Update October 17, 2013:  President Obama signed the measure into law last night, ending the shutdown.

By Nadin Abbott

October 16, 2013 (San Diego)--Tonight both the House and the Senate voted to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling—just in time to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on our national debt by tomorrow’s deadline. The measure will fund the Government until January 15 and raise the ceiling until February 17. Moreover, a conference committee between the House and the Senate to discuss the budget has finally been appointed.

Among San Diego’s Congressional delegation, only Republican Duncan Hunter was unwilling to prevent a default on America’s debts, casting a “no” vote.  Republican Darrell Issa joined with Democrats Susan Davis, Juan Vargas and Scott Peters to vote in favor of the continuing resolution to find the government and end the shutdown. Overall in the House, 285 voted yes and 144 voted no. 

The vote in the Senate was overwhelming, with 81 of 100 Senators voting for the bill, including most Republicans.  California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein both voted yes.

October 16, 2013 (Alpine) – The San Diego Business Associates presents Fall Festival October 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Albertsons Parking Lot, 2955 Alpine Blvd., Alpine.  This free family friendly event will benefit The Heights Charter School.  Come out and enjoy children’s entertainment & games, silent auction, food and local merchants.

Plea agreement ends his political career

By Miriam Raftery; photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

October 15, 2013 (San Diego) – Just hours after California Attorney General filed charges against Mayor Bob Filner, the former mayor pled guilty to felony false imprisonment and two misdemeanor counts of battery. Under a plea agreement, Filner will never seek public office again.

The victims were not named, identified only as “Jane Does.”  The felony case entailed Filner kissing a woman against her will and using the “Filner headlock” to restrain her.  Prosecutor Melissa Mandel  stated that the midsdemeanors  included kissing a woman on the lips without consent at a “Meet the Mayor” event and fondling another woman’s buttocks while having a photo taken at a rally.

By Miriam Raftery

October 15, 2013 (Descanso) – Debbie Ekhaml had just finished a horseback ride near Descanso and was eating lunch shortly after noon recently when a surprise visitor emerged. 

“This beautiful male Bobcat appeared and caught a gopher while we quietly sat under an oak and watched,” she told ECM. “ He hung around for about 50 minutes and tried to get a second one (unsuccessfully).  We were amazed not only to get to watch him, but to see him hunt in the middle of the day!”

 By Nadin Abbott

 October 14, 2013 (San Diego) Reports are coming in from the Philippines that the southern island of Bohol was hit with a magnitude 7.2 earthquake this evening, according to the United States Geological Service.  At least 20 people have died, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

According to Earthquake report, this was a shallow earthquake, which has caused building collapse, including the main church in Bohol, with Mindanao affected as well. USGS has a notice that due to the shut down, operation are at a minimum.

By Rebecca J. Wllliamson

October 15, 2013 (San Diego’s East Coutny) -- Droopy earlobes?  Here’s my solution: go up a notch.  Get a hole pierced higher than your original hole--not up the side of the earlobe but directly above.  This allows the lower hole to heal, over time. Wear dangling earrings  to camouflage the original piercing.

October 13, 2013 (La Mesa) -- Boosted by sponsorship of Drew Ford,  La Mesa Kiwanis Club will conduct its annual Soap Box Derby Rally Race on Saturday, November 2 in La Mesa.

"Families with kids from throughout Southern California, Arizona and Nevada are expected to make the trip," Blake said.  "Rally race winners in stock, super stock, and masters division cars earn points to help them qualify for the national race held each July in Akron, Ohio."

Labor and business groups voice support for casino jobs;  residents ask why community was excluded from meetings with Governor's staff, including a site visit

By Miriam Raftery

October 12, 2013 (Jamul) – A senior advisor to Governor Jerry Brown, Jacob Appelmith, has confirmed in a letter to Jamul Indian Village Tribal Chairman Raymond Hunter that the tribe has met requirements of the Tribal-State Gaming compact for a proposed casino on Highway 94 in Jamul.  “As you are aware, the State supports the Tribe’s efforts to mitigate any and all of the significant off-Reservation impacts,” the letter continued.

