East County News Service

November 3, 2015 (San Diego)—It’s official: San Diego Congressman Darrell Issa is the richest man in Congress—worth over a quarter of a billion dollars ($254.7 million), according to data from Roll Call published by the Los Angeles Times.

Next benefit planned December 4th

By Janis Russell

November 3, 2015 (Lakeside)- Nearly $5,000 was raised at an October 23^rd benefit event to help fund search efforts to find Elijah ‘Bear’ Diaz, who has been missing since August 29th.  The event, which drew 218 guests, was held at the Loretta Quitae LaChappa Clubhouse near Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside. The funds will help the family hire a private investigator.

November 4, 2015 (La Mesa) – Connect La Mesa invites you to bring you family and friends to a fun and interactive Block Party on Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Farmer’s Market parking lot on Allison Avenue.

East County News Service

November 4, 2015 (Alpine)—Superior Court Joel Pressman today announced he will vacate his dismissal of a case filed by the Alpine  Union School District and Alpine Taxpayers for Bond Accountability and set a status conference with counsel November 6th. 

The move comes on the heels of an appellate court ruling yesterday which found the Grossmont Union High School District violated its promise to build an Alpine High School and affirmed Pressman’s earlier order for the Grossmont district to set aside $42 million bond money sufficient to build the school, pending full adjudication of the claim’s merits at trial, as ECM reported.

Judge Pressman issued the following statement today, though his court reporter:

November 3, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Budget deal includes Social Security, Medicare reforms (The Hill)
• “We need an energy miracle” (The Atlantic)
• Exxon sealed our fate: The campaign of misinformation and outright lies that ensured planetary disaster (Salon)
• Update: U.S. military ignored child rape since 2003 (Examiner)
• Paul Ryan elected House speaker (CNN)
• House GOP moves to impeach IRS chief (The Hill)
• Shrinking naval forces need boost (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• GDP growth slows as inventories fall (Marketplace)
• Largest U.S. banks face $120 billion shortfall under new rule (Reuters)
• Walgreen’s buying Rite-Aid for $9.4 billion in cash (CBS)

Presidential campaign:

• Trump? Carson? Rubio steals the debate show (Politico)
• AP Fact check: The Republican debaters and the facts (Associated Press)
• Is Democratic socialism the right path for America? (CNN)
• Ben Carson once again compares something to slavery, this time abortion (HuffPost)

WORLD

• Russian plane crash over Sinai: was there an explosion? (CNN)
• U.S. signals shift in Syria-Iraq campaign against Islamic State (BBC)
• Parliament vote could lead to EU freedom for Snowden (CS Monitor)
• Beit Hagai mother of eight slashed by terrorist near Gush Etzion junction (JPost)
• Watch: ISIS threatens Jews, Israel with 'big war' in second Hebrew video(JPost)

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

East County News Service

Updated November 4, 2015 with reactions and Judge Pressman's final ruling.

November 3, 2015 (Alpine) –California’s 4^th district court of Appeal has handed down a ruling in favor of the Alpine Union School District and Alpine Taxpayers for Responsibility  against the Grossmont Union High School District– a ruling in apparent conflict with Superior Court Joel Pressman’s  most recent action.

The ruling comes just hours after Pressman announced a decision to throw out the lawsuit entirely (dismissing it with prejudice)  – reversing his earlier decision to set a December trial date and upholding his tentative ruling from last week.  In so doing, he contradicted his own earlier findings and instead, determined that Propositions H and U did not obligate the GUHSD to build a high school for Alpine.   

But the appellate court found just the opposite.The appellate court found the district violated its promise to build the Alpine High School and affirmed Pressman’s earlier order for the GUHSD to set aside bond moneys sufficient to build the school, pending full adjudication of the claim’s merits at trial.--a trial that may never occur, based on Pressman's latest action.

By Victiashea Matthews

November 1, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - There are two different perspectives in the case of Ben Fields: one applauding his heroic efforts or two, condemning his deeds of violence.

A Word from Dan McAllister, San Diego County Treasurer/Tax Collector

November 2, 2015 (San Diego)--The season of giving has begun!  Annual secured property tax bills from our office were sent out in September.  So by now, all of you who are property owners should have received your annual secured bill.  This year, 2,269 additional bills were sent out – bringing the total to 986,858.  These secured bills will generate more than $5 billion for county operations to help our schools, our community colleges, our libraries, and so much more in our community.

By Helen Ofield, President, Lemon Grove Historical Society

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

November 1, 2015 (Lemon Grove) -- He will be. The witching hour is 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the H. Lee House, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

Of course, you knew that.  Come November, neither you, we, nor anyone within earshot is exempt from visions of sugar plums, the hope of reindeer hooves on the roof, the hearkening to Donner and Blitzen, and the careful setting out of a post prandial libation and figgy pudding for The Great Claus.

He is William Swank and the name fits.  He is swell, swank, super-duper and silver-tongued.  He's been Santa Claus for 14 years, including seven in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. He's an author of 10 books, too, bringing us to the main event.

By Howard W Cook, former chair, Jacumba Sponsor Group

Photo: Lake Jacumba

November 1, 2015 (Jacumba Hot Springs)--A massive project poses an unprecedented risk to Jacumba Hot Springs' water supply. 

BACKGROUND

Jacumba Hot Springs is an old town going back to 1860 and blessed with a productive hot spring and several other good wells. It is located 70 miles East of San Diego on Old Highway 80 in a valley spread out on both sides of the border. Its high desert transition zone location at 2800 feet just before nearby Interstate 8 plunges to the desert seem an unlikely place for a water takeover by Nextera, a Florida Green Energy developer.