January 23, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Classified papers in Biden’s home; special counsel investigating (The Hill)
• Trump and lawyer sanctioned almost $1 million for ‘frivolous’ lawsuit against Hillary Clinton (CNBC)
• Trump’s NY Tax-Fraud Hit Eclipsed by Impact of Felony Conviction (Bloomberg Law)
• Kevin McCarthy wins speaker race after a grueling 4 days and 15 rounds of voting (CBS)
• Arizona city cuts off a neighborhood’s water supply amid drought (Washington Post)
• Coast Guard monitoring Russian spy, ship on patrol off Hawaii  (AP)
• Trump accused in lawsuit of causing wrongful death of Officer Brian Sicknick in US Capitol attack (CNN)
• Trump's returns shed light on tax offsets, foreign accounts (10 News)
• FAA: Contractors unintentionally deleted files, leading to the NOTAM outage  (NPR)
• FBI says two men hit Washington's power grid to commit a burglary (NPR)
• U.S. moves to ban non-compete provisions that hurt workers  (Yahoo News)
• The skilled trades haven't caught as a career choice with Gen Z.  (NPR)
• Puerto Rico to privatize power generation amid power outages (AP)

WORLD

• Migrants Can Now Use ‘CBP One’ App to Request Asylum at Border Crossings (Times of San Diego)
• Foreigners banned from buying residential property in Canada for 2 years (Times Now News)
• Mexico gives account of violence after ‘Chapo’ son nabbed (AP)
• Global food prices in 2022 hit record high amid drought, war (AP)
• 90% of people in China province infected with Covid, says local health official (NPR)
• UK leader calls crisis meeting over struggling health system (AP) 
• China set for historic demographic turn, accelerated by COVID traumas (Reuters)
• England bans single-use plastic plates and cutlery (NPR)
• Russia backs banning of maps disputing official 'territorial integrity' (Reuters)
• Peru antigovernment protests spread, with clashes in Cusco  (NPR)
• Ukraine building suffers deadliest civilian attack in months (AP)
• In Istanbul, what was once routine for the winter is now a luxury   (NPR)

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

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2023 (Julian) – Here’s an event worth howling about.  The California Wolf Center in Julian is offering guided tours on February 4. The tours last an hour and provide an opportunity to see the facility’s critically endangered wolves and learn about wolf conservation.

By Donna Durckel, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 22, 2023 (San Diego's East County) - A recent analysis of census data as part of the County Comprehensive Broadband Plan showed that approximately 37,000 households in the unincorporated area of San Diego don’t have a broadband internet subscription. This places them at a disadvantage when it comes to things such as online education, healthcare services or emergency notifications.

Free, daylong family event is scheduled for April 29, 2023

January 20, 2023 (Spring Valley) - The Spring Valley Day Planning Committee is looking for vendors, sponsors, and volunteers to participate in Spring Valley Day 2023. The event will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of Bancroft Elementary School where Bancroft Drive and Tyler Street intersect.

By Ken Stone and Chris Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association 

January 19, 2023 (Santee) - Speaker after speaker in front of the Santee YMCA invoked right and wrong, “what is true and what is good,” as they denounced policies that allowed “grown men to parade around naked in women’s showers and locker rooms.”

By Kathy Carpenter

January 19, 2023 (La Mesa) - After tragedy, life needs to be rebuilt. Lamplighters Theatre presents The Revlon Girl, written by Neil Anthony Docking. With so many tragic events hitting the news these days, it's hard to recall the details from month to month. Disasters need to be remembered and documented. The Revelon Girl humanizes Aberfan in England in 1966, delivering the stories and healing process of four women who lost their children and the woman who volunteers to help them.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 18, 2023 (San Diego) - The County Office of Emergency Services is asking for your help to estimate the flooding and rain damage in our region caused by the recent series of storms.

YMCA closes early due to rallies today, apologizes to teen; Santee School district pledges review of YMCA policies before approving future field trips for students

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Shiloh Ireland

January 18, 2023 (Santee) The Santee YMCA branch announced it will close early today to protect staff members after an announced rally and counter-protest over a teen girl’s complaint of a transgender person she described as a “naked man.”

