By Jonathan Goetz

Photo, left: Eric Lund, CEO, San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the East County Regional Task Force on the Homeless

August 27, 2017 (El Cajon) - The El Cajon City Council approved four budget items earlier this month regarding homelessness, as well as approving a partnership agreement with the El Cajon Collaborative. Council unanimously approved $2,000 for anti-panhandling signs, $3,550 for a mobile app to help the homeless find service providers, $10,000 for a homeless reunification program to reunite 20 homeless people in El Cajon, and $125 for a brick at the El Cajon collaborative.

East County News Service

August 27, 2017 (San Diego) - Postcards from the Registrar of Voters will soon show up in some mailboxes around the County. Mailers started going out Thursday to over 100,000 residents to find out whether their addresses are current.

By Miriam Raftery

August 27, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- President Donald Trump’s pardon of former Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is drawing a firestorm of controversy.  Arpaio had been convicted of abusing his authority through racial profiling and was also found guilty of contempt of court for defying two judges’ orders to stop the illegal and unconstitutional actions. 

Trump plan would weaken nuclear regulations

By Andrea Sears, Public News Service

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay

August 27, 2017 (New York) - The U.S. Department of Energy has released its study of the electric grid's reliability, but some environmental groups maintain it isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

The study concludes that cheap natural gas is the main reason for the decline of coal and nuclear power.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control

August 26, 2017 (San Diego) – Live worms have been found in packages of salmon sold at multiple Costco stores in San Diego County, 10 News reports.  The report does not name the type of worm, however, CNN reports that Japanese tapeworms are now being found in wild Alaskan salmon and could be in salmon caught anywhere along the Pacific Coast.

Other types of fish can also carry tapeworms or different parasites, so health experts advise to eat only frozen or thoroughly cooked fish in order to destroy worms and larvae.   Tapeworms cause infection and sometimes serious problems if consumed by humans in raw fish such as Sushi, smoked or marinated fish such as in Ceviche, the College of Medical Physicians Canada warns.

East County News Service

August 26, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service is warning of a “dangerous heat wave”  forecast to hit San Diego County starting Sunday mid-morning through at least Wednesday.   Excessive heat warnings and advisories have been issued for the region, with Monday and Tuesday expected to be the hottest days. Even the coast won’t be spared from this heat wave.

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

Photo:  Ranchita Sheriff substation

Update August 27, 8 a.m.  The fire is now 80 percent contained and Montezuma Valley Road is reopening.  Full containing is expected later today, Cal Fire reports.

Update 9:30 p.m.  The Montezuma fire is now 60 percent contained.

August 26, 2017 (Borrego Springs) -- The Montezuma Fire has charred 62 acres and is now 20 percent contained, with forward spread stopped, Cal Fire reports.

The blaze began this afternoon when a Jeep Fire ignirted dry brush along Montezuma Valley Road near Borrego Springs. 

East County News Service

August 24, 2017 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have long been filling the minds of students with knowledge. Now they are looking to help fill their stomachs as well, and are seeking the public’s help.

Source: County of San Diego

August 25, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego County Library (SDCL) has partnered with the San Diego Museum of Art, the New Children’s Museum, and the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum to provide free museum passes to library customers. These innovative partnerships allow SDCL customers to check out passes just as they would books.

Premier Event:  August 25 at Fabrison's Country French Restaurant

13881 Campo Rd., Jamul

We still have a few spaces--and the restaurant has graciously allowed to take a few people at the door with checks to East County Magazine but please RSVP to be sure there is still room.   Reserve now for summer's hottest party! 619-698-7617 or 619- 303 8593 after 3 p.m.

August 3, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Magazine proudly announces launch of our East County Dining Club! 

We've pulled out all the stops for our launch party at the fabulous Fabrison's Country French Restaurant on August 25 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. We have thousands of dollars in prizes, a delicious all you can eat gourmet French feast, winetasting from the Toast of the Coast winning Deerhorn Valley Winery, music by "Diva" star Lenelle Wylie and more!

