By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

July 8, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - This year’s Fourth of July fireworks are over, and County’s animal shelters are again seeing a sudden spike in the number of dogs arriving after the displays.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Diego Valley Charter School students protesting to save their school at November 2015 GUHSD board meeting

July 8, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Several recent court rulings impact the future of many charter schools in California, including several in East County.

Last October, a California appellate court ruled that charter schools can’t expand within their home county by opening campuses outside their own authorizing district.  That ruling affected a suit filed back in 2015 by the Grossmont Union High School District seeking to shut down the Julian Charter School, Alpine Academy and Diego Valley Charter School, all operating within the GUHSD boundaries.

Source: San Diego Hall of Champions

Photo: Cameron Sisk, Valhalla High golf

July 8, 2017 (San Diego) -  Each month, the San Diego Hall of Champions honors as many as 4 professional, 7 amateur, and 6 prep athletes as Stars of the Month for their outstanding athletic accomplishments. Stars of the Month are recognized in the San Diego Union Tribune, via the Hall of Champions' app, social media channels and website, on-field at Petco Park prior to a Padres game, and at the annual Salute to the Champions awards dinner. And, top-performing Stars of the Month will also earn Star of the Year accolades.

Source:  Jamul Dulzura Community Planning Group

July 7, 2017 (Jamul-Dulzura) – The Jamul-Dulzura Community Planning Group meets on Tuesday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oak Grove Middle School Library, 14344 Olive Vista Drive in Jamul.   Hot agenda items include a County presentation on road improvements and use of federal Bureau of Land Management property by shooters after the Gate Fire.

The agenda also includes a cell tower permit proposed at Mother Grundy and a Jamul Indian Village update, as well as officer announcements and reports.

Below is the full agenda:

Nearly 7,000 EV drivers applied for the credit

East County News Service

July 6, 2017 (San Diego) – Thousands of electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the San Diego region will get a pleasant surprise when they open their SDG&E residential bill over the next month, as they will be receiving $200 in credit for each EV they own or lease. EV drivers help clean the air and create healthier communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and they save on fueling costs, as charging an electric vehicle costs less than putting gas in the tank.

East County News Service

July 6, 2017 (Lakeside) – Heritage turkeys are much more than a Thanksgiving staple, plus heritage-breed turkeys have an interesting place in San Diego's history. Come and hear all about it and even see the bird in person at Richard Edword’s talk on Saturday, July 15 at 11 a.m. at Lakeside River Park Conservancy, 12108 Industry Rd, Lakeside, CA 92040

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Little Flower Haven circa 1954, via Postcards.com on City of La Mesa's website.

July 6, 2017 (La Mesa) – Two public meetings are set for Silvergate Development’s proposal to redevelop the former Little Flower Haven convent and nonprofit home for the elderly at 8585 La Mesa Blvd.  The Planning Commission will hold an informational-only meeting and environmental assessment on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m.  The City Council will hold a hearing on the project on August 8^th at 6 p.m.  Both meetings will be in Council Chambers at 8130 Alison Ave., La Mesa.

Plans submitted called for keeping the historic 1939 Spanish Mission style front structure and bell tower, which is eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources. The property, recently sold, was formerly home to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus.   The sisters have relocated to Texas, the Reader reported in March. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Sergeant Parker with his daughter, Sarah, sons Jonathan and Daniel, and wife, Missy.

July 5, 2017 (San Diego) – Countless families have been reunited with missing loved ones, or learned their fate, thanks to the tireless efforts of  Sheriff Search and Rescue Coordinator Don Parker.  Sergeant Parker, who retired in 2015, made a career out of helping others – and now the community is pulling together to bring financial help to Sergeant Parker, who was diagnosed in May with brain cancer.

