By Miriam Raftery

April 10, 2020 (San Diego) – A local church hoping to hold in-person Easter services this Sunday has been denied an exemption to San Diego County’s COVID-19 stay-home order. 

Abiding Place Ministries had sought a restraining order to prevent the county from enforcing its public heath directive, arguing that the order violated members’ constitutional right to religious freedom.

But U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant ruled that the county has the authority to “reasonably restrict” such rights during a public health emergency. She quoted the U.S. Supreme Court in the Prince v. Massachusetts case, which states, “The right to practice religion freely does not include the right to expose the community to communicable disease…”

April 10, 2020 (San Diego) -- The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Central San Diego County until 1130 AM PDT. Flash flooding is already occurring in a few locations. Additional rainfall of 0.2 to 0.5 inch per hour is expected for the next several hours. Below are details:

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage and low lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flooding include San Diego, Oceanside, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, Encinitas, La Mesa, Poway, Ramona, Del Mar and Alpine.

Decision bypasses Campo’s tribal regulations and land use planning protections: Legal challenges are in the works

By Donna Tisdale, President of Backcountry Against Dumps

April 9, 2020 (Campo and Boulevard, California)-- Against strong opposition, including many tribal members, the Department of Interior just approved the Record of Decision (ROD) for Terra-Gen’s controversial Campo Wind project with 60-586 ft tall 4.2 megawatt (MW) turbines on Campo Tribal lands in rural San Diego County.

These turbines are taller than the tallest skyscraper in San Diego and twice as powerful as existing Kumeyaay Wind and Tule Wind turbines that already generate nuisance level adverse impacts for neighbors! To add insult to injury, the ROD was signed by the Assistant Secretary, which means we lose the right to appeal that approval.

Legal challenges are in the works.

Campo Wind is opposed by neighbors as well as by a qualified number of voting Campo Tribal members, but Campo leaders have ignored two valid tribal petitions: 1) to terminate Campo Wind ; 2) to remove their leadership for failing to hold the vote to terminate[1]. Turbines are planned far too close to homes and offices and can restrict the number and placement of new homes for current and future residents.

Campo’s elections are set for April 17^th, with strong hope that leaders will be voted in who will act to better protect their people and resources, and to stop Campo Wind dead in its tracks.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Sanders in San Diego in 2016

April 9, 2020 (San Diego) – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders yesterday announced that he has suspended his candidacy for the presidency, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Sanders reportedly spoke with Biden earlier in the day and congratulated him, pledging to work with Biden in the November general election against Republican President Donald Trump.

Biden, long positioned as a moderate, issued a message to Sanders’ supporters stating, “I see you, I hear you, and I understand the urgency of what it is we have to get done in this country,” adding, “I hope you will join us. You are more than welcome. You’re needed.”

Company Encourages Customers Impacted by COVID-19 to Take Advantage of 30% Bill Savings and Other Available Assistance

 April 8, 2020 (San Diego)  – With the coronavirus pandemic causing financial hardships for many individuals and families in the region, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is encouraging those in need to apply online for bill discount programs, which can save them 30% or more off their monthly utility bill.

SDG&E offers bill discount programs to support customers year-round. Many people who previously could not take advantage of these income-based programs may now be able to do so due to lost wages. Those who recently lost their job, even if they are receiving unemployment benefits, may also be eligible for CARE and FERA.

East County News Service

April 8, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) - Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53) cosponsored the All Dependent Children Count Act (H.R. 6420) to expand the definition of a dependent for relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bill would add children younger than 19, students 24 and younger, and eliminate the age limit for dependents who are disabled. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Man clearning dry weeds; Creative Commons image by SA-NC

April 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – If you need brush cleared or weed abatement to prevent fires, those are essential services that are allowed to continue despite COVID-19 stay-home orders in the state and county.  Removing or pruning dead or dying trees to prevent them from falling is also an essential service. Gardening for purposes not related to safety or sanitation, however, are not allowed.

East County Magazine received clarification from state and federal agencies to confirm these facts, after a worker hired to clear weeds in the Mt. Helix area told our editor that he was stopped by law enforcement and told to go home, or face a $1,000 fine and arrest. A property owner in a rural area also advised ECM of a weed abatement worker ordered home by a law enforcement officer.

