By Miriam Raftery

August 16, 2013 (Ramona) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating ""sextortion" threats allegedly made against 19 people including Cassidy Wolf, a former Ramona contestant who won the title Miss Teen USA on Saturday. 

According to NBC Today Show’s website, Wolf said she received an anonymous e-mail several months ago from a blackmailer who claimed to have stolen images from the webcam on her home computer.  The hacker reportedly threatened to publish the images unless Wolf would provide nude photos.

By Brian Lafferty

August 15, 2013 (San Diego) – Like Forrest Gump, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) views American history from a distance, a bystander swept up in a relentless flurry of major historical events that came to dominate and define the latter 20^th century.  Like Forrest Gump, Danny Strong's screenplay - based on the Washington Post article by Wil Haywood - mystifies the civil rights movement, the Kennedy assassination, and the Vietnam War.  As major political figures appear, and landmark events transpire or are referenced, the joy of discovery and realization kicks in at full stop.  And like Forrest Gump, it's full of "easter eggs" masterfully hidden that become uncovered with repeat viewings. 

By Brian Lafferty

August 16, 2013 (San Diego) – Scattered throughout Kick-Ass 2 are the same high-caliber flashes of genius of its predecessor.  Only thing is Kick-Ass had a rich, fully developed screenplay by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn from which to hang them.  Jeff Wadlow's screenplay is otherwise a messy concoction of underdeveloped subplots and gratuitous nasty violence. 

By Allison Henderson, apluscollegeconsultants.com

August 15, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- The 2013-2014 school year hasn't started yet so why not get a jump on the college application process? CA4, the new Common Application, now accepted by over 500 colleges and universities, opened up on August 1st. Yes, it crashed within a few hours of opening up. And, yes, there is criticism about the “improved” application because they eliminated the popular "topic of your choice" and increased the permissible word count. CA4 offers five prompts rather than six, but now allows for 650 words instead of 500 on the essay. In fact, it automatically counts the essay, and won't allow essays that are too short (less than 250 words) or too long (more than 650 words). According to the Common App Facebook page, the system is still slightly buggy but the new essay prompts were released in advance of the official launch of CA4, so there are no excuses, seniors!  140,000 students have already created their applicant accounts. Dust off those keyboards and start clicking away. 

August 15, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Husqvarna this week announced a recall of its closed-course/competition off-road motorcycles due to crash hazard. The motorcycle's throttle cable can malfunction so the rider loses speed control, posing a crash hazard, according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.

August 15, 2013 (El Cajon) - The Hyde Art Gallery opens its Fall 2013 Semester with “From This Place” – a Sculpture and Installation Exhibition featuring the work of Stephanie Bedwell.

Prosecutor contends Bittner more concerned with economic gain than well-being of raptors;

Bittner data used to justify wind and other energy projects in San Diego/Imperial Counties, Mexico & elsewhere

By Nadin Abbott and Miriam Raftery

August 13, 2013 (San Diego)—U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Bartick sentenced John David Bittner of Julian, president of the Wildlife Research Institute in Ramona,  to three years probation and a $7500 fine.  Bittner pled guilty  to unlawful taking of a Golden Eagle without a permit and failing to file any data reports for a four-year period on birds that he had banded.   The government could have imposed up to a $100,000 fine and a one-year prison sentence, but instead hope to induce Bittner to turn over years of missing data as a condition of probation.

"We support the Justice Dept’s vigilance in prosecuting Bittner for his serious transgressions and unlawful behavior,” said Donna Tisdale with the Protect Our Communities organization. ““When unethical and basically corrupt experts like Bittner side with industry over avian protection—our beautiful birds literally get clobbered with the blunt end of the turbine blade.”

But she suggested that the fine amounted to a slap on the wrist in light of the more than $600,000 that Bittner’s Wildlife Research Institute raked in through consulting fees for corporations. Iberdrola and Pattern Energy hired him to write reports justifying their wind projects, Tule Wind in McCain Valley and the Ocotillo Express Wind Facility. Sempra Energy also hired Bittner as its eagle consultant for its massive Energia Sierra Juarez Wind in Baja California.

