Otay Mesa ICE facility has at least 16 COVID-19 cases, highest of any  U.S. detention site

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

April 13, 2020 (San Diego) – After the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed lawsuits in 13 states demanding release of detained immigrants at high risk due to COVID-19, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent a letter to Congress on April 7 announcing it had identified 600 medically vulnerable detainees and to date, had released 160 of them.

Today, local ACLU representatives asked the court to dismiss a suit filed earlier this month on behalf of four medically vulnerable people detained at the ICE Otay Mesa Detention Center and Imperial Regional Detention Facility, after ICE released all four  plaintiffs.

“Our clients, Yusuf Ozdemir and Jane Doe, were released Thursday night; and Miguel Angel Benitez and Issis Yoselin Zelaya Sagastume were released Friday night,” states a press release issued today by  the ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties, ACLU Foundation Immigrants' Rights Project, ACLU Foundation National Prison Project and ACLU Foundation Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & HIV Project.

By Miriam Raftery

April 7, 2020 (San Diego) – Following news reports this about high rates of COVID-19 cases among African-Americans in Chicago, civil rights activists have called on the U.S., cities and counties to release racial data on coronavirus cases. Yesterday, San Diego County health official released available data, which indicates that of the 71% of cases for which racial data was reported, the breakdown is consistent with the County's racial and ethnic demographics.

Of 1,404 confirmed case to date, 405 (29%) did not include an ethnic background.

Of the 999 (71%) of cases that did report ethnic background, 49% are white, 31% Hispanic,10% Asian, 6% African American, and 4% other. 

That tracks closely to the county’s ethnic composition based on the last census, which reported 45% white, 34% Hispanic or Latino, 12% Asian, 5% African-American, with the remainder multiple races or other ethnicities.

By Miriam Raftery

April 2, 2020 (San Diego) – Over 849 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in San Diego County. Of those, 1.4%, or 15 people have died, according to  County health officials. The county has identified several cluster outbreaks, including an outbreak in East County linked to the PalmCare Pharmacy in El Cajon,  NBC-7 reports.

A 25-year-old pharmacy tech who worked there , and who  had hoped to become a doctor, died last week at his family’s home in Riverside County. The pharmacy’s customers included many in East County’s Iraqi Chaldean community.

March 31, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:  

LOCAL

• San Diego’s Mesa Biotech gets approval for 30-minute coronavirus test (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• FDA approves San Diego company’s coronavirus test kit (10 News)
• One by one, prominent San Diego hotels shutting down amid coronavirus lockdown (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Coronavirus: Scripps Health to temporarily shut down Santee clinic (Patch)
• San Diego County to restrict cruise ship disembarkation after Tuesday (Times of San Diego)
• San Diego Magazine folds after 72 years (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• California closes vehicular access to all 280 state parks  (Mercury Star-News)
• California got 170 broken ventilators from feds; Silicon Valley is fixing them, Newsom says (Los Angeles Times)
• California governor: 5 big banks suspend mortgage payments (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• California beer, wine and weed companies get creative during coronavirus stay-at-home order (Sacramento Bee)
• California is asking state workers to consider changing jobs during coronavirus outbreak (Sacramento Bee)
• California restaurants plead for insurance help during coronavirus closures (Politico)
• Assemblyman Kevin Kiley urges Governor Newsom to suspend AB-5 amid the coronavirus pandemic (KUSI)
• PG&E to plead guilty to 85 counts in 2018 Camp Fire and pay victims $13.5 billion, court filings show (CNN)

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

By Miriam Raftery

March 24, 2020 (San Diego) – As COVID-19 continues its rapid spread in San Diego and people eager to exercise or socialize crowd into outdoor public spaces, more are shutting down including most local beaches as well as many parks and trails.

Here’s the latest on what’s open and closed.

While it's best to stay home if you have space to exercise and get fresh air there, if you do venture out to public spaces, be sure to maintain social distance of six feet from anyone not in your famliy and so that the few remaining places to enjoy nature won’t be shut down, too. No groups of 10 or more are allowed anywhere in the state.  The Sheriff has said that those violating social distancing rules may be arrested, fined, and jailed.

