East County News Service

August 28, 2018 (La Mesa) – Construction is nearing completion in La Mesa on the newest clubhouse to be operated by Boys and Girls Clubs of East County (BGCEC). The new Brady Family Clubhouse will house the Gagon Academy, a state-of-the-art learning center and homework room, as well as the Bill Walton Gymnasium. Opening day is expected sometime in late September or early October, according to Forrest Higgins, CEO of BGCEC.

By Judy Lin, CALmatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Caltrans billboard warns of the dangers of drug use while driving. Courtesy Caltrans

August 27, 2018 (San Diego) - California Controller Betty Yee, injured last month in an auto collision suspected to have been caused by a 25-year-old driver under the influence of marijuana, used sharp language last week to demand  that the state’s nascent cannabis industry “step up” and address pot-related traffic accidents.

Trash and recycling services delayed one day in observance of Labor Day

Source:  Waste Management

August 22, 2018 (San Diego) - Waste Management of San Diego’s curbside residential and commercial trash and recycling pick-up schedule will be delayed by one day throughout the week of Sept. 3, in observance of Labor Day. In addition, all Waste Management operations will be closed on Monday, Sept. 3, with normal operations resuming on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2018 (El Cajon) — A hiker on the Sycuan reservation came upon the scene of a fatality accident at 8 a.m. and notified authorities. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Councilman Kalasho's Facebook followers have shrunk to just 21 people following his numerous ethical and legal controversies.

August 17, 2018 (El Cajon)—El Cajon Councilman Bessmon "Ben" Kalasho tried to reregister as a member of the Federalist Party earlier this week, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. However, the Federalist Party is not recognized in California, so Kalasho is now officially a “decline to state party affiliation” voter.

Originally the party of founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, the Federalist Party advocated for a strong federal government but dissolved in the 1820s.  In 2016, a new Federalist Party formed with a polar opposite view, touting smaller government.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

Photo:  Disneyland and Universal Studios are among the large companies that benefit from California's Prop 13, paying pre-1978 tax rates on some of their properties. (Wikimedia Commons)

August 17, 2018 (Sacramento) - Backers of commercial property tax reform have just submitted 860,000 signatures to county registrars for an initiative on the November 2020 ballot. 

By Miriam Raftery

August 17, 2018 (San Diego) – Language expert, author, columnist and radio personality Richard Lederer will be a special guest at our East County Fest 10-year anniversary party of the decade on Saturday night, August 25. (Tickets are going fast! Get tickets and learn more.)

In addition to speaking and signing copies of his latest books, Lederer has generously donated two special auction prizes – an entertaining and educational appearance by Lederer for your group, and a poker lesson by Lederer, whose skills enabled his two children to become world and national poker champions.

Lederer is the author of 50 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current books, Amazing Words, Lederer on Language, and The Joy of Names. He is a founding co-host of “A Way With Words” on KPBS.

Dr. Lederer’s syndicated column, “Lederer on Language,” appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States, including the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has been named International Punster of the Year and Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel winner.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 15, 2018 (San Diego) - Hankering for a hound, pondering a purr monster or craving a Chihuahua?

If the idea of adopting a pet has ever crossed your mind, now is the time to do it. As part of the annual Clear the Shelters Day, County Animal Services is waiving adoption fees for all dogs, cats and rabbits on Saturday, Aug. 18.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo from San Diego Fire Dept.: Metro Arson Strike Team investigates fire scene.

August 14, 2018 (San Pasqual Valley) – The Metro Arson Strike team has reversed an earlier announcement and now believes yesterday's Cloverdale Fire in the San Pasqual Valley was not caused by arson, but instead by a rimless tire that threw off sparks, causing multilple ignition points, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

This is the third fire to occur in the San Pasqual area in the past couple of weeks, though authorities have not yet announced causes of the earlier San Pasqual and Rangeland fires, which burned 240 and 250 acres respectively.

The Cloverdale Fire, under unified command of Cal Fire and San Diego Fire Department, started mid-afternoon and quickly scorched 100 acres. Today it is 65% contained and evacuations have been lifted.

 
By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2018 (Boulevard) -- Terra-Gen's proposed Torrey Wind project (with up to 30 giant turbines each up to 586 tall and 4.2 megawatts) in Boulevard is moving through the planning process quickly. Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale is asking all who have concerns or information to share on impacts of wind turbines to come to a public scoping meeting  August 23 at 6 p.m. in the new Cal-Fire/County Fire Station at 40080 Ribbonwood Road, Boulevard.

“These turbines could be twice as powerful and about 100 feet taller than the Tule Wind turbines installed on public recreation land next door,” says Tisdale. “Bigger turbines can churn out much more noise and low frequency vibrations and potential electrical pollution over greater distances that can trigger psychical and emotional stress and the body's fight or flight instinct in people and animals. Turbines have reportedly been deemed nuisances in some legal and administrative proceedings around the world, with some families abandoning their homes and other homes bought out by developers over noise impacts and related litigation.”

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo: Bessmon "Ben" Kalasho, August 2015

August 9, 2018 (El Cajon)--An exclusive investigation by East County Magazine has uncovered a criminal case in which El Cajon Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho pled guilty to two counts of workers’ compensation fraud in October 2015 (court case #MD094871).  View full documents. 

Kalasho was on probation for his crimes, both misdemeanors, when he ran for and won his seat on the City Council in 2016. He remains on probation until October 1, 2018. He was also fined.  

His criminal record did not come to light during the campaign because he ran for office as Ben Kalasho without listing his real name, Bessmon Kalasho, with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Kalasho has pulled papers to run for El Cajon City Council again in November.   

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Source:  San Diego Sheriff's Department

August 9, 2018 (Ramona) -  It has been a record-breaking hot summer in San Diego County.  With temperatures hitting triple digits in our backcountry areas, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE San Diego and other agencies have been busy rescuing hikers who didn't prepare for the heat and sometimes treacherous terrain.  

By Miriam Raftery

August 9, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – U.S. District Judge John Bates issued a ruling last week order the Trump administration to fully restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  The program protects many young immigrants who came here as children from deportation.

Trump announced plans to shut down the program and his administration has stopped accepting applications or processing renewals. But the judge ruled Trump’s rationale for dropping DACA, a program created during the Obama administration, did not pass legal muster.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Richard Edwords, an Alpine resident driving a water tender truck: at the Mendocino Complex Fire, where bulldozers  have been cutting fire breaks

Update: An earlier version of this article stated that the Mendocino Complex fire is the second largest in our state's history.  With more acreage burned tonight, it is now the largest.

August 6, 2018 (San Diego) – Across California, 36 wildfires are currently burning. View map and incident reports. Currently the only one in San Diego County, the #CasnerFire in Ramona, is 75% contained at 14 acres, with no structures lost.  A 1,000 brush fire on Camp Pendleton has been extinguished.  But elsewhere in the state, explosive fires are burning, claiming lives and property.

The #MendocinoComplexFire is now the second largest in California history, where 283,000 acres have burned after the Ranch and River fires joined forces, Reuters reports tonight.

Evacuations are ordered in Orange County, where the #HolyFire that started in Cleveland National Forest has scorched 1,200 acres, burning one structure and causing one injury, the Orange County Register reports tonight.

By Miriam Raftery and Paul Kruze

August 6, 2018 (El Cajon) – The legal spiderweb entangling El Cajon Councilman Bessmon "Ben" Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, has become even stickier. Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor has issued an order granting a motion by plaintiff Lina Charry, deeming admitted the contents of requests for admissions to which the Kalashos repeatedly failed to respond. Those admissions include allegedly illegal financial dealings,fraudulent and defamatory actions.