April 27, 2013 (Poway) – A Sheriff’s K-9 dog search team located a body on Thursday, April 25 in the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve on Espola Road.  Searchers had been looking for Richard Carter, who was reported missing Monday by his wife.  Carter’s car was found parked at Blue Sky.

An identification of the body has not yet been made, pending an examination by the Medical Examiner. Cause of death has also not yet been determined.

Carter, 55, was despondent due to family problems, City News Service reported.

By Janis Mork

April 25, 2013 (El Cajon)-El Cajon’s City Council took a major step at Tuesday’s meeting toward revitalizing and reopening the East County Performing Arts Center.  

Council voted unanimously in favor of sending Pro-Tem Mayor Bill Wells and Councilmember Gary Kendrick to meet with two representatives from the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) to discuss feasibility of refurbishing ECPAC and also constructing a multi-use facility in front of the theater. Together, the two facilities would serve as a magnet for arts and culture in East County under the vision put forth by supporters.

Councilman Gary Kendrick spoke in favor of the plan. “I’m open to re-opening this. We need to fix the roof and take care of ADA issues. I spoke with Priscilla Schreiber (current GUHSD board member),” he explained. “The topic of ECPAC came up. Her idea is for the district to build a multi-use facility in front of the performing arts center rather than 10 multi-use facilities on each campus.”

April 24, 2013 (La Mesa)--Euene Rentfrow, reported missing April 22 in La Mesa, has been located in Escondido.

La Mesa Police had sought public help to find Rentfrow, who suffers from dementia.  Rentfrow, 72, had been seen at  San Diego RV, 7407 Alvarado Road. He was wearing a red and blue flannel shirt and camouflage pants.

April 23, 2013 (Spring Valley)—A 5-year-old girl was bitten on the foot by a snake yesterday while playing in a grassy common area of a condo complex at 8700 Spring Canyon Road in the La Presa area of Spring Valley.  CAL FIRE/San Miguel Fire District firefighters responded to the call shortly before noon.  With help from residents, firefighters from Station 16 located and confirmed it to be a rattlesnake.

The child was transported to Sharp Grossmont where she is receiving anti-venom.  "She is doing well, according to the mother," Leonard Villareal with San Miguel Fire told ECM today.

San Diego County Animal Services indicated there was a huge jump in snake calls yesterday. As the weather warms up, the snakes become more active.

Animal Poison Control Center offers several tips to avoid chance encounters with snakes:

April 21, 2013 (San Diego)--Nationwide federal furloughs of air traffic controllers due to budget cuts that started today are delaying many flights coming into San Diego's Lindbergh Field, KNSJ news director Mike Hancock has informed ECM.  Flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix are running late or have been cancelled.

Check ahead if you're expecting passengers coming into the airport: http://www.san.org/sdia/flights/default.aspx

April 19, 2013 (Santee) – A vehicle driving east on Mast Boulevard at 11:20 this morning ran a red light at Carlton Hills Blvd., according to witnesses, colliding with a vehicle traveling southbound on Carlton Hills.  The driver who caused the collision sustained major injuries.

Santee Fire Department Paramedics performed CPR on her at the scene. She was transported to Sharp Memorial hospital, where she is in the ICU in critical condition.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2013 (Spring Valley) – For the second time in a week, a homeless man has died in East County.  Last week, Mike Brown’s body was found beside a freeway onramp in El Cajon, just days after he was beaten and robbed of the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card he needed for food, an acquaintance of the victim told ECM.

Today, a homeless man died of smoke inhalation when the commercial trailer where he had been sleeping caught fire in Spring Valley. The deaths highlight the dangers of living on the streets or in makeshift shelters in East County, which has no shelter to house the growing number of homeless persons in our region.

By Janis Mork

April 15, 2013 (San Diego)- Last week, in the KPBS studio at San Diego State University, U-T San Diego public engagement reporter Matt Hall moderated a three-member panel  hosted by the San Diego Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)  to explore the controversial issue of press credentials.

Should San Diego Police Department stay in charge of who gets press credentials countywide?

