September 21, 2012 (La Mesa)--The La Mesa Police Department in partnership with Helix Charter High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club invites you to attend a special event on the school campus,  7323 University Avenue in the City of La Mesa on Monday, September 24.

September 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The goal of renewable energy is positive. But putting industrial-scale wind and massive solar projects on protected public lands has attracted opposition from environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts.  Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mapped out 11,000 sites where renewable energy projects could be located on California land that is already impaired, such as sites formerly contaminated with toxins.  This includes 75 high-priority California sites—43 targeted for utility-scale PV solar, 21 for geothermal, and 1 wind site.

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A new documentary directed by Robert Lundahl provides an unprecedented look at how fast-tracking of federal energy projects is having devastating impacts on Native American cultural sites, destroying sacred landscapes and geoglyphs thousands of years old. View film trailer: http://planet-rla.com/who-are-my-people-film-trailer/

The film has enjoyed the support of Native American elders, including Sr. Alfredo Figueroa (Yaqui/Chemehuevi), Rev. Ron Van Fleet (Mohave), Phil Smith (Chemehuevi), and Preston Arrow-Weed (Kumeyaay/Quechan), who appear in the film.

September 21, 2012  (Spring Valley)  - On July 12 at 8:45 a.m., San Miguel Firefighters responded to a fully involved mobile home fire located in the 10700 block of Jamacha Blvd. Even though the first unit was on scene in six minutes, the doublewide mobile home could not be saved. Two vehicles were also destroyed and another vehicle damaged.

Five people inside evacuated only after being awakened by the family pet. There was no working smoke alarm in the residence. In the process of alerting and saving the family, the puppy died.

September 21, 2012 (Ocotillo) -- Parke Ewing forwarded these images showing transformation of the desert landscape in Ocotillo, where public outcry and seven lawsuits have thus far failed to stop the Pattern Energy's wind project. 

The first image reveals excavation for just one of the 112 wind turbines; this hole measures 16 feet deep.  In the sunset shot, towering wind turbines now replace the century-old ocotillo forest that once stood here, sacrified for "green" energy.

September 20, 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/REGIONAL

• County invokes state suspension of meeting laws (UT San Diego)
• SDG&E to pay federal government $643 million for fire damage (North County Times)
• Cal-Trans wins fatal crash suit, asks family to pay (UT San Diego)
• 2 former Navy Seals from San Diego killed in embassy attack (10 News)
• Scientists weigh effects of climate change: Scripps conference seeks solution to sea level rise (North County Times)
• Sycamore landfill approved after years of litigation (Santee Patch)
• Lawsuit aims to reveal misuse of baseball funds at Grossmont High (La Mesa Patch)

STATE

• Cal State system to hike tuition 5% if Prop 30 fails (Los Angeles Times)
• Jerry Brown and Molly Munger both want to raise taxes to help schools, but differ on approach (Sacramento Bee)
• Brown signs overhaul of California’s worker compensation (Sacramento Bee)
• 700 bills on Brown’s desk (Sacramento Bee)
• State restricts military funeral protests (UT San Diego)
• California Legislature approves public pension changes (Sacramento Bee)
• The Salton Sea: Death and Politics in the Great American Water War (Wired)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

September 20, 2012 (Valley Center) – The San Diego Sheriff seeks public help to locate Michael Dale Garritson, 40, of Valley Center, one of two hired caregivers caught on tape repeatedly abusing a 23-year-old severely autistic man who is unable to speak. A second suspect, Matthew Alexander McDuffie, 27, of San Diego was arrested by detectives from the Sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension unit.

September 20, 2012 (La Mesa)--The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free seniors discussion group on “Demystifying Diabetes” from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26. The public is invited to attend, and RSVP is not required.

September 21, 2012 (Lemon Grove) -- Join the members of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra & Master Chorale in the second concert of the 2012-2013 performance season entitled THE PLANETS—a multimedia performance combining music with high definition graphics & animations from NASA and EUROSPACE. 

September 20, 2012 (San Diego)—Wine is one of life’s little luxuries. While the majority of us love it, most of us would be hard-pressed to pick the perfect meal pairing, spot those subtle flavors and notes or even decipher the difference between a Malbec and Merlot.

This year’s San Diego Wine Show has something for amateur imbibers and carafe connoisseurs alike. Venture to the Del Mar Fairgrounds on September 29 and 30 to sample hundreds of selections from some of the Pacific Coast’s finest wineries, including Freemark Abbey, Orfila Vineyards, South Coast and many more. Savor wonderful whites and refreshing reds while schmoozing with sommeliers about all things wining and dining.

September 15, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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.

• Obstacles may delay drones access to U.S. skies (UT San Diego)
• State court ruling deals blow to U.S. mortgage system (Reuters)
• FBI warns of U.S. violence over anti-Islamic movie (ABC)
• Republicans split on Mitt Romney remarks (Politico)
• Debunking Romney’s attack on Americans who don’t pay income taxes (L.A. Times) 
• New Romney ad rips Obama on coal energy (The Hill)

WORLD

• Libyans see Al Qaeda hand in U.S. embassy attack (Wall Street Journal)
• Anti-American fury sweeps Middle East over film (Reuters)
• Protests sweep Islamic world, fueled by domestic politics and anti-U.S. anger (CS Monitor)
• Prince Harry targeted in Taliban attack in Afghanistan (Telegraph)
• Police clash with Muslims at protest in East Jerusalem (Jerusalem Post)
• Peacekeepers attacked in Egypt’s Sinai Penninsula; foreigners injured (CS Monitor)
• Large anti-austerity protests in Spain, Portugal (UT San Diego)
• India opposition parties protest economic reforms (UT San Diego)
• Anti-Japan protests sweep China on anniversary of invasion (Reuters) 

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

By Janis Mork

September 18, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)- Several local school districts have ballot propositions on the November ballot, including Cajon Valley, Mountain Empire, San Diego Unified, Dehesa, Ramona Unified, Grossmont- Cuyamaca Community College, Chula Vista, and South Bay. All need 55% to pass instead of the usual 2/3 majority vote, according to Prop 39 that was passed several years ago. Below are details on each proposition, along with comments from Superintendents in each district.

Petition launched urging President Obama not to appeal decision

September 14, 2012 (New York) – On September 12, 2012, Judge Katherine Forrest ruled that the so-called “indefinite detention” provision of the fiscal 2012 National Defense Authorization Act violates the Constitution and issued a permanent injunction against its use. The law would have allowed the military to indefinitely detain civilians -- even Americans -- without charge or trial if they are accused of certain crimes, or even associated with certain criminals.

There are six plaintiffs in the case including writer Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky, and the leaker of the Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg.

September 19, 2012 (El Cajon) -- On September 14, the El Cajon Police Department in conjunction with Communities Against Substance Abuse (C.A.S.A.) and the Neighborhood Market Association will be delivering letters to 138 El Cajon businesses asking them to voluntarily decline selling the psychoactive drugs known as Spice and Bath Salts.

"The distribution and use of psychoactive herbal incense (most commonly marketed as “Spice”) and psychoactive Bath Salts (marketed under multiple brands) appears to be reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. These products are being disingenuously marketed and sold as if they were standard bath salts and incense whereas in fact they are not. Instead, they are being snorted, smoked and used intravenously," states a press release issued by El Cajon Police.

September 19, 2012 (San Diego)—A new state program to help business owners invest in solar and other energy-saving projects with zero up-front costs launched yesterday in San Diego County. 

The Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) enables commercial property owners to use their properties as collateral for energy upgrades—and to pay off those costs through their property tax bills.