July 29, 2013 (El Cajon) – El Cajon City Manager Douglas Williford announced today that he has appointed Majed Al-Ghafry as the new Assistant City Manager.  Al-Ghafry currently serves as the Director of Public Works for the City of San Antonio, Texas, the nation’s 7th largest city.  Prior to that, Al-Ghafry served as the Director of Public Works for the City of North Las Vegas, Nevada.

July 29, 2013 (San Diego) – The League of Women Voters of San Diego County presents the annual County League Day on Friday, August 9, 2013 at the new County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa at 5510 Overland Avenue, San Diego. 

The host is County Supervisor and League Member Dave Roberts.  Lunch will be provided at the center and a tour of the art installations will be given.

July 28, 2013 (San Diego’s East county) – The El Cajon Police Department, La Mesa Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the FBI are seeking the public’s assistance to identify an unknown male believed to be responsible for several bank robberies this month. 

Update: This fire was contained after scorching approximately 25 acres.

July 28, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- A SIG ALERT has been issued due to a fast-moving brush fire that is now 25 to 30 acres.  Highway 94 is closed from Otay Lakes to State Route 188 in the Barrett Junction area. In addition, the Tecate border crossing is closed, CHP reports.

A full wildland response has been ordered including air tankers for the blaze, named the Flume Fire, Cal Fire reports.  Aerial fire retardant drops are slowing the rate of spread. No structures are threatened at this time. 

July 28, 2013 (El Cajon) – Today, El Cajon Police announced the arrest of Israel Soto and Jessica Quezada for the death of their four-month-old baby. The couple’s other three children, ages 3, 2, and 1, have been taken into protective custody by Child Protective Services.

By Nadin Abbott

July 27, 2013 (San Diego) This has been a busy few weeks of news gathering for East County Magazine. We were at the scene shortly after the Chariot Fire started. We made multiple trips to Mount Laguna reporting on the fire’s path and damage behind fire lines, also visiting the evacuation center. We remained long after other news media left, if they came at all.  We were at the fire scenes in Ranchita, the Old Fire, the Shockey Fire and more – sometimes in the middle of the night. 

We regularly cover local boards and commissions that the San Diego media ignores.  We drove to Julian to cover fire board meetings and report on citizens’ concerns when the fire department was at risk of dissolving and being taken over by the county.  We went downtown to cover hearings on the controversial County wind ordinance, the Quail Brush power plant, and other hot land-use issues impacting East County.

July 26, 2013 (Ramona) – Two months after the County Department of Animal Services (DAS) impounded ten horses in Ramona, another 22 were seized from the same owner Monday.

DAS had been monitoring the herd belonging to Lori Patton since the original seizure May 23 to make sure the animals were getting the proper level of care. 

By Nadin Abbott

July 25, 2013 (San Diego) Late today, the Central Committee of the San Diego County Democratic Party voted 34 to 6 to ask Mayor Bob Filner to step down over sexual harassment allegations made by numerous women. This was a supermajority vote.

“With very heavy hearts but clear minds the members of the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee met this evening,” said Francine Busby, chair of the party. We affirmed our commitment to our vision of a San Diego as a city of diverse vibrant communities where every neighborhood is a priority.”

“We aren’t trying to avoid anything,” said Chairman Jack Phillips (photo, left). “We haven’t had anything to put on the agenda.”

By Jake Christie

For possibly the first time ever in its 30- year history, the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group has cancelled two and a half months of meetings, from May 21 to July 16. The planning group members are elected, unpaid volunteers serving on the advisory group overseeing land use issues in a 19 square mile unincorporated area which covers Casa de Oro, Mt. Helix, Rancho San Diego, and Vista Grande Hills.

The group normally meets twice a month in the training room of the Otay Water District Headquarters on Sweetwater Springs Boulevard at 7 p.m.

July 25, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- Two weeks after finding the first sign of West Nile virus this season — a dead infected crow — two more dead infected birds have been discovered.

Two dead American crows, one from Ramona and one from Carlsbad, were turned in by members of the public and have tested positive for the disease. The first bird, also an American crow, was found near Lakeside.

County vector control and environmental health officials said the discoveries are a reminder that people should protect themselves from West Nile virus, a potentially-deadly disease that is transmitted to people most often by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds.

Thousands of dollars in fabulous prizes--and a wild west show!

Listen to our audio preview for this exciting event 

July 12, 2013 (Descanso) --Descanso Junction is firing up the BBQ to help us celebrate East County's western heritage at our Wild West Fest and BBQ on Saturday, August 10 from 4-7 p.m. at the historic Descanso Town Hall (24536 Viejas Grade Road, Descanso).  Prince includes BBQ feast, wild west show, dancing, live music, and prizes galore!

