East County News Service

Photo: Memorial in Hillcrest, posted on Twitter by Shawn Van Diver

June 12, 2016 (San Diego) -- The worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history is being investigated as both a terror attack and a hate crime.  Omar Mateen, 29, a U.S. citizen born to Afghan immigrants, killed 50 people and injured 53 during a gay pride celebration at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida early this morning. 

The gunman called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS, the Islamic state before the massacre, the FBI has indicated.

The massacre has prompted outpourings of sympathy across the nation and here in San Diego.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: Mara Elliott, City Attorney candidate

June 9,2016 (San Diego) --San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer, a Republican,  won re-election handily Tuesday with 58% of the vote, avoiding a run-off with independent Lori Saldana, a former Assembly member who received 22%, and Democrat Ed Harris with 19%.

Republican Council members Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman also secured their seats with over 50% of the vote, as did Senate Chief of Staff Chris Ward in the race to succeed fellow Democrat Todd Gloria in District 3.The San Diego City Council Seats that continue into a November run-off are Districts 1 and 9. San Diego may also break one more glass ceiling in November, if Mara Elliott is elected as the first woman City Attorney.

By Miriam Raftery

May 24,2016 (San Diego) – Patrick Malloy is the endorsed Democratic candidate challenging  Congressman Duncan D. Hunter in the 50^th Congressional District.  A realtor running on a platform of “reigniting the American Dream,” he sat down for an exclusive, in-depth interview with the East County Magazine Show originally aired on KNSJ Radio. 

You can hear the full interview by clicking the blue buttons at the bottom of our story for part 1 and part 2 (sound files may take a few moments to load.)  You can also scroll down to read highlights of his proposals for creating jobs in the district and rebuilding the middle class and helping small businesses, as well as his views on the Middle East, refugees, immigration and other hot topics.

May 26, 2016 (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

• Patient secretly recorded by Sharp Grossmont files claim against hospital  (NBC 7)
• MTS faces possible bus walkout (Patch.com)
• KUSI goes one on one with Senator Bernie Sanders (KUSI)
• Voter guide to San Diego and California races in June 7 primary (Times of San Diego)
• Locals rally for fawn rescue center (Ramona Sentinel)
• San Diego’s top cops comment on ACLU report, UT article about asset seizure (Patch.com)
• San Diego County Dams Old But Still Passing Muster (KPBS)

STATE

• Labor unions, environmentalists are biggest opponents of Governor Brown’s affordable housing plan (Sacramento Bee)
• Study: humans responsible for 90% of wildfires in California (KPBS)
• California Senate approves broad new gun restrictions (Sacramento Bee)
• Lake Mead declines to lowest level in history (Desert Sun)
• California Agencies Send Mixed Signals On Drought Conditions (NPR)
• National Park Service loses early round over Yosemite trademarks fight (Miami Herald)
• Groups got $11.6M from board they serve on (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

May 4, 2016, 2016 (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

• Two Home Invasions, Two Families Who Waited on Hold With 911 (Voice of San Diego)
• Growing water crisis in Borrego (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• What’s behind San Diego County’s alarmingly high C-section rates? (KPBS)
• Annual count finds nearly 9,000 homeless in San Diego County (KPBS)
• Senate Demands Department Of Energy Remove San Onofre Nuclear Waste (KPBS)
• Mom: brain-eating amoeba killed my daughter (10  News)
• San Diego Needs Transit More Than Ever — and SANDAG’s Plan Doesn’t Have Enough (Voice of San Diego)
• San Diego Home Prices Jump 6.4% From 2015 (KPBS)
• After 47 years, La Mesa volunteer says bye to kindergartners(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Five Apollo astronauts to visit San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Hispanic entrepreneurs do best in Texas (San Diego Reader)

STATE

• Deadline passes in Probe of San Onofre nuclear deal (KPBS)
• Jerry Brown raises California smoking age to 21, tightens vaping rules (Sacramento Bee)
• CPUC meets with Wall Street types, too (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Three-day drama led to UC Davis Chancellor Katehi’s suspension (Sacramento Bee)