At-Home Service Company Launches Free Car Repair Program for Car Owners in Need; Ramps Up Technician Hiring and Fleet Service for Businesses

Source: PR Newswire/Repair Smith

March 20, 2020 (San Diego)--Today, RepairSmith announces it will donate $100,000 in free, 'No-Contact Car Repair' to the communities it serves. The company is introducing a series of initiatives to support members within the community who are facing hardship because of the coronavirus.  

Starting today, in California and Las Vegas, free car repairs are available to car owners who are severely impacted by COVID-19, either via loss of employment or acting as a frontline worker to their community.

This includes government workers, service workers, delivery drivers, healthcare professionals, employees of grocery stores and pharmacies, volunteers and others who require the use of a functioning car, in locations where RepairSmith currently operates, including San Diego County.

East County News Service

March 20, 2020 (Laguna Mountain) – Amid the fears and uncertainties we are facing right now, there is a healing power in nature.  This inspirational sunrise photo was taken this morning by UCSD’s HP Wren camera atop Laguna Mountain in San Diego’s East County, which is covered in snow on this official first day of springtime.

Helix Water assures customers water is safe from COVID-19

By Paul Kruze

March 15, 2020 (San Diego)-- In an unprecedented move, San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) announced on Friday that it will be suspending disconnections of service for non-payment.

In a news release published on its website, the utility announced, in part, “With the coronavirus pandemic causing significant impact on the economy and people’s livelihoods, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced today that it will temporarily suspend service disconnections. The disconnection moratorium will remain in place until further notice.”

The company also has urged customers who are struggling to pay their utility bill due to financial hardships stemming from the coronavirus to call its Customer Contact Center at 1-800-411-7343 to make payment arrangements.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: cc via Bing

March 13, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- Over half the school districts in San Diego have announced plans to shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak until sometime in April.

East County districts that are shutting down include Alpine Union, Grossmont-Union High School District, Cajon Valley, Dehesa, Jamul-Dulzura, La Mesa-Spring Valley, Lakeside Union, Mountain Empire, and Vallecitos. 

County Health and Human Services asks parents, “We recognize the difficulty that these school closures present for working families. It is important to remember that closing schools is an effort to maintain at least six feet of distance between people and to reduce the number of individuals gathered into a given space to prevent the spread of the virus. While there are still public spaces open and available, including malls, parks, movie theaters, etc., we would ask parents to strongly consider keeping their children home or limited to small groups at this time.”

Nationwide, school closures due to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, are impacting over 8 million K-12 students, according to EdSource, or nearly a quarter of the 50 million K-12 students in the U.S.

Here are schools locally announcing closures so far:

By Patrick Williams, Back Country Land Trust

Photo; Typical Clover Flat OHV trail for closure and restoration:

March 2, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Mountain Empire residents and others interested in seeing the Clover Flat wildlife preserve near Campo restored can submit comments on the restoration proposal by May 4, 2020.  Below are details on the proposal and how to submit your public comments.

California State Parks  proposes to  restore off-highway vehicle (OHV) including quad and four-wheel drive damaged areas totaling five restoration acres at Clover Flat wildlife preserve. Damaged areas will be secured, then restored with native plant seed, wattles and mulch and signage will be placed to direct riders (mostly accessing the area from the RR access road) to legal OHV Corral Canyon or Lark Canyon riding areas.

State Parks OHV public review and comment instructions:

February 6, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:  

LOCAL

• Poll: Sara Jacobs has wide lead in race to replace retiring Rep. Susan Davis in 53rd District (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• CDC Hospitalizes 4 Coronavirus Evacuees With Symptoms In San Diego  (KPBS)
• San Diego County’s Freezing Temps Break Records (NBC 7)
• Grossmont, Cuyamaca community colleges receive accreditation  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Santee making sound progress on bringing music back to school  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• La Mesa Police Visited Store Owner Charged With Battery 22 Times Since 2015  (NBC 7)
• Federal Money May Soon Help With San Diego's Cross Border Pollution Woes  (KPBS)