Your ticket ($15 at early-bird rates, $20 at the door) includes a delicious tri-tip and chicken barbecue feast,  Wild West show, live music, dancing, and a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes.The Hole in the Wall Gang and  Gaskill Brothers Gunfighters will provide live western reenactments with a full half-hour wild west show. Author Bryon Harrington will be there with his book, Campo, the Forgotten Gunfight. Plus we'll have a Doc Holliday reenactor. Pine Creek Posse Band will provide live music- so bring your dancing shoes (or your cowboy boots!)

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PRIZES: Prizes include a vacation at the Viejas Resort, "cowboy for a day" at Campo Creek Ranch, gift certificates from delicious restaurants, $165 in hay bales, gifts from feed stores, retail shops, salons, leather bag from MCClintock Saddleworks, hay bales, winery gift baskets, bowling, buffets, event tickets and even a free rental at Descanso Town Hall! and more. Descanso Junction will serve up the barbecue feast. KNSJ 89.1 FM radio will be on hand to record YOUR stories, too.

July 24, 2013 (Del Cerro) – An unidentified man was stabbed twice on July 20 at 10:25 p.m. at Adobe Falls Road in Del Cerro.  The incident began when several males became belligerent on a party bus, San Diego Police report. 

The driver, a 30-year-old man, told them to get off the bus.  The assailants reportedly began punching the driver.  After another group of males in the same age group intervened, one of the men was stabbed with an unknown object. 

July 25, 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.

• Justice Department to challenge states’ voting rights laws (Washington Post)
• A political chill for charities? (Jewish World Review)
• Mood turns somber for Democrats in 2014 race for Senate control (The Hill)
• Trayvon Martin's parents lead protests over Zimmerman verdict (Reuters)
•  George Zimmerman Saves Family of Four From Car Wreck (Reason)
• Transparency Fail (Reason)
• Residents Forced To Live Without Landlines (NPR)

 WORLD

• Al Qaeda militants flee Iraq jail in violent mass break-out (Reuters)
• Al Qaeda growing, but less focused on US, study finds (CS Monitor)
•  Crippled Japanese nuclear plant leaking radiation into sea (NBC/AP)
• Polio Eradication Suffers A Setback As Somali Outbreak Worsens (NPR)
• Taliban-style edict for women spreads alarm in Afghan district (Reuters)
• 20 cars torched near Paris after veil tensions (U-T San Diego)
• Iran denies missing World Bank payments, blames sanctions (Reuters)
• Israel to free Palestinian prisoners for peace talks: minister (Reuters)
• EU blacklists Hezbollah - sort of (CS Monitor)
• Pope Francis speaks against drug liberalization (U-T San Diego)
• Report: Yemeni Journalist Who Obama Reportedly Helped Keep Behind Bars Is Now Free (Reason)
• China indicts ex-politician Bo Xilai for graft (U-T San Diego)
• Spain train derailment scene deemed 'Dante-esque' by official (CS Monitor)
• .Russia's top lawyers sound alarm about government abuse of the Constitution  (CS Monitor)
• Which Nations Hate The U.S.? Often Those Receiving U.S. Aid (NPR)

Scroll down or click “read more” for excerpts and links to full stories.

July 25, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future.

• Why Skipping Breakfast Might Raise Risk Of Heart Disease (NPR)
• Two Danish cities put a moratorium on wind turbines (EPAW)
• Water birds turning up dead at solar projects in desert (Rewire)
• Paying women to take big risk (U-T San Diego)
• Scientists discover what’s killing the bees—and it’s worse than you thought  (Quartz)
• Study raises new concern about earthquakes and fracking fluids (Reuters)
• Enlisting Passers-By In Scientific Research (NPR)
• Leading Danish newspaper severely criticizes Vestas on noise issue(Jyllands-Posten)

Click "read more" and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

By Miriam Raftery

July 25, 2013 (San Diego) –An amendment that sought to ban the National Security Agency from collecting phone and Internet records on Americans who are not under investigation failed to win passage in the House of Representatives today.  The Amash amendment, a bipartisan proposal to a spending bill,  was narrowly defeated 205-217.

 All five members of the San Diego Congressional delegation voted to defeat the measure including Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa as well as Democrats Juan Vargas, Susan Davis, and Scott Peters.

Supporters of the amendment argued that the NSA overstepped its authority by conducting warrantless spying on citizens--activities never authorized by Congress and that some contend violates the Constitution.