East County News Service

August 11, 2016 (Santee) – 10 News reports that Pami Peterson found dozens of tacks, most pointing up, spread out and hidden in the grass at Mast Park where she brought her three young sons to play.

By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2016 (Washington D.C.) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has turned down requests from governors ease federal restrictions on marijuana.  DEA director Chuck Rosenberg stated, “This decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is a safe and effective medicine, and it’s not,” NPR reports.

By Miriam Raftery

August 10,2016 (Jamul) – Signs posted by Cal Trans along State Route 94  are warning motorists to expect traffic delays August 15-22 due to ”events.”

According to a Cal Trans press release posted on the Jamul Indian Village website, Caltrans issued a permit to the Jamul Indian Village for traffic control on  SR-94/Campo Road related to the installation of a new temporary traffic signal at the intersection of SR-94 and Daisy Drive.

By Miriam Raftery

Updated August 9, 2016 to include clarification provided by County spokesman Michael Workman.

August 8, 2016 (San Diego) — Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil has issued a preliminary decision finding that San Diego Registrar of Voters Michael Vu erred in failing to include provisional and late vote-by-mail ballots in a hand-count of votes from one percent of precincts—an audit intended to assure accuracy.

East County News Service

Photo: San Diego’s most dangerous corridors, based on data from the UC Berkeley, Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS), http://tims.berkeley.edu. 

August 8, 2016 (San Diego) - 23-year-old J’Ron Erby, an intern for the San Diego Chargers, was struck while walking early Friday in a hit-and-run crash on the 900 block of Garnet Avenue. He remains in the ICU on a ventilator with severe brain trauma, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help cover his recovery costs.  

Two of his friends, including Kendrick Hester, a nephew of a former East County Magazine intern, were also struck but fortunately escaped serious injury.

August 5, 2016 (Santee) -- San Diego Sheriff is advising residents who live near the 9900 block of Woodglen Vista Drive in Santee to stay indoors due to a SWAT stand-off.

The incident began after deptuies were called to a residence for a domestic dispute mid-afternoon.  A suspect believed to be armed refused to come out and a stand-off has occurred.  Scanner traffic indicates the suspect reportedly shot arrows at officers, according to posts at Brush Party Fireline on Facebook.

Source: Caltrans news release

August 4, 2016 (San Diego) - Motorists are advised to expect delays on East County freeways Friday during the funeral procession for fallen San Diego Police Department Officer Jonathan “JD” DeGuzman.

By Miriam Raftery

August 3, 2016 (La Mesa) – With scarcely any public notice, Helix Water Board passed a 10.3% rate hike by a slim one-vote majority. The stated reason was because water use has dropped due to customers conserving water--just as the district asked them to do.

Directors Kathleen Coates-Hedberg and Joel Scalziti voted against jacking up rates, while directors John Linden, Chuck Muse and Deana Verbeke voted for the rate hike over public objections.

Public memorial August 10 for Officer DeGuzman

East County News Service

Photo:  injured Officer Wade Irwin and family



August 2, 2016 (San Diego) — San Diego Police Officer Wade Irwin faces a long recovery after being shot on July 28^th in a gun battle that killed his partner, Officer Jonathan DeGuzman.

East County News Service



August 1, 2016 (La Mesa) — Helix Water District’s Board will vote Wednesday on a hefty proposed rate increase to offset revenue losses due, ironically, to residents conserving water as they were asked to do. Two proposals would raise rates for the average water customer by 8.3% or 10.1%.  View board package here and see a table of proposed rate hikes at the bottom of this story. 

July 29, 2016 (La Mesa) – You’re invited to celebrate the era of Great Gatsby, flappers, gangsters, silent film stars, ragtime and jazz. Join East County Magazine at a benefit to support our nonprofit community reporting on Sunday, July 31 from 4-7 p.m. at the San Pasqual Wine Bar (8364 La Mesa Blvd.) in La Mesa--all to benefit our nonprofit reporting and wildfire alerts through East County Magazine.

Festivities include wine tasting, sparkling drinks  and Italian dinner plus dessert,  “All That Jazz” musical performance highlights,  live period music by the Classics, Douglas Fairbanks and Laurel & Hardy film clips, games, opportunity drawings and silent auction, games, surprises and more!

Space is very limited! RSVP by July 30 for discount rates and your “speakeasy” password!  619-698-7617 or editor@eastcountymagazine.org 

• Live“All That Jazz” preview by singers/dancers from Visionary Dance Theatre plus  Laurel & Hardy and Douglas Fairbanks film clips;
• Live music by the Classics
• Toast the Prohibition Era with sparkling “bubbly” drinks ; relish a ‘20s style feast fit for Gatsby & guests, wine tasting, dinner & desserts by Tiramisu Trattoria, Swami’s & Little Roma that Al Capone would relish!
• ‘Cocktail attire or 20s attire encouraged (flappers, film stars, gangsters, robber barons, etc.)
• Opportunity drawings and silent auction; prizes and surprises!  Win a night on the town including steak dinner & “Chicago” theater tickets, Joe’s Crab Shack dinners, The Hills Pub and Lunchbox Cafe gift certificates, wine baskets, Hawaiian pearls, turquoise and coral jewelry, antiques, collectibles, elegant items, CDs, Julian Old Time Photos, T-shirts and more.
  

Bridge work to take place four consecutive weekends

Source: Caltrans news release

July 29, 2016 (San Diego) - Caltrans announced that the connector ramps from westbound Interstate 8 (I-8) to northbound and southbound State Route 125 (SR-125) will be closed for bridge work Saturday from 9 p.m. until Sunday at 9 a.m. on four consecutive weekends beginning July 30.

East County News Service

July 27, 2016 (San Diego) -- The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) is declaring a Flex Alert, a request for consumers to conserve electricity today, especially during peak demand time from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Electricity supplies statewide are expected to be tight because of high summer temperatures driving up demand, power plant outages, and transmission line import capacity reductions. Power imports may be limited today because of high temperatures in neighboring states.

Consumers are urged to conserve electricity today, especially during the late afternoon when air conditioners push power consumption to the highest point of the day.

By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2016 (Lake Morena) – An online petition has been launched asking the City of San Diego to stop draining Lake Morena and Barrett Lake. Rural residents seek help from San Diego residents and all who are concerned about wildlife or the prospect of a devastating firestorm to sign the petition.

The petition, posted by Campo resident Karen Noblitt-McIntyre, accuses San Diego officials of ignoring public safety, noting that two residents died during the recent Border Fire. Firefighting aircraft were diverted to water sources farther away due to lack of water in these lakes, witnesses stated in recent public meetings.

The petition states that the city has put wildlife and rural communities at risk, also failing to live up to its promise to repair the dam at Lake Morena. The city drained Lake Morena to less than 3% of capacity and Barrett Lake to below 6% of capacity, public records indicate.  Although San Diego claimed it needed drinking water during the drought, the city did not ask its residents to conserve water before draining East County’s lakes.  The water was pumped to Otay reservoir, which overfilled when rain fell, so the city dumped the precious water supply into the ocean.

By Liz Alper

Photo:  Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America, via Zimbio.com

July 26, 2016 (Toronto) - When the Padres return to San Diego after this series, Melvin Upton Jr. won't be coming home with them.