October 2, 2015 (San Diego) – Just days after announcing plans to file for bankruptcy and reorganize around fewer but more profitable stores, Haggen Market has announced it will close all 25 San Diego County markets.

October 2, 2015 (La Mesa)--Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa continues its current season with a mystery. Stage Fright by Charles Marowitz will run Oct. 9-Nov. 8.

A leading metropolitan drama critic is led by an attractive production assistant into a recently discovered 19th century theatre. There, the critic will film a television interview for a documentary on the actor John Wilkes Booth, who once acted on those very boards. The critic, F.F. Charnick, notorious for his venomous reviews, visibly warms to the classy elegance of the British P.A. But no sooner has he downed a glass of wine than he falls drugged and unconscious.

East County News Service

October 1, 2015 (Poway) – An international jousting competition,  lifestyle camps from Rome to the Renaissance and squires’ equestrian skills are all part of the colorful line-up at the Tournament of the Phoenix and Festival of History. The event takes place Saturday, October 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Poway Rodeo Grounds, 14336 Tierra Bonita Road in Poway.

October 1, 2015 (San Diego) — As it prepares to celebrate 35 years in business, Toward Maximum Independence, Inc. (TMI), a well-respected San Diego non-profit, has appointed Jane Moore as its new Community Relations Specialist. TMI has a longstanding reputation for implementing “Best Practices” that help people with developmental disabilities and deaf and hard of hearing to live, work and fully participate in their communities. TMI is dedicated to “Transforming Lives” for the people it serves.

Source: County News Service

October 1, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --As San Diego County enters the perilous fall wildfire season, you can now tap into a new online map to learn the level of fire risk in your immediate area and resources for finding help in an emergency.

The digital tool allows San Diegans to search the county by address or place name to learn the degree of wildfire hazard and how to better prepare for an emergency.

 Many of the county’s biggest blazes have struck in the fall, fed by Santa Ana winds and tinderbox conditions in the backcountry.

By Kristin Kjaero

October 1, 2015 (La Mesa) – Fall is in the air. Residents have a wealth of options this month with two large festivals, the annual Oktoberfest in the Village, and a new FalFest at Grossmont Center, as well as the annual Intergenerational Games. Local churches are offering a Blessing of Animals and a Fair Trade Gift Fair to sooth the soul, and entertainment opportunities include Halloween activities at Grossmont Center, a school vacation art camp at Mt. Helix, a new mystery at Lamplighters Community, and many clubs at the La Mesa Library. Let’s not overlook the opportunity to give back to our wonderful hometown at the annual Park Appreciation Day and the Human Advisory Commission’s Food Drive!

Listen to Destination East County,  also aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.

East County News Service

October 2, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – This week’s Destination East County includes the famous annual Oktoberfests held in both La Mesa and El Cajon and a reenactment festival about the 1800s. We also have a preview of some upcoming events in early to mid-October of theater, fairs, and classic cars.

East County News Service

September 30, 2015 (San Diego)—Utility ratepayer attorneys Mike Aguirre and Maria Severson have filed a federal appeal in the Ninth District court on behalf of Citizens Oversight.  The suit challenges the power of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which it accuses of “utility bill hijacking.”

A press release issued by Aguirre and Severson states the Governor Jerry Brown has appointed “powerful utility lobbyists to run the Commission.  Working together with utility executives,  these appointees have hijacked the long-standing practice of holding public rate-setting hearings in favor of secret rate-setting meetings with top utility executives.”

East County News Service

September 29, 2015 (Santee)—Santana High School Principal Tim Schwuchow has notified parents in a letter about two incidents last week in which female students were reportedly followed by a white Chevrolet pickup truck.

El Cajon cancer survivor is organizer of “Dance for Life” event

September 30, 2015 (San Diego)--Jazzercise instructors will bring San Diegans together to fight breast cancer and dance for a cure aboard the USS Midway on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 8:30-10 a.m. More than 1,000 Jazzercise instructors, customers, family and friends, including many who have been affected by breast cancer, are expected to participate in a huge group fitness class on the deck of the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier located at 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego. Proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®. At last year’s Jazzercise Dance for Life event, more than 1,100 people danced together and raised more than $93,000 to fight the disease.

East County News Service

September 30, 2015 (Sacramento)—Governor Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 8 into law. The measure will create “yellow alerts” to display descriptions of vehicles involved in hit-and-run collisions on digital freeway signs.  The alerts, set to start January 1^st, will be similar to Amber Alerts used for kidnapped children.

East County News Service

September 29, 2015 (Lakeside)—Twenty people were arrested Saturday morning during a probation compliance sweep conducted by Sheriff’s detectives, deputies and other staff.

By Liz Alper

September 30, 2015 (San Diego) - Two San Diego State students are in danger of losing their rights to attend SDSU for displaying patriotic flags.

Cameron Box, an active duty Coast Guard member, and Connor Fenwick, who is in the Army ROTC, proudly display the U.S. Coast Guard flag, an Army flag and the American flag from the balcony of their on-campus housing unit at San Diego State.  However, the school is threatening to expel them, citing a “fire hazard”, also claiming that the flags “block visibility.”

By Miriam Raftery

Currently, California drivers who want to challenge a ticket in court have to pay a fine or fee first, in many jurisdictions.  But Senate Bill 405, now awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s approval, would give motorists the right to fight tickets without paying a fine or fee unless they are found guilty.

 The U.S. justice system is supposed to presume innocence until someone is found guilty.  But traffic fines and add-on fees amount to hundreds of dollars in some cases. The American Civil Liberties Union has argued that those fees block access to the justice system for the poor.

Two meetings set on rate hikes Sept. 30 and Oct. 7

East County News Service

September 29, 2015 (La Mesa) — Helix Water District’s Board has voted unanimously to rescind a 10 percent penalty assessed on its highest tier water users. The change comes after customers cut water use 28 percent, enabling the district to meet the 20 percent cuts mandated by the state. Board member Kathleen Hedberg asked for those penalized to receive rebates, but instead the funds will be used for water conservation outreach, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

But the district is moving forward on hefty water rate hikes for water users. The Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association (GMIA) opposes what it describes as a 70% rate hike over five years. The GMIA invites the public to a community forum on the rate hike on Wednesday, September 30^th at 7 p.m. at Murdock Elementary School (4354 Conrad Drive in La Mesa).

The GMIA has crafted a sample letter for those opposed to submit public comment: http://www.gmia.net/docs/SampleLetterToTheHelixWaterDistrict.pdf