July 5, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views.  Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

General news

• 5 changes GOP might make to healthcare bill (The Hill)
• How Congress is taking back power from Trump on national security (CNN)
• Why the Koch brothers want to kill an obscure Senate rule to help shape the federal courts (USA Today)
• Hawaii files court challenge to part of Trump travel ban (The Hill)
• Court halts EPA rollback of methane rules (Houston Chronicle)
• Trump could face trial for alleged university fraud (Newsweek, via San Diego Jewish Times)
• Chris Christie caught sunbathing after closing all state beaches over July 4^th weekend (Vanity Fair)
• This woman’s name appears on the Declaration of Independence. So why don’t we know her story? (Washington Post)

Trump-Russia investigation

• Now we have a roadmap to the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia (New York Magazine)
• NSA Director frustrated Trump won’t accept that Russia interfered in election (The Hill)
• The time I got recruited to collude with the Russians (Lawfare)

WORLD

• North Korea missile launch marks a direct challenge to Trump administration (Washington Post)
• North Korea says its ICBM can carry nuclear warhead; U.S. calls for global action (Reuters)
• Police seizes servers of Ukrainian software firm after cyber attack (Reuters)
• The memo:  Trump faces high stakes meeting with Putin (The Hill)
• Germany passes censorship law to fight online hate speech (CS Monitor)
• Improving ties between Egypt and Hamas unsettle Palestinian politics (Reuters) 
• Palestinian Authority lays off 6,145 of its Gaza employees (JPost)
• Venezuelan lawmakers beaten, besieged in latest violence (Reuters)

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

July 5, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Drugmakers and distributors face barrage of lawsuits over opioid epidemic (Wash. Post)
• Popular stomach acid blocker linked to higher death rates (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Marijuana and your heart (Sharp Healthcare)
• Immigration fears are preventing children from getting medical care (Washington Post).
• Heroin vaccine works in monkeys, being readied for human testing (SD Union-Tribune)
• Study: Ritalin use in childhood could cause long-lasting alterations in neurotransmission (Psypost.org)
• Spending on Diabetes Drugs Is ‘Skyrocketing’ (KPBS)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Science division of White House no longer staffed (The Hill)
• All New Volvo Models Will Be Electric or Hybrid Starting in 2019 (NPR)
• Pesticides Are Harming Bees — But Not Everywhere, Major New Study Shows (NPR)
• U.S. scientists take on Trump at ballot box (Times Higher Education)

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

East County News Service

July 5, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes the Descanso Days parade and festival, a star party and family campout in Lakeside, a hike up Volcan Mountain in Julian, radical reptiles in Rancho San Diego, a falconry demonstration in Julian, a concert by Sara Petite at the Ramona Library, blues and barbecue night in Santee.

Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions including Cal Fire family day at Lake Morena, astronomy night on Mt. Helix, a family hike plus falcons and hawks in the Santa Ysabel preserve, superstars Lionel Ritchie and Mariah Carey in concert at SDSU, a murder mystery dinner theatre in Julian, the Pine Valley Days parade and festivities, the Julian Apple Pie Grand Prix, and the Pomerado Brass Quintet in concert at Mission Trails.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Miriam Raftery

July 4, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump hit below the belt, in the view of professional journalists, when he tweeted a 28-second video altered to depict Trump wrestling and punching a figure with the CNN logo transposed on its head. The video also alters the CNN logo to read, “FNN: Fraud News Network.”

East County News Service

July 4, 2017 (La Mesa-Spring Valley) -  Applications are being accepted now through July 24 to fill a vacancy on the La Mesa-Spring Valley Board of Education. Board member Rick Winet resigned after taking a position with McGregor Inc., a benefits administrator, to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, reside within the boundaries of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, be a United States citizen, and a registered voter.  The appointee will serve through December 2018.

East County News Service

July 3, 2017 (San Diego's East County) – The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) recently hosted a check presentation ceremony with Maureen Hartin, CEO of Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) San Diego. The ceremony celebrated GHD’s ongoing support of VIM, including a $150,000 grant awarded during GHD’s current fiscal year.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  PhotoSpin

July 3, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - Independence Day! It’s all about celebrations, get-togethers, barbecues and lots and lots of food.

It should also be all about cooking safely — so no one goes home from your get-together celebrating a bellyache or worse because bacteria like salmonella, listeria or E. coli that can cause food-borne illness crashed your cookout.