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

April 20, 2016 (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

• What Elections Have San Diego Political Candidates Missed? (KPBS)
• San Diego County Water Authority Files Lawsuit Against MWD (KPBS)
• MTS Compass Card Was Insecure From The Beginning (KPBS)
• DA won’t file charges against Supervisor Dave Roberts (KPBS)
• Political fine from 2012 mayor's race sets record (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• The California Democrat setting the national agenda (Atlantic)
• Hunter repaid funds spent on surf shop, garage door (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego County Crime Rate Up 6 Percent (KPBS)

STATE

• Harris Questioned For Representing Gov. Brown During San Onofre Probe (KPBS)
• Donald Trump to speak at California Republican convention (Sacramento Bee)
•  Your Speeding Ticket Might Not Be Enforceable (Voice of SD)
• Calif. university spent $175,000 to counter negative Internet posts: newspaper  (Reuters)
• State nabs more than 80 for unlicensed contracting(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Brickbat: Youthful Offender taken off terrorist watch list (Reason)

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

March 30,  2016 (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

• In San Diego, Syrian refugee family finds safe haven (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• U.S. Border officials accused of denying food to asylum seekers (KPBS)
• Janitors carry the cross and have feet washed (Reporting San Diego)
• Elderly man robbed at his Rancho San Diego home (10 News)
• Sheriff investigates Ag Boosters missing funds (Ramona Sentinel)
• UCSD caught in debate over fetal tissue research (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• HIV trial set for next year (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Many Latino, African-American Students Opting Out Of AP Classes (KPBS)
• Records show dead frogs, moldy classrooms (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Transit Funding Emerges As Key Issue For SANDAG Tax Increase (KPBS)
• Water bill jump hard to swallow in Rainbow (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Despite the Porter Ranch disaster, the top executive at SoCalGas is getting an enormous bonus (Los Angeles Times)  
• Audit: University of California undermines resident students (KPBS)
• Kamala Harris the `female Obama’ plots her course on the road to Washington (Guardian)
• Solar arrays in the desert: killing more birds than you imagine (Memories of the People)
• FPPC opens limited probe of Brown aide  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Dianne Feinstein to Obama: Turn on the Taps! (Breitbart News)
• Everything We Thought We Knew About the Two-Thirds Voter Requirement Could Change if New Ruling Holds (Voice of San Diego)
• As Chinese Investors Sweep Into Bordeaux Region, French Winemakers Are Buying Up California Vineyards (The Daily Meal)

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

By Miriam Raftery

Updated March 31 with new info from the County Office of Education.

March 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The County Committee on School District Organization will hold six hearings to get public input on the Grossmont Union High School District’s proposed shift to electing governing board trustees by districts.  The GUHSD board voted 4-1 to adopt a controversial map and seek a waiver of a public vote despite opposition from members of the public who spoke, some alleging gerrymandering to oust a dissenting board member and break up a vocal minority voting block, as ECM reported.

The six hearings are set for March 17 in La Mesa, March 28 in El Cajon,  April 4 in Alpine,  April 5 in Jamul, April 6 in Lemon Grove, and April 11 in Lakeside.  The public can testify at the meetings and also submit written comments up until April 7.  The County’s committee will vote to approve or disapprove the district’s request at its April 13 meeting. The Alpine hearing was added after ECM and community members asked that Alpine be added as a location due to the many controversies involving the Alpine area.

For the full schedule of meetings, rules and details, click "read more" and scroll down.

To view the San Diego County Office of Education hearings announcement in English, Spanish and Arabic, click here.

To view data on the GUHSD redistricting plan including demographic details and maps, click here.

March 10,  2016 (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

• Luxury development approved for Julian (U-T)
• Heavily redacted memo shields notes in fatal San Diego police shooting (KPBS)
• Charity accused of improper billing (U-T)
• MTS Board Members Ask For Faster Data Security Upgrades (KPBS)
• Contractors lose appeal on 'free speech’ gifts (U-T)
• San Diego Politicians Asked To Stop Voting On Their Own Salaries (KPBS)
• Is ballot crowding at work in San Diego city council races? (KPBS)
• Southern California aerospace industry continues to lose jobs (U-T)

STATE

• Brown’s judge friend removed from CPUC case (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Motivating the state’s refugee voters (KPBS)
• My $54,000 helicopter ride (Los Angeles Times)
• California advances bills to raise smoking age, regulate vaping (Sacramento Bee)

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

Click link  above to hear our interview, which originally aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ  89.1 FM on December 14, 2015.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Ice core sample, Creative Commons image from AntarcticGlaciers.org

February 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Jeffrey Severinghaus, PhD, is one of the world’s top climate scientists.   A professor of geosciences at Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, he was recently appointed to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.   Dr. Severinghaus has pioneered research efforts measuring trapped gas bubbles in ice cores in Antarctica and Greenland to detect past ocean temperature changes – with astonishing results.

