January 24, 2011 (El Cajon)--The Grossmont College Hyde Art Gallery, located on Grossmont College’s campus in El Cajon, is presenting an exhibit of 24 wall panels featuring natural materials that display rain patterns that fell on campus during the 2009-2010 rainy season. The exhibit, called “Rain Events and Related Investigations", was created by Grossmont College art faculty member Jim Wilsterman. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, runs from January 24-February 24.

January 24, 2011 (El Cajon) -- East County's newest gallery, Main Street 5 Gallery at 124 East Main Street in El Cajon, will host a grand opening event on Friday, February 4th from 5-10 p.m.  The opening will feature photographic arts by Esther Beish.  

American team included Poway player Marvell Wynne

Story and photos by Ron Logan

January 22, 2011 (Carson, Calif.) – The U.S. Men's National Team (MNT) tied Chile 1-1 in an international friendly match played at The Home Depot Center (HDC) in Carson, Calif. Both teams fielded their third-string teams in a contest that showcased some of the best new young talent from both countries. The 18,850 fans set an attendance record for largest crowd for an MNT friendly at the HDC.

Poway's Marvell Wynne played the second half of the match. Wynne (son of the former San Diego Padres player Marvell Wynne) has earned five career caps with the full national team.

January 23, 2011 (Poway) – San Diego Fire and Rescue airlifted a 13-year-old girl with an injured ankle off the popular Iron Mountain Trail, approximately half a mile east of Highway 67 in Poway.

January 23, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)—Cleaning for a Reason, a nationwide organization, is offering free housecleaning service for women undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

The service is available once a month for four months during treatment. To sign up, just have the patient’s doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service.

By Brian Lafferty

January 23, 2011 (San Diego) -- Every few years we get a Japanese anime, mainly from Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo, Spirited Away). This year’s import is not from Miyazaki but from Mamoru Hosoda. Summer Wars features one of the most unlikely genre combinations: shomin-geki (a genre that depicts the lives of ordinary, working-class families) and technothriller.

January 21, 2011 (El Cajon) – If you bought a lottery ticket in December, be sure to check your numbers. A Mega Millions lottery ticket sold at a Shell gas station at 13538 Camino Canada in El Cajon is worth $195,910---but so far, the winner has not come forward to claim the prize, State Lottery officials announced today.

The winning numbers drawn on Dec. 21 were 8, 32, 31, 11 and 12, and the outstanding ticket missed only the Mega number of 29.

January 21, 2011 (La Mesa)-- Many who get caught drinking and driving are under the impression that if they simply avoid the court system, the whole thing might fade away. Not in La Mesa, where police have issued a press release titled “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

La Mesa Police will be hot on the tails of the DUI (driving under the influence) offenders, with sweeps targeting those who either failed to show up for a court date or violated terms of their probation in a DUI case. On Monday, January 24, officers will deploy throughout the city to residences and places of business to clear court warrants on the books for the past year.

Senate leaders vow to block repeal--but a Virginia judge declares mandate to buy health insurance unconstitutional

By: Jeremy Los

January 20, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- House Republicans have stuck to their campaign promises and passed a measure to repeal the newly established health care bill. In what was a strictly symbolic vote, since the repeal will most likely die in the Democrat-controlled Senate and would not be signed by President Obama, the House Republicans have sent a strong message to the nation that they mean business.

Local Republican representatives Brian Bilbray, Darrell Issa, and Duncan D. Hunter fell in line with conservative cohorts, as every House Republican voted to pass the repeal. On the other side of the aisle local Democratic representatives Bob Filner and Susan Davis voted against the repeal.

January 20, 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: 

January 20, 2011 (La Mesa)-- La Mesa Police responded to a robbery at 11:47 a.m. today at  Wells Fargo Bank  inside the Vons store at 8011 University Avenue.

Options include a Valentine’s Day cooking class and tips on everything from growing vegetables to replacing water-thirsty lawns

San Diego Police Department Homicide Unit detectives are investigating the death of a nine-year-old girl inside her Mountain View apartment on January 17.  On Monday at 10:21 p.m., officers were dispatched to a report of a non-breathing child at a residence in the 300 block of Milbrae Street. Paramedics transported the girl to a trauma center, where she died at 11:56 p.m.  The victim has been identified as Elizabeth Holloway.

  As is customary in child death cases, detectives from the  Child Abuse Unit conducted a preliminary investigation. The Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy yesterday, which revealed the girl died from blunt force trauma.

January 20, 2011 (San Diego) – Three months after suffering a gunshot wound to his head, Monty is back to full duty as a San Diego Police service dog. The canine patrol member was injured by gunfire on October 27, 2010 while he and his handler were trying to locate a suspect wanted for assault with a deadly weapon and robbery charges in a Skyline apartment. The suspect shot and killed San Diego Police Officer Christopher Wilson, then later fatally shot himself.

January 19, 2011 (San Diego) – The San Diego Police Department and STAR/PAL invite the public to attend the 2011 Chief’s Challenge Indoor Triathlon on Saturday, January 22nd. Officers from SDPD and other local agencies will put their athletic ability to the test to help raise money to support underserved youth in our community. Proceeds will directly benefit inner-city youth who take part in STAR/PAL programs.