By Miriam Raftery

Owner attributes deaths to helicopter flyovers for SDG&E Sunrise Powerlink Construction

“The mitigation will be handled by the courts. Well by then, they will all be dead.” – Catherine Gorka, Pampered Parrots owner

“SDG&E should do the right thing TODAY to protect these endangered birds, up to and including relocating the birds to a safe location...It is unconscionable that they would knowingly allow the deaths to occur instead of proactively doing the right thing.” – Laura Cyphert, East County Community Action Coalition

August 11, 2011 (Lakeside) – “The house was shaking. It terrified me,” Catherine Gorka, owner of Pampered Parrots in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley, recalls the first flyover above her home and aviaries by an SDG&E helicopter working on Sunrise Powerlink on February 25, 2011. “I was waiving my arms, calling out for them to stop.”

August 10, 2011 (Poway) – Leon B. Livingston, 56, of San Diego died August 7th of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Poway. Livingston, who wore a helmet, was driving southbound on State Route 67 in Poway when the vehicle in front of him stopped suddenly and Livingston rear-ended the vehicle.

August 8, 2011 (Ramona)—A fire that began at a hay storage area behind Kahoots Feed Store in the 900 block of Main Street in Ramona spread to two neighboring homes in the pre-dawn hours this morning.

As of late this morning, firefighters continued hosing down hay bales from the barn, which was destroyed.  Some closures of streets occurred although Highway 78 remained open, Ramona Patch.com reported.

Update August 8: In a meeting between SDG&E and Rural Fire Protection District representatives on Thursday, SDG&e indicated it wants a single set of rules such as for vegetation clearance and sought to be exempted from overhead water sprinklers over electrical equipment. The RFPD suggested an inert gas fire fighting agent. “In the end, what we believe will happen is that SDG&E will comply, although there will be modifications,” said member Lou Russo.

August 5, 2011 (Boulevard)—San Diego Police ask the public’s help to locate Jerry Perez, 53, who was last seen July 15 at 6:30 a.m. on Pacific Highway in San Diego. His car, a 1996 white Honda Accord (CA license 3TDT884) was found July 15 at 8 a.m. abandoned on Interstate 8 in Boulevard, a half mile east of the La Posta Creek Bridge.

"What about the complete loss of our lifestyle?" - Linda Hayes, Lakeside rancher

Update August 5, 2011:  John Williams was found safely last night and has been reunited with his family, Jan Caldwell with the Sheriff reports.

31 rescues since June; firefighting aircraft diverted to save hikers

By TJ Dunnivant

August 1, 2011 (San Diego)—The wife of Officer David Hall called San Diego Police today to report that her husband had shot and killed himself at their Linda Vista home. He was pronounced dead at the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, said Lt. Andra Brown.

July 31, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for San Diego County’s mountains and deserts for this afternoon through 8 p.m. this evening. A flash flood warning was also issued for central portions of the County this afternoon including the recently burned areas near Warner Springs and Julian.

July 31, 2011 (Spring Valley) Elisa Maria Osuna, 27, of Chula Vista was killed when her car swerved off Highway 94 eastbound in Spring Valley and plunged down an embankment, striking a building at 3:23 a.m. yesterday morning.

July 29, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire warns of a high risk of flash floods and debris flow in areas burned by the Eagle Fire tonight through Sunday. Rob Balfour, National Weather Service Incident Meteorologist assigned to the Eagle Fire, forecasts a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms over the burned area. An estimated 0.15 to 0.68 inches of rain could occur all at once, or in several episodes. Intense rainfall is most likely late Saturday afternoon/evening and again on Sunday.

Rainfall rates as low as 0.15 inches in a 20 minute period are capable of producing debris flows and flash floods in recently burned drainage basins, which include popular camping areas in Anza-Borrego.

Areas at risk of flooding or debris flows include:

Supervisors to vote on legal challenge of $150 assessment on rural properties

By Billie Jo Jannen
For East County Magazine

July 29, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--As County supervisors mull a possible lawsuit over a state plan to bill rural property owners $150 per dwelling, CalFire officials say the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection will take public input through Aug. 22 on how and which rural residents will be charged the new fee.