April 11, 2013 (Poway) – A head-on collision in Poway on April 8 at 3:02 p.m. has caused serious injury. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash on Metate Lane at Alpine Drive.

According to the Sheriff, a preliminary investigation found that the driver of a sedan traveling westbound fell asleep at the wheel and drove into the eastbound lanes, colliding head-on with an oncoming sport utility vehicle (SUV).  Both drivers were taken to a hospital. The sedan driver suffered non-life-threatening but serious injuries. The SUV driver suffered minor injuries. Both were released from the hospital a short time later.

Metate Lane was closed for two hours. DUI is not suspected as a factor.

April 5, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – As darkness nears, a search intensifies for a woman suspected of abducting a 3-week-old baby, her niece, from the 9100 block of  Valencia Street in Spring Valley, the Sheriff’ s office has confirmed. 

 A black SUV belonging to the suspect, Deborah Ann Fowler, 46, was found abandoned in the 10000 block of Vine Street in Lakeside.  A multil-agency search team is scouring banks of the San Diego Riverbed including transient camps.

According to ECM news partner 10 News, the child's grandmother has custody of the infant, Anissa Von Goerlitz. She told deputies she awoke after a nap around 11:30 to find the child missing and believed the three-week-old baby may have been taken without permission by an aunt. The aunt's vehicle was seen in Lakeside.

April 4, 2013 (Ramona) --The San Diego Sheriff's office has issued a safety reminder for hikers planning to visit Cedar Creek Falls, where the long-closed trail from Ramona will be reopened tomorrow and a new permit system will take effect.  Below is the Sheriff's statement:

The west access to Cedar Creek Falls in Ramona will reopen Friday, April 5th with new rules after being closed since July 2011. Hikers are now required to pay for a visitor permit. Only 75 permits for individuals and/or groups of up to five people are available each day by reservation. The permit costs six dollars. To reserve a permit, visit www.recreation.gov. This online permit system will be available starting April 5th.

By Janis Mork

April 2, 2013 (El Cajon) - Driving is multitasking. When you’re distracted, driving goes to the back of your brain,’ CHP Officer Brian Penning said Tuesday, April 2 in a press conference held at Grossmont High School to kick off National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Border Division California Highway Patrol Chief Jim Abele shared some grim statistics. “In April 2012, CHP issued over 1000 citations in San Diego County. Texting and driving continues to be a problem in California. 22% of all crashes in California are caused by distracted drivers. We will continue to educate the public about the problems of distracted driving in 2013. There’s no reason to text when you’re driving.”

City seeks new brewery/restaurant to takeover loan

April 2, 2013 (El Cajon)--After previous good faith attempts to continue operation, the El Cajon Brewing Company, which opened in October 2011 with hefty loans of public finds, has closed its doors as of April 1.

By Janis Mork

April 1, 2013 (San Diego)- In honor of César Chávez day, all  state administrative offices, most local government offices and schools will be closed today, and all trash/recyclables will be delayed by one day. For a full list of closures and the businesses that will remain open, visit: http://fox5sandiego.com/2013/04/01/closures-for-cesar-chavez-day/#axzz2PEZ9g7Tf.

Chávez was born March 31, 1927. He became active with the Community Service Organization, which helped fight racial and economic discrimination against Chicanos. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in the 1960’s. He believed in non-violence and organized strikes and boycotts to gain rights for migrant farm workers, gaining support to have his organization be the first successful farm workers’ union in the United States. Up until his death on April 23, 1993, he remained president of United Farm Workers of America (AFL-CIO).

By Miriam Raftery

March 29, 2013 (Ramona) – Today, San Diego County has filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory relief and an injunction to halt the U.S. Forest Service from reopening the trail to Cedar Creek Falls from Ramona’s San Diego Country Estates. The suit follows the USFS announcement that it plans to reopen the trailhead April 5th and implement a permit system for visitors. The falls and a natural swimming pool below are considered by some to be the most spectacular natural attractions in East County.

“The lawsuit is in response to the Forest Service’s decision to ignore both the public safety and fiscal concerns raised by the County during the appeal of the permit system plan,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said in a press statement issued today. “Adequate law enforcement staffing must be in place before the trail is opened back up.  Either the Forest Service needs to be able to enforce its own rules, or pay the Sheriff’s Department to do it.”

By Miriam Raftery

March 28, 2013 (San Diego) –When it comes to open government and public access to government records, times have changed dramatically in California. Much of that change can be attributed to the tireless efforts of Terry Francke, General Counsel of Californians Aware. 

