East County News Service

Photo:  (from left to right) Steve Becvar, ALS; Paul Negulescu, Vertex; Keith Miller (wearing Santa hat), ALS; Peter Grootenhuis, Vertex.

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

January 28, 2019 (San Diego) - The San Diego State volleyball team has released the dates of its 2019 summer camps set to take place at Peterson Gym on the SDSU campus. Camp registration starts at $99 and camp dates run between July 11 - July 21.

East County News Service

January 28, 2019 (El Cajon) -- Love knows no timeline. For up to 75 couples looking to refresh their commitments to each other, Parkway Plaza regional shopping mall in El Cajon is celebrating love with a first-of-its-kind marriage vow renewal ceremony.  On Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m., Center Court will be transformed into a chapel of love complete with flowers, music, champagne, cake and more. Up to 75 couples will join the Rev. Drummond Macomber, a non-denominational minister who is well-known for his community involvement.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

January 28, 2019 (San Diego) -- On Feb. 3, the Los Angeles Rams will face the New England Patriots in the 2019 Super Bowl LIII. Millions of Americans will get together to root against the Patriots — ahem, I mean, to watch the game! 

East County News Service

January 28, 2019 (San Diego) – The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has announced a recall of thousands of cases of Fresh Peaches, Fresh Plums and Fresh Nectarines packed by Jac. Vandenberg Inc. The fruits were sold at major retailers in several states, including Costco in California.

Update January 27, 2019:  The body of a man identified by family as Thomas Castiglia has been found at the base of a cliff on El Cajon Mountain, the Sheriff's department confirmed today. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

East County News Service

January 26, 2019 (Lakeside) – The Sheriff seeks public help to locate a missing hiker on El Cajon Mountain, known to locals as El Capitan, near Lakeside.  Thomas Mark Castiglia set out at 8:30 a.m. with a hiking group on a trail toward Lunch Rock, but around 10:40 a.m. he told other hikers that he was short of breath and would be hiking at a slower pace and advised them not to wait up for him.  As of 2:45 p.m., he had not returned from the trail head.

Castiglia, 50, is an experienced hiker with no known medical conditions. He is 5 ft. 6 inches tall, bald with hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing wearing a black sweater, black shorts, and green hat. He was carrying a green backpack and blue hiking poles.

By Kathy Carpenter

By Miriam Raftery

Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America, by Seth Abramson (Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, 2018, 448 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

For the first time, the full, explosive record of the unthinkable: how a US president compromised American foreign policy in exchange for promise of future business and covert election assistance.

January 25, 2019 (San Diego) - Coming at a time when President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is scheduled to testify publicly in Congress on February 7, 2019, Seth Abramson has written a provocative and timely book; Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America.

Looking back at this moment in history, historians will ask if Americans knew they were living through the first case of criminal conspiracy between an American presidential candidate turned commander in chief and a geopolitical enemy. The answer might be: it was hard to see the whole picture. The stories coming in from around the globe have often seemed fantastical: clandestine meetings in foreign capitals, secret recordings in a Moscow hotel, Kremlin agents infiltrating the Trump inner circles.

By Miriam Raftery

January 25, 2019 ( Washington D.C.) – The longest federal government shutdown in history is slated to end tonight, after President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders agreed to enact a temporary bill to fund agencies through February 15^th.  That bill does not include any funding for a border wall. 

The Senate passed the short-term funding bill today, one day after the Republican-controlled Senate voted to reject two measures that would have reopened the government long-term. One was a Trump proposal with wall funding and a temporary extension of protection for young immigrants or Dreamers.  The other was a funding bill with no money for the wall passed by the Democratic-controlled House.

During the next three weeks, Congress will convene a bipartisan conference committee on a Homeland Security Department funding bill and attempt to strike a compromise on border security.

Santee Drive-In Theatre is one possible site for low-income housing

Council also approves feasibility study on community choice energy option, with two other cities

View Powerpoint presentation

By Mike Allen

January 24, 2019 (Santee) --Believe it not, Santee needs new housing, particularly affordable type, and more rental stock to handle demand from folks who cannot afford to buy houses.

But where to put housing geared to low income earners, and how that construction will impact other properties are not easy subjects, as was revealed at the latest City Council meeting Jan. 23.

The agenda item that prompted much frustration and hand wringing was a proposed residential condo development on a parcel owned by the county. City Ventures, a large Irvine-based developer, recently obtained the 22-acre parcel which is now in escrow. The company wants to build 365 new units at the site, which is just east of Town Center Community Park, behind the YMCA.

January 25, 2019 (Julian) -- Our editor, Miriam Raftery, snapped this soothing sunset at the twilight's last glow over the mountains in Julian last Sunday.

The photo was taken out the window of the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Station on State Route 79.

January 24, 2019 (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 a  variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Senate votes down dueling plans to end shutdown (Washington Post)
• Agencies Are Shutting Down More Activities, Furloughing More Workers as Funds Run Dry (GovExec)
• The shutdown is disproportionately hurting  Native Americans (ACLU)
• Reversing Course, Trump Admin Allows Feds Working Through Shutdown to Take Leave Without Penalty  (GovExec)
• Supreme Court Doesn’t Act on Trump’s Appeal in ‘Dreamers’ Case (New York Times)
• Shutdown’s Pain Cuts Deep for the Homeless and Other Vulnerable Americans (New York Times)
• House Dems add $1 billion in border spending to reopen government (The Hill)
• 10 sobering quotes from the new National Intelligence Strategy (Washington Post)
• High Court Lets Military Implement Transgender Restrictions (Associated Press/KPBS)

WORLD

• Opposition leader pushes for parliament vote on new Brexit referendum (Reuters)
• Ex-U.S. marine held in Russia for spying was misled, says lawyer  (Reuters)
• Exclusive: U.N. expert to lead international inquiry into Khashoggi murder (Reuters)
• Venezuela crisis: U.S. vows to ‘disconnect’ Maduro’s funding (BBC)

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

January 24, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• The cause of Alzheimer’s could be coming from inside your mouth, study claims (Science Alert)
• New Medical Device May Eliminate Need for Some Knee Replacement Surgery   (  (Healthline)

SCIENCE & TECH

• How do you bring wildlife back to the city? (BBC)
• How anonymous tweets helped ignite a national controversy over MAGA-hat teens (Washington Post
• Family says hacked Nest camera warned them of North Korean missile attack (Washington Post)

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