September 18, 2014 (Ramona)--Gaze up close at World War II fighter airplanes, experimental aircraft, and firefighting air tankers and helicopters. Tour an air traffic control tower. Check out hot classic cars and big-rig trucks. Maybe even get your face painted or shake Smokey's hand.

By Leon Thompson

September 20, 2014, El Cajon - Estreanda Fulford-Yates is the President of ‘Living Independently is for Everyone’ a nonprofit Corporation that benefits individuals with any level of disability with the goal of independent living.  Participants receive life training, job training and learn social skills that accelerate their ability to live independently.

By Dr. Tony Phillips, Science@NASA

September 19, 2014 (San Diego)--On Wednesday morning, Oct. 8^th, not long before sunrise, the bright full Moon over North America will turn a lovely shade of celestial red.  It's a lunar eclipse—visible from all parts of the USA.

East County News Service

Photo: entertainer Raelee Nikole is among the 100 musical acts scheduled to perform

September 19, 2014 (San Diego)--Over 100 different musical acts on eight stages are slated for the 2014 Adams Avenue Street Fair on September 27 and 28, which is one of the largest free music street fairs in California, according to the organizers. It also includes four beer gardens, 300 food and craft vendors, and giant carnival rides.

Source: Alpine Community Network

September 17, 2014 (Alpine) – Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a man who reportedly tried to lure a 12-year-old Alpine girl into his grey car as she walked home from the Alpine Youth Center with her little brother in the 2000 block of Arnold Way today, NBC San Diego reports. The girl’s mother told the Alpine Community Network that the man asked, “Where is your mother? Come here,” then sped off when a neighbor confronted him.

By Nadin Abbott

September  18, 2014 (San Diego)-- Robert Germann,  spokesman for Citizens Against Gillespie Expansion (CAGE), spoke before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to make a presentation. He wants to know the reason for a large increase in funds allocated for Gillespie Field airport that has been kept hidden from the public.

He told the Board, “According to the California Division of Aeronautics, Gillespie Field is slated to receive nearly $417 million."

He added that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will give the El Cajon Center $10.63 million. Yet the County stated that the field is only going to receive $232,070, said Germann. He asked why there is such a discrepancy?

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: GUHSD Superintendent Ralf Swenson

September 18, 2014 (Alpine)—The Grossmont Union High School District Board (GUHSD) has passed a resolution opposing the proposed Alpine unification initiative.  Now, Superintendent Ralf Swenson has issued a statement to media voicing disappointment that a County committee has approved the unification measure and sent it on to the State Board of Education to take action. He wants to see all voters in the district have a say on unification, not just voters in Alpine. 

In his letter, Swenson claims a unified Alpine district won’t be able to afford to build and operate a high school offering programs comparable to those in the Grossmont district but insists that the GUHSD can’t afford to build the school, either.  Moreover, he  claims that the GUHSD remains 2,400 students below the “trigger” that the district has set for enrollment and that further declines are projected, making the likelihood that the district would ever build the promised 12th high school for Alpine appear to be virtually zero.

His letter has sparked a heated response, including a rebuttal from education leader Bill Weaver debunking dubious claims made by the Superintendent. Weaver has previously co-chaired education and business commitees for both the East County and Mountain Empire Chambers of Commerce.

September 18, 2014 (Ramona)—It’s harvest time at our local wineries, and many now host grape stomps to encourage community members to join in crushing those ripe grapes.  Health rules prohibit drinking wine made from the stomps in California, but that didn’t stop patrons at Hacienda de Las Rosas Winery in Ramona from diving in and savoring the experience!  Our editor, Miriam Raftery,  caught the action with this video.

By Miriam Raftery

September 17, 2014 (San Diego)—Opponents of San Diego’s new minimum wage ordinance have gathered 56,000 signatures, more than the 34,000 needed to qualify the measure for the June 2016 ballot. The Registrar is currently working to verify the signatures. If it qualifies, the wage increase will be put on hold until voters weigh in.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CPUC Chair Michael Peevey

September 17, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) –Thousands of e-mails released this week reveal unethical back-channel communications between PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency that is supposed to regular public utilities. The e-mails reveal that PG&E was calling the shots as the public agency investigated PG&E mistakes leading up to the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, which killed 8 people and destroyed 38 homes.

State’s only community college district to net 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award

September 17, 2014 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Tuesday received the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award, a national honor recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Photos, left, by Kathleen Hedberg:  Storm cell swoops toward La Mesa

By Miriam Raftery

September 16, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A powerful storm lashed East County early Tuesday afternoon, causing major damage before moving across San Diego later in the day.  Thousands were left without power from at least 16 different outages in East County, SDG&E reported. Hardest hit areas included Rancho San Diego, Mt. Helix, La Mesa and Spring Valley.

Helix Water Board member Kathleen Hedberg captured dramatic images of the stormcell swooping toward her La Mesa home-- a downdraft from a thunderstorm that looked more like tornados seen in the Midwest than a typical southern California storm. Gusts of at least 50 miles per hour were reported, with coin-sized hailstones and sheets of rain pouring down.  It was all a result of Hurricane Odile which struck the Baja coast at 125 miles an hour, ,still packing a wallop by the time it reached our region.

September 25, 2014 (La Mesa) –The last hearing on a proposed high-rise development in La Mesa ended in a shocker, when an American Legion spokesman announced his organization was withdrawing its support as a co-applicant of the controversial Park Station at the Crossroads of La Mesa project.

East County News Service

September 16, 2014 (San Diego)--If you’re sweltering in the extreme heat that’s hit our region, San Diego County health officials recommend these tips to help stay cool:

September 15, 2014 (Sacramento) – Californians who want to know if they overpaid sales or use tax when buying a car or truck should verify their local tax rate (www.boe.ca.gov/taxrate) and review their vehicle registration paperwork carefully.