April 22, 2011 (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.

April 21, 2011 (El Cajon) – Michael Hendricks , 26, died Tuesday from a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting. He had been hospitalized and was in a coma after being stung a week earlier in Alpine. A pastor at East Valley Christian Fellowship, Hendricks is remembered by parishioners for his leadership in teen and youth programs.

April 21, 2011 (El Cajon)– GET Engineering Corporation, an El Cajon firm, was recognized for its quality and performance by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. GET received a Supplier Excellence Award at a recognition ceremony held at the Wyndham hotel in Andover, Massachusetts on April 13, 2011.

Public comments will be heard at hearing; action comes after years of citizen complaints and recent media spotlight on polluter

By Miriam Raftery
 

April 21, 2011 (El Cajon) – East County Magazine photographer Dennis Richard, disgusted by the sight of smoke belching from the Neptune Society crematorium at 13065 Old Highway 80 in El Cajon, sent a photo to media outlets that started a firestorm of controversy.

“You can see from my picture; the smoke of ...human bodies blowing out of the smoke stack and drifting over Jack in the Box and the nearby neighborhoods,” he wrote.

April 20, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Heritage of the Americas Museum, located on the campus of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, is holding anl art sale featuring original works by well known artist Guadalupe Apodaca, whose popular works feature Native Americans and the West. He has galleries in Scottsdale and Santa Fe.

The Museum is also holding a sale featuring Pan Dao, the stitchery of the Lao Hmong. During the Vietnam War, the Lao Hmong allied with United States forces. Their service was vital in leading downed airmen back to friendly territory. Without a written language, their stitchery was the art form that recorded their beliefs and their history.

Event at Heritage of the Americas Museum attracts a full house
 

By Miriam Raftery
 

Family wants case reopened; believes daughter may have been sold to human traffickers

 By Miriam Raftery

April 19, 2011 (El Cajon ) – Do you have blankets or a dog bed that you don’t need? The El Cajon Animal Shelter seeks donations or new or used dog beds and blankets for dogs that are currently housed in outdoor kennels with concrete floors. Cushioning will help make them more comfortable.
 

April 19, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Who’s giving money to your elected officials? Are there conflicts of interest?

Now you can find out easily thanks to two new websites just launched.

April 18, 2011 (La Mesa)--La Mesa Police Department in conjunction with the San Diego County Probation Department conducted a Probation Stakeout Operation today.  This operation resulted in one arrest for a woman violating terms of her DUI (driving under the influence) probation.

The Probation Department identified 16 subjects, all on Court Ordered Probation and living in La Mesa. They are considered the “worst of the worst” of the DUI offenders. One of their probation conditions is “no alcohol” what so ever, at any time.

April 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- While beach denizens are contending with coastal fog, the sun is shining out here in East County--where it's just another day in paradise this time of year.  

We hope you'll enjoy our local photographers' images of springtime in East County!

April 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -Teamwork is often a forgotten concept in a sport like stock car racing, where individual accomplishment gains the most attention. Jimmie Johnson didn't forget the concept at the Aaron's 499 race at Talladega Speedway Sunday, April 17. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., gave him a push at the finish, giving Johnson his first win of the season and 54th of his career. 

April 17, 2011 (Julian) – A motorcycle accident prompted a SIG Alert briefly today near Julian, Incident Page Network reports. The accident occurred on Highway 79 in front of Jeremy’s on the Hill around 11:15 a.m.

April 18, 2011 (Lakeside) – An EDCO trash truck has overturned at 11206 Valle Vista Road in Lakeside. The accident was reported at 11:45 a.m. The truck is now leaking large amounts of diesel fuel from saddle tanks, Incident Page Network reports. According to the CHP, a Hazmat team has been dispatched and is en route to the scene.

By Higuchi Takayuki

April 16, 2011 (Tokyo)—After living in San Diego for three years, while I attended grad school at SDSU and worked as an intern for East County Magazine, I returned home to Tokyo and now live about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from where the powerful 9.0 earthquake struck. My friend, a student in Sendai, witnessed the devastation first-hand near the epicenter of the quake, then experienced a harrowing survival following the tsunami.

Each person has his or her own story in life. Yet, often we are too busy to share it. Strangely, a tragedy like this gives us the opportunity to show we are each a piece of a moment in time. So, I would like to share our stories.