September 1, 2011 (San Diego)--The San Diego Police Department Traffic Unit, along with members of the “Avoid” team, will be conducting DUI checkpoints on Saturday, September 3 at undisclosed locations within the city limits between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." Niccolo Machiavelli

By Walter Hall

September 1, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)-- ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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:

WORLD
• CIA drone is said to kill Al Qaeda’s #2 (New York Times)
• Mexico deploys 1,500 troops after ‘terrorist’ casino attack (CNN)
• 140 Mexican schools shut down amid extortion fears (NPR)
• Fukushima caesium leaks 'equal 168 Hiroshimas' (UK Telegraph)
• Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound (CNN)

• Astronomers discover planet made of diamonds (Yahoo News)
• Anti-cancer virus shows promise (BBC)
U.S.
• Disaster aid account faces shortfall (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Hurricane Irene and the staggering cost of climate change (Nelson Daily)
• Hurricane Irene blamed for at least 44 deaths in 13 states (Washington Post)
• Did fracking cause the Virginia earthquake? (OpEd News)
• Bachmann says she’d consider minimum wage changes (Yahoo News)
• Ron Paul on hurricane watch: “We should be like 1900” (Salon)
• Make it in America: How we can bring back manufacturing (Truthout)
• 6 years after Katrina, lower 9th ward still bleak (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• NOAA Warns of gap in future forecasting abilities (NPR)

September 1, 2011 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon Police Chief Pat Sprecco is happy to announce that Officer Jarred Slocum, critically injured during the shooting and fire incident on August 21st, at 1033 Prince Street, was well enough to be released from the hospital on Monday.

By Chuck Taylor, the Alpine Sun

 August 31, 2011 ( San Diego) – The San Diego Police Officers Association, Inc. (SDPOA) is grieving the loss of Officer Christopher Blakeley, who died in an off-duty motorcycle accident on Aug. 24.

August 31, (San Diego) -- There will be a special meeting of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on September 6, 2011. The meeting will be held to discuss the 2011 Supervisorial redistricting alternatives. The meeting is at 2:00 p.m. in room 310 of the County Administraton Center located at 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego.

Suit seeks to block AT&T from reaching out and touching 97% of Americans with a single wireless network

By Miriam Raftery

August 31, 2011 (Washington D.C.) – The federal government today filed an antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court to block AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile. The U.S. Department of Justice took the step to ensure that “everyone—including consumers, businesses and the government-continue to receive high quality, competitively priced mobile wireless products and services,” according to U.S. Deputy Attorney James M. Cole, who also voiced concerns over the merger's impact on rural and low-income residents.

 By Doug Deane

August 30, 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. Latest education news headlines include:

• GUHSD iParent Conference September 17
• Steady improvement in standardized tests
• The state’s new education blueprint
• How to measure school success
• Thought provoking videos from TED
• Algebra I for 8^th graders: an EdSource study
• Turning the classroom upside down
• How to get a real education
• Wind walkers
• Pathways to prosperity
• A special report on multimedia in schools
• Texas students sent from classroom to courtroom
• Feds say ‘no child’ benchmarks can be left behind
• Helping others succeed is teacher’s reward

August 30, 2011 (Pala) - The Pala fire is 60% contained, with full containment expected today and complete control by tomorrow at 6 p.m. Thus far costs to fight the 300+ acre fire have exceeded $404,000, according to Cal-Fire spokesperson Roxanne Provaznik.

By Miriam Raftery

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2011 (City Heights)—A shimmering dragon marched past, trailed by followers beating cymbals and carrying glow sticks. Hundreds of lanterns glowed softly against the night sky, accentuated by the streaming lights of carnival rides. I sampled Thai chicken-on-a-stick, along with fried bananas and yams—all at the third annual Lantern Festival in City Heights.