December 26, 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:

LOCAL

• East County redevelopment funding announced (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego’s Biggest Park Gets Even Bigger (KPBS)
• San Diego Kaiser Hospital Fined For Removing Wrong Kidney (KPBS)
• El Cajon PIO stayed at hotel with Hanson-Cox (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego Boy Scout Council Wins Lease Discrimination Lawsuit, Leases to Continue at Balboa Park and Fiesta Island (Mission Times Courier)
• City wins tentative ruling in pension case (U-T San Diego)
• A roadmap to SANDAG’s transportation plans (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• Feds reject Calif. request for education waiver (Sacramento Bee)
• Second audit of State Parks finds more mystery money (Sacramento Bee)
• 2,600 Medi-Cal cards sent to wrong families (Sacramento Bee)
• Lawmakers target key environmental law for overhaul (U-T San Diego)
• Pot farm boom slams Northern Calif. environment (Sacramento Bee)
• California farmers, residents to get more water (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

December 21, 2012 (El Cajon) – A fire last night at 1281 North Second Street in El Cajon has displaced two residents, also resulting in smoke and water damage to a vacant commercial business downstairs.

Heartland Fire and Rescue crews responded to the blaze at 10:30 p.m. Upon finding three apartment units in flames, the fire was upgraded to a second alarm.  Heartland Fire & Rescue from El Cajon and La Mesa received assistance from the Santee and Lakeside Fire Departments, and the San Miguel Fire Protection District.  Firefighters contained the fire in about 35 minutes.

By Miriam Raftery

December 18, 2012 (El Cajon ) – Vintage cars festooned in lights rolled down Main Street in El Cajon last week for the city’s first Parade of Lights.  The celebration continued at Prescott Promenade Park, where members of the San Diego Costume Guild garbed in Victorian attire—as well as some attractive Santa’s helpers, mingled with the crowd, evoking images of Christmas past and present. 

Elf visit, BMW dealership, and Hanson-Cox support letters also hot topics at council meeting

By Miriam Raftery and Janis Mork

December 13, 2012 (El Cajon) – “We’re going back to our roots in El Cajon, because this was agricultural community,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told East County Magazine after the El Cajon Council unanimously approved both community gardens and chicken ownership for city residents. 

Kendrick noted that the El Cajon valley was the grape-growing capital of the United States before Prohibition and orange groves once occupied the hillsides.  “There is great soil on the valley floor,” he said, adding that residents will now be able to grow fresh vegetables on numerous vacant lots in the community.

Money spent on lavish personal expenditures as well as community causes

By Miriam Raftery

December 6, 2012 (El Cajon) – “What I did was so shameful, and I will have to live with what I did for the rest of my life,” former El Cajon Councilwoman Jillian Hanson-Cox stated tearfully at her sentencing hearing last Monday.  Federal judge Michael Anello sentenced her to 30 months in prison after she admitted embezzling money from her former employer and failing to report the income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Hanson-Cox is also ordered to pay more than $3.6 million in restitution to her ex-employer, Century Design Inc. (CDI) and another $1.2 million to the U.S. Treasury. 

“While embezzling millions of dollars from CDI, former Councilwoman Hanson-Cox not only traded on her reputation as a public official but also betrayed every citizen who expected her to act honestly in both her private and public affairs,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.

December 2, 2012 (El Cajon) – The Knox House Museum is open for tours December 8 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 280 N. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon.  The Museum is decorated for the holidays in the spare 1880’s Frontier style.

On December 7 from 5 – 8 p.m. the museum will be lit with candles and lanters for “Light Up the Knox”.  All tours are free.  For more information visit www.elcajonhistory.org.

November 25, 2012 (El Cajon ) - A brush fire is burning along Interstate 8 west at East Main Street in El Cajon. The fire is burning uphill in medium fuel.   CHP shut down the freeway briefly but one lane is now reopened.

Further east, a car fire on I-8 east near Jacumba is also impacting traffic.

Sign up for free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts at the top right side of our homepage and you can also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine.  You can also follow ViejasAlerts on Twitter. We recommend all of the above since you don't know which communication will work best in a regional emergency.

November 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Chula Vista Police seek public help to locate a missing mentally disabled man who had written “El Cajon” on a notepad shortly before he was last seen at 7:18 a.m. this morning at the H Street trolley station. 

Heriberto Tari, 48, was last seen wearing a burnt-orange dress shirt, black dress pants and black shoes.  He has a hunched-over posture and communicates by writing on a notepad that he carries.

By Miriam Raftery

November 12, 2012 (El Cajon) - In honor of El Cajon's centennial celebration, each chapter of this year's 66th annual Mother Goose Parade will be dedicated to a 10-year period of the city's history.

Mayor Mark Lewis will be the grand marshall of the parade, which features elaborate floats, equestrians, marching bands, and Santa Claus to usher in the holiday season. 

By Miriam Raftery

November 9, 2012 (El Cajon)—Shaima Alawadi died a violent death in her El Cajon home, suffering multiple skull fractures.  A note found next to her body  told her to “go home” to her native Iraq, sparking fears in the community that the young Muslim mother of five may have been the victim of a hate crime.

But today, El Cajon Police Chief Jim Redman announced that the victim’s husband, Kassim Alhimidi, has been arrested and charged with her murder.

November 3, 2012 (La Mesa)--The FBI and El Cajon Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the unknown male responsible for robbing the US Bank, 490 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon.  On Friday, October 26, 2012, at approximately 2:29 p.m., an unknown male using a demand note robbed the US Bank, located at 490 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, California.  After receiving a sum of money from the victim teller, the robber exited the bank and was last seen leaving as a passenger in a silver or gray Cadillac.

October 28, 2012 (El Cajon)—A resident in the 1200 block of Yerba Verde heard his doorbell ring last night at 7:50 p.m. but didn’t answer.  Looking outside, he saw three males put on gloves and look into windows of his home.

“Fearing for his safety, the resident called 911 and hid,” said Lt. Tim Henson with the El Cajon Police. While talking to a 911 operator, the resident heard the suspects enter the home.

By Sue Strohm, Advocates for Safe Airport Policies (ASAP) Steering Committee

October 24, 2012 (El Cajon)--Over the next year or so (over the objection of large numbers of County residents) the County Airports system will initially be digging up the former El Cajon Speedway and turning 21.5 acres (of the approved 70 acre parcel) of County airport land into the Cajon Flight Center. 

October 23, 2012 (El Cajon) -- On Friday, October 26th from 4:00-5:00 p.m., Hillside Center is hosting its annual Pumpkin Carve. Children ages of 5-12 years old are encouraged to explore their creativity by carving a pumpkin masterpiece. Each child will receive one pumpkin to create the scariest, funniest, or most creative pumpkin they can imagine.

October 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Nearly 50 industrial-scale renewable energy projects are planned in San Diego’s East County and neighboring Imperial County.  San Diego Supervisors will vote Dec. 5 on a wind ordinance that could open vast tracts of scenic areas and rural communities to skyscraper-sized wind turbines to harness renewable power. There are costs, however, to ther environment and risks to health and safety of residents, including heightened fire danger.

On Thursday, Oct. 18, ECM editor Miriam Raftery will be the guest speaker at the East County Democratic Club, making a presentation on impacts these big energy projects pose for on our region.  The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Coco’s Restaurant, 1025 Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon. Program starts at 7 p.m., if you wish to purchase dinner, arrive at 6 p.m. 

If you would like a presentation on wind energy issues to your organization, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org to arrange for a speaker or a Powerpoint presentation that you may use.