East County News Service

May 6, 2018 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce announces that the 10th annual “Taste of La Mesa” will be held on Monday, June 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center (4975 Memorial Drive) in La Mesa.  The event features samples of foods, wines, and beers from dozens of local restaurants, wineries and breweries.

SDSU wins first road series at New Mexico since 2004

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

May 6, 2018 (Albuquerque) - The San Diego State baseball team defeated New Mexico, 7-3, in its series finale at Santa Ana Star Field on Sunday afternoon to capture a series win over the Lobos. SDSU improves to 33-15 (15-8 Mountain West), while UNM drops to 16-30-1 (9-18 MW).

Aztecs outhit Lobos in loss  

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Kelsey Munoz was 3-for-3 in the Aztecs' 4-1 loss at New Mexico.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

May 6, 2018 (Alberquerque) - San Diego State outhit New Mexico, 8-4, but left 11 runners on base for a third straight game in a 4-1 loss at Lobo Softball Field Sunday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M. The Aztecs dropped to 17-31 overall and 8-13 in MW play, while the Lobos improved to 14-36 and 7-14 with the series win.

By Miriam Raftery

May 6, 2018 (Santee) – A sobriety and driver license checkpoint conducted by Sheriff’s deputies in Santee last night near Mission Gorge Road and State Route 125 resulted in five DUI (driving under the influence arrests). In addition, six citations were issued for suspended/revoked or no driver’s licenses and eight vehicles were impounded.

By Kilian Colin

“Mr. Miller is nothing but a bully, mocking people who want to oppose his political views.” –Kilian Colin, who has launched a Recall Jim Miller page on Facebook.

May 5, 2018 (El Cajon) -- I was just starting my breakfast before heading to school. I like to check news and social media while eating breakfast, and I noticed an article about a counseling intern at Hillsdale Middle School who had her contract revoked because she spoke to the press about the fact that the students who participated in the March 14 school walk out for Parkland were given detention. I was upset to learn that the intern’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech was violated. I decided to attend the next board meeting to speak to the board about this unfair action against the intern, who lost her job and was banned from applying to any future position in the district.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

May 5, 2018 (Ramona)--Cal Fire advises that a brush fire is burning in Ramona. The blaze, now about seven acres, started at Montecito Road and North Ramona. The blaze is 10 percent contained and burning at a moderate rate of speed.

The Sheriff's Department reported moments ago that the fire is mostly in a riverbed and that no homes are currently threatened. Residents and motorists are asked to please keep the area clear for emergency vehicles.

By Jake Robison

May 4, 2018 (El Cajon) -- St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC) will hold its inaugural Our Secret Garden Party on Saturday, June 2 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 2119 East Madison Avenue, El Cajon. This event will give SMSC’s supporters and the San Diego community the chance to experience SMSC’s magical garden and new aquatics center.

Runway Shoes & Accessories features prom season’s hottest fashions

By Reema Makani Boccia

May 4, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) -- With the average cost of prom around $1,000 per attendee, parents and students need ideas for how to have the full milestone experience without digging so deep into their wallets.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

On Friday, May 4, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. a fundraiser at the San Diego Firehouse Museum will offer an opportunity to see the museum and to raise money for cancer patients Glenn Stewart and Paula Hamma. The Heartland Firefighters Foundation is holding a fundraiser at the museum to help these family members of the men and women who fight our wildfires and other fires in East County.

The museum, founded in 1962 and located in San Diego’s Little Italy, houses steel from the World Trade Center, firefighting equipment from the late 1800s, La Jolla’s first fire engine and more. Besides seeing the museum, the taco plates ($10) and beer ($5) offered will be a great way to contribute to monies to help Stewart and Hamma. There is no entry fee.

May 3, 2018 (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

• Ruling Slams SDG&E’s Plan for a New Gas Pipeline (Voice of San Diego)
• Lemon Grove ready to move along on vision for future of downtown (SD Union-Tribune)
• ‘Shocking’ suicide rate at San Diego County Jails: report (Patch)
• Rep. Duncan Hunter attempts to create legal expense fund to cover costs of FBI investigation (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Tule Wind project knocked offline (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Burrowing owls get new ‘digs’ in East County (Fox 5)
• Settlements reached in 2 sexual-misconduct cases against San Diego County deputy, 13 cases remain (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove names members of its new planning commission (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Outrage as neighborhood becomes dumping ground for dogs (10 News)
• State regulators launch probe into Dronenberg allegation (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• The fastest woman on the planet in 2018 is ... a San Diego State senior.  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• State rejects appeal of SDSU lecturer who felt he wasn't treated fairly in discrimination case (San Diego Union-Tribune)

 State

• Does this California wildfire bill protect consumers? Or give utilities a blank check? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Here's how to watch the first mission from California to Mars (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Housing: What would the candidates for governor do? (Cal Matters)
• Land purchase makes a big cat crossing across I-15 possible (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

East County News Service

May 3, 2018 (San Diego) – Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) is calling for action on expanding military childcare centers to reduce the backlog of children waiting to get into these facilities and to provide more flexibility for military parents. Davis will direct the Department of Defense to report to Congress on expanding operating hours, contracting with private-sector childcare services, and adding services for the National Guard and Reserves.

May 3, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

Health

• Tick- and mosquito-borne diseases more than triple, since 2004, in the US  CNN)
• Family credits Apple watch for saving daughter’s life (ABC)
• Trump’s health: three big ethics questions (BBC)
• Weedkiller found in granola and crackers, internal FDA emails show (Guardian)

Science and technology

• Data firm at center of Facebook privacy scandal will close (ABC News)
• How private is your DNA on ancestry websites? Golden State Killer case raises questions (Sacramento Bee)
• Hawaii Approves Bill Banning Sunscreen Believed To Kill Coral Reefs (NPR)
• The EU just made a dramatic move to protect bees (Science Alert)

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

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  Pixabay

May 2, 2018 (San Diego) - Applying for CalFresh – California’s federal food assistance program – has never been easier. And San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency, community partners and food advocates are doing outreach at dozens of events during May’s CalFresh Awareness Month to spread the word.

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

May 2, 2018 (Santee) - Assemblyman Randy Voepel should resign for lying about his service record, says his Republican rival and an allied military critic in the wake of new videos of Voepel claiming combat experience.

By Julie Cart

Original story on CalMatters: https://calmatters.org/articles/news-analysis-heres-whats-important-for-land-sea-and-air-in-californias-fight-with-trump/

May 1, 2018 (San Diego's East County) - Editors’ note: This story was updated May 1 to reflect news developments.

The punch-counterpunch sparring between the Trump administration and the state of California over rollbacks of federal environmental regulations is often described as a war of words, with neither the president nor Gov. Jerry Brown giving an inch.