VIEW FBI VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/NJMZ1D0R98E 

East County News Service

December 3, 2019 (San Diego) --  The San Diego FBI and federal prosecutors yesterday announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest  or conviction of Jehad Serwan Mostafa, 37, in any country. Mostafa is a U.S. citizen who grew up in San Diego. He reportedly joined the al-Shabaab terrorist organization and has been named by the FBI as “the “highest ranking American fighting overseas.”

An indictment unsealed in federal court this week reveals that Mostafa is charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as conspiracy to provide material to terrorists and to a foreign terrorist group. Mostafa was charged in 2009 on similar counts. Now authorities believe he continued providing support to terrorists until at least February 2017. 

Source: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

December 1, 2019 (San Pasqual) -- San Diego Zoo Global announced the successful birth of a female southern white rhino calf on November 21 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park—the conservation organization’s second rhino born after hormone-induced ovulation and artificial insemination. This calf’s birth also is a milestone, since she is the 100th southern white rhino born at the Safari Park.

Artificial insemination of southern white rhinos has rarely been successful in the past; this is only the second successful artificial insemination birth of a southern white rhino in North America. The first was Edward, born to mom Victoria, at the Safari Park’s Nikita Kahn Rhino Rescue Center on July 28.

Tea Adams had 16 points and a career-high eight assists

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 30, 2019 (San Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball team (3-5) fell to Arkansas State (2-5) 71-62 inside Viejas Arena Saturday afternoon. SDSU trailed for most of the game but strung together a run late in the fourth quarter to pull within five points. However, they missed seven of their final eight shots and dropped their third game in a row.

By Miriam Raftery

View proposal: click here

November 30, 2019 (Valley  Center) – SDG&E has submitted a notice of construction for a fire-hardening project in Valley Center. The public has until December 3 to submit any protest letters for the project, which is slated to begin construction on January 30, 2020.

The project would remove about 7 miles of an exiting powerline alignment (tie-in 6926) from the Rincon Substation to Valley Center Substation and leave existing distribution circuits in place.  About 6 miles of the tie-line would be installed underground in road right-of-way from Valley Center Substation to a cable pole on Pauma Heights Road. From there, another 3 miles of overhead line would be installed in a double-circuit overhead configuration on an existing powerline alignment from the Pauma Heights Road pole to the Rincon substation.

East County News Service

November 30, 2019 (Alpine) --  Dr. Helen Horvath, candidate for the 50th Congressional District, will hold a candidate forum and community food drive at the Alpine Library Community Room in Alpine on Dec. 13 from 5-7 p.m.

Topics will include:

• Integrative Community Services
• Women’s healthcare
• Veterans’ initiatives
• Small business concerns and development
• Senior Care (Medicare, social security, and related topics)
• Balanced budget efforts
• Immigration and border security
• Other community topics as they are requested

Residents are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for redistribution in our community.  Click this link for more information about the food drive. Food is only accepted on the day of the Town Hall Meeting. The food drive is part of a two-month “hand-up” campaign starting Dec. 1 that Horvath has launched, asking constituents to bring non-perishable foods to her community coffees and town halls.

East County News Service

November 29, 2019 (El Cajon) – The ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter will present the 11th annual ALS Golf Classic, a fundraising golf tournament, on Friday, Dec. 6 at the Singing Hills Golf Resort at Sycuan, 3007 Dehesa Road, El Cajon. The tournament is open to the public.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

November 28, 2019 (El Cajon) -- Longtime Cajon Valley Union School District Board member Jill Barto on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit against the district, Superintendent David Miyashiro and four trustees over what her attorney, Mike Aguirre, alleges are violations of her civil and First Amendment rights.

The suit alleges that since she was re-elected to her seat on the Board of Trustees in November 2018, she experienced retaliation and had her civil rights violated by Miyashiro and others after she questioned Miyashiro’s use of district funds and his travel at district expense.

“The School District Board Superintendent and four other board members have retaliated against Plaintiff and conspired against her in violation of her First Amendment rights under the United States Constitution,” the suit alleges. “Defendant’s retaliatory conduct has repeatedly tried to prevent Plaintiff from fully representing the constituents that elected her to the Board,” it continues. The suit lists does 1-50, leaving open the possibility of adding other defendants.

Safety concerns raised; court ruling by Judge Randa Trapp could be death knell to Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

November 20, 2019 (Julian) -- With a stroke of a gavel, San Diego Superior Court Judge Randa Trapp on Friday morning dashed hopes of volunteers from the former Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District that the district will be resurrected anytime soon.

Judge Trapp denied the motion filed by JCFPD’s attorney Cory Briggs last April 10, which sought to invalidate the dissolution of the volunteer fire and medical protection district by the San Diego Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO). Briggs filed the motion to appeal the afternoon after LAFCO’s vote.

Within hours of Trapp’s decision Friday, despite a new appeal of Friday's judgement filed by Briggs, the County Fire Authority operated by CALFIRE raided Julian Fire Station 56, towing away or hauling off all remaining firefighting equipment of the JCFPD including fire engines and ambulances. A broker has reportedly indicated that at least some of the equipment is being put up for sale, instead of being either held for the JCFPD in case of a win on appeal, or turned over to the CFA/CALFIRE to utilize to protect Julian.

Briggs called the action a “raid.”  Some Julian residents cried, while others voiced anger.

The action leaves Julian entirely dependent upon the CFA/CAL FIRE for protection, despite grave concerns raised by many residents over serious gaps in equipment and coverage since the JCFPD was dissolved.

East County News Service

November 27, 2019 (San Diego's East County) – Coldwell Banker West (CBW), one of San Diego County’s largest real estate brokerages with East County offices located in El Cajon and La Mesa, has announced a merger with San Diego-based Ascent Real Estate. The merger was jointly announced by Peter Mendiola, CBW president, and Penny Nathan, president/CEO of Ascent, who will become a partner of CBW. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

By Miriam Raftery

November 26, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove City Council will hold a special meeting on December 2 at 6 p.m. to interview applicants to fill vacancies on the City Council and Planning Commission.  A wide range of people have applied for these positions, bringing a diversity of skills and backgrounds. 

Here are summaries of each applicant's primary qualifications and aspirations:

November 26, 2019 (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.

• Farm bankruptcies jump to highest level since 2011 as Trump’s tariffs bite (Business Insider)
• Trump says he will designate Mexican drug cartels as terror organizations (The Hill)
• Exclusive: Giuliani associate willing to tell Congress Nunes met with ex-Ukrainian official to get dirt on Biden (CNN)
• Giuliani is said to be under investigation for Ukraine work (New York Times)
• DNA test shows Hunter Biden is father of Arkansas woman’s baby (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

WORLD

• In squalid Mexico tent city, asylum seekers are growing so desperate they're sending their children over the border alone (Washington Post)
• Netanyahu charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust (CNN)
• Italian Council is flooded immediately after rejecting measures on climate change (CNN)
• Koalas ‘Functionally Extinct’ After Australia Bushfires Destroy 80% Of Their Habitat (Forbes)
• Hong Kong police warn city on ‘brink of total collapse’ (Financial Times)

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