STATE

• Five things Californians need to know about Michael Bloomberg (Sacramento Bee)
• What happens if California takes over PG&E? (CalMatters)
• Mixed results for California’s experiment with community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees (Ed Source)
• California’s most controversial homebuilding bill just died. What will Newsom do now? (Cal Matters)

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

January 29, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:  

LOCAL

• Should colleges do more to safeguard sleeping students? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego attorney wants to send utilities CEOs to jail if they lie about wildfire prevention measures (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego City Council approves ban on scooters (NBC 7)
• SANDAG kicks off largest effort to stabilize Del Mar bluffs, protect rail line in nearly a decade (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Gov. Gavin Newsom visits San Diego to take part in county homeless population count (10 News)

STATE

• Californians have until Friday to sign up for health insurance or pay penalty (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Hundreds of Freelancers at ‘Repeal AB5’ Rally Want Back the Right to Earn a Living in CA (California globe)
• Gavin Newsom asks Trump’s HUD to turn over California land for homeless housing (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Kobe Bryant, daughter killed in helicopter crash (10 News)
• Kobe Bryant, 1978-2020 (Time)
• California’s sleeper political issue of the year, so far, is school funding (Los Angeles Times)
• Black market marijuana vape pens were cut with deadly additives, California regulator says (Sacramento Bee)
• To fight new employment law, Uber pits California drivers against each other (Washington Post)

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

January 23, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:  

LOCAL

• Family raises concerns about integrity of SDSU investigation into student’s death (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Valle de Oro Commission says too many issues with Liberty Charter plan (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Pechanga Resort Casino turning food into fuel (NBC 7)
• Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez meets with AB 5 protestors (KUSI)
• La Mesa names Greg Humora as new city manager (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Caught on camera: Thief snatches $70,000 worth of gold chains from El Cajon jewelry store (10 News)

STATE

• California bill would make utilities pay for some blackout costs (AP)
• California’s AB 5 leaves women business owners reeling (Forbes)
• Impact of gig worker bill AB 5 on meeting and event planners (KUSI)
• Oh, What a Relief It Isn’t – AB 5 and the B2B Exemption (Capitol Insider/Cal Chamber)
• Firefighters who died in Australia were on California tanker  (Associated Press)
• Trump administration opened California land to fracking. Now the state is suing  (Sacramento Bee)
• Judge halts California labor law AB 5 as it relates to truckers (AP)
• Gavin Newsom wants to put real money behind his Native American apology (Sacramento Bee)

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

By Miriam Raftery

Memorial service has been moved to Bethel Baptist Church on Jan. 24. See details below.

Photo: Carrol Waymon PhD, watching the inauguration of President Barack Obama during a celebration at the Malcolm X Library in San DIego in January, 2009.

January 12, 2020 (San Diego)--San Diego’s most prominent civil rights leader, Carrol Waymon PhD, passed away in early January at age 94.  As executive director of San Diego’s first human rights agency, the Citizens Interracial Committee, he was a tireless fighter for justice who broke down many barriers for people of color.

Born May 15, 1925, Waymon was the grandson of a slave and son of a Methodist minister.  He was one of seven children, including his sister, the late jazz musician Nina Simone. While working on the Los Angeles Human Relations Agency in 1964, he was asked by San Diego's City Council  to come to San Diego and help address racial issues. He moved here and never left,  leading the Citizens Interracial Committee and devoting his life to attaining equal rights for all.

ECM interviewed Waymon in January 2009, during a local viewing of the inuauguration of Barack Obama, our nation’s first African-American president.  For Waymon, who once served as San Diego’s delegate to the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr., Obama’s election was a major milestone hailed by Waymon.  “It is incredible to me. I couldn’t imagine at that time in 1968 that we’d have a black president 40 years later,” he said.

By Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine

December 26, 2019 (San Diego's East County) --As 2019 draws to a close, we look back at the top news stories and issues impacting San Diego’s East County region and residents, as well as the people making headline news-- for better and for worse.

Here are the top local stories across all news and features categories this year: