East County News Service

April 5, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes a Spring Carnival at Lake Jennings, Sweat Pea Day at Summers Past Farms, a Hot Rods and Chili Cookoff in Jamul, a Taste of Julian, a Bunny Train ride in Campo, and a production of the Dresser in La Mesa.

Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including a Mariachi concert at Cuyamaca College, an Egg-stravaganza at Santee Lakes, Spring Harp Fest in La Mesa, the opening of Cajon Classic Car Show and outdoor concerts in El Cajon, Clint Black in concert at Sycuan, a Spring Butterfly and Garden Festival, and the San Diego Festival Chorus’ Spring Concert.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Marc Levin - Ivanka and Pato, CC BY 2.0

April 5, 2017 (Washington D.C.)—Tuesday was Equal Pay Day—94 days into the year, signifying how many more days the average woman must work to earn as much as a man.

Ironically, Ivanka Trump, special assistant to her father, President Donald Trump tweeted, “#EqualPayDay is a reminder that women deserve equal pay for equal work. We must work to close the gender pay gap!”  Yet days earlier, her father signed an executive order that rolled back 14 protections for women workers –including the Fair Pay order signed by then-President Barack Obama.

East County News Service

April 5, 2017 (Alpine) -- Bobbi Brink, Founder/Director of Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) - an accredited big cat, bear and exotic animal rescue sanctuary, in San Diego County, Calif., and her team are making their way to the Los Angeles area to pick-up and transport a white male lion and two female lions to their new home at LTB.

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2017 (Borrego Springs) – Beloved Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Ranger Steve Bier has died in a shooting incident, the Borrego Sun reported on April 1^st. 

The California State Park Service praised the 15-year-veteran ranger as “one of the finest ambassadors of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and our Department,” adding that Bier was “well known and respected throughout the Borrego Springs community” including community events and school programs.  He also coordinated the annual count of Desert Bighorn Sheep.

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2017 (San Diego) – One of the harshest cuts in President Donald Trump’s budget is his proposal to completely eliminate the U.S. interagency Council on Homelessness.  The Council helps all homeless people, but has been particularly effective helping homeless veterans. It has been successful in ending homelessness among veterans in three states and cutting veterans’ homeless nationwide by 47 percent. Associated Press reports.

East County News Service

April 4, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced that 13 lots of Mylan’s EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. are being voluntarily recalled. EpiPen injections provide emergency does of epinephrine to treat life-threatening allergic reactions.

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

April 4, 2017 (Spring Valley) - Monte Vista varsity baseball began conference play today after starting the season with a decent 7-4 record.  Their first opponent?  The West Hills Wolf Pack, who haven’t fared as well, but who stood at an average 4-6 coming into today. Senior Justin Schweizer started on the mound for the Monarchs against another senior, Noah Quintana, for the Wolf Pack.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

April 5, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – You’re going out of town tomorrow—and your car sensor light warning “Service Engine Soon” goes on.  Car sensor jitters hit.  Most cars have sensors that reflect a door open, tire air pressure low and more, but “service engine sensor” is harder to decipher.

East County News Service

Photo by Tabercil from Canadian - Car Show 045, CC BY-SA 2.0

April 3, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - Ford’s popular F-250 pickup trucks can shift into gear when parked and roll away, Ford Motor Company has announced.  The company is recalling 52,000 of these trucks.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

April 3, 2017 (San Diego) -- They look like giant mosquitoes, or daddy-longlegs with wings, and they fly like crazy bumper-car drivers, bouncing off walls, each other, ceilings and light sources.

East County News Service

Update:  The deceased has been identified as Christopher John Kuhlmann, 37, of El Cajon.

April 2, 2017 (El Cajon) — A motorcyclist who drifted over the center line of Jamacha Road near Vista de la Valle struck an oncoming vehicle and died at the scene at 3:50 p.m. yesterday.  A second motorcyclist lost control and was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. 

“DHS policies confirm that ICE can target anyone who is removable for detention and deportation, even if they fall outside of the broad ‘priorities’ of the President’s executive order.” –Community advisory issued by the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild

By Miriam Raftery

April 2, 2017 (San Diego) – The National Immigration Project (NIP) of the National Lawyers Guild has issued a Community Advisory on memos issued by the Department of Homeland Security in late February  to implement President Donald Trump’s executive orders ramping up deportation of  immigrants.  The immigration attorneys warn of sweeping changes that represent “a major shift and escalation in immigration enforcement.”

The NIP includes legal and policy analysis of key changes in immigration enforcement that “we believe will most impact community defense strategies," along with tips and suggestions for immigrations and those who assist immigrations.

East County News Service

April 2, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection has unveiled a new webpage making available to the public data on apprehensions, admissibility, recidivism, and arrests of “criminal aliens” at the border. Information on the page will be expanded to include seizures of drugs, currency, and prohibited agriculture products in the coming months.

By Miriam Raftery

To hear the full interview, originally aired on February 20, 2017 on KNSJ, click the  audio link , and scroll down for highlights.

March 2, 2017 (San Diego) – Walter Oechel, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert for his pioneering research on ecosystems and global climate change.  Oechel is Director of the Global Change Research Group at San Diego State University, where he is also a distinguished professor of biology.

In a recent  interview on KNSJ,  East County Magazine spoke with Professor Oechel about his pioneering work, which revealed  that the Arctic tundra is now releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, instead of storing  CO2, a major greenhouse gas.

April 1, 2017—East County Magazine has the exclusive scoop on astounding major stories breaking today:

• Hunter, Davis announce plan to cut taxes, bring innovative jobs to El Cajon
• La Mesa to gain new library—and a virtual city hall
• Mexico to pay for border wall
• Motorists launch “pot for potholes” initiative
• Homeless haven to go underground in San Diego
• Proposals roll in to replace Sun Valley golf course in La Mesa

Is truth stranger than fiction? You decide.  Click links above for individual stories, or  click this link  to view blurbs on each of these stories in our extra-special April 1st edition. Then to open each special report, scroll down and click “read more." (Trust us, you won't want to miss this news!)