Editor’s note:  My Genetic Family is a fictional short story authored by ECM reporter Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson.

By Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson ©

January 17, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - Allen Smithee opened the sealed envelope, glanced at the directions, and proceeded to swab his inside cheek to provide the first of three DNA samples. At the end of the day he finished the last test, sealed the samples into the return envelope and mailed away for his DNA matches.

East County News Service

January 17, 2017 (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

• Programs let U.S. families welcome Syrian arrivals (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• La Mesa mayor: City takes care of its residents (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Public records are not always readily available in San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Davis, Peters, others speak against repeal of the ACA (Reporting San Diego)
• Local leaders to be honored in San Diego Women’s Hall of Fame (KPBS)
• Souplantation restaurants are sold (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California single payer health bill passes committee (Healthcare now blog)
• What’s in Brown’s new budget? (Los Angeles Times)
• Officials: Over 40% of California out of drought (10 News)
• Before-and-after photos show California storm's insane impact on water levels (SF Gate)
• Pot still illegal in national parks (Hanford Sentinel)
• California Firefighters Receive Up To 13.8 Percent Raises (KPBS)
• UC Davis: Protests shut down controversial speakers (+video) (CS Monitor)
• Jerry Brown to GOP on Obamacare: Don’t just shift costs onto states (SacramentoBee)

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

East County News Service

January 16, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• A super cheap, generic alternative to the EpiPen just hit shelves in U.S. (Science Alert)
• Obamacare Plans Don't Always Include Top Cancer Centers (NPR)
• What An Obamacare Repeal Would Mean For Rural Hospitals (NPR)
• Investigators Link Insurer Cyber Breach To Foreign Nation (KPBS)
• Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens (NPR)
• Cancer spread cut by 75% in tests (BBC)
• Hundreds of cats quarantined in New York City bird flu outbreak  (Reuters)
• Bug resistant to all antibiotics kills woman (BBC)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Iceberg the size of Delaware to break off from Antarctica (CNN)
• Taxi-sharing could end traffic jams, suggests MIT study (BBC)
• Norway to switch off FM radio in risky, unpopular shift to digital (Reuters)
• Why is Uber giving away traffic data? (CS Monitor)
• Devices sprout ears: What do Alexa and Siri mean for privacy? (CS Monitor)
• Netflix users targeted by email scam seeking credit card, account information (Fox 5 San Diego)
• Amazon to add more than 100,000 jobs in U.S. hiring spree Reuters)
• EPA Accuses Fiat Chrysler Of Installing Emissions-Cheating Software (NPR)

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

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

January 16, 2017 (El Cajon) - Even though it was Martin Luther King Day, the Valhalla Norsemen varsity girls’ soccer team was in action against the Centurions of University City High.  It was the Norsemen’s last non-conference game before conference play.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

January 16, 2017 (San Diego) -- More needed rain is forecasted, but some storms may cause serious and dangerous problems. Here are a few tips for preparing for storms, and weathering them safely.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Senator Dianne Feinstein on Meet the Press, courtesy NBC News/William Plowman

January 16, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program yesterday, said that after reviewing classified intelligence briefings as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, she believes Russia definitely interviewed in the U.S. presidential election—and that Russian meddling “altered the outcome” of the race.

East County News Service

January 15, 2017 (Sacramento) -- The California Department of Insurance has issued a Notice of Noncompliance charging State Farm General Insurance Company with refusing to reduce policyholders' rates, as mandated by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones' order, effective December 8, 2016. 

By Miriam Raftery

January 15, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Californians legalized sale of recreational marijuana with Prop 64. But farmers can’t grow cannabis commercially unless they receive a permit from their city or county. 

McKynzie Fort became the 21^st Aztec to enter the 1,000-point club

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo:  Geena Gomez courtesy goaztecs.com

January 14, 2017 (Logan, Utah) - Despite a thrilling fourth quarter, San Diego State women’s basketball team was unable to get past Utah State and fell on the road to the Aggies 53-47, Saturday afternoon in Mountain West play.

By Liz Alper

Photo, video and quotes courtesy goaztecs.com

January 13, 2017 (San Diego) - With the final game of their two-game homestand tomorrow night against Utah State, Aztecs men's basketball head coach Steve Fisher, sophomore guard Zylan Cheatham and junior guard Trey Kell sat down with the media on Friday.

East County News Service

Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, by clicking the audio link.

January 13, 2017 (San Diego) –  Rev. Shane Harris with the National Action Network (NAN) aims to reclaim Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream here in San Diego, the eighth largest city in the U.S. , starting with a local MLK march on Monday.  This week, in an exclusive interview with East County Magazine on KNSJ,  Rev. Harris shared his concerns and visions for the future.

“What we’ve seen with the Democrats and Republicans nationally and statewide is they will run around touting Dr. King, but they don’t understand his dream and vision,” Rev. Harris explains. “Dr. King died for a poor people’s campaign.  He was getting ready to lead a poor people’s march in Washington D.C. when he was killed.”

East County News Service

January 13, 2017 (San Diego) – Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) invites you to join her in honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day by participating in a Day of Reading Around the Region on Monday, January 16. This is a program championed by the national sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., an organization of educators that I have been a member of for four decades.

East County News Service

January 12, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Helix Water District’s board of directors voted unanimously at their January 11, 2017 meeting to consider candidates for appointment to the Division 1 board seat left vacant by the resignation of Luis Tejeda.

The candidate appointed by the Board will represent Helix’s Division 1 customers, north of the I‐8 freeway in El Cajon, from Fletcher Hills to Bostonia (see map).

Dam upgrades slated to begin at Lake Morena in 2018, but there’s no guarantee water levels will ever be restored

By Miriam Raftery

January 12, 2017 (Lake Morena) --  Even after heavy rainfalls doused our region,  three East County Reservoirs remain at very low levels.  As of January 9^th, Lake Morena is at  just 2.1 percent of capacity, Barrett Lake is att 5.5 percent, and Sutherland 7.3 percent of capacity, according to the City of San Diego.

These are the only local reservoirs not connected to the State Water Project system of canals and aqueducts, thus they are solely dependent on rainfall  which has not been enough to replenish large quantities pumped out by the City of San Diego to meet its thirst for water.

East County News Service

January 12, 2017 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Vermicomposting (worm composting) is an environmentally-friendly way to turn your food waste into nutrient rich castings for your plants or garden beds. Learn all about how easy it is to compost your food waste with red wriggler worms at an interactive presentation on Tuesday, January 24 at 12:30 p.m. in the Jacumba Branch Library (44605 Old Highway 80 in Jacumba.).  Map | Website