Update 3:50 p.m.:  

The Felipe Fire at Banner grade is now 50 acres on the east side of S-2 near Julian, spreading rapidly, Cal-Fire reports.  The Mission Valley Fire's spread has been slowed.  The fire near Lakeside is now contained and was confined to a drainage ditch.  New fires are burning near Campo Railroad in Campo and east of Shelter Valley, but both are lightning fires that should be contained soon, Cal-Fire batallion chief  Nick Schuler informed ECM.

July 15, 2010 3:05 p.m. --  Major brush fires are burning in Mission Valley and across multiple backcountry communities, including several sparked by wildfires.  Scroll down for details and please post any updates you may have in our comments section below.

County Urges Residents To Use Caution When Cleaning Up Rodent Droppings
 

July 15, 2010 (Otay) -- San Diego County Vector Control officials confirmed today that one wild Northern Baja mouse trapped in the Otay River Valley during routine monitoring tested positive for Hantavirus. This brings the total to 16 mice that have tested positive for Hantavirus this year.

“Hantavirus is preventable and can be fatal. The wet winter has provided plenty of food and shelter for mice, helping to increase the wild mouse population. It is extremely important to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds to prevent infection,” said Jack Miller, Director of the County Department of Environmental Health. “People contract Hantavirus by inhaling the virus, often when they are cleaning up rodent droppings and nesting materials. Wet cleaning methods should be used to prevent inhaling the virus.”

 “I believe that the PACE program is critical to stimulating our local and statewide economy. I’m glad to see this lawsuit filed so that this novel program can continue.” --San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, joining Brown at today's press conference in San Diego

July 14, 2010 (San Diego) – California Attorney General Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown today filed a lawsuit against mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for blocking the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs nationwide.  View a video of today's press conference in San Diego:

July 14, 2010 (San Diego) -- Assembly Bill 1660, which expands the definition of “emergency aircraft flights for medical purposes,” was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on Friday. The bill clarifies that an air ambulance, flying under a Lifeguard call sign, is not  subject to a fine or penalty when departing an airport after hours to return to headquarters.
 

“Our access to public safety is the issue in question,”  said Assemblymember Mary Salas (D-Chula Vista), author of the bill. “It is important that emergency workers are not hindered in doing their job.”  

July 14, 2010 (San Diego's East County) --A woman is distraught and threatening to jump off a bridge over Eastbound highway 54 near the 805 junction, Incident Page Network reported at 6:05 p.m.   

Traffic is also slow on westbound I-8 due to two major accidents, including a rollover at Fairmont where a vehicle rolled down an embankment, forcing a road closure.  A second accident has occured near College Avenue.

By Brian Lafferty

July 14, 2010 (San Diego’s East County)--The Sorcerer's Apprentice takes a ten-minute animated segment and stretches it out to a nearly two hour live-action film but it works. It is visually dark yet lit up by the energetic performance of Dave by Jay Baruchel and Nicolas Cage’s dry, deadpan, and humorous portrayal of Balthazar. Some of the humor is predictable but I still laughed throughout. The film teems with special effects but they have a decent story to put them to use.

July 14, 2010 (Lemon Grove) -- Assemblymember Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove) and California State Controller John Chiang will host a Small Business Tax and Regional Opportunities Seminar to provide small business owners with the resources and tools they need to be successful as our economy recovers. Experts will provide small business owners with valuable information on tax preparation, tax compliance issues, current legislative issues and discuss regional opportunities to help businesses grow.

Representatives from the Office of the State Controller, State Board of Equalization, Franchise Tax Board, Internal Revenue Service, United States Small Business Administration, California Employment Development Department and the Small Business Development Corporation will participate.  

July 14, 2010 (Jacumba) -- Martha Lidia Jimenez, 54, of Yuma, Arizona has been identified by the San Diego Medical Examiner's office as the driver of a Nissan Sentra that struck a Ford F150 on Interstate 8 near Carrizo Gorge Road on July 10. Her car rolled over multilple times landing on the center divide.

Creative East County Wedding Venues For Your Dream Ceremony

 By Richard Darvas

 

May 9, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- How many childhood fantasies stretch into adulthood, relatively unchanged? For many, wedding day is the holy grail of making dreams come true. Yet how many couples opt for a trendy wedding replete with clichés and high-dollar kitsch, only to later regret not choosing to stroll down an unbeaten aisle?  

Romance is not manufactured, nor delivered via assembly line. For memories you’ll treasure for a lifetime, why not select an idyllic setting that isn’t cookie cutter? Many betrothed couples are unaware of the serene mountain retreats, lush wineries, country ranches and exotic savannahs in San Diego’s eastern region. Whether your heart’s desire is a grand affair or an intimate occasion, you’ll find a wealth of unique venues for your dream ceremony in East County.

Here are our picks for East County's most romantic wedding venues:

July 13, 2010 (Alpine) –A Life-Flight helicopter has been called to transport a five-year-old boy struck by a vehicle to a local trauma center. The child is breathing and conscious, but may have broken bones, according to a Sheriff’s official.

The child was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the 2100 block of Alpine Glen Place in the Japatul Valley area around 5 p.m. and reportedly was crushed between the vehicle and a block wall.  A search is on for the driver of the vehicle after law enforcement obtained the address at which the vehicle is registered, ECM has learned.

July 13, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- A pair of incidents have caused traffic delays on East County highways this afternoon in Dulzura and Jacumba.

“

PACE programs are among the most promising ways that ordinary Americans can spur the economy, create jobs, save money and lessen the nation’s dependence on foreign oil…Challenging economic times like ours call for decisiveness and action, not the fear and disinterest exhibited by FHFA.” – Supervisors Dianne Jacob and Pam Slater-Price, in a letter to President Barack Obama

By Miriam Raftery
 

July 13, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Last week, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not buy or sell mortgages for homes enrolled in municipal solar financing programs called PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy). The programs allow homeowners to spread the cost of rooftop solar and other energy efficiency measures over 20 years, paid as part of their property tax bills.

The decision casts a pall over the County of San Diego, which planned to launch its PACE program this summer.

New School to Serve Up to 40 Children

 

July 13, 2010 (Spring Valley) The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) opened a 2,500 square-foot new preschool in Spring Valley in late June that will serve up to 40 children.

July 10, 2010 (Pine Valley) – Donald Patterson, 57, of El Cajon has been identified by the San Diego Medical Examiner as the driver of a pickup that plummeted off I-8 near the Sunrise Highway exit in Pine Valley on Wednesday, sparking a brush fire.