December 21, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Lead and calcium could be in your dark chocolate (Consumer Reports)
• CRISPR gene-editing improves cancer immunotherapy (NPR) 
• Positive Moderna, Merck cancer vaccine data advances mRNA promise, shares rise

SCIENCE AND TECH

• US scientists reach long-awaited nuclear fusion breakthrough, source says (CNN)
•  Twitter dissolves Trust and Safety Council (Washington Post)
• AI-generated fake faces are being used by bad actors online  (NPR)

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

By Miriam Raftery

December 21, 2022 (Alpine) – Viejas Casino & Resort invites you to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Viejas Casino & Resort in the Park.  The party will feature live entertainment with Earth to Mars, the Bruno Mars experience, as well as go-go dancers from the Femme Fatale Dancers and DJ Gemini Nikki.  At midnight, a fireworks show and ball drop will cap off the night’s festivities.

Source:  San Diego International Airport

December 20, 2022 (San Diego) - San Diego International Airport (SAN) wants those who will be traveling during the holiday season to be prepared before they arrive at the airport. Due to the New T1 project, much of the airport’s campus is under construction. SAN is offering the following travel tips:   

East County News Service 

Source:  City of El Cajon

December 19, 2022 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon Veterans Coalition is seeking new members. The Veterans Coalition will open its application period from January 9, through February 10, 2023.

By Susan Taylor

Photo  tutor Elaine Westheimer is enthusiastic about being part of the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program

December 19, 2022 (La Mesa) -- At San Diego Oasis in Grossmont Center, seniors have the opportunity to be trained for and directed to the wonderful world of tutoring.  This fall, 175 volunteers, most of them seniors, are tutoring children in elementary schools in San Diego County.  This number is up from the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when just a handful of people were meeting face to face with kids at schools. 

The number of tutors was between 300-400 before COVID.  Kristen Amicone, Director of Intergenerational Programs at Oasis, said, “(We are) working diligently to reach that number again and estimate that we will do so by the end of the 2023-2024 school year.”

By Miriam Raftery

December 18, 2022 (Lakeside) – San Diego County is a hub for child sex trafficking, with at least 3,000 victims here each year. How can you protect your children?  Find out on Thursday, January 19 when the Lakeside Union School District and El Capitan High School PTSA groups host a screening of the film “Stolen: a Year-Long Investigation into Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation.”  This must-see film based on an NBC 7 investigative series will be shown at the El Capitan High School Events Center (10410 Ashwood St., Lakeside) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

East County News Service

December 18, 2022 (El Cajon) – Chabad of East County will present a Chanukah Celebration  at the Grossmont High School football field (Jack Moshin Stadium) starting at 4:30 pm. today. Highlights of the event will include a grand Menorah lighting with community leaders and guests, as well as a drone gelt drop and magic show.

The event will also feature music, hot latkes, jelly donuts, Chanukah crafts and prizes.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

December 17, 2022 (San Diego) - Bivalent COVID-19 vaccination boosters are now approved and available in San Diego County for children as young as six months of age. The County Health and Human Services Agency is urging parents to protect their children, and themselves, by getting vaccinated with the new booster.

East County News Service

December 17, 2022 (Alpine) – Rescued tigers at the Lions Tigers & Bears big cat and bear sanctuary in Alpine enjoyed last week’s snowfall.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  skimming device recovered by La Mesa Police Department

December 14, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Skimming devices attached by thieves to ATM machines and credit card devices have stolen money from consumers in multiple East County locations. Some even have tiny hidden cameras stealing pin codes.

Lieutenant Katy Lynch with the La Mesa Police department confirms, “It’s definitely a trend.” LMPD has launched a campaign to educate merchants and the public on how to protect consumers and help nab thieves behind these schemes.

In La Mesa alone, 12 cases of skimming have been reported in the past year, with others in adjacent communities. “Many cases go unreported to law enforcement,” says Lt. Lynch. She urges anyone who is a victim of a skimming scam, or who believes they have spotted a skimmer, to immediately alert law enforcement. 

Showing a police report to banks or other financial institutions can help consumers recover money faster and also helps law enforcement catch the crooks, such as by identifying fingerprints or DNA on skimmers, and by asking businesses for surveillance videos. Businesses are encouraged to check their devices daily and report anything suspicious.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Video courtesy goaztecs.com

December 13, 2022 (San Diego) - The Aztec men's basketball team (8-3) defeated Kennesaw State (6-4) 88-54 inside Viejas Arena Monday evening.

East County News Service

December 12, 2022 (San Diego) - The Harlem Globetrotters are headed to San Diego on their 2023 World Tour.  They'll demonstrate their high-flying basketball skills at the Pechanga Arena on February 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

By Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  USC’s Brett Feldman does a checkup on his patient Gary Dela Cruz on the side of the road near an encampment in downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

December 12, 2022 (Los Angeles) - Living on the streets of California is a deadly affair. The life expectancy of an unsheltered person is 50, according to national estimates, nearly 30 years less than that of the average Californian.

By Mike Allen

Photo:   Rocky Qualin (beard) and Brian Fordyce, new directors of Padre Dam Water District

December 12, 2022 (Santee) -- Brian Fordyce was appointed this month as the newest director for the Padre Dam Municipal Water District board of directors, taking over a seat for District 1 formerly held by Doug Wilson.