August 14, 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

• Hannah Anderson responds online to questions about her ordeal (Santee Patch)
• Immigrant Doctors In San Diego Find Path Back To Practicing Medicine (KPBS)
• El Cajon commission OKs alcohol sales restrictions (UT San Diego)
• Layoffs Begin As AOL Looks To Close Or Sell 400 Patch Sites  (Forbes)
• Filner Responds To Recall Effort (KPBS)

STATE

• Insight: California aims to 'bottle sunlight' in energy storage push (Reuters)
•  Hyperloop plans revealed: Could Elon Musk change transportation?   (CS Monitor)
• Calif. won't use health insurer ratings on site (Sacramento Bee)
• A dozen Calif. leaders will revamp imperiled parks (Sacramento Bee)

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

August 14, 2013 (San Diego's East County) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Amber Alerts: How successful have they been in saving abducted kids? (CS Monitor)
• Why Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post (Business Week)
• U.S. Fast Food workers protests growing over ‘starvation’ wages (RawStory)
• Justice Department to Investigate DEA Surveillance Operations (Reason)
• Rep. McClintock Says the US Should Grant Snowden Amnesty  (Reason)

WORLD

• Yemen says it stopped massive militant operation (CS Monitor)
•  Drone strike kills six suspected militants in Yemen (Reuters)
•  Israel says it intercepts rocket launch near Egypt's Sinai
• US providing $15m to fund for Syrian opposition (AP)
• UN: Nearly 35 million migrants are under age 20 (AP)

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

August 15, 2013 (El Cajon)—The Grossmont College Library will put on its reserve bookshelf this Fall Semester a special collection of 25 books and three films on “Muslim Journeys,” made available through a grant provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

By Miriam Raftery

August 12, 2013 (Julian) – Erin Hunt, general manager of the California Wolf Center in Julian, is concerned that the federal government is “stacking the deck” by excluding wolf experts from participating in a peer review of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to remove grey wolves from protection as federal endangered species in all lower 48 states. Delisting is proposed even in areas where wolf populations remain at risk, wildlife experts warn.

Public comments are being accepted until September 11 on the controversial proposal.  The California Wolf Center has details at www.californiawolfcenter.org and comments may be submitted to Sally Jewell, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior which oversees the USFW, here.

Sixteen scientists have signed a letter  accusing the USFW of misrepresenting their conclusions to justify the delisting of wolves from the federal endangered species list.

August 15, 2013 (Poway) — The Poway Chamber of Commerce will host a fall event, A Taste of Country. The event will take place on September 21, 2013 from 6PM-10PM at the PVRA Grounds (Poway Rodeo Grounds), 14336 Tierra Bonita Road, Poway, CA. The event is open to the public and is an all age event.

The event will feature live music by Kanan Road Band, www.kananroadband.com. KSON will also be in attendance to provide music. There will be wine and beer tastings, raffle prizes, and food trucks.

August 12, 2013 (Lakeside) – Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church is holding a series of free concerts through the end of the year at 9908 Channel Road in Lakeside.  The concerts are as follows:

August 10, 2013 (Lakeside) -- A nationwide search for missing Lakeside teenager Hannah Anderson, 16, and her suspected abductor, James Lee DiMaggio, is over. Late this afternoon, Hannah was rescued and FBI agents shot and killed DiMaggio at Morehead Lake, Idaho after an arrest attempt, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore announced.

“We want to thank the public for looking out for Hannah and Ethan Anderson during the Amber Alert and calling in your tips to law enforcement,” Sheriff Gore said.

By Jeffrey Meyer

August 9, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – There is an unprecedented human drama unfolding in Africa that should stop every one of us in our tracks.  It is a vision into humanity's future, where we are heading and how we will exist throughout the remainder of this century.  This is about choices, by all of us and where those decisions will lead us.