Who needs press passes—and how does SDPD determine who does and doesn’t receive them? 

These are among the questions addressed on a panel consisting of  U-T San Diego public safety reporter Kristina Davis, true crime author Caitlin Rother, and freelance videographer James ‘JC’ Playford, who filled in for  San Diego Reader journalist Dorian Hargrove originally scheduled.

East County runners were participating in event

By Miriam Raftery and Nadin Abbott

April 15, 2013 (Boston) – Two bomb blasts ripped through the finish line area at the Boston Marathon today, turning the athletic event into a scene reminiscent of a war zone.  Over 100 people have been treated at Boston-area hospitals, some with serious injuries including amputations of limbs.  Two people are reported dead, including a child, CNN reports.

Approximately 191 people from San Diego County were running in the event, according to the Boston Marathon website.  That includes from San Diego as well as several from East County and inland areas:  Five from La Mesa, Four from El Cajon, four from Poway, and one each from Lakeside and Ramona. A hotline has been setup for families seeking information at  617-635-4500.

Today was a holiday, Patriot’s Day, in Massachusetts. The occasion honors the battles of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War and celebrating America’s spirit of independence.

April 13, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – A man with physical limitations was transported to UCSD Medical Center with mild injuries after escaping a  fire at a duplex in the 7200 block of Central Avenue in Lemon Grove. Two dogs also escaped the fire, but two cats were found deceased, overcome by smoke.

Red Cross will be assisting five adults and two children displaced in the fire, as well as the two dogs.

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

April 11, 2013 (Alpine) – An 82-year-old man was serious injured while sitting on a bus stop bench outside a Circle K store on Tavern Road in Alpine.   A Volkswagon Jetta parked near gas pumps rolled out of the parking lot, pinning the man underneath.

“Several Alpine angels were able to lift the car and pull him out from under before an ambulance got there,” Dana Halzip posted on the Alpine Community Network.

By Nadin Abbott

April 7, 2013 (San Diego)— ECM spoke with County Board of Education Board Member Greg Robinson today. He shared details on how extensive the face of poverty has become in the County and how this affects our children.  He also spoke of sequestration cuts and why living wages matter.

“El Cajon has the highest rate of poverty in San Diego County,” Robinson observed, adding that poverty leads to serious problems of food insecurity as more people are going hungry.

By Miriam Raftery

April 10, 2013 (Potrero) – Jerry Fowler, who suffered serious injuries after falling into a well in Potrero on March 13, is now out of the intensive care unit at Sharps memorial Hospital but is still on “some life support” according to his parents, Thell and Normal Fowler.

“As of now, he is awake a lot of the time and sees us with his eyes and moves his head when we talk to him.  He can move his arms and legs, squeezes our hands and rubs his thumb on the back of our hands to let us know he knows it is us,” his parents wrote in an e-mail to concerned community members. “His doctor says he is not out of the woods yet, but he has a long way to go.  At first the doctors said that from the damage of the fall he may not ever wake up, but he has proven them wrong.”

April 8, 2013 (San Diego's East County) - An attorney representing Quail Brush Genco, a subsidiary of Carlyle Infrastructure Partners, has submitted a letter to the California Energy Commission's siting committee today. The letter requests a one-year suspension of consideration on the proposed gas-fired Quail Brush power plant near Mission Trails Regional Park.

The announcement was hailed as "good news" in an e-mail from Preserve Wild Santee sent to opponents of the project, which has generated widespread community opposition. 

April 7, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning in effect from 6 p.m. tonight to 6 p.m. Monday evening.   Gusts of up to 70 miles per hour with sustained winds of 25-35 mph are forecast for mountain , desert, valley and coastal  areas in San Diego County.

Strongest winds are expected on Monday. Expect blowing sand and dust in desert areas that will reduce visibility. Driving may be difficult in windy areas, particularly for high-profile vehicles. Be watchful for broken tree limbs; property damage is possible.  In coastal areas, winds will bring hazardous conditions for small craft, high surf and strong rip currents.