked in our minds and on the agenda for Labor Day weekend. So let’s have fun with green salad, avocados and some homemade potato salad.

By Ed Barrena

September 4, 2015 (San Diego)--It is many people’s worst fear, sighting a fin cutting along the surface of the water off a crowded beach on a hot summer day.  That is precisely what happened in La Jolla last week after a hammerhead shark pursued a group of kayakers to shore, near the Scripps Institute, 10 news reports.