East County News Service

"If she wins, it would destroy California’s clean energy industry,” -- Senator Barbara Boxer on her opponent, Carly Fiorina.

"The American dream has become too hard for too many people." --Carly Fiorina

September 2, 2010 – Journalists and voters questioned U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) and her opponent, Carly Fiorina in a contentious debate last night. Boxer slammed Fiorina for outsourcing jobs, opposing two jobs bills including one to save teachers’ jobs in California, and supporting “billionaires and CEOs” over the needs of working people. Fiorina said California is in the “worst economic crisis” since the Depression and bashed Boxer’s record. In response, the Senator’s campaign releases a fact-check sheet that disproved key Fiorina claims. View the full debate video on C-Span.

September 2, 2010 (Campo) – A strike team of firefighters is staging at Star Ranch for structure protection, aiming to halt the 200-acre Cowboy fire at the outskirts of the Ranch before it can reach the Campo Hills housing development. The fire is burning in a northeast direction.

“A large water bomber just flew overhead,” Christy Scott, editor of the Alpine Sun, informed East County Magazine. Lake Morena provides an accessible source of water for water-dropping aircraft, she added.

September 2, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) 3:30 p.m. update:  – The Cowboy Fire is now 75 acres to 100, Cal-Fire reports.  Campo Elementary School is being evacuated, with students taken to Mountain Empire High School. 

Update 2:35 p.m. Campo Elementary School is being evacuated; students will be taken to Mountain Empire High School

September 2, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The Cowboy Fire reported at 1:13 p.m. is now 20 acres, burning between Campo and Potrero near the Pacific Crest Trail.  Incident Page Network indicates the fire is near the junction of Highway 94 and Star Ranch.  Other reports indicate the location is within Hauser National Wilderness and Cleveland National Forest areas.

“Currently the fire is inaccessible by ground units,” Cal-Fire battalion chief Nick Schuler said. “They are attempting to make contact with the fire now,” he said, adding that air tankers and helicopters are also on the scene.

Candidate, speaking in La Mesa, also called for stronger fire protection by County
East County News Service

September 2, 2010 (San Diego) – The Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) has released a today which concludes that over 30% of households in San Diego County can not make ends meet.
 

“It is unacceptable that more than 30% of San Diegans can’t afford to live in San Diego County,” said Stephen Whitburn, a journalist running against incumbent Supervisor Ron Roberts in District 4.

September 1, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Effective Friday September 3, at 6:00 a.m., the Cleveland National Forest will raise the fire danger level to VERY HIGH. Forest use restrictions under the very high level will be implemented at that time.

September 1, 2010 (La Mesa)--Michael Penwell is being sought by the La Mesa Police Department after fleeing from a traffic stop where numerous items of stolen property, narcotics and drug paraphernalia were found. Penwell is described as a white male, 25, with blond hair and hazel eyes. He is 5 feet, 7 inches tall with a thin build and multiple tattoos. He also has a felony parole warrant for his arrest.

By Miriam Raftery

August 31, 2010 (La Mesa) -- "He makes $199,000 a year and gets a car and benefits, but this public official doesn’t want to receive routine emails outside business hours. I-Team reporter Lauren Reynolds shows us the unusual steps he’s taking to be left alone.”

Calls provision allowing school lunch equipment purchases "wasteful spending"

August 31, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-El Cajon) , a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, voted against sending H.R. 5504, the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act, to the full House for consideration. 

The bill aims to make school lunches more nutritious and get junk food out of schools. The goal is to improve children's health and cut down on childhood obesity, a national epidemic.  From 1980 to 2009, childhood obesity in America has tripled--and poor nutritional habits are largely to blame. In California, 30.5% of all children are obese, putting them at higher risk of diabetes and heart problems later on.

August 30, 2010 (La Mesa)--Norm MacDonald, star of movies and Saturday Night Live (SNL), will take the stage at Challenge Center’s 13th Annual Comedy Night on September 11 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The event benefits the scholarship fund established by Challenge Center, a nonprofit gym in La Mesa that has achieved dramatic results helping patients with strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as other debilitating conditions. Tickets for the event are $175.

August 29, 2010 (San Diego) – Sheriff Bill Gore announced last week that the Search and Rescue Unit and added a new component: an Urban Search and Rescue division. Urban search-and-rescue is considered a multi-hazard discipline, as it may be needed for a variety of hazards including earthquakes, storms, tornadoes floods dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities, and hazardous materials releases.

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

Head of nation’s largest college system faults two-thirds rule for impeding passage of state budget;  remarks made during visit at Cuyamaca College

August 27, 2010(El Cajon)--Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Chancellor Cindy Miles welcomed California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott to Cuyamaca College on Thursday for a candid discussion with the region’s community college and business leaders. Topics ranged from the state budget crisis to a bill just passed that will smooth transition for students from two-year campuses to state universities.