By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Mike Pence, cc by NC via Bing

June 28, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Former Vice President Mike Pence, a potential future presidential candidate, praised the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision allowing states to outlaw abortion, tweeting, “Life Won.”  Now Pence wants to go farther.  In an interview with conservative news outlet Breitbart News, he pledged support for banning abortion nationwide.

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2022 (El Cajon) – Bidding is now open online for a special auction of two signed, limited edition, framed and matted prints by Olaf Wieghorst, an internationally recognized artist considered one of the top painters of Western art.  Some of his works sold for over a million dollars during his lifetime.  Proceeds will benefit both the East County Art Association and East County Magazine. Now you can own one of Wieghorst’s  exceptional works, Spring Rain and Beef Herd. View video for a close-up look at these impressive artworks:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7V496dpqHSw.

About the auction:

The auction opens online (see below to bid),  and will close on Saturday, June 25  at 3 p.m. during the ECAA’s upcoming event, “Ocean Love” at the Courtyard Marriott in El Cajon. View event flyer. If you wish to view the works in person, you can visit the ECAA gallery at 124 East Main St. in downtown El Cajon, Wed.-Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  60 percent of proceeds will benefit the East County Arts Association and 40% will benefit East County Media, the nonprofit that supports East County Magazine.

How to bid:

Send your name, mailing address, phone number, and email along with your bid amount to editor@eastcountymagazine.org and the words "AUCTION BID" in the subject line, along with which art piece you wish to bid on, and the amount of your bid.  You will receive a bid number and confirmation your bid was received. Bid numbers and amounts will be posted online at the bottom of this page and updated regularly. (No personal information will be posted.) The online auction bids will be accepted until June 25 at 11 a.m., after which the auction will continue at the event from1-3 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2022 (San Diego) -- COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months of age have been approved the federal regulators. The vaccines will be available locally within days at medical facilities including Rady Children’s Hospital, which is now scheduling appointments, as well as at community clinics, pediatricians’ offices, and some pharmacies.

East County News Service

June 22, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – A judge has lifted a restraining order which had barred Lemon Grove Councilmember Liana LeBaron from her home due to her husband accusing her of assault. The order was ended after LeBaron’s husband, Timothy Howell, told the judge that the couple had sorted matters out civilly.

East County News Service

June 22, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- SANDAG and Caltrans are seeking public input on their San Vicente Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP), which will involve transportation improvements in the Lakeside, Santee, Poway, and Ramona communities. The goal of the project is to balance future transportation needs while also preserving existing rural and community characteristics including the natural landscape of mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, and creeks.

By Mike Allen

June 21, 2022 (Santee) -- Kyle Swanson responds to a question about the safety of the drinking water to be produced at the East County Advanced Water Purification (AWP) plant in a way that conveys a sure grasp and confidence in the science behind the $950 million project.

By Henri Migala 

June 19, 2022 (Spring Valley) – A change in the state’s funding formula threatens to force Noah Homes in Spring Valley to evict 40 percent of the residents it houses, all with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD). Now San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson and Chairman Nathan Fletcher are joining forces to urge the state to change its policy.

By Katie Cadiao, County of San Diego Communications Office

June 17, 2022 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency has identified three probable cases of hMPXV, also known as human monkeypox, in our region.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  County Fire inspectors examine a home's exterior looking for fire vulnerabilities.

June 14, 2022 (San Diego) - The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to establish a Home Hardening Program as part of a state pilot program to encourage homeowners to create fire-resistant homes.

East County News Service

June 14, 2022 (San Diego ) -- Prospective residents age 62 and over interested in affordable housing units at the new Serving Seniors Residence located in City Heights can still register their interest in the housing complex.

Located in City Heights at Fairmount Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard, the complex includes a total of 195 one-bedroom units for seniors and low-income families.

Residents will have access to onsite activities and case management and can receive no-cost senior meals two blocks away at Potiker City Heights Residence, another Serving Seniors' affordable housing community.

Approximately 50% of the available units have been leased. Prospective applicants can still apply for the remaining units.

Individuals can sign up at  www.hyderco.com or by calling the Senior Apartments Hotline at 619-367-6500.

By Mike Allen

June 13, 2022 (Santee) -- After the Santee City Council voted last week to remove the Fanita Ranch project initiative from the November ballot, environmental activist Van Collinsworth called the move not only a slap in the face of local voters, but a clear message that the 3,000-unit development will never go to a vote.

The Council voted unanimously June 8 to take an earlier approved referendum on the project off the ballot because all pf the project’s legal approvals were already rescinded last month. The Council removed those approvals made in 2020 to comply with a judge’s recent ruling, which found the project’s environmental impact report deficient.

That report did not include impacts of a last-minute change by the Council to eliminate a key exit route in case of a wildfire evacuation, a lapse which the court found violated the California Environmental Quality Act requirements.

June 13, 2022 (Barrett Junction ) -- The #Border13Fire east of Marron Valley Road has swelled to 350 acres and is 0% contained, growing swiftly from when it was reported two hours ago at just 30 acres, Cal Fire tweeted. This is a separate fire from the nearby Barrett Fire reported earlier.

 Multiple patients have been rescued from the fire area, Cal Fire reports.

East County News Service

Some GOP members of Congress sought pardons for their roles in failed coup attempt, refused to testify, Cheney says

View video of the complete hearing

By Miriam Raftery

June 10, 2022 (Washington D.C.) -- The Senate’s Select Committee investigating the violent January 6, 2020 attack on the U.S. Capitol presented several shocking revelations during its first public hearing televised in prime time on June 9.

Chairman Bennie Thompson called the Jan. 6 attack an attempted “coup” (hear audio) and made clear that former President Donald Trump knew that the election was not stolen. He played video of Trump’s Attorney General, Bill Barr, testifying that Barr had repeatedly told Trump that there was no evidence of election fraud, even advising the President that such claims were “bulls**t.”  (hear audio). Thompson said the committee will prove in subsequent hearings that Trump organized a coup in an attempt to violently overthrow the U.S. government.

Next, ranking Republican Liz Cheney provided more evidence that Trump knew his stolen election claims were false. Even Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, told the selection committee that she believed Attorney General Barr.  (hear audio). Top campaign advisors to the President also counseled him that he had lost the election, and 62 judges including some appointed by Trump found no evidence of fraud.

Cheney asserted that Trump oversaw a seven-part plan to overturn the 2020 election.

A committee source told CNN that those seven steps were:

East County News Service

June 9, 2022 (San Diego) – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) received over 60% of the vote in the primary election. She will run off on November 8 against Stan Caplan, a small business owner who received just under 38% of the vote.