By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  The parking lot at Oceans Beach Pier. File photo by Chris Stone

July 4, 2020 (San Diego) - The California Office of Emergency Services sent a letter to city officials in San Diego, Imperial Beach, Coronado, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside imploring them to also close beach parking lots.

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego News Association

Photo:  Smartphone images of SUV with Nazi flag parked near Alpine Albertsons. Photos by Albert Aguilar

July 4, 2020 (Alpine) - Who’s driving around East County with a Nazi flag on their rear window? And why?

Interstate 8 motorists and an Alpine resident have posted pictures and video of a red-and-black SUV with the black swastika since Monday.

By Miriam Raftery

July 2, 2020 (San Diego) -- Fireworks are illegal in San Diego County. Yet East County experienced a recent fire due to illegal fireworks, says Sonny Saghera, public information officer with Heartland Fire & Rescue.

Fireworks are often used to mark special events and holidays. However, the only safe way to view fireworks is to watch a professional show.

Here’s where to view live fireworks shows in East County and elsewhere in the San DIego region from a safe distance, as well as local online fireworks displays and patriotic shows:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/where-find-fireworks-east-county-july-4th

“With many professional firework shows being canceled this year, it is important to know that fireworks are not safe in the hands of consumers. Fireworks cause thousands of injuries each year,” Saghera notes.

Heartland Fire offers few other ideas to get into the patriotic spirit, without fireworks, a well as some fireworks safety facts:

PREHISTORIC FOSSILS FOUUND AT OTAY CONSTRUCTION ZONE

East County News Service

July 2, 2020 (San Diego) -- Al fossil deposit containing skeletal remains of extinct mammals, including camels, oreodonts, rodents, and possibly a large carnivore, was recently unearthed at the State Route 11/Otay Mesa East Port of Entry Project, a joint venture between Caltrans and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).

The fossils are estimated to be 16 to 28 million years old and provide new insights into the region's geologic history.

By Debbie L. Sklar, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego News Association

Photo:  Rep. Susan Davis celebrates her victory at Golden Hall on Nov. 6. Photo by Chris Stone

July 2, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) - The House Armed Services Committee passed new legislation by San Diego Rep. Susan Davis on Wednesday to end military hunger.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

July 2, 2020 (San Diego) -- San Diego County public health officials warned Wednesday that recent re-openings will likely be rolled back as a near-record 474 new coronavirus cases and 7 deaths were reported.

Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer, said that if the current trends continue, San Diego County will likely be added to California’s “watch list” of counties by the weekend.

Counties on that list were ordered Wednesday to close indoor dining at restaurants, as well as movie theaters, museums and similar businesses, for three weeks. Orange, Riverside and Imperial counties surrounding San Diego were affected.

“We anticipate by the weekend that we will be on that list as well,” said Wooten at a media briefing.

By Miriam Raftery

July 2, 2020 (San Diego) – On Sunday, a fire destroyed 40 homes and killed one person in Niland, California, an economically depressed desert town in Imperial County.  Around 130 people in the town of 1,000 were displaced and have been receiving help from the American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

The Red Cross has requested donations which can be made at www.RedCross.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. Due to COVID-19 and safe handling requirements, the Red Cross is unable to accept donations of goods.

The top priority is to provide shelter, as well as meals, relief and emotional support, as well as recovery planning and other assistance. The Red Cross has also assisted first responders in this fire.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Woof N' Rose Winery in Ramona wil now be able to remain open, serving wine on an outdoor patio, under the county rule change allowed today.

June 30, 2020 (San Diego) – One day after ordering bars, breweries and wineries to shut down, county health officials today revised that order to allow most to stay open. That’s a big relief to East County wineries, which can now continue to offer winetasting outdoors without food. Wineries, breweries, distilleries and bars with indoor seating can also stay open, provided they serve alcohol with food. Those without food service licenses can team up with a restaurant or food truck.

The changes came after East County Magazine published an article quoting prominent wine owners voicing concern over the future of our region’s wine industry and hours after ECM's editor reached out to Supervisor Dianne Jacob to inform her staff of the winery owners' concerns. ECM's editor also posed a question on this issue during a virtual press conference with county health officials.

Today, the County also imposed a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew on all restaurants, bars and other eating/drinking establishments that serve alcohol. Patrons in the door by 10 p.m. may stay until 11 p.m. nightly.  Violators are subject to a $1,000 fine.

Source: SDG&E

June 30, 2020 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) residential customers will see a 5% reduction in summer pricing to help alleviate concerns about higher energy bills due to hot weather and people spending more time at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently approved a pricing reduction that will benefit the majority of SDG&E customers – those who are enrolled in the Time-of-Use (TOU)-DR1 pricing plan, SDG&E’s default turn-on plan. The new pricing will go into effect July 1 and run through Oct. 31 and are applied to all three TOU time periods: on-peak, off-peak, and super off-peak. The decrease in summer pricing will be offset by an increase of 4% during winter pricing months, Nov. 1 through May 31.

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Outdoor patio at Vineyard Grant James in Ramona provides ample social distancing for wine-tasting guests

June 29, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – East County’s once-thriving wine industry is struggling under COVID-19 restrictions – and some local wineries may die on the vine now that the county has once again shut down all bars effect July 1, including wineries and breweries.

Now, some winery owners are criticizing the shutdown as overly broad and unfair,  since many rural wineries have outdoor patios or spacious tasting rooms and have been providing ample social distancing – unlike urban bars and crowded venues such as the Gaslamp District.

By Miriam Raftery

“It’s very likely that we won’t be able to provide the same level of service that we do today….The County has no walk-in services for the homeless, and pretty soon that’s going to be the way it will be in El Cajon.” – Mary Case, Executive Director at Crisis House (photo, left)

June 25, 2020 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve an early lease termination agreement to oust Crisis House from city-owned property at 1034 Magnolia Ave. For the past 26 years, the city has leased the property to Crisis House for a dollar a year, recognizing the value to the community of the services provided by Crisis House, which has a mission to “break the cycle of poverty, domestic violence and homelessness and strengthen families and individuals so that they can thrive and transform their lives.”

The city wants Crisis House gone from is current location near the new Hampton Inn hotel.  So the Council-approved measure offers Crisis House $700,000 if it vacates the property by September 30^th. That amount diminishes to just $350,000 by year’s end and $150,000 by March 31, or zero if Crisis house remains until the lease expires on June 30, 2021.

But Mary Case, Executive Director of Crisis House, says that’s not enough time to find an affordable space, adding that the action will almost certainly mean major cuts in services.

By Miriam Raftery

View Spanish version of the FDA warning

June 28, 2020 (San Diego) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns consumers not to use any hand sanitizer made by Eskbiochem, a Mexican company, and sold under various brand names in the U.S. that are still on store shelves.

These sanitizers contain methanol, or wood alcohol, which when absorbed through skin or ingested can be toxic. Substantial exposure to methanol can cause permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.

The hand sanitizers were sold under the brand-names All-Clean, Esk Biochem, CleanCare, Lavar, Saniderm, and The Good Gel. Some products tested had as much as 81% methanol.

By Miriam Raftery

June 25, 2020 (El Cajon) – El Cajon City Council members received hundreds of comments sent via email on the city’s proposed budget, nearly all weighing in on police funding following a nationwide wave of protests over police violence and racial injustice issues.   

Many of the commenters argued for “defunding” or shifting some funds away from police into investments in the community or alternatives to handle mentally ill and homeless people, though many others voiced support for El Cajon Police and supported raising the department’s budget.

The Council unanimously voted for a $120,000 increase for the police.

“The motivation is to keep all the citizens safe,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told ECM.