High EMF levels found in tests at Campo, Manzanita and Ocotilllo among residences near turbines

By Miriam Raftery

March 12,2013 (Campo) – Acoustical experts warn that sound generated by proposed Shu’luuk, Tule and Manzanita wind projects will cause severe negative health impacts on neighbors – and further, new studies suggest that noise impact assessments created to justify these and other projects relied on errors in computer modeling that severely underestimate sound levels. 

New noise and infrasound findings

At the Campo Shu’luuk Wind project, massive wind turbines and solar panels are proposed just 500 feet from private properties with homes and 1,320 feet from tribal homes (or less if owners sign a waiver).  But a major new study commissioned by a public health department in Wisconsin  involving  five different acoustic experts found high levels of low-frequency noise at homes abandoned by residents as far as 7,000 feet from turbines.  The Brown County Board of Health concuded that residents’ complaints of health problems at the Shirley Wind project are valid and related to long-term exposure to wind turbines.

March 11, 2013 (Jacumba Hot Springs)--Pinch Flat Fortune Productions has created a delightful video that provides a cyclist’s eye view of Jacumba Hot Springs, a town built around a natural mineral spring bubbling up from the ground near a pond that’s a birdwatcher’s haven. The filmmakers call Jacumba Hot Springs “magical,” adding that in addition to free camping and soothing soaks, the community has, “some of the kindest, quirkiest, most interesting people we have ever met, all in one place.”

By Miriam Raftery

March 13, 2013 (San Diego)—The law firm of former City Attorney Mike Aguirre has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Masada Disenhouse seeking an injunction to halt the California Public Utilities Commission from holding a closed-door , invitation-only meeting with energy industry stakeholders at the Scripps Seaside Forum in San Diego on March 20. Disenhouse asked to attend, but her name was removed from the list. 

“California Government Code section 11123 requires that all meetings of a state body shall be open and public, and  all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body,” the lawsuit states.  The suit further notes that Government Code section 11120  requires that “proceedings of public agencies be conducted openly so that the people may be informed.”

By E. Vernon Small

March 12, 2013 (San Diego) – If you are a struggling homeowner, you have undoubtedly been approached by companies that claim they will reduce your mortgage payments and/or your mortgage balance by negotiating a ‘loan modification’ with your current mortgage lender.  All of these companies claim to be reputable and licensed, and many even operate as attorneys.  They typically charge $1500 or more to handle this process, and most offer payment plans.

By Nadin Abbott, photos Tom Abbott

March 11, 2013 (Potrero)— Gerry Fowler, 43, and his father were working on the well they rely on for water yesterday when planks of wood used for support gave way. Fowler’s father was able to keep himself from falling, but  Fowler fell 35 feet to the bottom of the well.

An emergency call was placed to 911, which led to mobilization of multiple fire agencies, as well as Mercy Air and American Medical Response.  The patient lapsed into unconsciousness during the ordeal and was listed in critical condition as of 11 p.m.

By Nadin Abbott, photos Tom Abbott

March 12, 2013 (San Diego)—Today, Supervisor Dianne Jacob urged citizens in San Diego County to contact the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) at Closurecomments@FAA.GOV  and oppose closure of the Ramona Airport’s air traffic control tower, a vital component in fighting wildfires and protecting safety of firefighting crews. Tomorrow at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time is the deadline for comments.

 The Board learned that the Federal Aviation Administration has targeted the Ramona Air Traffic Control Tower for closure as as early as April 7. This means, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ray Cheney, that the airport would revert back to an “uncontrolled airport, where pilots have to avoid each other and announce their intentions.”  

This was the way it was back on June 21, 1995 when there was a midair collision between a United States Forest Service Beechcraft and an NTSB air tanker, leading to the deaths of the air tanker crew. An open space, instead of a controlled space, will increase the risk of mid-air collisions, since a “controlled airport controls the air traffic sequencing.”

By Congressman Scott Peters (D-San Diego)

March 12, 2013 -- Two weeks before the sequester took effect, House leadership called a recess and sent us home. As a former Port Commissioner and City Council president, that was foreign to me. I could not believe, with the amount of work still to be done, we were sent home. And, even more frustrating, that we were sent home without being allowed to vote on a single alternative to the sequester, because leadership didn’t agree with the legislation. This, in my opinion, is not representative of the democratic process that the United States is regarded for.

I used my time at home to send a message back to Washington. I worked with our port commissioners, scientific research community and maritime workers to tell Congress that the negative effects of the sequester will be felt in San Diego through layoffs, furloughs, stifled research and decreased GDP.

