August 29, 2013 (San Diego) –- Hit the books and relax with a quiet "study buddy" kitty by your side. 

County Animal Services' three animal shelters are overstocked on cats so for a limited time only, adoption fees for cats 6 months and older are only $5 through the month of September.

San Diego Zoo, which manages the shelter, disputes AP report

By Miriam Raftery; photo courtesy of the San Diego Zoo

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Earlier this week, Associated Press ran a story which stated, “Federal funds  are running out at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center and officials plan to close the site and euthanize hundreds of the tortoises they’ve been caring for since the animals were added to the endangered species list in 1990.”

But the San Diego Zoo, which managers that center, told East County Magazine that while the center’s funding is in question, no healthy tortoises will be euthanized.  The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has also issued a press release finding fault with AP’s reporting.

August 29, 2013 (Julian) --The Julian Arts Guild will present "September Song" a Fine Art Show at the Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main Street, Julian, CA, over the Labor Day weekend, August 30 through September 2, 2013. The show will be open each day from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Included will be local and regional artists working in a rich diversity of artistic media: oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings; drawings in pen, pencil and pastel; photography; printmaking; ceramics, jewelry, collage, assemblage, glass, mosaics, sculpture, and more.

Meet the artists at the show opening in the Town Hall on August 30th from 6–8 pm. Admission to the Julian Arts Guild Labor Day weekend art show is FREE. Each day different artists will be available to talk about their work.  The theme, “September Song” will be reflected in landscapes but also in other creative motifs.

August 29, 2013 (Spring Valley) – According to Sheriff’s detectives, an armed robbery took place at a Subway located at 289 Sweetwater Road on August 22 at about 12:40 a.m.  The suspect, wearing a knit, ski mask and armed with a black handgun, allegedly ordered one of the employees to open the cash register, from which he took the money and left. 

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Nadin and Tom Abbott

Part two in a three-part series (Read Part One and Part Three)

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Dana Stevens, Executive Director of the Communities against Substance Abuse (CASA), presented a PowerPoint presentation on bullying for parents last week during a forum on child safety in Santee.  East County Magazine has also recently spoken with other bullying experts to get tips on keeping kids safe. 

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – As San Diego heads into the warmest weather of the year, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is encouraging customers to sign up for Reduce Your Use alerts, to help them earn bill credits for saving energy during hot summer days when demand for electricity is high.

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – An unprecedented reduction in reservoir releases on the Colorado River announced on Friday, August 16 by the Bureau of Reclamation won’t cut water supplies to agencies in San Diego County or the rest of the Southwest during the 2014 “water year,” but the move does underscore the importance of continued conservation and water-supply diversification across the region.

August 29, 2013 (El Cajon) – The presidents of sister colleges in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will be among the performers in a pair of staged readings of the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe at 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 6, and Saturday, September 7, in Room 220 of Building 26 on the Grossmont College campus.

Presidents Mark Zacovic of Cuyamaca College and Sunita V. Cooke of Grossmont College will read some Poe poems that have held them in their thrall since their childhoods.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Next weekend is the start of Labor Day Weekend.  In order to ensure your Labor Day is a good one, there are some simple safety precautions to consider, says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.  Anyone want to barbecue or picnic?  Keep a close eye on the grill to ensure safety at all times.  Keep children away.  Keep the grill away from combustibles and vegetation.

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – The FBI and San Diego Police Department announced the arrest of Cesar Daniel Flores, age 23, of Santee as a result of the investigation into the robbery of the San Diego County Credit Union, 2245 Fenton Parkway, San Diego on Friday, August 2.

Flores was arrested on Saturday at the Mission Valley Mall after an off-duty FBI Agent spotted Flores at a bus stop.  After seeing Flores, the Agent contacted San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and requested a uniform Patrol Officer to respond to the area. When the agent and SDPD Officer returned to the bus stop they discovered Flores had left the area. After a brief search of the area, Flores was located in the mall and taken into custody without incident.

August 28, 2013 (San Diego's East County) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Obama orders release of report justifying Syria strike (CNN)
• Facebook says countries sought data on 38,000 users in first half of 2013 (Reuters)
• After six budget showdowns, big government is mostly unchanged  (Washington Post)
• A face in the crowd: say goodbye to anonymity (CBS)
• Secret Ruling Found NSA's Surveillance Violated Constitution (NPR)
• Inside The Beef Industry's Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs (NPR)
• Beware of Warrior Cops (Reason)
• The FISA Court Didn’t Even Know NSA Was Collecting Some Domestic Communications (Reason)
• New Details On How U.S. 'Helped Saddam As He Gassed Iran'(NPR)
• Bradley Manning: 'I Am A Female,' Call Me Chelsea (NPR)  

WORLD

• Fears of food and water poisoning after Damascus gassings
• Tens Of Thousands Flee Syria After Alleged Chemical Attacks (NPR)
• Mexico officials find mass grave east of capital (U-T)
• Do rockets in Israel indicate Al Qaeda presence in Lebanon? (CS Monitor)
• Israel says bombed Lebanon in retaliation for rocket attack (Reuters)
• Israel military: 4 rockets fired, none hit country (AP)
• Bodies still being found after alleged Syria chemical attack: opposition (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2013 (El Cajon) – A century ago, one of the first actions of El Cajon’s City Council was to outlaw saloons due to concerns over negative influences of alcohol on the community. Those restrictions were later relaxed.  But yesterday, Council once again voted to restrict sales of alcohol, over the objections of local merchants and the East County Chamber of Commerce.

By a unanimous vote, Council approved the “deemed approved” ordinance aimed at curbing serial inebriates from purchasing single-serve alcoholic beverages at markets.

By Derek Carlyon

August 28, 2013 (Otay) -- At the start of Little League season, every young player dreams of earning a trip to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to play in the Little League World Series.  For  12 young players from San Diego’s own Eastlake Little League in Otay, that dream became a reality. 

On Thursday at 6 p.m., a big homecoming is planned for the U.S. champion Eastlake All Stars team at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre.

August 28, 2013 (San Diego) – San Diego State University is back to school, welcoming nearly 8,000 new students to campus. For an easier and less stressful commute starting the first day of the fall semester, August 26, SDSU offers the following parking and traffic tips.

San Diego State University Parking Services will implement the SDSU Traffic Management Plan for fall 2013 with staffing from multiple agencies to assist faculty, staff, students and the College Area community with traffic flow, directions and parking.

For an easier and less stressful commute on the first day of the fall semester, SDSU offers the following parking and traffic tips.

August 28, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- A flash flood warning is in effect until 4:15 p.m. for east central San Diego County. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are occurring in and around the Chariot Fire burn area. 

Doppler radar estimates up to 0.6 inches of rain has fallen in the burn area in about 30 minutes this afternoon. This is well in excess of U.S. G.S. thresholds for debris flows from this burn scar. Roads, trails and campgrounds located along drainages within or below the burned basins can be impacted by flash floods and debris flows. This includes areas along Highway S-2 and the great Southern Overland Stage route as wel as the Butterfield Ranch area.