October 12, 2013 (Alpine) – The Alpine firefighters will be holding their 20th Annual Open House on October 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1364 Tavern Rd., Alpine.  It will be a fun day for the whole family with Fire K9 Pyro, Smokey the Bear, McGruff the crime dog and Sparky the fire dog.  The kids can enjoy face painting, balloons and a snake display.  Child I.D. and fingerprinting will be available courtesy of the Kiwanis Club.  There will also be food, fire displays, free gifts and raffles.

October 12, 2013 (Washington D.C.) --As the economically damaging government shutdown entered its 12^th day, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) took an extraordinary legislative step to bypass the Speaker of the House and force a vote to open the government.

“A majority of the Congress wants to end the government shutdown and stop the economic harm it is causing,” said Davis. “Legislation to open the federal government is sitting on the Speaker’s desk, having passed the Senate two weeks ago. Unfortunately, he won’t let the House vote. This move will apply the necessary pressure to force a vote to end the shutdown.”

Davis joined her House colleagues in signing what is known as a discharge petition to require the Speaker to bring the Senate-passed government funding bill to the House floor for an immediate vote. If a majority of the House signs the petition, a vote would be scheduled.

By Miriam Raftery

October 11, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – If you leave a loaded gun where a child can access it, you’ll be committing a crime in California. If you store a loaded gun where someone prohibited from owning a gun has access and injures someone, you'll be guilty of criminal storage.  These are among nearly a dozen new gun laws signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.

If you own a long gun, you’ll need to earn a safety certificate under a bill authored by Senator Marty Block (D-San Diego).

Pscyhotherapists will be required to report a serious threat of violence made by a patient against any specific victims to police within 24 hours. Police must notify the California Justice Department within a day after getting the report. The bill seeks to prevent a tragedy such as the Aurora, Colorado theater massacre; the shooter had threatened violence to his psychiatrist but doctor-patient confidentiality law prohibited the psychiatrist from notifying police.  A patient who threatens a psychotherapist will be banned from owning a gun for five years (currently the limit is six months). 

Dorcas E. Utter Butterfly Pavilion and diverse plant sale at Water Conservation Garden

October 11, 2013 (Rancho San Diego) -- Considering fall and winter as prime gardening months would be scoffed at in many parts of the United States, but not in San Diego, with its Mediterranean climate characterized by mild-to-cool wet winters, and warm-to-hot dry summers.  The Fall Planstravaganza!, held at the Water Conservation Garden from 9am-4pm on Saturday, November 2, 2013, helps San Diegans make the most of the region’s fall-to-spring planting season and save water while they do it.

by Mark Gabrish Conlan  for East County Magazine, www.eastcountymagazine.org

I will not live my life for any other man, nor ask any other man to live his life for mine. — Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

October 10, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- As I’m writing this, it’s the eighth day of the shutdown of the federal government, and there’s no end in sight. What’s more, unless Congress acts to expand the so-called “debt ceiling” — the total amount of money the federal government can borrow to fund its current obligations ­— by October 17, the U.S. could default on its loans for the first time in its history.

Economists and businesspeople are warning that this could be catastrophic for the future not only of the U.S. but the entire world’s economy. As Douglas Cote, chief market strategist for IMG Investment Management U.S. in New York — not exactly your most flaming liberal or Leftist source — was quoted in the October 3 Los Angeles Times, the politicians who have brought about the government shutdown and are threatening to force the U.S.’s first-ever default are playing “a form of Russian roulette with a loaded gun.”

 October 7, 2013 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  has issued a broad public health alert due to 278 illnesses in 18 states caused by strains of Salmonella Heidelberg.  The illnesses, which are mainly in California, are believed to be associated with raw chicken products produced by Foster Farms at three facilities in California.

October 10, 2013 (Kensington) – The Ken Cinema in Kensington, which celebrated its 100^th anniversary last year, is one of only two regularly operating single-screen theaters in San Diego (the other being the new Digital Gym Cinema in North Park, which opened up in April this year).  The Ken is known for two things, the first being San Diego’s home to unique, niche films (as I’ve written about before).