Source: La Mesa Chamber of Commerce

October 9, 2020 (La Mesa) -- The IRS issued guidance on President Trump’s payroll tax deferral to defer tax from September 1st until December 31st. This guidance includes the following highlights:

• Employers can defer the withholding, deposit, and payment of certain payroll taxes on wages paid from September 1st through December 31st.
• Interest penalties, and additions to tax will begin to accrue on unpaid taxes starting May 1st, 2021.

Aztecs begin conference play December 31

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

October 9, 2020 (San Diego) - San Diego State, in conjunction with the Mountain West, has announced the women's basketball conference schedule for the 2020-21 season.

By Briana Gomez

October 9, 2020 (San Diego) -- In a climate of uproar against national police brutality, the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego County is demanding that police officers in our region are held accountable for ample shootings of unarmed individuals over the course of 25 years.

Background

According to a review from the District Attorney’s Office, between 1993 and 2017 there were 451 police shootings of civilians, 55 percent of which were fatal.

According to this report, the DA’s office took on average 183 days to send a letter of review to law enforcement after these shootings (a letter was sent in only 432 of the cases).

By Kendra Sitton

Photo, left to right:  Councilman Jerry Jones, Kamaal Martin, Mayor Racquel Vasquez, and Christopher Williams

October 9, 2020 (Lemon Grove) -- On Monday, Sept. 14, all four candidates running for Mayor of Lemon Grove participated in a forum to discuss their visions for the city. Two of the candidates, Councilman Jerry Jones and Mayor Racquel Vasquez, already hold elected office. The other two candidates, Kamaal Martin and Christopher Williams, are political newcomers who say their backgrounds in finance will help the budget-strapped city.

The full forum can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVtSH4cwfEQ

Read highlights of the discussion are below.

 Each candidate’s standout quote, background and other views are included. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Each candidate had an opening and closing statement and answered questions about the budget shortfall, the possibility of disincorporating the city, racial equity, public safety, a shuttered youth rec center, housing, homelessness, blight and adding new businesses in the city.

Candidates were also asked about  Williams’ lawsuit against the city alleging an assault by Councilman David Arambula following an alleged discussion of proposed cannabis’ dispensaries at the Councilman’s home. (Arambula has contended he acted in self defense but did not notify law enforcement or colleagues on the Council.)

By Henri Migala

Photos:  Candidates Joel Anderson and Steve Vaus

October 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) - On September 21, East County Magazine hosted a web-based candidate forum for San Diego County's District 2 Supervisor race. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus and former State Senator Joel Anderson joined ECM editor Miriam Raftery, who moderated the event, to share their views on a variety of some of the most pressing issues affecting East County. They are running to fill the seat being vacated by Dianne Jacob due to term limits.

Below are highlights and a detailed analysis of the candidates' statements made during the candidate forum, as well as their bios. 

You can view video of the complete candidate forum at: https://youtu.be/o4KtvVquSV4

 ECM was able to host this forum thanks to funds provided by the Facebook Journalism Project Grant generously awarded to ECM.  A map and description of the current district, as well as how it will change with redistricting, is available below the forum highlights on issues including COVID-19, wildfires, homelessness, housing, racial injustice/public safety, county jail deaths, transportation/greenhouse gas reduction, revitalization of East County, cannabis, budget priorities, fiscal reserves, ambulance response times, proposed sand mines, community outreach and more.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors controls a $5 billion budget and makes decision over a wide variety of social service programs, and on issues affecting your health and safety. Four billion, or 80%, of that budget is related to state and federal programs the county is required to administer, and one billion, or 20%, can be used for the Supervisors to establish their priorities.  Most of the $1 billion comes from local property taxes, so it is important for local citizens to know what the supervisors’ priorities are.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

October 8, 2020 (San Bernardino) -- Latino faith leaders are reaching out to members of Congress urging action on climate change, which is worsening the fires that are choking their neighborhoods with smoke.

October 8, 2020 (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

• El Cajon Nursing Home Reaped Big Profits While Shortchanging Resident Care, Analysis Shows (KPBS)
• Most San Diego County school districts have reopened or plan to reopen in October (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SDG&E launches $107.4 million program for zero-emission buses, trucks and forklifts (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• COVID-19 Exposure at SD City Council Meeting Forces Councilmembers Into Quarantine (NBC 7)
• USMC F-35 fighter crashes near U.S.-Mexico border after midair collision (UPI)

STATE

• It’s official: we have our first ‘gigafire’ in Northern California (Norcal News)
• Wildfires Continue to Ravage California; At Least 1,200 Fatalities Linked to Inhaling Toxic Smoke  (Democracy Now)
• California adds COVID-19 equity requirement. It could trip up counties’ reopenings (Los Angeles Times)
• In latest clash with NRA, Newsom signs bill to help police trace guns (Los Angeles Times)
• ‘Significant areas of total devastation’ as California fires torch wine country (Los Angeles Times)
• California moves to end sales of new gas-powered cars (KCRA)
• California to ban chokeholds, independently review police shootings under newly signed laws (Politico)
• California’s Filipino American nurses are dying from COVID-19 at alarming rates (San Jose Mercury News)
• California task force will consider paying reparations for slavery (Los Angeles Times)

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

By Mike Allen

October 8, 2020 (Santee) -- This week, Sharp Rees-Stealy opened its new medical center, a state of the art three-story building on Cuyamaca Street off Highway 52, which replaces four smaller clinics in East County that are now closed.

By Pennell Paugh

October 7, 2020 (San Diego) – California voters will have 11 statewide ballot measures on their ballots for the Nov. 3 election.  They span a range of issues including medical research support, school funding, restoring affirmative action, voting rights for parolees, voting age, property taxes, criminal justice reforms, rent control, employment status of rideshare drivers, kidney dialysis, consumer privacy, and bail reforms.  Below are detailed descriptions on all of the state ballot propositions, along with arguments for and against.

All registered voters should receive ballots in the mail this week, which can be mailed in of dropped off at these drop-off locations.  You can also vote in person Oct. 31 through Nov.3 from 7 a.m. to 8  p.m., though there are fewer locations than in the past.  Find your polling place here.  Not yet registered? You can register through Oct. 30 at https://www.SDVOTE.com.

East County News Service

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

(Photos by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson) 

Oct. 6, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) The San Diego Padres, having reached postseason play, will be playing tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Arlington, Texas.

The pandemic has changed the way the season was played; the season was shortened and fans were not allowed in Petco Park. But, the Padres' organization has provided a way for fans to watch, in a group environment, by creating an official series of  Padres' drive-in events to celebrate and cheer together in their first postseason apprearance in fourteen years. 

Or, you can watch, and cheer, at home. 

The Postseason Drive In Events are held near Petco Park at Lexus Lot. The drive-in events sold out against the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card series.