Asked about climate skeptics who claim climate change is merely cyclical, he quickly dispels the theory that recent warming is part of an age-old trend.  That’s because molecules from burning fossil fuels are chemically different from carbon naturally seeping from the ocean floor.  The differences are obvious, measurable, and provide clear evidence that man’s actions are rapidly accelerating climate change.

February 17,  2016 (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

• Porter Ranch Natural Gas Leak Temporarily Controlled (City News Service)
• Hungry? Amazon delivers from local eateries in an hour (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Obama to designate new national monuments in the California desert (The Washington Post)
• Hasty water policies don’t mix well with long-term planning (Voice of San Diego )
• Officials Show Off Facility Where Passengers Apply For TSA Pre-Check Program (KPBS)
• Dueling SANDAG Proposals Pit Transit Against Local Infrastructure (Voice of SD)
• CPUC boss and energy innovator were friendly (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Cell-tracking 'Stingray' device was kept secret (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Coastal Commission fires executive director over objections of hundreds of supporters (Los Angeles Times)
• Governor Brown’s budget includes Salton Sea funding (The Sun)
• California farmers reap record sales in record drought (Chron.com) (AP)
• How the drought boosts your utility bills, and global warming (SF Gate)
• 2 Golden Gate Bridge pedestrians hit by blow darts (SF Gate)
• US hospital held to ransom by hackers (BBC)

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

“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.” – Irish blessing

January 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)—Those winter rains have left our drought-parched hills wearing a lovely coat of green.  In fact, some areas in San Diego’s backcountry now bear a striking resemblance to Ireland!  Can you tell which photo was taken in East County yesterday, and which was shot in the Irish countryside? (Click “read more” for the answer.)

By Miriam Raftery

January 14, 2016 (San Diego) – The San Diego City Council has proclaimed 2016 as the Year of Inclusion.  The proclamation notes that immigrants comprise 23 percent of the population in our region, with over 100 languages spoken by San Diego residents from around the world.

The proclamation recognizes organizations in San Diego dedicated to helping s build a “culture of civic participation among new generations” that empower leadership and activism. The city's welcoming gesture toward immigrants comes at a time when anti-immigrant has been on the rise nationally and among some prominent political figures, most notably Republican presidential frontrunner candidate Donald Trump.

East County News Service

January 2, 2016 (Borrego) -On Wednesday January 6^th,  San Diego Supervisors’ agenda  includes a public hearing on authorizing the County to become a groundwater sustainability agency, giving it jurisdiction over the Borrego Valley groundwater basin—the sole source of water for the Borrego region, jointly with the Borrego Water District.

The Borrego Valley area uses four times more groundwater than is replenished annually, on average.  As a result, groundwater levels have declined over 100 feet in some parts of the Borrego Valley, due to heavy water use for irrigated agriculture, residential, and commercial users including golf courses and resorts that draw tourists to the region, as well as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, according to a  U.S. Geological Survey study on the Borrego Valley groundwater basin from 1945-2010, done in cooperation with the Borrego Water District. View study  here.

By Miriam Raftery, Editor

December 24, 2015 (San Diego's East County) --It’s been a tumultuous year around the world and also here in San Diego’s East County. 

These ranged from water woes to lawsuits over education and transportation.  East County residents rallied for refugees and protested land use projects ranging from a sand mine to a shooting range, as well as a casino, solar farms, a hotel highrise, and safety concerns after a plane crash near Gillespie Field.  Our coverage helped clean up illegal dumping in Cleveland National Forest and save free speech outside Supervisors' meeting place.  Other hot stories touched on fire safety, terrorism, police scandals, and winery regulations,  There was also some good news--Lake Jennings was spared, a new habitat for bears opened, local police stepped up efforts to protect pedestrians, and Supervisor Dianne Jacob led efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's. 

Here are the stories and issues that captured the attention of our East County readers in 2015: