By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

November 28, 2018 (La Mesa) — The driver fell asleep at the wheel but was not injured.  But La Mesa resident and passenger Mykeah D. Simpson is now a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic due to the 2010 auto accident. 

By Miriam Raftery

November 27, 2018 (Alpine) – Alpine resident Rhonda Lamar will be opening her home on December 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to showcase 25 decorated, themed Christmas trees – all to benefit Rady Chldren’s Hospital of San Diego.  She’s decked the halls with a popular peppermint tree, a wine tree, a monkey tree and an elf tree, among others. All guests will also be treated to apple cider and cookies.

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By Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

November 26, 2018 (San Diego) - After a heartbreaking overtime loss to Hawaii on Saturday night, SDSU football head coach Rocky Long sat down with the media today and was surprisingly cheerful.

By Miriam Raftery

November 26, 2018 (San Diego) -- The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history is finally fully contained. The Camp Fire scorched over 153,000 acres and destroying 18,000 structures, including 14,000 homes. At least 85 people died and around 250 remain missing, though that’s far fewer than the over 1,000 listed as missing in the fire’s immediate aftermath.

November 26, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Alvarado Hospital opens new 30-bed geriatric psych unit (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• An insurance company wants you to hand over your Fitbit data so it can make more money. Should you?(Jewish World Review) 
• How can you tell whether your doctor is any good? (Jewish World Review) 
•  Veganism, vegetarianism, bone mineral density, and fracture risk (Oxford Univ. Press)
•  Sleep apnea patients learn insurers are using CPAP devices to surveil them (NPR)  

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Chinese Scientist Says He's First To Create Genetically Modified Babies Using CRISPR (NPR)
•  A new Venezuelan ID, created with China's ZTE, tracks citizen behavior (Reuters) 
• Bacteria That Absorbs CO2 Has Been Discovered at the Bottom of Pacific Ocean (Newsweek)
• Unexpectedly Vanishing Quasars Are Mystifying Scientists (Wired)
•  Radioactive Rocks Under Antarctica Make an Area of Ice the Size of Rhode Island Disappear (Newsweek)  

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

November 26, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – The first substantial winter storm of the season is predicted for this week. The National Weather Service is forecasting rainfall of up to two inches and snow in the mountains Wednesday through Sunday, with the heaviest precipitation likely on Thursday.

East County News Service

November 25, 2018 (Santee) – The Santee Historical Society invites you to an old-fashioned Christmas Open House on Saturday, December 1st from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Santee Barn (9200 Magnolia, between Mast and Mission Gorge Rd.)

East County News Service

November 25, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- The holiday season in East County has many fun and festive events coming up, including North Pole Limited train rides in Campo, the Spirit of Christmas in Lakeside, Ramona’s tree lighting with sleigh rides, outdoor ice skating at Viejas, the Alpine Parade of Lights and Snow Festival, La Mesa’s Holiday in the Village, Breakfast with Santa in Alpine, San Diego Festival Chorus & Orchestra’s Christmas concert and more.

Plus, there are some non-holiday happenings this season including concerts by such stellar performers as Fleetwood Mac, LeAnn Rimes, Barry Manilow, Tony Orlando and the Kingston Trio, a radio production of It’s a Wonderful Life, a comedy appearance by Trevor Noah,and a swingin’ holiday party with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

So scroll down for all of these events and more!

“The decision to release this damning report when families are beginning to celebrate the holidays and newsrooms are short-staffed is a brazen attempt to bury the truth.”

By Jake Johnson, staff writer, Common Dreams

November 25, 2018 (San Diego) - In a move environmentalists and journalists denounced as a blatant effort to bury facts that conflict with the president's denialism and pro-fossil fuel agenda, the Trump administration used the Friday after Thanksgiving to quietly release Volume II of the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4), which warned "Earth's climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization" and concluded that "greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the only factors that can account" for planet-threatening warming.

SDG&E now says it wants to exit power-purchasing business

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2018 (San Diego) – Across California, nearly 20 communities are now purchasing their own power through community choice energy programs that aim to lower utility bills and provide energy from clean, green sources. 

The concept is gaining bipartisan support locally, where Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced his intent in October for the city of San Diego to establish acommunity choice option backed by prominent Democrats on the city council. La Mesa’s city council voted unanimously in April to pursue a community choice energy alternative and Solana Beach already has one. There is also talk of some local jurisdictions banding together to form a regional community choice energy program for ratepayers.

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 24, 2018 (San Diego) - The San Diego State women’s basketball team (4-2) had their three-game winning streak snapped with an 81-64 loss to TCU (4-1) in the final game of the SDSU Thanksgiving Classic Saturday evening.

SDSU is now 4-1, their best start since the 2011-12 season 

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 23, 2018 (San Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball (4-1) won their third game in a row with an 83-67 win over California Baptist in the first game of the SDSU Thanksgiving Classic Friday evening. 

By Michelle Mowad, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 21, 2018 (San Diego) - Don’t want to fight the crowds on Black Friday? Enjoy a park at your own pace. County Parks and Recreation has declared Friday, Nov. 23 “Green Friday” to prompt families and friends to spend more quality time together outside on the day after Thanksgiving. Take a hike, tour a canyon, meet an animal ambassador – it’s all possible at parks on Green Friday.

Here are five great ways to celebrate the day:

East County News Service

November 21, 2018 (Santee) — Sheriff’s deputies have arrested Joseph Bodenstadt, 50, for allegedly stabbing his sister in the face.  He has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem and delaying a peace officer.

His sister is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

An East County Magazine exclusive report

View video with exclusive interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=984eIPcneAo or click the image above.

By Ana Nita

November 19, 2018 (Lakeside) – “I don’t know what started it,”  says El Monte Valley resident Dianna Alotta, who works and lives at a horse ranch close to where the #ElMonteFire began on Sunday afternoon. After her husband told her that a fire was burning, she recalls, “I looked over and there’s smoke, so I came running back here.” She adds, “Thank God a bunch of other people, neighbors and stuff pulled together, got the horses out of the danger range.”