Last night, Francke received the coveted Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists in San Diego.  The award was presented by Donna Frye,  Director of Open Government for the City of San Diego and a prior recipient of the Sunshine Award.  Mayor Bob Filner also presented a proclamation honoring Francke.

Audio and Transcript of the Historic Argument Available HERE

March 26, 2013 (Washington D.C.)-- Today, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  The Court is considering whether Proposition 8 violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.   

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), sole sponsor of the Perry case, has posted the full audio and transcript of the historic argument at: www.afer.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-marriage-equality-at-the-supreme-court/. 

Califiornian voters legalized same-sex marriage, but later overturned the rights of gay and lesbian couples to wed with Prop 8's passage in November 2008.  A federal district court ruled that Prop 8 was unconstitutional, a ruling later upheld by the federal court of appeals.  On December 7, 2012, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Perry to review the case. The appeal was filed by Dennis Hollingsworth, former State Senator from San Diego and Riverside counties.

By Miriam Raftery

March 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Today the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed closure of 149 air traffic control towers due to sequestration cuts that are mandated due to Congress failing to agree on how to balance the federal budget.  That includes towers at Ramona Airport in East County and Brown Field in Otay Mesa, both slated to shut down starting April 7.

Closure of the Ramona facility had sparked widespread protests from local officials and the public, who had urged the FAA to keep the tower open to assure protection of firefighters at the backcountry airport.

Approval of Escondido power plant restart triggers local generation charge to ratepayers

Story and photos by Nadin Abbott

March 21, 2013 (San Diego)—East County residents savored victory following the California Public Utilities Commission’s unanimous rejection today of Quail Brush, a gas-fired power plant proposed near Mission Trails. Commissioners also rejected the Pio Pico plant in Otay Mesa, but approved refiring an Escondido power plant.

But according to Lane Sharman, co-founder with Bill Powers of the San Diego Energy District Foundation, a grassroots group trying to get community based utilities, this vote did something else. It added one more tax to your utility bill. Not only are rate payers to pay for energy distribution and transmission distribution, but now  a local generation charge as well. Effectively, ratepayers will be subsidizing utilities, according to Sharman.

Commission allows repowering of Escondido plant

“Today’s rejection of Quail Brush is not only a victory for the environment. It’s a victory for our community. It sends a message that San Diego County shouldn’t rely on old-school, power plant technology and that we can accelerate our efforts to develop renewable, cleaner forms of energy, like rooftop solar and fuel cells.”—Supervisor Dianne Jacob

March 21, 2013 (San Diego) – Before a packed audience in San Diego today, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously denied SDG&E’s requests to build Quail Brush and Pio Pico, gas-powered peaker plants near Mission Trails Regional Park and in Otay Mesa.  The Commission did, however, authorize repowering of an existing but idle gas plant in Escondido.

Broad coalition urging city leaders to move forward with safe, reliable options for drinking water in San Diego

March 20, 2013 (San Diego) The Water Reliability Coalition (WRC), a broad-based affiliation of environmental, business, consumer, labor, development, taxpayer and technical organizations, has come out in support of the City of San Diego’s Natural Resources & Culture committee’s decision to move forward in implementing water purification in the City of San Diego.

Earlier today, before the council committee voted unanimously to support water purification, WRC members stood beside Mayor Bob Filner, Council President Todd Gloria, and Councilmembers David Alvarez and Lorie Zapf to encourage city leaders to take the steps needed to implement water purification.

Closed-door meeting with county fire officials reported by residents violated Brown Act, legal experts advise ECM

By Nadin Abbott and Miriam Raftery

March 19, 2013 (Julian)—At a March 14 meeting of the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire District Board  to discuss the possibility of joining the County Fire Authority and dissolving the community’s volunteer fire district due to financial shortfalls in the emergency medical services side of the ledger, Fire Captain James Stowers made a surprise announcement.

Public meeting and vote set for March 21 on 3 local power plants, though judge denies public entry to March 20 with energy industry representatives and state regulators

By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2013 (San Diego)— Superior Court Judge  Timothy Taylor today denied an injunction sought by Masada Disenhouse, who had asked the court to halt the California Public Utilities Commission from holding a closed-door, invitation-only meeting with energy industry stakeholders at the Scripps Seaside Forum in San Diego on Wednesday, March 20.