By Miriam Raftery

September 29, 2018 (San Diego) – Remnants of Hurricane Rosa in the Pacific will bring rain to our region late Sunday, particularly in the mountain and desert areas.  A beach hazard warning is in effect Saturday evening through Monday night due to rip tides and waves up to seven feet.  A flash flood warning Monday morning through Tuesday night is in effect for many desert areas in California including Ocotillo and other Imperial County areas as well as Arizona deserts.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos provided by Jeff Phair

September 28, 2018 (La Mesa) – Last week,  San Diego Union-Tribune writer Karen Pearlman posted a photo of a Tyrannosaurus Rex metal sculpture that mysteriously appeared in La Mesa at the future site of the La Mesa Summit Estates, raising the question of why the giant dinosaur statue had suddenly shown up in the Jewel of the Hills, as La Mesa is known.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (center), Prof. Christine Blasey Ford (left), and  Julie Swetnick (right), who holds high-level security clearances and accused Kavanaugh of “gang rape” but was not allowed to testify

September 28, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – The Senate Judiciary Committee, on a party line vote with all Republicans in favor, voted today to send controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the full Senate for a vote next week.

The action came after an emotional day of testimony in which accuser Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor, accused Kavanaugh of attempted rape and Kavanaugh denied the allegations in anger-laced and tearful testimony.  The committee leadership refused to allow testimony by two other accusers, including one accusing Kavanaugh of “gang rape,” or by any witnesses who might have corroborated or disputed the accounts.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake cast a key vote to advance the matter out of committee, but said he will not vote for Kavanaugh on the Senate Floor  unless that vote is delayed a week and an FBI investigation of the sexual assault allegations is conducted. However there is no assurance that Senate Leader Mitch McConnell will delay the vote scheduled for Tuesday, if he has enough votes for passage without the delay.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Pastor Harold Brown, ECTLC, during holiday party for homeless children

September 27, 2018 (El Cajon) – The East County Transitional Living Center proposes to expand by adding two new buildings to its facility at 1527 East Main Street. The plan. submitted by Pastor Harold Brown, would add 48 beds to the center, which assists homeless people transition off the streets.

By John Rippo, ESPRESSO Café Newspaper

Photo:  Wreckage of PSA flight 182, San Diego Air and Space Museum (public domain image)

September 26, 2018 (San Diego) -- I drove a fellow USD student back to his room in North Park in the late morning. He was stunned, bewildered and not altogether there after a 727 crashed on the street he lived in. In the back of his Subaru truck, a burned man's shoe lodged behind the jump seats. In the shoe was a burned, bloody and crushed foot. I volunteered to drive him home---and carry the shoe to Saint Augustine High School, which became a temporary morgue that day.

By Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  State Sen. Joel Anderson, Republican of Alpine. Photo by Robbie Short for CALmatters.

September 26, 2018 (San Diego) - State Sen. Joel Anderson was at least a little tipsy and rubbing a lobbyist’s shoulders during a political fundraiser at a steakhouse near the Capitol last month when he leaned in close and told her he wanted to “bitch slap” her.

By Miriam Raftery

September 25, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) – The Valle de Oro Planning Group has voted 12-2 on September 4th to oppose a proposal by Skyline Church to build a senior living facility on 9 acres of open land  north of Highway 94 in Rancho San Diego.  Planners and long-time community residents say that when the evangelical megachurch was built, church leaders promised the county to preserve this site as open space. 

Source:  CPUC

September 21, 2018 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a public workshop in San Diego to examine existing emergency coordination and communication efforts by electric and water utilities with local and state government agencies and other stakeholders, and consider the need for new rules and regulations.

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2018 (Campo) – Jonathan Jaroslav Shuster, 20, of Campo is dead of injuries sustained in a vehicle crash. 

His Honda Civic was found early September 16^th by a driver on Church Road on the Campo Native American reservation.  The vehicle had sustained major damage from an apparent collision and Shuster had sustained fatal injuries.

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2018 (Jamul) – Cal Fire responded to a 911 all reporting a hiker in distress on a trail near Horse Thief Canyon off Lyons Valley Road near Jamul today. When they arrived, he was not breathing. Cal Fire personnel and Mercy medics attempted lifesaving measures, but could not revive him.

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2018 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police seek public help to find the driver of a silver Nissan Altima that struck and seriously injured a 58-year-old man in a wheelchair Thursday night around 9:25 p.m. in the 1000 block of East Main Street.

Officers and paramedics responding to a call of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle found the victim unconscious near the center left turn lane, alongside his wheelchair.  He was transported to a hospital with life-threatening head injuries, says Lt. Steve Kirk.

Update September 22, 2018: The victim has been identified as Melanie Alexandra Feliciano, 24, who died of blunt force injuries to her head and neck, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

September 20, 2018 (Spring Valley) – Rene Ruiz, 27, has been arrested after fleeing the scene of a fatal crash that occurred on September 17th at 1:50 p.m. on State Route 94 in Spring Valley. He has been charged with felony manslaughter with gross negligence, felony hit and run, and felony driving under the influence of drugs.

East County News Service

September 20, 2018 (La Mesa)-- On Friday, a Helix Water District customer reported  that she received phone calls from someone wanting her credit card information so they could lower her interest rates. The Caller ID on the customer’s phone identified the caller as Helix Water District, but the district warns, “These calls are not coming from Helix Water District. Under no circumstances will a Helix employee ask for your credit card number, over the phone or in person.”

East County News Service

September 19, 2018 (San Diego) -- Marine Sergeant Gary Wilson saved a woman from a burning SUV yesterday after a multi-vehicle collision, also freeing a second driver from the wreckage.

According to Officer Jake Sanchez with the California Highway Patrol, a white Freightliner truck was traveling south on State Route 163 just north of highway 52 at a high rate of speed. The truck rear-ended a Toyota Highlander, pushing it into several other vehicles stopped in heavy traffic.  The Highlander was pushed off the roadway and caught fire.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit: PhotoSpin

September 17, 2018 (San Diego) - Local law enforcement and health officials are warning the public about a spate of deaths in beach communities connected to cocaine laced with the highly-potent and often deadly drug fentanyl.