UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: What the September Eleventh Families Asked and the 9/11 Commission Ignored, by Ray McGinnis (NorthernStar Publications, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2021, 421 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

November 14, 2021 (San Diego) - Having been a juror in the “San Diego Citizens Grand Jury – Presenting the Evidence of the Crimes of 9/11” on April 14^th, 2007 at San Diego State University, this book by Ray McGinnis resonates with me on so many levels.

Unanswered Questions is a brutally persuasive book for  those who want answers to the real origins of the Afghanistan war. Ray McGinnis’ book digs deeper and hammers harder for the unvarnished truths, Ex-President Bush, currently on a good-guy speaking tour speaks without remorse or responsibility for the unmitigated catastrophe he set in motion 20 years ago, according to many. President Bush famously said, in another of his statements that everyone seemed to relish; “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” But he rejected an offer by the Taliban to hand over bin Laden in exchange for the U.S. to stop bombing their country.

Story and photos by Scott Lagace

November 14, 2021 (Santee) -- On November 11, 2021, on the 11th hour at the 11th minute, Santee Chamber of Commerce CEO Kristen Dare began a Veterans Day ceremony which attracted many veterans and East County patrons to celebrate the unveiling of a new Veteran’s Memorial and dedication of the Veterans Memorial Bridge over Santee Lakes on Mast Blvd.   

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  attorney Cory Briggs contends the county’s limits on public comments violate civil rights, free speech rights and open meeting requirements

November 14, 2021 (San Diego) – Last week, San Diego County Supervisors enacted changes limited public input in an effort to address racist and threatening comments made at a recent public meeting. But the new policy goes farther, also eliminating the public’s ability to ask that consent calendar items be fully discussed, severely restricting speaking times and prohibiting group presentations on some topics.

Source:  San Diego County Credit Union

November 14, 2021 (San Diego) -  San Diego County Credit Union^® (SDCCU^®), one of California’s largest locally-owned financial institutions, is proud to provide free community resources for International Fraud Awareness Week, November 14 – 20, 2021. Scams are on the rise and International Fraud Awareness Week is a global effort to minimize the impact of fraudulent activity through the promotion of awareness and education. SDCCU is here to help the community not fall victim to fraud by offering blog articles, additional resources and three complimentary fraud awareness webinars on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 as part of our Financial Wellness Wednesdays.

By Miriam Raftery

November 14, 2021 (Lemon Grove) – If you’re looking to indulge or need a gift for a loved one with a sweet tooth, Lemon Grove Lions Club is having a Holiday See’s Candy fundraiser.  The candy is on sale now through Dec 3.

East County News Service

November 13, 2021 (La Mesa) -- This weekend, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department teamed up with its law enforcement and community partners to help get unwanted weapons off our streets through a Guns for Gift Cards event in East County.

East County News Service

November 13, 2021 (Jamul) – Mourners at a funeral helped law enforcement officers track down Jose Espinosa, 40, who was arrested November 11 after leading Sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit from Jamul to Chula Vista. Espinosa fled in his black Nissan after being pulled over for a traffic stop in the 14000 block of State Route 94 in Jamul.

By Miriam Raftery

November 13, 2021 (El Cajon) – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-53) stopped by downtown El Cajon on Wednesday to speak about how passage of the infrastructure bill could impact our region. In a tour coordinated with the East County Chamber of Commerce, Jacobs also met with local business owners to hear about their needs as the economy emerges from pandemic.

“We here in San Diego are well placed to receive a lot of funding from this bill,” Jacobs said in a press conference outside of Rob’s Brewpoint, a new coffee shop opened during the pandemic.

Through formula funding, California is expected to receive $44 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which President Joe Biden plans to sign into law on Monday. San Diego will likely get 8 percent of that for roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects, Jacobs said. “There’s also a competitive grant program,” she added, noting that the Secretary of Transportation will have discretion on how those grants will be disseminated.

The victim, Jose Serra, was interviewed today by 10 News. Still in the hospital, he said the assailant had asked him on the trolley for directions to Spring Street. Soon after they got off in El Cajon, Serra says, "He just pulled out the knife and started slashing. It was a complete surprise."  A bystander came to his aid after he fell to the sidewalk. He adds, “It feel good, feels good to be alive."

Investigators are looking into whether the assault on Serra, who is Filipino, may have been a hate crime.

