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By Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

For videos of Anthony Luke's and Ryan Pope's portion of the press conference, click “read more” and scroll down.

November 20, 2018 (San Diego) - With men's basketball away at the Maui Jim Invitational, it was just football sitting down with the media at this week's press conference.  Head coach Rocky Long was joined by senior defensive end Anthony Luke and senior offensive tackle Ryan Pope.

“Obviously, we got another game this week," Long opened with.  "I think both teams will be excited about playing each other. We’re teams with very similar talent levels. They (Hawaii) throw the ball around like crazy. They’ve got one of the leading passers in the country, a couple of the leading receivers in the country, and they throw the ball a bunch, so they’re up there near the top in passing yardage and those kinds of things. After I watched the (Chiefs-Rams) game last night, when they throw it around like that, I mean, it makes it really, really hard on the defense. So our offense has to keep the ball away from them or we’re going to have to play really, really well on defense.”

Update November 27, 2018:  The CDC has narrowed the warning to only Romaine lettuce grown in central and northern Califormia.  Read more.

East County News Service

November 20, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – Consumers in the U.S. should not eat any romaine lettuce; restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any forms of romaine lettuce including whole heads, chopped, hearts of romaine, or mixed salads containing romaine lettuceincluding spring mix and Caesar salads.

That’s the warning issued today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to a nationwide outbreak of a virulent form of E.coli linked to romaine that has sickened 32 people in 11 states, including 10 cases in California.Nearly a third of those cases (13) required hospitalization.  An additional 18 cases have occurred in Canada.

By Miriam Raftery

November 20, 2018 (La Mesa) – A prominent advertising and communications expert for many years who later became a powerhouse in local nonprofits as their voice in the community, Robert Power “Bob” Battenfield died September 30^th at his home of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPNs), a leukemia-like illness. 

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 24 at 11 a.m. at the Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Church.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  Shutterstock

November 19, 2018 (San Diego) - Cash registers ring, are you listening? Black Friday’s back, sales are glistening! Make sure your shopping is sweet, double check your receipts.

So you’re not accidentally overcharged by faulty cash register price scanners.

OK, so the last part didn’t rhyme, but you get the idea. Overcharging does happen, and the County’s Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM) wants to make sure that if you’re shopping, you’re checking your receipts.

East County News Service

November 19, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has good news for its nearly 1,700 student veterans.

East County News Service

November 19, 2018 (San Diego) – The National Weather Service is forecasting  light rainfall across most of the region late Wednesday through mid-day on Thanksgiving this Thursday, with more rain possible Friday and Saturday. Gusty west to southwest winds will develop over the mountains and deserts through the period.  There is also a small chance of precipitation Friday night into Saturday, then Santa Ana winds developing for early next week with potential for rapid fire spread, says forecaster Jimmy Taeger.

Five Aztecs scored in double figures 

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 18, 2018 (San Diego) - Behind a dominant second quarter, the Aztecs (3-1) cruised to an 81-38 win over Incarnate Word Sunday afternoon. Five Aztecs scored at least ten points and ten players total scored.

By Miriam Raftery

November 18, 2018 (Lakeside) – Lakeside activist Barry  A.Treahy and his wife, Jackie, have submitted a letter and petition to County Supervisors opposing a sand mining project in El Monte Valley. Treahy says the petition has been signed by a majority of property owners deemed by the County to be within the “sphere of influence” of the El Monte Nature Preserve LLC project, the ironically named sand mining endeavor.  Barry Treahy has also filed a complaint with the County Grand Jury (see attachments 1, 2, 3, 4)

Treahy contends that adding sand mining in the 1970s as an allowable land use bypassed critical notification to neighbors.  He further contends that the county’s Planning and Development Services program, which is funded entirely by developer fees without tax revenues, “opens the door to salary abuse, overcharging clients, outside influence, extortion and corruption. The obligation of a Government entity is collect taxes to fund necessary activities. The correct method to avoid those pitfalls,” Treahy’s Grand Jury complaint states.

East County News Service

November 18, 2018 (Alpine) – Be prepared for power outages! The Alpine Library will host a forum for you to learn more about generators, solar battery backup and other residential emergency power options on Thursday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.  

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Bureau of Land Management, wild horses, unspecified location

November 18, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- Kathleen Hayden of Santa Ysabel, co-founder of  Coyote Canyon Caballos d’Anza, has long fought to restore San Diego county’s heritage herd of wild horses. Now she’s joined a fight to save wild horses in Double Devil Corrals at Alturas, California, where the federal government has authorized a roundup and sale of hundreds of wild horses.

Hayden has penned a letter to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra urging him to enforce California Fish and Wildlife’s mandate to add our state’s wild horse herds to the list of protected native species in order to halt the sale. She cites fossil evidence indicating that California wild horses are descendants of indigenous species.

Below is Hayden’s letter:

By Miriam Raftery

November 17, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Leaders in our local wine-making industry were honored at the 6thannual Trailblazer Awards presented by Maness Vineyards owners Greg and Paula Maness and past award winners. This year’s awards were presented during the Toast of East County at the Elks Lodge in El Cajon, hosted by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce. 

This year’s winners include Elaine Littleton and Norm Case of Hatfield Creek Winery and Vineyards, Johnny and Shirley Schwaesdall of Schwaesdall Winery, a family achievement award accepted by Joe Harmes of Vineyard Hacienda, and a lifetime achievement award for wine instructor Dominic “Dick” Colangelo.

Annual event raised funds for SMSC’s 2018 student holiday celebration

Source: St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center

Photos by Jennie Edwards, Guided By Imagination Photography

November 16, 2018 (El Cajon) --St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC) held its 5^th annual Swing with Santa Golf Tournament on Friday, November 2, 2018. The sold-out event raised more than $16,000 to fund SMSC’s 2018 Student Holiday Celebration. The annual golf tournament featured a fun-filled day of games, a silent auction, food and more.

Golfers received a round of golf, lunch, a happy hour reception and a gift bag. Guests also met Santa and Elvis, who arrived to the golf course by helicopter, and SMSC student, Sam Dupree, sang the national anthem to help kick off the golf tournament. The Presenting Sponsor for this year’s Golf Tournament was Sycuan Casino, Tournament Sponsor was Keller Williams Realty San Diego East Foothills, and the On the Green Sponsors included A. Vidovich Construction Co., Cartwright Termite & Pest Control, Inc., EDCO Disposal, Lundy Insurance Services, Inc. and SDG&E.

Source:  Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones

Image via Pixabay

November 16, 2018 (Sacramento) - The Life Insurance Policy Locator - launched by the California Department of Insurance through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners - has matched consumers with policies totaling $17,332,464 just in the past 12 months, and $33,863,187 since the 2016 launch.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  Shutterstock

November 16, 2018 (San Diego) - For a lot of us, one of the best things about Thanksgiving is all those leftovers—gravy-covered turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes and pie for days!

But too much of anything can be a bad thing, even Thanksgiving leftovers. Every year, 40 percent of all food in the U.S. is wasted, often by being tossed out as trash into landfills, even as many Americans don’t have enough to eat, according to the National Resources Defense Council. In addition, the average four-person household spends $1,500 a year on food they end up throwing out.

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2018 (San Diego’s East County)—With wildfires raging in northern and southern California, where power lines are suspected of causing deadly blazes,  residents in San Diego’s rural and mountain communities have been grappling with serious challenges posed, conversely, by a utility company shutting off power to some 30,000 residences during high winds this week in an effort to prevent fires.

Backcountry blogs sizzled as residents eventually able to access the internet posted a litany of complaints including life-threatening issues.