October 4, 2012 (Campo) – As CAL FIRE neared containment on the 2,851 acre Shockey Fire burning near the community of Campo in San Diego County, firefighters credited new technology in the success of the incident. For the past year, firefighters have been aided by the development of a new project called Next Generation Incident Command System, or “NICS”.  The new technology is funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Lincoln Labs with major participation from CAL FIRE. Especially this year with the increased fire activity, CAL FIRE has been the perfect test bed for the new technology.

October 4, 2012  --  (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:

STATE                  

• Voters weigh proposal on trafficking (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry Brown veto seeks closer ties between California healthcare law and federal act (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry Brown signs laws to provide free online college textbooks (Sacramento Bee)
• New California law sets up framework for spending ‘cap and trade’ revenues (Sacramento Bee)
• California bans gay “conversion” therapy for minors (Reuters)

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• LMSV Board to Superintendent: Study “magnet” schools now (La Mesa Today)
• Council approves “River Bend” project in Allied Gardens (KPBS)
• Port Commission claims UT CEO threatened him;  CEO says not true (KPBS)
• San Diego Democrats regain lead in registered voters (UT San Diego)
• Criminal charge filed in Poway teen’s death (10 News)
• Camp makes some money for Lemon Grove (UT San Diego)
• Jeweler sues National City over gold-buying ban (UT San Diego)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

October 4, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Nonpartisan and independent media fact checking reveals that both candidates in last night’s presidential debate on domestic issues told some whoppers or to be charitable, exaggerated and misstated facts.  Romney was inaccurate on the deficit, while Obama overstated impacts of Romney's tax cuts, among other notable examples. 

For details and fact-checking links, scroll down. 

October 5, 2012 (Spring Valley)—Last night around 10:35 p.m., Lemon Grove Deputies received a radio call reporting a strong arm robbery at the 7-11 store at 103 Worthington St. in Spring Valley. One suspect was a Hispanic male with a large build, shaved head, goatee, and multiple tattoos, wearing a white tank top and black shorts. The second suspect was a Hispanic female, average build, wearing a black tee-shirt and black spandex pants. Both suspects entered the store and selected one 18-pack of Miller light and one 18-pack of Bud light.

October 2, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Keller Williams Realty El Cajon will be a "Gold Sponsor" for the upcoming "Roy Richards Recovery Fund" golf tournament being held on Friday October 5 at the Carlton Oaks Golf Course in Santee. The office is helping to raise funds to help Richards recover from a life-threatening accident that resulted in a skull fracture with major brain injuries. He also suffered a broken rib and broken nose.

October 3, 2012 (Lakeside)—Wildcat Canyon Road is blocked in both directions due to a rollover accident.  The driver of the vehicle, a pickup truck, is walking and does not appear seriously injured, a Barona firefighter at the scene told ECM’s marketing director, who has been stuck in traffic for over 20 minutes at the scene, where tow trucks are now arriving. 

October 3, 2012 (El Cajon) -- They are on the front lines of finding and defusing bombs. Take a trip into the world of robots as the Sheriff’s Bomb/Arson Unit showcases its high tech tools at a Robo Expo.

Members of the Sheriff’s Bomb/Arson Unit will have a display at the San Diego Science Alliance Robotic Education Expo on Saturday, October 6th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It will be held at the Cuyamaca Community College Student Center, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon.

Additional details released by Chula Vista Police

October 3, 2012 (Chula Vista)- A young mother of five who was shot to death September 28 after striking a plainsclothes Border Patrol officer with her vehicle was on probation for possession of drug paraphernalia in a 2011 offense, Captain Gary Wedge with the Chula Vista Police told ECM today. “She also had a prior conviction for possession of methamphetamine.”   

Chula Vista Police Department is continuing its investigation into the death of Valeria Munique Tachiquin-Alvarado. Today, the Department released additional details on the shooting.  

Critics contend the Commission, which took over the debates from the nonpartisan League of Women Voters in 1986, is too beholden to corporate donors

October 2, 2012 (Washington D.C.) – In response to an organized email and letter-writing campaign, three of the ten corporations identified as sponsors of the Commission on Presidential Debates have withdrawn their sponsorship. 

By Bonnie B. Price

October 2, 2012 (El Cajon)--As campaign season draws nearer to the November 6 election, contenders for the three city council seats are having a strange type of conflict in the wonderland of El Cajon campaign politics.  Issues such as the highest sales tax in the county and high sewer taxes* in the poorest city in the county are not being discussed. 

Instead, people have been distracted from these significant issues with a battle over political sign locations! 

October 1, 2012 (San Diego) – In honor of Bi-National Health week, PCI (Project Concern International)’s California Border Healthy Start (CBHS) Program and its partners, Black Infant Health (BIH) and San Diego Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program (SANDAPP) are celebrating their pregnant program participants and children at a community baby shower this fall. The free event will be held on Wednesday, October 3 at the Jacobs Market Creek Plaza on Euclid and Market from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The pregnant women and children will be treated to health services information from different community clinics, pregnancy-belly dancing, photo sessions and gifts. Lunch will be served.

By Nadin Abbott

October 2, 2012 (Alpine)-- An Alpine firefighter was overcome by heat at a house fire on Via Dieguenos Road.  According to Battalion Chief Brad Rushing, Alpine Fire Department, the firefighter was overcome partly due to the triple digit high temperatures that prevail in the area. He was taken care of by field medics and transported in stable condition as a precaution by a Viejas medic unit to the hospital. 

October 2, 2012  (Carlsbad) -- The San Diego County Water Authority released a proposed Water Purchase Agreement with Poseidon Resources, the private developer of the planned seawater desalination plant in Carlsbad. The release opens a public review period that includes two special evening public meetings to share information on the agreement and to receive public comment.

The agreement specifies the proposed commercial and financial terms for the production and delivery of water from the planned desalination plant to the Water Authority’s regional water delivery and treatment system.  It also includes terms for the potential purchase of the plant by the Water Authority. 

October 2, 2012 (El Cajon)--The League of Women Voters of San Diego will sponsor and moderate a forum for candidates running for three seats on the El Cajon City Council.  The forum will be held on October 3, 2012 from 7 to 9 pm in the Public Safety Room located in the El Cajon Policy Department at 100 Civic Center Way, El Cajon. 

Invited candidates include Tony Ambrose, Ben Kalasho, W. E. “Bob” McClellan, Emily “Lily” Schworm, Christopher Shamoon, Kathy Spacone, Duane Swainston, and Bill Wells. This is the public’s opportunity to ask the candidates questions regarding issues of concern. 

Debate starts at 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

By Kathleen Ryan, Public News Service, CO

October 3, 2012 (Denver) -- All eyes will be on Denver tonight as the first presidential debate of the 2012 election season gets under way. The debate between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney will focus on domestic issues.

Both candidates could be at risk here, says Ken Bickers, a political science professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The economic recovery on Obama's watch has been slow, he says, while Romney was caught on video saying 47 percent of Americans are dependent on government entitlements - comments many said made him seem out of touch with the average person.