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department issued a statement indicated it is aware of the planned protest, adding, “We support the public's right to free speech and assembly. We encourage the peaceful gathering of people. We respect your right to be heard.”

The statement added, “The Sheriff's Department does not condone any acts of violence or intolerance in our communities. We are a county that is welcoming of people from all backgrounds. Our job is to enforce the law. As long as people express themselves in a peaceful and lawful manner, we do not have any lawful authority to intervene.”

East County News Service

January 17, 2023 (La Mesa) -- February 11 is the monthly meeting of the La Mesa-El Cajon Branch of the American Association of University Women. Precious Jackson-Hubbard (left) and Mimi Test (below right) will be the featured speakers focusing on MS. Jackson-Hubbard’s upbringing and career and MS. Tests history of Title IX through a coach’s eyes.

East County News Service

Photo, left, by Alex Tardy, National Weather Service: car is swept away by floodwaters beneath overpass in Fashion Valley, where the river topped flood stage at 13 feet yesterday morning.

January 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Torrential rains that doused our region caused roadway flooding and rockslides, filled reservoirs, and resulted in multiple rescues.  Here are photos, provided by our readers, social media users, and public agencies.

By Shiloh Ireland

January 16, 2023 (Lakeside) -- The muddy rodeo grounds as well as the pouring rain did not put a damper on the excitement of the almost two and a half hour annuaMiss Lakeside Pageant filled with excitement and talented Lakeside contestants, parents and local community leaders.

By Miriam Raftery

January 14, 2023 (Santee) – A group called SanteeParents4Choice is planning a “rally for women’s and girls’ rights”  at the Santee YMCA (10123 Riverwalk Drive, Santee) on January 18 at 6 p.m.  Organizers have pledged to hold a non-violent rally to highlight parents' concerns over protecting privacy.

The action is in response to a teen girl who says she became frightened while showering at the YMCA, when she saw a naked trangender person in the women’s locker room. At last week’s Santee City Council meeting, a tearful Rebecca Phillips, 17, testified that two weeks earlier, “As I was showering after my workout, I saw a naked male in the women’s locker room. I immediately went back into the shower, terrified, and hid behind their flimsy excuse for a curtain until he was gone.”

By Miriam Raftery

January 16, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Flood watches and warnings are in effect across San Diego County this morning.

Multiple roadways across our region are flooded, with others blocked by mudslides, rocks and debris:

• Wildcat Canyon Rd. in Lakeside is blocked by a mudslide/rockslide in the 3000 block. Avoid area.
• Lower Honey Springs Rd. in Jamul is flooded at the dip. Do not attempt to cross.
• Highway 94 from 188 to Barrett lake road was closed due to a large bolder blocking both lanes. It's now reopened at 188, with opening at Barrett and near Otay Lakes pending.
• A boulder and debris are blocking Fuerte Drive at Lemon Ave. on Mt. Helix.
• Rock slides are blocking State Route 78 at Wynola Rd. near Julian.
• Boulders are across the roadway at State Route 78 and Chihuhua Rd. near Warner Springs.
• A wind advisory has been issued on I-8 east of Tavern Rd. in Alpine to the Imperial County line.
• The National Weather Service warns to avoid the San Diego River area through Mission Valley and Fashion Valley, which surpassed flood stage this morning as 12.8 feet and is forecast to reach 13.2 feet this afternoon. Roads to avoid include Fashion Valley Rd., Avenida Del Rio, Camio Del Este, Camino Del La Reina and Mission Center Rd. Fashion Valley transit center is closed.
• A swiftwater rescue was conducted this morning along Otay Lakes Rd. due to flooding.
  

By Miriam Raftery

January 13, 2023 (San Diego) – Honda has expanded an earlier recall of its 2019, 2020 and 2021 Talon 1000 recreational off-highway vehicles.  Honda recalled about 32,000 of the two-seater vehicles in March 2022; the new recall adds 2,000 side-by-side Talons to the recall.