Try fabulous foods, win amazing prizes, bring your friends and meet new ones, plus help sustain nonprofit news in the public interest and wildfire/emergency alerts for East County.

Sign up for invitations to future East County Dining Club adventures to savor cuisines from around the world (and the best American foods, too!)-- all in East County.  Email editor@eastcountymagazine.org with "Dining Club" in the subject line.

Reservations and payment are required by Aug. 20 for this very special dining club launch party. See the delicious details below!

East County Magazine

August 24, 2017 (Campo-Lake Morena) -- The Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group meeting on August 28  will include discussion of a formal planning group response to  the County's proposed climate action plan. Other key items include review of applicants for a vacancy, an update on transfer of lands for Camp Lockett, and more.  Click here to view the full agenda as a full-sized pdf document.

You can also scroll down to view the full agenda in a slightly smaller format.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News.

August 24, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – Law enforcement agencies from multiple agencies  shot and killed a man in Lemon Grove who had opened fire on them following a pursuit early this morning, Times of San Diego.

  The chase reportedly began after a La Mesa Police officer  approaching a suspicious car stopped at a green light near Fletcher Parkway and Baltimore Drive heard screams; the car then sped away, according to Times of San Diego.

East County News Service

August 24, 2017 (Santee) – A Sheriff’s sergeant from the Santee substation sustained minor injuries when his patrol vehicle was struck by a trolley Wednesday evening at 6:25 p.m.

The sergeant, traveling westbound on Buena Vista Avenue at Cuyamaca Street, entered the intersection and was broadsided by the southbound trolley. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

August 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's 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.

• Five key pieces of Trump’s Afghanistan plan (CNN)
• The reactions to Trump’s Afghanistan strategy (CBS)
• 10 sailors missing after U.S. warship collides with tanker (Time)
• Media lets loose its fury after Trump attack (The Hill)
• Sheriff: Judge returns fire after being shot outside courthouse (CBS)
• Bannon’s war: How Trump’s alt-right hero and former White House strategist plotted his revenge  (Newsweek)
• Virginia police say they didn’t find caches of weapons in Charlottesville (Reason)
• Apple's Tim Cook "disagrees" with DT's take on neo-Nazi violence...pledges 1M to both SPLC & the Anti-Defamation League  (Recode)
• Trump disbands business council after CEOs quit (Reuters)
• So far 16 charities have pulled out of doing their events at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s defense of white supremacists (RawStory)
• Joint chiefs denounce racism in stark terms as Trump’s isolation grows (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Federal Government Denies a Native American Tribe Millions (NPR)

WORLD

• Spain hunts for driver in van rampage, says Islamist cell dismantled (Reuters)
• Barcelona van attackers plotted major bombings, Spanish court hears (Reuters)
• Muslim divorce law unconstitutional, rules India’s high court (Reuters)
• Following damage caused by economic rise, China tackles ambitious conservation experiment  (CS Monitor)
• Panama says to demand visas from Venezuelans, slams Maduro (Reuters)
• Report: Iran and Russia violated UN weapons sanctions (JPost)
• UNICEF: Boko Haram's use of child suicide bombers is already four times more than 2016 total (CS Monitor)
• Inside the Ring: China's $360 million gift to Harvard (Washington Times)

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

August 23, 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

• 8 hate groups are in San Diego’s backyard, civil rights groups say (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Chicago bosses clean out top editors at LA Times (San Diego Reader)
• Interpreters who help troops find safety and new life in East County (East County Californian)
• Border report:  The border agent boom hasn’t materialized (Voice of San Diego)
• Fundraiser launched for El Cajon Police dog diagnosed with cancer (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SD County unemployment higher than in the U.S. (S.D. Reader)
• New Ronald McDonald House Offers Relief for More Families with a Sick Child (KPBS)
• Four years later, ex-mayor hasn't made court-ordered restitution to charity (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Californians, here’s why your housing costs are so high (Sacramento Bee)
• California bill to protect immigrant witnesses  heads to Jerry Brown (Los Angeles Times)
• Judges in L.A. asked to unseal records in CPUC criminal probe (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• A controversial California effort to fight climate change just got some good news (Washington Post)

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