Supervisorial district 2 may be split due to population increase; urban and rural residents voice concerns

By Mike Allen

Photo:  Ramah Awad of Majdal Center in El Cajon provides comment to the county’s Independent Redistricting Commission.

August 30, 2021 (El Cajon) -- The process of redrawing boundaries for San Diego County’s five supervisorial districts is underway and the independent commission that will determine those lines visited El Cajon Aug. 26 to listen to the public.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Bing

August 28, 2021 (Washington D.C. ) -- The U.S. Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 13 service members in the Marines, Navy and Army who died Aug. 26, 2021, as the result of an attack by an ISIS splinter group, ISIS-K, while supporting evacuation operations at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

Those killed include ten who served at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County:

• Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, Ca.
• Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Neb.
• Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Ind.
• Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Mo.
• Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas.
• Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyo.
• Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.
• Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, Ca.
• Hospitalman Maxton Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio.

“I extend my deepest, heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the 1st Marine Division servicemen who lost their lives while heroically safeguarding the evacuation of thousands of U.S citizens and faithful allies from Hamid Karzai International Airport,” said Major General Roger Turner Jr., comamnder of the 1st Marine division, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. “Nine Marines and one Sailor paid the ultimate price to defend our nation and extend the reach of freedom beyond our shores."

President Biden has ordered flags flown at half-mast to honor the troops killed and pledge to swiftly hold accountable those responsible. One day later, a U.S.-led airstriked killed at least two ISIS-K leaders, the White House announced.

Below is the full list of fatalities suffered in all three branches of the armed services.

Update August 31, 2021:  One local family with three Children in the Cajon Valley district has been left behind after the U.S. troop withdrawal,  10 News supports. A district spokesperson said they are exploring ways to bring them home.  The other Cajon Valley familes have been safely evacuated and some students are now back in school. 

Over 104,000 civilians have been evacuated by U.S. in past 10 days; airlifts continue despite bombings as Biden vows retaliations against ISIS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of the Pentagon: U.s. Air Force personnel help evacuate Afghan civilians at the Kabul airport on Aug. 24

August 26, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – After today’s deadly terrorist attacks near the Kabul airport, concerns are heightened over the fate of some Cajon Valley Union School District students and their families. Around two dozen students and their families who traveled to visit relatives became trapped in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, the district announced earlier this week.

Today, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that four of the local families have escaped and two have arrived safely in Southern California. But the whereabouts of five other local families, including 14 children, remains unknown.

Source:  Helix Water District

August 26, 2021 (La Mesa) - On Tuesday, August 3, Fitch Ratings, a global independent credit rating organization, affirmed Helix Water District's AA+ rating with a stable outlook.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 26, 2021 (Mount Laguna) - Five deer mice and one brush mouse collected in routine monitoring in the Mount Laguna area have tested positive for hantavirus, County environmental health officials said this week.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by José Eli Villanueva

August 25, 2021 (San Diego) - The County of San Diego’s SD Emergency app is now equipped with ShakeReadySD, an earthquake early warning system. This will let users know if an earthquake has occurred nearby that is likely to cause shaking within seconds and it will urge them to take protective action such as drop, cover and hold on or another appropriate safety measure.

By Miriam Raftery

August 25, 2021 (Lakeside) – A 23-year-old man from St. Louis, Missouri died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on State Route 67 south of Foster Truck Trail in Lakeside last night.

Martinez and Myers to present their visions for the Sheriff's Department, answer questions from frontline Deputies

East County News Service

August 25, 2021 (San Diego) -- The 2022 Sheriff's Race kicks off Thursday with candidates appearing at their first forum on August 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. hosted by the Deputy Sheriff's Association (DSA) of San Diego County.

Both candidates have years of experience in the San Diego County Sheriff’s organization: Kelly Martinez, current Undersheriff, and retired Sheriff’s Commander Dave Myers.

The event will be live-streamed on the DSA’s Facebook Page.

By Joe Hong, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom announces all school teachers and employees will be required to be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing at a press conference at Carl B. Munck school in Oakland on Aug. 11, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

August 24, 2021 (Sacramento) - After months of reluctance, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday mandated that all California school employees be vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly.

By Miriam Raftery

August 24, 2021 (San Diego) – A rapid warming trend is forecast to bring elevated fire weather conditions Wednesday through Saturday. The National Weather Service warns, “Wildfires could spread rapidly with high heat and low humidity. Diurnal winds in the afternoon present the highest threat.” Dry fuels add to the danger.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 23, 2021 (San Diego) - As mail ballots start showing up in mailboxes around San Diego County, the Registrar of Voters office is encouraging voters to act on their mail ballot and vote early.

Fox News hosts falsely touted drug as COVID treatment. FDA says it is not anti-viral, is used mainly to deworm horses, and can be dangerous for humans.

By Miriam Raftery

August 21, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – A Mississippi Poison Control Center reports that 70% of recent calls are from people who ingested Ivermectin purchased at livestock supply stores which they mistakenly believed could treat or prevent COVID-19, a view falsely touted by multiple Fox News hosts. Seeking to protect the public from harm, The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has issued a statement titled “Why you should not use Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.”

East County News Service

August 21, 2021 (San Diego) -- In response to the extreme drought conditions impacting Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors on Aug. 17 declared a Water Supply Alert, calling for consumers and businesses to voluntarily reduce their water use and help preserve the region’s storage reserves. The declaration comes a day after the Bureau of Reclamation declared a first-ever shortage on the Colorado River, which typically provides about 25 percent of Southern California’s water needs.

East County News Service

Photo by Barry Jantz

August 20, 2021 (Jamul) -- The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) today announced the approval of $21,652 in reimbursements to help the County of San Diego cover the costs of operating a Local Assistance Center (LAC), as well as the removal and replacement of five road signs following last year's Valley Fire. The fire started in the Japatul area near Alpine and burned 20 residential structures as far south as Jamul. 

 The reimbursements represent the state's 75-percent share of the county's $28,870 in costs related to the work that are eligible under the California Disaster Assistance Act following California Governor Gavin Newsom's State of Emergency Proclamation on September 26, 2020.