March 12, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--The United States Postal Inspection Service is warning the public about foreign lottery scams. In three years, American consumers lost over $42 million in lottery scams.  Lottery fraud victims not only suffer the devastation of a financial loss, but even worse, the psychological pain and suffering that take a physical toll on the victims.  And many victims suffer alone, because they are too embarrassed to report the crime and seek assistance.  These scams continue to plague our nation’s citizens and can only be stopped by educating the public about this devastating crime.

March 12 at Lincoln High,  March 13 at Grossmont College

March 12, 2013 (San Diego)  -- You’re invited to come feel the pounding of American Appalachian clogging, hear the melodies of Scottish highland song, and see the array of color in Indian dance with BYU’s International Folk Dance Ensemble. Brigham Young University’s critically acclaimed folk dance team brings the world’s cultures together in their energetic performance, The Gathering.

The show takes stage tonight at Lincoln High School Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m.  Dancers  will also perform at Grossmont Community College on Wednesday, March 13 in the outside quad area to help enhance cultural awareness on campus.

March 12, 2013 (Ramona)--Vice-Chairwoman Dianne Jacob and Supervisor Ron Roberts will join disaster response experts at the Ramona Air Field today to urge the federal government to recognize that the Ramona Air Traffic Control Tower is a critical asset during county disasters, especially fires.

The Cal Fire Air Attack Base at the Ramona Air Field responds to an average of 450 calls per year and protects more than 1.7 million acres, including U.S. Forest Service land. The base played a key role in fighting the 2003 and 2007 wildfires. The county, along with Cal Fire, has made significant technology investments and upgrades to aircraft that fly from Ramona.       

In response to sequestration, the Federal Aviation Administration is proposing to close air traffic control towers deemed not crucial to the national interest. The County has learned that the Ramona Airport ATCT, operated under a FAA contract with Serco Inc., is targeted for closure. 

March 11, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A 4.7 earthquake  at 9:56 a.m. rattle San Diego and Imperial Counties.   The temblor was located 64 miles east of San Diego, 13 miles east-southeast of Anza and 23 miles south of Palm Springs. The U.S. Geological Survey has downgraded the strength of the quake, which was earlier estimated at 5.2.

March 12, 2013 (Spring Valley)--San Miguel Fire District Firefighters responded to a fully engulfed mobile home fire tonight at Avalon Estates in the 1200 block of Grand Avenue, Spring Valley.

Two of the family’s four residents were home when the fire broke out. One resident, a female broke a bedroom window and escaped the flames, said Leonard Villareal, public information officer at San Miguel Fire Department. The other person home, a young man suffered severe to moderate burns over an estimated 25-percent of his body as he ran through the flames to escape from the front door. He was given stabilizing care on the scene and then rushed to the UCSD Burn Center.

By Lori Abbott, California News Service

March 10, 2013 (Sacramento) - One million more low-income and uninsured Californians are closer to getting health care.  The state Assembly and Senate have passed key legislation that will expand California's Medi-Cal program and make it easier and faster to use.

Assembly Speaker John Perez says the bills are an important step to ensure those living below the poverty line have access to quality care. "People living at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty line," Perez says. "We're talking about people surviving on $15,400 a year or less."

By Roy L Hales

Reprinted with permission from San Diego Loves Green; original published at http://www.sandiegolovesgreen.com/articles/improving-californias-water-supply/

March 10, 2012 (San Diego)--A recent Sierra Club news release states, “For more than two million Californians, access to clean drinking water is a daily struggle. This year, a number of legislators are taking the lead to address this growing problem. According to a study conducted by the California Water Resources Control Board, 680 communities in California rely on contaminated water sources and roughly a third does not have necessary filtering systems in place to make sure that the water that comes out of their faucet is safe to drink.”

March 10, 2013 (El Cajon)--The City of El Cajon congratulates El Cajon’s Jimmie Johnson on his first place finish at the Daytona 500 on February 24, 2013. This is Johnson’s second Daytona 500 victory and 400^th start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

In Celebration of the City’s Centennial Year, November 2012 through November 2013, look for Jimmie Johnson Banners to be up around the City very soon. Key places the banners will be placed include the homes the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Habitat for Humanity built on Foundation Lane, on Second Street where the car culture of the community was enjoyed, and near Jimmie’s favorite Mexican restaurant at Greenfield Drive and East Main Street close to where Jimmie grew up in East El Cajon.