By Miriam Raftery

November 12, 2021 (El Cajon) – The victim of a brutal stabbing attack in El Cajon was on a ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit, after suffering stab wound injuries to multiple major organs, his intestines, head and hand.

The vicious assault by a stranger also cut an artery and nearly severed an ear, according to Todd Jones, who has set up a GoFundMe account to help his 71-year-old friend and colleague.

November 12, 2021 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Invasion of privacy or crime prevention? Santee considers new camera program (Fox 5)
• Common Cause warns El Cajon it may be violating state election law (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Poway Unified School District received death threats, board meetings now virtual (10 News)
• EXCLUSIVE: Sheriff Deputies’ Survey Airs Concerns, Resistance to Vaccines & Reforms (La Prensa)
• Rural Residents Largely on Their Own Negotiating Over Clean Energy Projects (Times of San Diego)
• La Mesa baker gets called into the spotlight (La Mesa Courier)
• The Pentagon released a new report showing….San Diego County receives more money from the Pentagon than almost any other county in the country.  (KPBS)
• Photographer lost 'entire life' in truck theft outside El Cajon theater (10 News)
• Recall effort launched against Poway Mayor Steve Vaus (10 News)

STATE

• Gavin Newsom reveals why he canceled Scotland trip: His kids staged an ‘intervention’ (Sacramento Bee)
• COVID-19 has cost LAFD $22.5 million in overtime, much of it to cover for sick firefighters (Los Angeles Times)
• Satellites reveal the secrets of water-guzzling farms in California (NPR)
• Can California Tourism Survive Climate Change? (New York Times)

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

November 11, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Pfizer says its COVID-19 pill cuts disease's worst risks by 89% (NPR)
• The C.D.C. adds mental health conditions to its high-risk Covid list. (New York Times)
• This New Test Can Detect 50 Types of Cancer from a Single Blood Draw (Healthline)
• Surgical masks reduce COVID-19 spread, large-scale study shows (Stanford Medicine)
• Cannabis vaping among teens has grown sharply in recent years  (NPR)
• Scientists used a tiny brain implant to help a blind teacher see letters again (NPR)
• How SARS-CoV-2 in American deer could alter the course of the global pandemic (NPR)
• Lung Transplant Patient and Father of 18 Encourages First Responders to get COVID-19 Vaccine (NBC San Diego)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Facebook Renames Itself Meta (New York Times)
• European Parliament Calls for Bans on AI-based Biometric Recognition in Public Spaces, Predictive Policing, and Social Scoring (Privacy News Online)
• Facebook to delete users' facial-recognition data after privacy complaints (NPR)

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

By Elijah McKee

Photos by Elijah McKee and courtesy of Jamul Casino

Hear an audio version of this report which aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ, including excerpts of speakers, by clicking the audio link.

November 10, 2021 (Jamul) - “We always say ‘Everyone comes home.’ The reality is, hundreds came home, and then we deported them,” said Nathan Fletcher, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, as he addressed the crowd at Jamul Casino’s annual Veterans Day Celebration. 

Jamul Casino and the Jamul Indian Village tribe of the Kumeyaay Nation hosted the lunch event at its Rooftop venue to honor veterans in their community — both employees and tribal members — as well as to donate to a veterans’ organization. 

This year, the organization selected was Unified United States Deported Veterans (UUSDV), a chapter of Veterans for Peace. The $10,000 donation from Jamul Casino was awarded by Mary Cheeks, President and General Manager, and handed to Jan Ruhman, a project coordinator with UUSDV for the border region. 

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

Photo:  El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells warned against the “evil” of government mandates.  Photo by Chris Stone

November 11, 2021 (El Cajon) - Raging against “a plot to take over America and the rest of the world,” El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells spoke Wednesday at a rally of parents calling for freedom from vaccination mandates.

By Elijah McKee

Photo, left: Jill Galante and Peggy Han, volunteers with El Cajon Helping Refugees

November 10, 2021 (El Cajon) — “We regularly, four or five times a day, get messages saying ‘Please, my family is so hungry. Please can you visit,’” said Jill Galante as she scanned the newly assembled single bedroom, now ready for four people.

After just one hour of flurried food stocking, donated furniture assembling and bathroom scrubbing, Galante and a group of volunteers from Helping El Cajon Refugees effectively transformed the bare El Cajon apartment into a welcoming place for Sara, her husband who worked with the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, and their daughters: four-month-old Sana and three-year-old Asra. “We try to make it look like a home,” said Galante.