By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2018 (Lakeside) – Now in its 19^th year, Oma’s Pumpkin Patch at the Van Ommering Dairy in Lakeside is open for the season now through October 31^st .  You can visit Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

East County News Service

September 30, 2018 (Lakeside) — A man suffered serious wounds in a stabbing Saturday on the Barona reservation, though they are not considered life-threatening, says Sgt. John Delocht with the Sheriff’s department.

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Neisseria Meningitidis via Photomic

September 29, 2018 (San Diego) - For the second time this semester, a San Diego State University undergraduate student has been hospitalized with serogroup B meningococcal disease, prompting the San Diego County public health officer to determine an outbreak on campus, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.

San Diego’s big cat and exotic animal sanctuary celebrates global animal welfare event with educational visits and blessing of animals

East County News Service 

October 3, 2018 (Alpine) -- San Diego’s world renowned, non-profit big cat and exotic animal sanctuary, Lions Tigers & Bears is celebrating World Animal Day with a unique Blessing of the Animals and special promotion for visitors as part of an international effort to raise awareness and education about animal welfare. 

Father Jason Samuels of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Alpine will deliver a blessing to all the rescued animals at the sanctuary including lions, tigers, bears, bobcats, leopards, a mountain lion and more on Thursday, October 4 at 10:30 a.m.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  the alert will look like a text.  Image via FEMA

October 2, 2018 (San Diego) - No reason to become alarmed. Your mobile phone will emit a special tone and vibrate as it receives an emergency test message on Oct. 3.  It is part of a nationwide test by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of Wireless Emergency Alerts systems to assess its effectiveness.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos provided by Jeff Phair

September 28, 2018 (La Mesa) – Last week,  San Diego Union-Tribune writer Karen Pearlman posted a photo of a Tyrannosaurus Rex metal sculpture that mysteriously appeared in La Mesa at the future site of the La Mesa Summit Estates, raising the question of why the giant dinosaur statue had suddenly shown up in the Jewel of the Hills, as La Mesa is known.

Source: County News Service

September 28, 2018 (Ramona) -- The County has opened a stretch of trail in another section of Ramona Grasslands County Preserve. The Old Survey Road 97 Trail has been closed to the public due to many sensitive species including golden eagles that live and forage in the preserve. Now, the trail is available on a trial basis - to a limited number of people who pass a seasonal permit test - from 8 a.m. until sunset on Saturdays and Sundays now through Nov. 15. To visit, you must watch a quick video and take a short survey, confirming you understand the “dos” and “don’ts” of this unique wildlife habitat.  

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (center), Prof. Christine Blasey Ford (left), and  Julie Swetnick (right), who holds high-level security clearances and accused Kavanaugh of “gang rape” but was not allowed to testify

September 28, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – The Senate Judiciary Committee, on a party line vote with all Republicans in favor, voted today to send controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the full Senate for a vote next week.

The action came after an emotional day of testimony in which accuser Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor, accused Kavanaugh of attempted rape and Kavanaugh denied the allegations in anger-laced and tearful testimony.  The committee leadership refused to allow testimony by two other accusers, including one accusing Kavanaugh of “gang rape,” or by any witnesses who might have corroborated or disputed the accounts.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake cast a key vote to advance the matter out of committee, but said he will not vote for Kavanaugh on the Senate Floor  unless that vote is delayed a week and an FBI investigation of the sexual assault allegations is conducted. However there is no assurance that Senate Leader Mitch McConnell will delay the vote scheduled for Tuesday, if he has enough votes for passage without the delay.

Source: San Diego Sheriff’s Department

October 2, 2018 (San Diego) - During the month of October, Sheriff’s deputies have the option of wearing a pink version of their uniform patch. The patches are a great way to spark a conversation with the public and bring attention to the fight against breast cancer during the awareness month.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Pastor Harold Brown, ECTLC, during holiday party for homeless children

September 27, 2018 (El Cajon) – The East County Transitional Living Center proposes to expand by adding two new buildings to its facility at 1527 East Main Street. The plan. submitted by Pastor Harold Brown, would add 48 beds to the center, which assists homeless people transition off the streets.

East County News Service 

September 27, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The Haunted Amusement Park is opening its doors to the public Friday, September 28, 2018 with a big fundraising event for the non-profit group Team Parker for Life to help fund Childhood Cancer Research.

By John Rippo, ESPRESSO Café Newspaper

Photo:  Wreckage of PSA flight 182, San Diego Air and Space Museum (public domain image)

September 26, 2018 (San Diego) -- I drove a fellow USD student back to his room in North Park in the late morning. He was stunned, bewildered and not altogether there after a 727 crashed on the street he lived in. In the back of his Subaru truck, a burned man's shoe lodged behind the jump seats. In the shoe was a burned, bloody and crushed foot. I volunteered to drive him home---and carry the shoe to Saint Augustine High School, which became a temporary morgue that day.

September 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

• Beware the baby walker: popular toy can lead to serious injury (Healthlife)
• WHO extremely concerned about Ebola 'perfect storm' in Congo (Reuters)
• Soda can no longer be the default drink on kids’ menus in California (Mic.com)
• News from The UN's High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis (WHO)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Twitter releases new policy on ‘dehumanizing speech’ (Wired)
• Hawaii’s ‘Rapid Ohia Death’ Disease Is Killing the Forest Canopy, and There's No End in Sight (Newsweek)
• Instagram co-founders resign in latest Facebook shake-up (Washington Post)

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

East County News Service

September 26, 2018 (San Diego) – The U.S. Department of Agricultural and Cargill Meat Solutions have recalled over 132,000 pounds of ground beef products sold at major retailers nationwide. In California, stores that sold the tainted meat include Target, Vons, Safeway/Albertson’s, Central Meat & Provision Co. in San Diego, and Pak N Save.

By Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  State Sen. Joel Anderson, Republican of Alpine. Photo by Robbie Short for CALmatters.

September 26, 2018 (San Diego) - State Sen. Joel Anderson was at least a little tipsy and rubbing a lobbyist’s shoulders during a political fundraiser at a steakhouse near the Capitol last month when he leaned in close and told her he wanted to “bitch slap” her.