March 11, 2011 (San Diego) – Southern California beaches are closing this morning as a precaution following a powerful 8.9 earthquake that rocked Japan last night, killing hundreds from the temblor and a tsunami that subsequently struck Japan.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Ron Logan, Miriam Raftery, and Merton Gaudette

March 10, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Candy Jenkins was looking forward to seeing environmental evidence presented to a federal judge in San Diego on Monday. “I live on El Capitan Mountain,” said the Lakeside resident, who  alleges that SDG&E is building Sunrise Powerlink towers only 2,000 feet from an eagles’ nest. She has photos, and says the eagles are tagged and the locations documented by the County. “Towers weren’t supposed to be within 4,000 feet,” she said. “We’re bringing this out today in court.”

Told by this reporter that the hearing had been cancelled because Judge Michael Anello announced that he will be ruling on the written record only, Jenkins expressed shock. “It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “Whatever happened to democracy in America?”

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Daren Sefcik

March 9, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- You just never know what you might encounter on the trails in East County!  Photographer Daren Sefcek headed out to the Anza-Borrego Desert to take photos of wildflowers in bloom--and captured a close-up of this yellow-backed spiny lizard on the trail. 

March 9, 2011 (Anza-Borrego) -- The rains have come and gone, leaving fresh air and sunshine to blanket the majesty of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert Park Foundation invites you to spring into action with activities to fulfill your sense of wonder and appreciation for the park.

March 10, 2011 (Alpine) – A gardener working behind Alpine Pizza and Pasta in the vicinity of Alpine Blvd. and Arnold Way yesterday shortly before 10 a.m. was attacked by an "aggressive" swarm of bees and stung repeatedly on the head and neck, Alpine Fire Chief Bill Paskle reports.

March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) -- Lakeside Fire Department responded to a reported multi-family residential structure fire at 8810 Winter Gardens Blvd at 38 minutes past midnight. Units from El Cajon and Santee also responded, along with medics. Heartland Fire Dispatch reported to the responding units en route that the fire was located in the storage units in front of the Mountain View apartments.

March 10, 2011 (San Diego) - Steve Fisher, San Diego State men’s basketball head coach, has earned Mountain West Conference co-coach-of-the-year accolades, the league announced Monday.  Fisher, in his 12th season at SDSU and 20th overall, garners his first-ever conference coach-of-the-year award and shares it with Brigham Young’s Dave Rose. 

Fisher led the Aztecs to a share of the Mountain West regular-season title with a record of 14-2. He was previously named national coach of the year in 1992.

By Mike Copass

March 10, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) --On a serious-meets-funny note, Rep Duncan Hunter Jr's (R- El Cajon) newly-submitted "Life at Conception" bill, HR 374, would grant citizenship rights to pre-born human beings -- that is, from moment of conception, rather than at birth.

March 9, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego-based Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar project, currently the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the U.S., has been awarded “Solar Project of the Year” by Renewable Energy World as part of the 2011 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards.

Kids and adults are encouraged to enter photos by April 15 deadline

March 9, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Census data released yesterday shows California’s population grew 10% over the past decade. The public now has an opportunity to voice opinions on how districts should be redrawn for state legislative, county supervisorial, and city council districts. View census data at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/
 

Photos by Bryan Koci, Red Tie Photography

March 8, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid and Santee Mayor Randy Voepel on Friday crowned winners of the cities' 2011 pageants, a glamourous tradition since the late 1960s.  

Miss La Mesa Katie Martin, Miss La Mesa Teen Monica Popp, Miss Santee Maria Maes and Miss Santee Teen Savannah Keener were formally presented with their crowns.

March 8, 2011 (Rancho Jamul) – Rangers at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Rancho Jamul invite you to join in an easy to moderate “”Discover Wildflowers” hike with a U.S. Fish & Wildlife service ranger, featuring native plant experts from RECON Environmental Inc. The hike will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 9-10:30 a.m.

By Doug Deane

March 8, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- The following local, state and national education news items are excerpted from a very informative e-newsletter published by Doug Deane, chair of the Business Education Committee at the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce.

 Our picks for Deane’s top education stories from the latest issue include:

By Miriam Raftery

March 7, 2011 (El Cajon) – A fire at a home located at 154 N. Westwind Drive in El Cajon last night caused $75,000 to $100,000 in damage, displacing three men and causing minor injury to one.

“Upon investigation, it was found that the tenants of the home had been using propane gas inside the home for lighting and heat since the electrical power had been turned off to the house,” a press release from Heartland Fire & Rescue stated. “One of the tenants, while attempting to transfer propane to smaller containers, accidentally set off the blaze.”