By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

July 29, 2019 (San Diego) - California Senate Bill 1193 (SB1193), enacted in 2013, added a law that certain businesses such as on-sale beer and liquor establishments, general public premise licenses, type 48, are required to post a notice to help and assist victims of human trafficking, and alert the general public, on how to report the sex trafficking.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  stock photo of a UH-60 Black Hawk helitanker with a water bucket.  Image credit:  Shutterstock

July 29, 2019 (San Diego) - The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to share a Black Hawk helitanker lease with San Diego Gas & Electric, giving an additional boost to the region’s aerial firefighting options during peak fire season.

By Ken Stone

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Southern white rhino calf conceived through artificial insemination is said to be bonding well with Victoria, its mother. Photo by Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Safari Park

July 30, 2019 (San Diego) - San Diego Zoo Global on Monday announced what it called a historic birth of a southern white rhino calf via hormone-induced ovulation and artificial insemination — raising hopes that the nearly extinct northern white rhino can be saved.

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview at the audio link and scroll down for highlights.

July 28, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – East Count Magazine sat down last week for an interview with Warsan Artan.  Born in Nairobi, Kenya, after her parents fled civil war in Somalia, she came to Lemon Grove as a refugee at the age of 10. A decade later, she is the lead Youth Organizer at Youth Will, a nonprofit dedicated to making San Diego a world-class region for children and youth. Youth Will recently rolled out a Summer of Youth Power campaign with a series of events to help young people’s voices be heard.

Her goal to create a brand-new regional master plan for San Diego's children and youth. The organization also recently held the region’s first youth county budget forum with Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, created a youth bill of rights, hosted youth presidential debate watch parties, and more.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of California Missions Foundation

July 25, 2019 (San Diego) -- Soldados de Cuera, Native Californians and a Franciscan father depicting Saint Junípero Serra, came together on a hill high above San Diego  on July 16, at the original site of the first Mission and Presidio type garrison in Alta California – to commemorate what many call the Founding of California, exactly 250 years ago Tuesday. View video of the historic reenactment. 

The City of San Diego uses the date July 16, 1769 as its official birthdate, and  along with the rest of California, it celebrated its 250^th birthday. Not only was Alta California’s first Mission and Presidio founded on this date, but also came the official recognition of the adjacent ocean port and the seeds of a united California under the Spanish, and later Mexican and U.S. flags.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Update 10:30 p.m.  The fire is 2 acres and fire spread has been stopped. Firefighters will remain at scene overnight and into the morning to complete containment line and mop-up, per Cal Fire.

Photos by Chet Kalinowska

July 25, 2019 (Warner Springs) -- Lightning has sparked a brush fire on the Los Coyotes reservation in the Warner Springs area. The fire has burned approximately 1.5 acres as of 7:30 p.m., below the historic Hot Springs overlook.

Cal Fire reports that air resources are holding the fire's spread to a minimum while ground crews gain acces in difficult terrain to build a hand line around the #Springsfire.

Federal firefighters from Cleveland National Forest are assisting Cal Fire on the fire including two helicopters, a hot shot crew, chief officer, fire engine and a water tender.

By Miriam Raftery

July 9, 2019 (El Cajon) – The East County Leadership Council will host its second annual regional issues forum on July 27 from 1-3 p.m. at the El Cajon Library (201 E. Douglas Ave. in El Cajon).

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Xusha Brown, Jr., innocent victim of gangland shooting

July 25, 2019 (La Mesa) – “We will continue to fight until justice is done,” Deborah Flores, mother of slain Sycuan tribal member Xusha Brown Jr. said at a press conference in 2016, when the tribe boosted a reward to $100,000 to help find his killer. La Mesa Police also posted the reward information on freeway signs. Three weeks later, three men were arrested for the drive-by shooting of Brown, 22, which occurred on I-8 in La Mesa in 2013.

Aviation Association recognizes deputies for saving skier's life

East County News Service

By Miriam Raftery

July 23, 2019 (La Mesa) – An attorney with Californians Aware (CalAware), an organization that protects the public’s rights in open government matters, has advised ECM that Councilman Colin Parent should likely recuse himself from tonight’s vote on the La Mesa Farmer’s Market for showing bias prior to public testimony.

Four applicants have submitted applicants. Three would keep the market downtown and one, Grossmont Center, would move it to the regional shopping mall.

ECM sought Calaware's opinion after Councilman Parent posted a notice on the NextDoor forum urging residents to email a form letter to fellow councilmembers asking that the farmer’s market be kept downtown. A resident sent us a reader’s editorial and a letter to the full Council and  City Manager complaining of bias.  

Parent also sent a media advisory announcing a press conference to be held at 5 p.m., before tonight’s meeting, which he plans to hold with Brian Beevers, who currently operates the farmer’s market along with the La Mesa Village Association. The media notification states,  “ Both support the current location and date of the Farmer’s Market.”

Updated July 23, 2019 with comments from Grossmont Center

By Miriam Raftery

July 22, 2019 (La Mesa) – At tomorrow night’s 6 p.m. meeting, the La Mesa City Council is expected to decide on the future of the city’s farmer’s market, following a rift in the community over the market’s location and who should run the popular event.

The city received four proposals, but one applicant, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, has withdrawn its bid and endorsed a proposal submitted by Grossmont Center. “The Chamber is all about serving our members and our community and that is why we took this path,” Chamber President and CEO Mary England told ECM in an email tonight.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

July 22, 2019 (San Diego) - The sun is shining, but weather forecasts say summer storms could possibly create heavy rains and flooding in the mountains and deserts this week, meaning this could be a good time to stock up on free sandbags.

Update July 25:  The State has announced it does not have enough women or Latino applicants and is actively seeking more applicants to assure a balanced commisson.

By Chris Jennewein

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Eligible voters are urged to register at a Democratic rally in 2018. Photo by Chris Stone

July 21, 2019 (San Diego) - Concerned about the political gerrymandering that is the norm across much of the United States?  

You can do your part to make California different by applying for one of the 14 seats on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.