July 25, 2013 (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

• Close Calls: When Emergency Help Comes Late (Voice of San Diego)
• El Cajon's 'America on Main Street' coming next June (U-T San Diego)
• La Mesa City Council: Amid bitter fight, Council clips budget, Madrid’s wings (La Mesa Today)
• San Vicente hydropower proposal gains momentum (Groksurf’s San Diego)
• Another accuser reports Filner behavior to state agency (KPBS)
•  Deputies to take on college campus duty (U-T San Diego)
• Plug officially pulled from nuke plant (U-T San Diego)

STATE

• Forbes college rankings: California universities top East Coast schools (Christian Science Monitor)
• Gold Rush era discards could fuel cell phones, TVs (Sacramento Bee)
• Ballot measure filed to raise state’s cap on medical claims (Sacramento Bee)

Click “read more” and scroll down for excerpts and full stories.

July 24, 2013

A four-month-old child who travelled out of San Diego Lindbergh Field may have exposed fellow travelers to pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory illness which is also known as whooping cough, according to San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials.

The child, who was up-to-date with vaccinations for his age, travelled with a parent from San Diego to Norfolk, Virginia on Friday, July 19. The child was seen by medical staff at Rady Children’s Hospital shortly before leaving. Tests later confirmed the child had pertussis.

July 25, 2013 (Ramona) –The Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona invites the public to one of East County’s most unique events, Watermelon Days on July 27 and 28 from 3-6 p.m.

The fun begins with an exotic bird show at 3 p.m., followed by a camel show at 4 p.m.  After that, you can feed watermelons to the camels, enjoy camel rides, and shop at the Camel Dairy store for gift items such as camel milk soaps and lotions.

By Nadin Abbott

July 24, 2013 (San Diego)— Tara Jones, President and founder of the National Women’s Veterans Association of America (NWVAA) today announced that the group has rescinded its invitation to Mayor Bob Filner as keynote speaker at its August 30 gala in San Diego.  The Mayor, who now faces accusations of sexual harassment, ironically was slated to address issues of military sexual assault, sexual harassment and violence against women.

“The Mayor speaking at our event interferes with the moral compass of my organization,” said Tara Jones, President and founder of  (NWVAA) at a press conference today at the Civic Center downtown where a pair of counter-protesters showed up in support of Filner.  Jones said that NWVAA has heard from thousands of people at the national level about “the public embarrassment that San Diego County is currently receiving.”

July 24, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon) has raised concerns over how federal agencies determine what materials will be classified and who will have access.  In a newsletter to constituents, Hunter suggested that “classification inflation” has occurred.

“In the ongoing debate on the activities of the National Security Agency, the abundance of classified documentation is one issue among others that demands further scrutiny,” Hunter’s newsletter states. “An excess of classified information and documents have required that the federal government issue more security clearances, without always taking the depth or context of information into account.  In some cases, the classification system is used to withhold information from the public and sometimes even Members of Congress.”

By Nadin Abbott 

Photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott   

July 23, 2013 (San Diego) – There is more to Comic-Con than Game of Thrones or cool costumes. Yes, there are plenty of incredible costumes. We promise to show you that aspect of the Convention later in the article with the Steam Punk reunion that happened on Saturday. That said, Comic-Con also has a strong educational aspect to it.

“July has been dedicated National Grilling Safety Month…”

July 24, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – “Dad, the burgers are burning, and so is the house!” Not something one wants to hear. While gas grills contribute to a higher number of home fires than their charcoal counterparts, all grills pose a risk for fires and burns, says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

By Greg Dunne

July 24, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Bird nests can be hard to observe. We usually just stumble across them out in nature. One place you can always see a large variety of Egret and Heron nests is in the Eucalyptus trees at Lindo Lake.

“Large” fledgling Egrets and Herons are leaving the nest at this time of the year. I say large because the Snowy and Great Egret babies getting ready to leave the nest are as big as their parents. It always looks a little odd to see Mother Egret feeding a bird nearly her own size in a very crowded nest.

Photo by Tom Lemon

On Friday, August 9, the Rising from the Ashes fundraiser will be held to cover cleanup costs of the Shrine Camp on Mount Laguna, which was devastated by the Chariot Fire.

The Al Bahr Shrine Center in San Diego will host the event from 5 to 11 p.m. in the Red Fez Room at the Al Bahr Shrine Center, 5440 Kearny Mesa Road in San Diego.  The event, which costs $20 will include dinner and entertainment.

The camp lost 23 buildings to the fire, including the Shriners’ 99-year-old lodge.

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

July 23, 2013 (San Diego)—Two press conferences were held yesterday regarding the scandal in San Diego City Hall involving Mayor Bob Filner.

Prominent attorney Gloria Allred announced that she has filed a civil lawsuit against Mayor Filner on behalf of Irene McCormack-Jackson in Superior Court. McCormack-Jackson read a statement and her lawyer answered some questions from the media.

Over the weekend, over 1,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers conducted Operation Allied Shield, resulting in nearly 400 arrests, including 34 gang members.

The operation included parole and probation checks, traffic stops, and serving search and arrest warrants to locate and arrest gang offenders.   Command posts were established in Spring Valley, San Diego and Vista.

July 22, 2013 (San Diego) – Summertime is the busiest marriage season. To help with increased demand the County Clerk’s Office has added “Walk in Wednesdays” to their services. For the past three Wednesdays, the County Clerk’s Office has been issuing marriage licenses and performing marriage services at the County Administration Center (CAC) without requiring a prior appointment. 468 marriage licenses and 270 ceremonies were performed at the CAC during that span. The “Walk in Wednesdays” will continue until September 25th.

July 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Bird Talk columnist Greg Dunne shared these images. He writes, “Out at my six-mile walk around Lake Murray Thursday towards the dam, I was treated to five fledgling Cooper's Hawks. I was able to observe them for quite a while.” The darker-backed Cooper's Hawks are the adults, he noted. “I could also tell the fledglings by their behavior, hopping around from branch to branch, making noise with their screeching, and just seeming unsure what to do next, while there was one that seemed a bit annoyed at all this commotion, and was a bit darker on the back side, and was a bit more poised than the young ones. A bit far away for good photos, but I really had a good time watching them.”

Photo: Debris in roadway at Ocotillo; photo by Jim Pelley

July 21, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- A flash flood watch has been issued for San Diego County’s mountains and deserts through Monday evening. Thunderstorms and heavy showers are forecast over  mountain and desert areas.  Flash flooding threat will remain high through early Monday night, especially in  areas recently burned by fires. 

This evening, flash flooding caused a rocky ride for motorists on roadways in East County’s mountains and deserts.  Mudslides caused major delays along Highway 78 at Yaqui Pass in the Anza-Borrego area.  Boulders in the roadway are blocking Montezuma Valley Road, forcing closure. Portions of S-2 and Borrego Valley Road are also shut down due to flooding and debris.

Representatives John Lewis and Susan Davis talk with ECM on civil rights and voting rights

“Comics can change history.” – Andrew Aidyn, coauthor

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

July 21, 2013 (San Diego)—Congressman John Lewis (D-GA-5) came to San Diego Comicon International to launch his story from the Civil Rights movement. This graphic novel is the first in a trilogy put out by Top-Shelf called March. It will be released to the general public next month.http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/march/760

“This is another way, another method of reaching people, telling the story, making it come alive,” the Congressman said, “especially for young people.”