By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Stephanie Wiseberg

January 9, 2014 (San Diego) Updated January 10, 2014 – A motorcyclist who witnesses reported was speeding at up to 100 miles per hour and weaving across lanes struck a Hyundai sedan on I-8 eastbound west of Texas Street in Mission Valley around 4 p.m. today.  Both vehicles burst into flames.

Passerbys stopped and tried to douse flames with a fire extinguisher, also performing CPR on the motorcyclist, 22, from San Diego before firefighters and paramedics arrived, but he was declared dead at the scene.  He was driving a dark 2008 sport-type Suzuki motorcycle, according to CHP.

The Hyundai driver, a 53-year-old Chula Vista woman, escaped without injuries.

By Ariele Johannsen

January 9, 2014 (Lemon Grove)--Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan will be presenting free Sunday Zapateados on several dates from January to August this year at the Muevete Dance Studio in Lemon Grove. These presentations also provide information about the sampler or cuadro of dances performed, usually from one of the 32 regions of Mexico in each performance. The performances last about a half hour.

The first Zapateado performance in 2014 will be this Sunday at 2 p.m. on Jan.12 is from the region of Tamaulitas.

January 9, 2014 (San Diego) – Several recent sightings have been reported of missing 16-year-old Arielle Randall in the San Diego-Carlsbad areas, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

The Center is asking for public help to locate the missing Texas teen, who may be in the company of an unknown male.  Arielle is black and Hispanic, with brown hair and eyes. She is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. She has pierced ears.  She was last seen leaving her home in Grand Prairie, Texas on November 13, 2013 and has not been heard from since.

Rally at Environmental Protection Agency hearing shows no need for SDG&E’s dirty power plant

January 8, 2014 (Otay)--On December 17, local community organizations and residents from around the county rallied to ask the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deny a permit for SDG&E’s proposed fossil fuel power plant, Pio Pico, in San Diego. The hearing ironically falls on the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, a federal law requiring the EPA to develop and enforce regulations that protect citizens from breathing hazardous and harmful air.

January 8, 2014 (La Mesa) – In order to create a cleaner environment for our community, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free electronic waste (e-waste) recycling collection event on Saturday, January 11 and Sunday, January 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held in the parking lot of Grossmont Center between Chuze Fitness and Fuddruckers, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.

The event is a free service to everyone to properly dispose of your old TV's, computers, printers, and other approved items, and at the same time, help reduce improper and illegal dumping in our city and landfills. 

“…devote your time, energy, passion, and money to making sure that everyone has decent shelter, food, education, and medical care. That will be the true monument to Christianity.” – Joel A. Harrison

By Joel A. Harrison

January 8, 2014 (San Diego) -- In a 20-year saga that never ends, on December 12 U.S. District Judge Larry Burns ruled that the cross atop Mount Soledad was unconstitutional. Burns ordered the cross removed within 90 days; but then stayed that order until all appeals have been exhausted. And on December 19 an article in the San Diego U-TA reported an appeal is underway.

A similar controversy in East County several years ago was resolved when a cross atop Mt. Helix was transferred from public ownership to a private group of area homeowners. (Privatization is not an appropriate option for Soledad, since the site is a U.S. military memorial.) Instead of rehashing the Constitutional pros and cons, I would like to reflect a moment on my view of the meaning of Christianity—and the most appropriate monuments to faith and humanity.

“I think the new sign and banner ordinance is going to help distinguish the unique characteristics of each of the unincorporated communities,” said Board Chairwoman Dianne Jacob. The board’s vote Wednesday will repeal the County’s current policy of banning community signs on County roads and create new rules that allow a number of different kinds of signs and banners — permanent and temporary.

Because the rule changes will create a new County ordinance, the action must be approved by the Board again when they meet Jan. 29, and would take effect 30 days after that.

By Lydia Wisz

A group of forward thinking “movers and shakers” in the clinical world together on November 9 to discuss how food profoundly matters. The Nutrition in Healthcare Leadership Team (NHLT) is a subcommittee of the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, a program facilitated by Community Health Improvement Partners. This public health program is supported through partnerships with, Health Care Without Harm and San Francisco Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility.

All of these groups have coalesced to strengthen San Diego’s healthcare systems to promote healthful and sustainable food practices. This training inspires us to take a serious look at how our western diet is linked to our western disease epidemic.

Source: County News Service

January 8, 2014 (San Diego) -- Supervisor Dianne Jacob was named chairwoman of the County Board of Supervisors for 2014 Tuesday in the Board’s first meeting of the new year.

Board members voted unanimously to appoint Jacob as chairwoman, Supervisor Bill Horn as vice chairman and Supervisor Dave Roberts as chairman pro tem for 2014.

By E. Vernon Small

Mortgage Insurance is required on conventional and FHA loans if the loan to value of the loan amount exceeds 80% of the value of the home.  It is an insurance policy that covers the lender in case of default or loss when the loan balance exceeds the property value.

Unfortunately, most homeowners will have to refinance their current loan to remove mortgage insurance.  Below is a guide that simplifies the most common options.

January 7, 2014 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police ask public help to locate a white Ford truck that struck a pedestrian near Main Street and Jamacha at 10:09 p.m. last night. After the driver fled the scene, the pedestrian was hit by another vehicle and died at the scene.

It is believed that the initial vehicle involved in the collision that left the scene was a 2008-2010 Ford F-350 to F-550 utility work truck.  This truck is white in color, with a decal/logo on the front door, and is equipped with a personnel bucket lift/crane and a utility bed.  The truck should have damage to the right headlight area as a result of the collision.

January 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• Ocotillo, CA – A Wind project without wind (Reviving Gaia)
• 2013 among driest years in decades  ( U-T San Diego)
• Not taking liberties with legislative session (U-T San Diego)
• New mobile app shows San Diego beach conditions and water quality (KPBS)

STATE

• Ruling allows unauthorized immigrants to practice law (U-T San Diego)
• New California Law Requires Doctor's Note For Vaccine Exemptions... But There's An Out (KPBS)

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

January 7, 2013 La Mesa) --The San Diego East County Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce will hold a mixer on Tuesday, January 7 from 6-8 p.m. at BJ's restaurant in Grossmong Center, La Mesa. The event will feature two speakers:  Dr. Mummtaz Almansour & Paul Arvanitis. Our mixers are always well attended, full of movers and shakers as well as local dignitaries.

January 6, 2013 (Lemon Grove)--The Lemon Grove Historical Society, in cooperation with the San Diego County Library System, will present a new "Art Talk" showcasing the art of Kathleen Strzelecki on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 2 - 4 p.m. in the Rosemary Putnam Community Room of the Lemon Grove Library, 3001 School Lane. 

Youth focus group shows growing concern

January 5, 2014 (Spring Valley)– “After the assembly we had last week, I went to the bathroom. It was really smoky. I don’t think it was weed. It was hookah or something. I saw it and smelled it and just got out.”

Stories like this were common when students at a local East County high school participated in a focus group last month to discuss current drug trends on their campus, the Grossmont Union High School District reports.