May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Shortly before 7:30 p.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon responded to reports of a plane crash at Gillespie Field Airport.  As firefighters arrived on scene they found that a single engine Cessna had landed without its’ landing gear, sliding to a stop on the runway.

Critics call bill a "poison pill" aimed at restricting the ability of local municipalities to provide consumers with alternatives to  buying power from utilities

By Roy L Hales

Originally published at the Eco Report: http://www.theecoreport.com/green-blogs/technology/energy/utilities-energy-energy-articles/californian-legislation-threatens-community-choice-aggregates/

May 4, 2014 (San Diego)--The second of California’s community choice aggregates (CCA) was  launched amidst state legislation (AB 2145) that could restrict further competition with established utilities.

By Miriam Raftery

May 3, 2014 (Alpine)—When Alpine resident Alanna Light heard about the tragic sinking of a Korean ferry boat, she feared for her 24-year-old daughter, who teaches English at a private school in South Korea.

“My dad called me and asked if Kalya was alright,” she recalled, adding that when she heard about the tragedy, “I had a panic attack until I got through to her.”  Fortunately, Kayla was fine.  But at least 242 passengers on the Sewol  ferry have died and another 60 remain missing.  Most of the passengers were high school students.

The captain and 14 crew members have been arrested for leaving the ship and abandoning passengers, including children told to stay in their cabins.  Two others have also been arrested for over-loading the ship, which had 476 people on board.

By Miriam Raftery and Nadin Abbott

Photos by Daren Sefcik, Jeff Holz, and Delia Cooley

May 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Multiple fires along I-8 broke out this morning between East Willows Road and Japatul this morning, as ourViejasAlerts reported earlier.  The fires are believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning catalytic converter from a vehicle.

The largest forced closure of a viewpoint in Japatul and charred 12-14 acres. 

By Miriam Raftery

May 3, 2014 (Deerhorn Valley) – A 17-month-old child was bitten three times in the abdomen by a rattlesnake yesterday afternoon while playing in on a patio at a home near Barrett Lake in Deerhorn Valley.

NBC reported that the incident was reported at 4:20 in the 20000 block of Manzanita Way.   The Deerhorn Valley Antler indicated that Mercy Air flew out of the area at approximately 5 p.m. with the young patient on board.  The child was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital.

Fortunately, the toddler is recovering, according to his older sister , Jessica Taylor. She posted on the Deerhorn Valley Facebook page this morning that her brother is being treated with anti-venom and is expected to  be fine.  She added, “He’s a tough little guy!”

May 3, 2014 (La Mesa) -- Today from 11 a.m to 5 p.m., Johnny B's restaurant in La Mesa will donate 10 percent of proceeds to benefit a new pocket park project called the "Lookout" planned in La Mesa's downtown vlllage.  The restaurant owner, John Bedlion, wlil also match the amount raised today. Drawings will also be held, along with a live auction. 

“The Lookout” at Legacy Park will become a permanent piece of art that will honor the City’s Centennial celebration. Located at the convergence of La Mesa Boulevard (known as Lookout Avenue until 1940), Allison Avenue, and 4th Street; The Lookout will serve a traditional gazebo function – as a gathering place for social interaction. Center city gazebos have historically occupied a special place in the heart of communities; this one will be no different. 

By Miriam Raftery

May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Republican Paul Ryan plans to hold a Congressional committee hearing next week on poverty – but he has refused to let any poor people testify.

By Miriam Raftery

May 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The Obama administration is facing a lawsuit over its plan to issue 30-year-permits allowing wind energy companies to kill eagles without facing prosecution.

By Miriam Raftery

May 2, 2014 (San Diego) - Did San Diego State University dump a successful coach for political reasons?   Doug Perez is accusing the university of getting rid of him because he refused a request from the Associated Students executive director, Christina Brown, who asked him to help her raise money for Kevin Faulconer’s mayoral campaign.

Elected officials suppressed key report, failed to halt project or recover taxpayer dollars

“It was heartbreaking to see this project desecrate such a historically and culturally significant landscape, and it’s even worse when you find out that it was built on false claims by the developer, and with the assistance of the BLM. "-- Anthony Pico, Chairman, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

An East County Magazine special investigation

By Miriam Raftery

April 30, 2014 (Ocotillo) – An international wind energy expert has concluded that Pattern Energy appears to have defrauded the federal government in order to obtain lucrative tax subsidies for a wind energy development in southern California that has failed to live up to the developer’s claims.

“I believe we have a clear case for the False Claims Act,” Nicolas Boccard told East County Magazine, after reviewing full first-year wind production data for the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility on U..S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public land.  The project produced only about half of the energy that Pattern claimed it would produce—far below levels deemed viable for a wind project, a second expert confirms. 

These dismal results are no surprise to Boccard, who predicted in a report written before construction of the project was  completed that Ocotillo lacks sufficient wind speeds to sustain a viable wind energy project.

So were Pattern's lofty wind speed claims nothing more than spin?

May 1, 2014 (San Diego)--U.S. Reps. Susan Davis (CA-53) and Tim Ryan (OH-13) introduced legislation in the House to help schools include social and emotional learning (SEL).  The Supporting Emotional Learning (SEL) Act (H.R. 4509) would support teacher training in SEL to help young people better handle societal issues thus boosting their academic potential.  Students receiving social and emotional education do better on tests, show greater pro-social behaviors, and less emotional stress.