“The danger is that consumers will be required to pay for an expensive gas-fired plant they don’t’ need now or in the future.” – The Utility Reform Network

By Miriam Raftery

February 24, 2013 (San Diego) – Why is the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) pushing for a fossil fuel power plant that many authoritative sources indicate is not needed and will prove costly to taxpayers?

In a letter sent February 20, 2013 to the California Public Utilities Commission, Lani Lutar, president and chief executive officer of the SDTCA, urged the Commission to postpone a decision on the Quail Brush gas-fired power plant near Mission Trails Regional Park, until after the California Energy Commission has completed its examination of the project. 

February 28, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A head-on collision has shut down eastbound Highway 94 at Peaceful Valley Ranch Road.   Westbound 94 is now reopened.

February 27, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--Want to learn how to identify signs of wildlife on the trail?  Join a Mission Trials Regional Park guide and tracking team member on the first Saturday of each month, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., for an adventure in wildlife tracking.

Learn the art of discovering signs left behind by resident creatures during two fun-filled hours of “dirt time.” These free tracking walks meet out in front of the Visitor Center and are suitable for the whole family.

February 27, 2013 (El Cajon) – SWAT team officers used tear gas to end a six-hour standoff and arrest Ennis Staten, 37, a domestic violence suspect who allegedly battered his wife, then threatened to kill himself and stab officers. 

El Cajon Police officers responded to a report of domestic violence at 353 Dominguez in El Cajon last night at 11:04 p.m. last night (Feb. 26), where a woman told them her husband had struck her repeatedly. Officers found her outside the apartment, suffering from facial injuries. She was transported to a hospital for treatment.

10News video

February 27, 2013 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Community Services is accepting enrollments now for the fall session that begins the week of November 5. Enrichment classes are for ages one year through adult.         

New youth classes offered: Chess Challenge, 10andUnder Tennis, Speed and Agility Training, and Tumbling. Other exciting enrichment programs offered include: Acting, Art, Dance, Gymnastics, Fencing, Ice Skating, Small Friends Enrichment Programs, Tiny Sports, and World of Rhythm.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

February 28 (Thursday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick's will host Co-editor of Patagonia's The Footprint Chronicles, Vincent Stanley, who will discuss and sign The Responsible Company. This event is free and open to the public. In order to be signed, The Responsible Company must be purchased from Warwick's.

February 27, 2013 (Palomar) --If you see smoke across San Diego's north inland areas, don't worry. The Cleveland National Forest is conducting burning operations this week on the northeastern side of Palomar Mountain along the Aguanga Ridge/Palomar Divide Road this week.  The Forest Service is burning fuels that have been piled as a result of fuel treatments in the area.

By Miriam Raftery

February 26, 2013 (San Diego's  East County) -- A colorful chapter from East County's past may soon come rumbling back.

Ernest Dahlman, chief executive officer of Pacific Imperial Railroad, has announced that he has signed a 99-year-lease with the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company. He is raising funds to restore and operate tracks on the Desert Line to run through mountains and deserts in San Diego, Imperial County and Baja, Mexico. 

Dahlman hopes to link the freight line up with trolley and train lines in San Diego, as well as a transcontinental railway route to the East.

The route through East County includes the rugged Carrizo Gorge.  An amazing feat to complete, the line was dubbed the “impossible railroad” by engineers when it was first proposed.

February 26, 2013 (San Diego)-- As one of 6,000 homeless or unaccompanied youths in the San Diego Unified School District, Jorge Palacios could have easily dropped out of school.  But he didn’t.  Now, his determination to graduate and move on to a college education was rewarded when he received keys to a newly refurbished vehicle from Caliber Collision’s Recycled Rides program last Friday.  

Caliber Collision’s Recycled Rides program partners with insurance companies to donate refurbished vehicles to individuals and service organizations in need.  Jorge’s new vehicle was donated by Esurance and refurbished by Caliber Collision associates who volunteered personal time to repair the car and solicit donations from local businesses to help with expenses such as gas and insurance.

By Janis Mork

February 19, 2013 (El Cajon)- The International Rescue Committee has partnered with Kaiser Permanente in El Cajon to open up a community garden for El Cajon residents, who wish to become gardeners by filling out a contract, to grow their food.

Anne Barron, community garden coordinator, gave ECM a tour of the garden, which is expected to open up in mid-March. The community garden is located at 203 Travelodge Drive in El Cajon. 

“On its face…it appears that the DEIS [Draft Environmental Impact Statement] fails to include any legally enforceable Public Health and Safety mitigation measures….A failure to mandate even minimal fire protection standards or a protection plan will not only endanger workers on-site, it represents a potential fire threat to the surrounding communities.” 

– Cynthia L. Eldred, attorney for the San Diego Rural Fire Protection District

By Miriam Raftery

February 26, 2013 (Campo) – An attorney representing the San Diego Rural Fire Protection District has sent repeated letters  to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) taking the agency to task for ignoring health, safety and fire concerns in its consideration of the Shu’luuk Wind project.    In a February 25, 2013 comment  submitted to the BIA, the district further accuses the BIA of violating federal law and failing to require mitigation of serious problems for the proposed project on the Campo Indian reservation.

Town sells to owner of clothing optional resort.

Hear our interviews: audio link at end of this article.

By Miriam Raftery

February 25, 2013 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Hoping to revitalize tourism in their community, leaders in the small eastern San Diego County community of Jacumba petitioned the State to change the town’s name back to Jacumba Hot Springs, as it was known in a bygone era.  Now it’s official, community members learned today.

“I am excited to announce that Jeff Chambers of the State of California Geographic Names Commission called Dave Landman, Mark Ostrander and Howard [Cook[ this morning to say that the Federal Geographic Names Commission has approved our name change (back to Jacumba Hot Springs) effective February 14th of this year,” Danielle Cook with the Jacumba-Boulevard Revitalization Alliance nformed ECM. 

By Jake Christie

February 20, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--I could’ve called it a “bomb” or a “fiasco”, but I prefer to call the mess that is the American private and public student loan system a “freight train” because the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming high-speed double diesel pulling 25 cars full of heavy loads.  The numbers surrounding the student loan mess are horrifying; the total student loan debt out is one trillion dollars, which is the entire US government budget in a year. Of that amount, $76 billion is in default, though Allan College of StudentLoanJustice.org put out a press release* doubting that figure because even defaulted loans have interest piled on top of them.

By Janis Mork

February 25, 2013 (Spring Valley)--CSEA’s (California School Employees Association) Chapter 419 has announced an agreement to save benefited positions in the Child Nutrition Department at La Mesa-Spring Valley School District middle schools.  

Anna Bongard, kitchen manager (left) with lunch workers Debbie Martin and Doris Evans

February 25, 2013 (Alpine) – Parks, housing, a proposed county equine ordinance, Forest Conservation Initiative lands, and Viejas’ plans for a parking garage are among the items on the agenda for the Alpine Community Planning Group this week.  For a full agenda and details, read more.