Rees Boynton Skinner, 53, of Julian died November 20th from injuries sustained in a collision between two pickup trucks. According to the County Coroner’s office, Skinner was the driver and sole occupant of a pickup truck that was struck by another, out-of-control truck on Highway 78 near Ramona.

November 21, 2009 (San Diego) -- Sales tax shortfalls and the improper elimination of State Transit Assistance funds are forcing the Metropolitan Transit System to reduce its expenses by more than $7 million. To preserve the network of weekday services and to impact as few riders as possible, MTS is proposing to substantially reduce service on Sundays. The Metropolitan Transit System hosts outreach at transit centers this weekend to notify the public of plans to reduce Sunday bus andt trolley services.

November 18, 2009 (Washington, DC) – The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act passed by a 395-31 vote in the House of Representatives today, providing local firefighters with tools and resources to prevent and fight fires, enhancing community safety. At a time when many cities face budget shortfalls and cuts to basic services, the Act invests in programs that allow local fire departments to provide training, purchase equipment and vehicles, and hire personnel.

Among San Diego’s Congressional delegation, Republicans Duncan Hunter and Brian Bilbray voted yes, along with Democrats Bob Filner and Susan Davis, while Republican Darrell Issa voted no.

November 18, 2009 (Fallbrook) – The body of a man found yesterday in the southbound lane of I-15 at Old Highway 395 has been identified as Leland John Davis, 60. Davis resided in Escondido, along with his wife.

BREAKING NEWS: TODAY  SERVICE MEMBERS LEGAL DEFENSE FUND  SENT A LETTER TO DEFENSE SECRETARY GATES, URGING NEW INVESTIGATION OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER WHO ABUSED ROCHA AND OTHERS

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2009 (San Diego) – Organizers of an initiative to require term limits for San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors will hold a press conference tomorrow to announce that they have gathered approximately 120,000 signatures—far more than the 77, 587 required to qualify for the June ballot, East County Magazine has learned.

“We know that the signatures are good, because they’ve been verified by the Registrar as they’ve been collected,” Evan McLaughlin, spokesman for the campaign, told East County Magazine this evening.

November 14, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a red flag alert for high fire danger area Sunday and Monday in San Diego County’s mountain areas, due to low humidity and gusty winds. In addition, a high wind warning has been issued for San Diego County mountains and valleys from Sunday morning through Monday afternoon.

Nearly 85% of local refugees are from war-torn Iraq, straining resources on schools and social services; local leaders call for major changes in treatment of refugees

"We can create a national model," -- Sunny Cooke, president, Grossmont College

November 12, 2009 (El Cajon) – Impacts of the Iraq War are hitting home in East County, where so many Iraqi refugees have settled that El Cajon's mayor has dubbed a section of his community "Little Baghdad."  From Oct. 1, 2008 to October 1, 2009, the U.S. admitted almost 75,000 refugees—including 18,333 from Iraq.*  Since October 2008, San Diego has been taking in 400 refugee families a month.  Nearly 85% are from Iraq.  Almost 75% of all area refugees have settled in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD), straining resources beyond capacity in social services, education, and healthcare.

“Social Services predicts that 200 to 300 new families will be entering East County each month for the next two or three years,” Mike Lewis, PhD, assistant superintendent of education for the Grossmont Union High School District said at a November 6 summit at Cuyamaca College titled Spotlight on Refugee Education and Employment.  Some have spent weeks or even years in refugee camps.  Many don’t speak English and have not been able to receive an education.  Many refugees are also physically maimed by war or suffer post-traumatic stress.  Often they receive misinformation and find steep barriers to getting the help that they need.

Story by Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire Protection District
Photos by Firefighter-Paramedic Steve Russo, Lakeside Fire Protection District

Winter Gardens: On November 7th, at 10:54 AM, units from the Lakeside Fire District were dispatched to a “Rescue Vehicle Accident” in the 8600 block of Winter Gardens Blvd. On arrival crews discovered a vehicle still on it’s roof with two occupants trapped inside.

November 5, 2009 (Lemon Grove) - The coroner's office has identified Jessica Eve Louise Kuntz, 29, as the woman who fell to her death from a bridge in Lemon Grove on October 28th.  Kuntz was witnessed to climb over the safety fence of an overpass at Lemon Grove Avenue above Highway 94.   According to the County Coroner, Kuntz resident in both Santee and Lemon Grove.

November 6, 2009 (Poway) - A City of Poway worker clearing brush in a secluded area of Hilleary Park on Community Road on Halloween Eve, October 31st, made a grisly discovery.  A man's partially skeletized body was hanging by the neck from a tree. 

November 4, 2009 (Sacramento) -- Beginning next year, firefighters, medics, and others responding to state emergencies will be able to vote wherever they are serving, thanks to the Governor's signature on Assembly Bill 1440 (Swanson), which Secretary of State Debra Dowen sponsored in the Legislature.

By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2009 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has agreed to pay $14.3 million to the state to settle claims that its poor maintenance caused the 2007 Witch Creek, Rice, and Guejito fires, plus an extra $400,000 in reimbursement to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). SDG&E did not admit causing the fires, but did issue an apology for obstructing investigators seeking causes of the fires.

Cox Cable agreed to pay the state $2 million. “We believe that our line was properly maintained and intact prior to the Santa Ana winds in 2007, and did not cause the Guejito fire,” a Cox statement read. The PUC will decide after a public hearing in San Diego whether to approve the proposed settlement, which would be paid from company profits, not ratepayers.

Some community leaders expressed dissatisfaction at the news.  “It seems to be business as usual for SDG&E,” observed Donna Tisdale, Boulevard Planning Group chair. “Get caught lying, cheating, or failing to comply, refuse to admit guilt, give a half-assed apology, and write a big fat check that never reaches the impacted/damaged communities.”

Need for emergency food boxes has more than doubled in the past year at Salvation Army Kroc Center 

October 28, 2009 (San Diego)—"So far, thanks to the generosity of San Diegans, The Salvation Army Kroc Center has been able to meet the increasing need for emergency food assistance in the surrounding community. But as the need continues to rise, our pantry is in desperate need of restocking," a press release issued today warns.

In October of 2008, 40 families came to The Salvation Army Kroc Center’s Family Services Department needing emergency food boxes to help feed 136 people. In October of this year, that number more than doubled, with 94 families requesting emergency food to feed 416 people. Right now, the Salvation Army Kroc Center has barely enough food to get through this next month.