By Miriam Raftery

August 10, 2018 (Lakeside) – Weasels haven’t been seen for five years at Lakeside’s Lindo Lake County Park. But this morning, photographer Billy Ortiz videotaped a welcome sight:  a weasel has returned.

“This weasel brings me more joy than any other animal, just cracks me up watching its antics,” he wrote on Facebook. 

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo: Bessmon "Ben" Kalasho, August 2015

August 9, 2018 (El Cajon)--An exclusive investigation by East County Magazine has uncovered a criminal case in which El Cajon Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho pled guilty to two counts of workers’ compensation fraud in October 2015 (court case #MD094871).  View full documents. 

Kalasho was on probation for his crimes, both misdemeanors, when he ran for and won his seat on the City Council in 2016. He remains on probation until October 1, 2018. He was also fined.  

His criminal record did not come to light during the campaign because he ran for office as Ben Kalasho without listing his real name, Bessmon Kalasho, with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Kalasho has pulled papers to run for El Cajon City Council again in November.   

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

August 9, 2018 (Dulzura) -- A brush fire has been broken out at Highway 94 and Freezer Road in Dulzura this evening. Firefighting aircraft have been dispatched to the scene. 

Crews are staging at Lucky Six Truck Trail and Highway 94, the Deerhorn Antler reports.

Update 7:30 p.m: The Rangeland Fire is 250 acres and 60%  contained. A firefighter has suffered minor injuries. Units will remain on scene through tomorrow. SDG&E's air crane has been assisting in battling the blaze (photo).

August 9, 2018 (Ramona)-- The Rangeland Fire in Ramona has burned approxiamtely 150 acres near highway 78 and Rangeland Road. The blaze, which began mid-afternoon with structures threatened.

The fire is 30 percent contained and forward spead has been halted, Cal Fire reports.

August 9, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Trump denies his son is at legal risk, yet concedes the 2016 meeting with Russians was to get dirt on Clinton (Los Angeles Times)
• Trump Finally Admits His Campaign Colluded With Russia At Trump Tower Meeting (Huffington Post)
• Man arrested at 'extremist Muslim' New Mexico compound was training kids to commit school shootings: documents (Fox)
• Harvard lawsuit divides many in Asian American community  (Boston Globe)
• Now the Trump administration wants to limit citizenship for legal immigrants (NBC)
• Migrant children describe abuse, hunger in U.S. detention facilities (Bloomberg)
• Judge Fears ‘Permanently Orphaned’ Kids, Orders Feds to Devise Plan to Find Parents (Times of San Diego)
• ACLU files suit challenging Trump administration’s new asylum rules (Washington Post)
• Government asks ACLU to find missing migrant parents (San Diego Union-Tribune)

WORLD

• Indonesia quake death toll rises, thousands flee homes (Reuters)
• Suspected Russian spy found working at US embassy in Moscow (Guardian)
• 99-yaer-old Nuremberg prosecutor calls Trump detention of children “crimes against humanity” (Common Dreams)
• Venezuela 'drone attack': Six arrests made (BBC)

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

By Miriam Raftery

August 9, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – U.S. District Judge John Bates issued a ruling last week order the Trump administration to fully restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  The program protects many young immigrants who came here as children from deportation.

Trump announced plans to shut down the program and his administration has stopped accepting applications or processing renewals. But the judge ruled Trump’s rationale for dropping DACA, a program created during the Obama administration, did not pass legal muster.

East County News Service

August 8, 2018 (Boulevard) – Boulevard residents are invited to the Backcountry Resource Center (the old Boulevard Fire Station) on August 20^th at 7 p.m. to give your input on the new Backcountry Resource Center.  Come share your ideas on what you’d like to see, how you’d like to participate, and your dreams for the community.

See flyer for details.

East County News Service

August 8, 2018 (El Cajon) — A witness helped save an El Cajon Police officer today after a man attacked the officer with a hammer.

Police had been called to a Jack-in-the-Box regarding Robert Dille, 30, who was reportedly smashing windows and threatening people with a hammer. Officers found Dille a few blocks away at West Main Street and Van Houten around 11:20 a.m.

Earn an A+ in sustainability this school year with tips from Waste Management

Source:  Waste Management

August 7, 2018 (San Diego) - As millions prepare to head back to school, Waste Management of Southern California is offering parents, students and educators practical tips to make this school year more sustainable by reducing, reusing and recycling right, in and out of the classroom.

By Miriam Raftery

August 6, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- NBA superstar, Hall of Famer, sportscaster and hometown hero Bill Walton has announced he will be at East County Magazine’s 10-year-anniversary party, “East County Fest” on August 25^th at Mission Trails Regional Park visitor center.

Walton was named to the NBA list of 50 best players of all time in 1997 among many other top honors -- and he started his winning sports right here in East County, leading Helix High School in La Mesa to CIF championships before going on to a legendary career in college and professional sports.

He has also generously agreed to donate autographed sports memorabilia from his personal collection for our fundraising auction. The value of these one-of-a-kind items? Priceless!

By Miriam Raftery

August 6, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – A highlight of our upcoming East County Fest on August 25^th from 6-10 p.m. at Mission Trails Regional Park (advance tickets required) will be prominent artist Chuck McPherson, who will create a painting live to be auctioned off at the event. 

Self-described as “flamboyant and a stand out creative,” this talented local artist and teacher has won international recognition and received hundreds of awards in juried art shows. Cherished by collectors, recent works by McPherson have sold for thousands of dollars.

His works have been displayed around the world, including locally at the Ola Wieghorst Museum and Western Heritage Center, San Diego History Center, California Center for the Arts  and Marston House Museum. Internationally, he holds three Signature Memberships with The San Diego Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and Western Federation of Watercolor Societies; A Signature in watercolor is like a PhD in medicine.

East County News Service

August 6, 2018 (Alpine) – The Alpine Historical Society and Alpine Woman’s Club invite you to a potluck luncheon on Sunday, August 19 at 2156 Alpine Blvd. in Alpine. The lunch and general meeting starts at 1 p.m. with program at 2 p.m. featuring anthropologist/author Michael Wilken-Robertson, who will speak on the interdependence between native peoples and native plants in Southern California and Baja.

See attached flyer for information on reservations and details.

The Trump administration is taking action, but in precisely the wrong direction.

By Mel Gurtov, published by Common Dreams

The sky above Soda Bay, Calif. is seen on July 30, 2018 as the River Fire burns. (Photo:  Bob Schoenherr/flickr/cc)

August 5, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- By now we’re accustomed to learning that every year brings record high temperatures around the world. Extreme weather, says Prof. Michael Mann of Pennsylvania State University, “is the face of climate change. We literally would not have seen these extremes in the absence of climate change. The impacts of climate change are no longer subtle. We are seeing them play out in real time and what is happening this summer is a perfect example of that. We are seeing our predictions come true. As a scientist that is reassuring, but as a citizen of planet Earth, it is very distressing to see that as it means we have not taken the necessary action.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 5, 2018 (Lakeside) – Deb Carney Carlson is an administrator for the Brush Fire Partyline, donating her time to post fire alerts to keep others safe. Now her daughter, Tara, is fighting for her life – and needs help from the public.

East County News Service

August 5, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Ammar Campa-Najjar has picked up a high-level endorsement for his bid to unseat Congressman Duncan D. Hunter in the hotly contested 50^th Congressional district race. Former President Barack Obama this week announced his endorsement of 81 candidates, including Campa-Najjar, boosting the local contender into the national spotlight.