October 2, 2011 (Borrego) – Cal Fire reports  that the Great Fire, which started south of 78 near Julian yesterday (see ECM report ), has grown to 2,000 acres and is only 5% contained, Cal Fire spokesoperson Roxanne Provaznik confirms. 

October 2, 2011 (Rancho San Diego)—The Water Conservation Garden, in partnership with the San Diego County Watershed Protection Program, has opened a new exhibit that highlights storm water pollution prevention.  The  public is invited to view the new exhibit any time during its normal operating hours—9am-4pm, 7 days a week.  The new exhibit features a permeable pavement installation, complete with re-circulating fountain, situated alongside a straw bale house with a green, living roof.  Funding for the exhibit comes from a generous grant from the County of San Diego’s Watershed Protection Program.

 Update October 2, 2011 6:45 p.m. --The Great Fire is 20 percent contained and holding at 2,000 acres. Currently there are 119 engines, 52 fire crews, eight bulldozers, and 21 water tenders at the scene, a total of 1,486 firefighters. Fire crews have four miles of containment line to construct; cost to fight the fire is estimated at $650,000, said Roxanne Provaznik at Cal-Fire. 

October 1, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Police Officer Jason Prokop was struck and killed early this morning while attempting to come to the aid of a motorist after his vehicle struck a stopped car ahead of him. He was off duty at the time, said Lt. Andra Brown. A five-year veteran of the police force, Prokop was married and leaves behind a toddler and an infant, ECM News partner 10 News reports.

October1, 2011 (Sa Diego) – Debra L. Reed, who was elected chief executive officer and a director of Sempra Energy in June, has been named to Fortune magazine’s 2011 list of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business,” published online today. 
This year marks the first time Reed has been recognized on this prestigious annual list, which was launched in 1998 to honor successful women in business.

By Bruce Sims

October 1, 2011 (Escondido)--In a workshop on September 28 regarding a proposed change from a general law city to a charter city, there were presentations made by various entities for and against the measure. Among some three dozen private citizens who spoke out, the voices were unanimously against the controversial proposal.

September 30, 2011 (La Mesa)-- Daniel Guzman, 51, of La Mesa has been arrested following a 2:13 a.m. response by La Mesa Police Department to a call of a domestic violence assault in the 5000 block of Thorne Drive. The female victim met officers outside.

Update October 1:  The Chihuahua Fire in Warner Springs was 50% contained as of 9 a.m. October 1. Cal-Fire has estimated the total acreage downward to 40 acres (from 100 acres estimated yesterday).  The Border Fire is 100% contained.

September 30, 2011 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) has been awarded a nationally competitive grant of nearly $900,000 to improve the processing time of CalFresh applications through increased use of technology. The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s effort to support programs like CalFresh (formerly known as food stamps.)

By Brian Lafferty

September 30, 2011 (San Diego) – Happy, Happy opens today at the Landmark Ken Cinema for a one-week run. It’s a delightful Norwegian import that is at times laugh out loud funny and other times full of drama. Anne Sewitsky helmed the movie, her first feature film. I had a brief conversation with her by phone.

By Miriam Raftery

September 29, 2011 (San Diego) Updated 10 p.m. -- Keith Slotter, Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego FBI office today announced arrest of 36 people with ties to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Six defendants were already in custody and four are considered fugitives at this time.

An East County Magazine exclusive interview

By Jeremy Los