Property owners are required by law to maintain defensible space around their homes.  Brush clearing and weed abatement are especially important now, since Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service have both suspended controlled burns in order to avoid aggravating lung conditions in residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Department of Public Health’s office of public affairs sent the following response to our inquiry regarding brush clearing, weed abatement, removal of dead trees and pruning for safety’s sake:

By Miriam Raftery

April 8, 2020 (Poway) – “We looked different, but got things done as usual,” Poway Mayor Steve Vaus posted on Facebook, with a masked photo, following last night’s city council meeting. The Council met in Council chambers, but without an audience. To comply with social distancing requirements, the public could watch live online, call in or send comments in ahead of time.

By a unanimous vote, the Council approved a moratorium on commercial evictions due to COVID-19 impacts until May 31, provided the commercial tenant notifies the landlord promptly. The documentation may be as simple as a statement signed under penalty of perjury stating that the tenant has suffered financial hardship due to the COVID-19 emergency. Tenants would still owe the rent after May 31, unless they negotiate long-term repayment or other arrangements with their landlord.

April 7, 2020 (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.

• Over 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in March as economy collapsed (Washington Post)
• Pentagon Shuts Down Coronavirus Reporting Los Angeles Progressive)
• Here’s how freelancers can get unemployment pay for work lost to coronavirus (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Coronavirus' next casualty: The nation's biggest story could devastate news industry (USA Today)
• Can the news industry survive coronavirus? (Vanity Fair)
• Acting secretary of the Navy has submitted his resignation after calling ousted aircraft carrier captain 'stupid' (MSN)
• FEMA requests Pentagon's help in securing 100,000 body bags in preparing for COVID-19 spread (10 News)
• More than 1,000 in US die in a single day from coronavirus, doubling the worst daily death toll of the flu (USA Today)
• Food goes to waste amid coronavirus crisis (Politico)
• Tribe That Drew Trump’s Fire Over Casino Plan Loses Its Reservation Status (Huffington Post)
• Unafraid to call out Trump, Hogan emerges as lead GOP voice for urgent action on pandemic (Washington Post)

WORLD

• UK PM Johnson 'stable' in intensive care, needed oxygen after COVID-19 worsened (Reuters)
• Coronavirus cases surpass one million worldwide (CNN)
• Spanish Government Aims to Roll Out Basic Income ‘Soon’ (Bloomberg)
• Italian regions testing for signs of coronavirus immunity (Reuters)
• India has closed its railways for the first time in 167 years. Now trains are being turned into hospitals (CNN)

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

By Miriam Raftery

April 7, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- El Cajon now has 74 cases of COVID-19 reported, accounting fo 5.3% of the total cases in San Diego County, as of yesterday's figures released by County health officials.

The cities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Santee have 23, 13, and 16 cases respectively.

In the uincorporated communities, 157 cases are reported including 63 in communities not identified, 34 in Spring Valley, 12 in Lakeside, 8 in Ramona, 2 in Jamul, 1 in Alpine, and  a case or two each in even remote area such as Ranchita, Borrego Springs, and Descanso.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Miriam Raftery contributed to this story.

April 7, 2020 (San Diego's East County) Californians are living and working under a stay-at-home edict. But essential workers still commute and move about in the community coming and going from work.

Some companies have taken preemptive moves and emailed letters to their employees stating that they are essential workers, with instructions to show the letter if stopped by law enforcement. Others have lanyards displaying professional ID or company badges pinned to their clothing that may be worn during work times and commutes. 

One corporate worker who spoke off the record stated she was given a plaque to carry in her car. 

ECM reached out to the San Diego Sheriff’s office for its current directive for jurisdictions they cover and received this response:

Article and Picture: County News Service

April 6, 2020 (San Diego) --- On Sunday, April 5, 2020, San Diego County public health and elected officials, joined by leadership of Palomar Health, announced that a 250 bed Federal Medical Station was being loaned to the county and would be installed in two vacant floors of Palomar Medical Center Escondido. The action came in response to a county request on March 21. The equipment is expected to arrive in the next 10 days and will be operational within 48 hours of its installation by a federal team. Announcing the news were County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, Palomar Health President and CEO Diane Hansen, and Palomar Health Board of Directors Chair Dr. Rick Engel.

By David R. Shorey, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies

April 6, 2020 (San Diego) -- The past few months, as countries around the world have undertaken unprecedented efforts to distribute resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the United States, this was influenced by data collected from the U.S. Census. As we focus on the here and now, coincidentally, the time for conducting the 2020 U.S Census is upon us.