District releases audit of coordinated school safety plan

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Meeting recording provided by ECM: ECMCVUSDStudentSafety

March 11, 2019 (El Cajon)--Following a safety and security audit recently conducted by AECOM and DMB Consultants, two security engineering firms specializing in building security audits, the Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD) has been conducting a series of town meetings at local schools over the past month. The meetings are being held throughout the district to advise parents on what the district is doing to improve student safety and building security.

Meetings have so far taken place at Hillsdale Middle School, Grossmont Middle School, and Montgomery Middle School. Future meetings are set to take place at Cajon Valley Middle School on March 14,  Emerald Middle School on March 21, and Los Coches Creek Middle School on March 27, all at 6 p.m.

East County News Service

March 11, 2019 (San Diego) -- Land use and transportation think tank Circulate San Diego released a report this week detailing how an MTS ballot measure could finance transformative transit projects, road repair and safety programs. Transportation leaders and advocates hosted a press conference at the Old Transit Center.

Michelle Obama: A Life, by Peter Slevin (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, 2015, 418 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

“A deeply informed portrait of the first lady and her native Chicago…. Her larger story, told so powerfully in Slevin’s biography, which suggests she will forever be a force with which to be reckoned.” – Chicago Tribune

March 11, 2019 (San Diego) - Peter Slevin, who has written extensively about Barack and Michelle Obama, from his vantage point of being on the staff of The Washington Post, before joining Northwestern University’s School of Journalism, where he is currently an associate professor, has written a uniquely American story of a woman from the Southside of Chicago that changed the course of prior inhabitants of the White House; Michelle Obama: A Life.

East County News Service

March 11, 2019 (La Mesa) – The Wheelchair Dancers Organization is offering free wheelchair dancers classes in ballroom and Latin dance on Monday nights from March 11 through April 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.  Classes will be at the Grossmont Hospital Conference Center (enter through the Rehabilitation Center) at 5555 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.

El Cajon Library to give away gowns on April 27

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 11, 2019 (San Diego) - For many teenage girls, the prom, the quinceanera, the big night out – it’s all about the dress. But special occasion dresses are pricy. That’s why the County Library is playing fairy godmother.

By Miriam Raftery

March 10, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- Sprites of East County, Class of 2019 will host its annual fundraising benefit, “Sprite Fest” on Saturday, April 6 at 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay (1441 Quivira Rd., San Diego) to raise money for the nonprofit organization’s philanthropies.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 9, 2019 (Reno) - Caleb Martin scored 25 points and twin brother Cody added 14 to lead No. 17 Nevada to an 81-53 rout of San Diego State on Saturday night that clinched a share of the Mountain West title with Utah State.

SDSU downs 49ers 4-1 after falling to Ohio 5-1 earlier in the day 

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 9, 2019 (Long Beach) - The San Diego State softball team downed Long Beach State, 4-1, to salvage a Saturday split at the Louisville Slugger Classic in Long Beach.  The win came after the Aztecs (12-12) dropped a 5-1 decision to Ohio earlier in the day.

East County News Service

Photo: Creative Commons image per S.A. of a similar Korean War era device

March 8, 2019 (Spring Valley) – Sheriff’s deputies received a call this morning from a resident on Margaret Court, Spring Valley who said his 93-year-old neighbor had given him a grenade.

Detectives responded and it was determined that the device was an inert Korean War era grenade. It was removed from the area for proper disposal, says detective John Debus.

East County News Service

March 8, 2019 (Ramona) -- Working toward a goal of at least 40 painted murals on Ramona buildings, the H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project has received approval of artists and concepts of three additional murals from the Ramona Design Review Board.The committee is also searching for a muralist to create a fourth mural — a scene of vintage bikes, at Cheers of Ramona, 2475 Main St. 

East County News Service

March 8, 2019 (Ramona) – Ramona Ranch Winery announces a series of events including Cheeses from the Cave this Saturday, live music with the Tree Huggers next weekend, and a Winemaker Weekend in April.  Scroll down for details, provided by the winery: 

By Miriam Raftery

March 8, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The proposed 90 megawatt Jacumba Valley Ranch (JVR) solar project on 1,345 acres next to the Jacumba Hot Springs airport has a project footprint “much larger than the small town that is right next door,” says Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group.

An environmental impact report will be prepared and public input  is sought on what should be included in the EIR.  Comments are due by April 8.  A scoping meeting will be held on March 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Highland Community Center, 44681 Old Highway 80, Jacumba Hot Springs.

Below is the county’s public notice with full details:

Source:  Smart Border Coalition

March 7, 2019 (San Diego) - Today the binational San Diego-Tijuana Smart Border CoalitionTM opens access to its new, free public website, designed with entirely new content to help improve the user experience at the region’s legal border crossings: www.smartbordercoalition.com.

By Miriam Raftery

March 7, 2019 (Alpine) –The Children’s Nature Retreat in Alpine is temporarily closed due to damage done by unknown intruders. In a letter to supporters, the retreat’s owners sent photos of damage and revealed that on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m., they discovered that three fences had been cut with a heavy-duty tool, rolled back and laid on the ground, allowing sheep, donkeys and African animals to be released from their enclosures.

March 4, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Hueso Bill Would All But Abolish California Citizens' Rights to Public Documents (Voice of San Diego)
• Apple to add more jobs at new San Diego tech hub (10 News)
• Hamel, subject of a federal firearms investigation, paid his spouse $100,000 for her share of family gun collection (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• City manager files suit against opioid manufacturers  and their owners (Times of San Diego)
• FDA says La Mesa clinic illegally marketed an unapproved breast cancer detection device (ABC 10 News)
• California honors seven San Diego County schools for performance (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Tracking Officer Discipline Records in San Diego County  (NBC 7)
• Once Scrappy Upstarts, Community Choice Agencies Could Become the New Power Monopoly (Voice of San Diego)
•  City Takes Big Step Towards Energy Independence, Possible Lower Rates (NBC 7)
• East County stabbing spree: trial begins for accused (Patch.com)
• El Cajon home where man was beaten to death with pan set on fire (10 News)
• Lawsuit alleges county failed to protect children from dangerous foster sibling (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Public Records Bill Is Bad for the Public But Great for Public Officials With Something to Hide (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• PG&E “unsafe” actions, “dismal” prevention, caused wildfires, but judge decides PG&E’s main focus will primarily be tree-trimming (San Jose Mercury News)
• Wildfire in California no longer stifled by wet winters, scientific report finds 
• (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Californians Lose Millions of Dollars in Recycling Deposits (NBC LA)
• PG&E delayed key power line safety overhaul, filings show; shares slip (Reuters)
•  PG&E admits equipment “probably” caused CA’s deadliest wildfire (SacBee)
• California residents flee to Las Vegas suburb to avoid high taxes (Fox News)
• California keeps a secret list of criminal cops, but says you can't have it (Mercury News)
• California’s failed tech projects come in late and over budget. Can Gavin Newsom fix them? (Sacramento Bee)
• Thousands told to evacuate in California (ABC News)

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