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Story by Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

For videos of women’s and men’s basketball and women’s soccer’s portions of the press conference, click “read more” and scroll down.,

November 7, 2017 (San Diego) - With a bye week this week, SDSU football head coach Rocky Long invited some of the coaches of the other Aztec sports to join in on this week’s press conference. Women’s basketball senior guards Geena Gomez and McKynzie Fort and men's basketball junior guard Jeremy Hemsley were also on hand to answer a few questions.

By Miriam Raftery

Updated Nov. 22, 2017 to include information on suicide prevention for firefighters through the Firefighters Behavioral Health Alliance.

November 6, 2017 (Pine Valley) – Local firefighters, heroic in battling flames and saving lives, today are grieving the tragic loss of one of their own.  Cal Fire Unit Chief and County Fire Chief Tony Mecham announced yesterday on Facebook, “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I notify you of the passing of Fire Captain Ryan Mitchell from Station 20. Ryan took his own life this morning at the Pine Valley Bridge shortly after completing his shift.”

By Kara DeMent

November 6, 2017 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis issued a proclamation to honor Eula Bell Haver, who celebrated her 102^nd birthday on October 27^th at the Montera in La Mesa.

By Miriam Raftery

November 6, 2017 (Descanso) – Residents on the Descanso Neighbors Forum on Facebook have complained of prolonged power outages. On October 24^th, Maggie Leavitt posted that power had been shut down for the seventh time in three weeks. She suggested the outages may have been intentional due to a red flag alert to prevent fires—and limit SDG&E’s liability.

East County News Service

November 5, 2017 (Julian) -- Christmas comes to Julian every year in an old-fashioned way with a Country Christmas Tree Lighting celebration on Saturday, November 25^th to start the holiday season.  Festivities start at 2 p.m. and continue until 7 p.m. including lighting of a giant Christmas tree in Pioneer Park, just one block from Julian’s historic town hall.

Source: Attorney General

November 6, 2017 (Sacramento) -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced a multistate settlement with VietNow National Headquarters, Inc., a charity that falsely claimed to help veterans. As part of the settlement, the organization will be dissolved and its funds will be distributed to two national and well-respected veterans charities, Fisher House Foundation and Operation Homefront.

By Valerie Watts

San Diego delights home opener crowd of 3,318 with thrilling victory over Syracuse

Source:  San Diego Sockers

Photo courtesy sdsockers.com

November 5, 2017 (San Diego) - The 14-time champion San Diego Sockers (2-0) used a Matt Clare game-winning goal with 41 seconds remaining to lift the Sockers to a hard-fought 6-5 win over the visiting Syracuse Silver Knights (1-1) before a home opener crowd of 3,318 at the Valley View Casino Center.

Measure aims to help workers balance needs of work, family and school

East County News Service

November 5, 2017 (San Diego) -- State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) announced this week that she will author legislation in 2018 to prevent erratic scheduling practices that have become common in part-time workplaces.

By Miriam Raftery

November 4, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A ballot initiative effort in Lemon Grove to loosen regulation of where medical marijuana dispensaries can be located has gone up in smoke, for now.

Judge Kenneth Medel upheld a city clerk’s decision to refuse to accept signatures submitted for a special election on the measure, because voters were provided petitions with incomplete language on the proposed measure. Backers have until January 2018 to gather signatures from 15 percent of the city’s registered voters to qualify for the ballot.

By John Birds

November 3, 2017 (El Cajon) -- I am speaking on behalf of thousands of Chaldean's in and around the San Diego community that all agree that Ben Kalasho DOES NOT and SHOULD NOT be allowed, by any media outlet, to speak on behalf of the Chaldean community. We do not like the type of person, who he is or the values that he holds.

East County News Service

November 3, 2017 (Spring Valley) - Iron Oak Canyon Ranch is the new owner of Bright Valley Farms, an old, established East County business which, for over sixty years, provided many San Diegans with their first horseback riding experience.  In August, its horse boarding/training operation was bought by Lessa and Scott Ritzma and re-named Iron Oak Canyon Ranch.