EAST COUNTY RESIDENT APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR EDMUND G. BROWN TO THE CA BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS
December 29, 2012 (Sacramento)–On December 21, 2012, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of Frank Ruffino to the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Ruffino, 49, of El Cajon, is the Community Partnership Manager at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. Also, Ruffino serves as the Vice President for Governmental Affairs for the Association of California State Supervisors, and is a member of the California State Employees Association Board of Directors. He previously served as Regional Administrative Officer at the California Department of Fish and Game from 2004 to 2008 and Hospital General Services Administrator at the California Department of Veterans Affairs from 2000 to 2004. Ruffino served in various positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 1985 to 2000. Additionally, he was a member of the City of Chula Vista Civil Service Commission, the City of Coalinga Planning Commission, and the County of San Diego 500th Columbus Anniversary Commission. Ruffino has also been a volunteer with many community organizations, including the Sicilian Catholic Conference where he has served as the CA representative for emigration and religious affairs. “Being a member of the Board is a serious commitment to the governor, and the people of the State of California; and I am humble, honored and grateful to Governor Brown for giving me the opportunity to continue to serve my community” said Ruffino.
WRONG-WAY DRUNK DRIVER KILLS MOTORIST IN SANTEE
Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News December 29, 2012 (Santee)—Jayme Midland, 25, was killed when the Volkswagen Beetle he was driving on State Route 52 was struck head-on by a Chevy pickup truck driving on the wrong side of the highway. The woman driving the truck suffered moderate injuries. After treatment at Sharp Memorial hospital, she was arrested for gross vehiclular manslaughter while intoxicated. She has been booked into the Las Colinas Detention Facility, according to the California Highway Patrol. Midland, a resident of Clairemont, was declared dead at the scene. The accident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on eastbound 52, just east of Mast Boulevard in Santee. For details and a video report, see http://www.10news.com/news/deadly-crash-on-sr-52.
PLANE CRASH KILLS 3 IN POWAY
Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News Update 12/30/12: The Medical Examiner has released the names of the victims, all from Phoenix. They are William Arthur Stern Jr.,, 65, his wife, Jennifer Jane Stern, 53, and their daughter, Katelyn Jane Stern, 19, December 29, 2012 (Lakeside) –All three occupants are dead following a l plane that crashed this morning west of State Route 67 off Slaughterhouse Canyon Road in Poway, IPN reports. According to ECM news partner 10 News, the home-built plane was a Lancair IV-P model that is no longer in production. The plane had taken off from Montgomery Field in San Diego en route to Phoenix, Arizona, when it went down in the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve. The FAA is withholding the tail number from the aircraft pending notification of family. Cause of the crash is under investigation.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: DOE, A DEER
December 29, 2012 (Cuyamaca) — While driving through Rancho Cuyamaca State Park last week, ECM editor Miriam Raftery spotted several groups of deer grazing in the sun-dappled woods, including this doe, which paused to pose for a picture-perfect moment. The best time to see deer is in the last hour before sundown; this photo was taken shortly before 4 p.m. just two days after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MOON HALO
December 29, 2012 (Mount Helix) — “Ring around the moon, rain is coming soon,” according to an old saying. There is truth to the statement, since a halo around the moon is caused by high cirrus clouds and a reflection off millions of ice crystals high up in the atmosphere that creates this irridescent rainbow-like effect. Moon halos were seen by many people across the eastern U.S. before Hurricane Sandy, for example. ECM editor Miriam Raftery took this photo last night from Mount Helix–and sure enough, rain is forecast for today and tomorrow.Read more about moon halos and view some additional photos here: http://earthsky.org/space/what-makes-a-halo-around-the-moon
LET IT SNOW! STORM TO BLANKET MOUNTAINS DOWN TO 4,000 FEET
December 29, 2012 (San Diego’s East County ) – A storm moving through our region today and tomorrow is expected to bring rain and in mountain areas, snow. By tomorrow, snow is forecast to drop down to 4,000 feet—low enough to include Julian and Lake Cuyamaca—popular destinations for families seeking to frolic in the snow. Gusty winds are also forecast in mountains and on desert slopes late Sunday. The storm system is expected to move east and out of our county on Monday, so if you’re planning a trip to the mountains it’s best to wait until after the weekend. If you must drive in the mountains during the storm, carry extra food and water, blankets, and tire chains. Main highways are typically ploughed once the storm passes, making popular destinations accessible.
WHAT YOU’RE READING: EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE’S MOST READ STORIES IN 2012
By Miriam Raftery December 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Thanks to technology, we can track exactly how many people click open each story on our site. This year’s results are surprising and bemusing, revealing a lot about our readers. Some results were predictable; you showed strong interest in big energy projects and local politics. But we’re baffled as to how an article on a drum therapy class in El Cajon attracted 36,000 reads worldwide, or why a political sex scandal drew far more readers than coverage of the presidential election. We learned that our readers care about wildlife, hiking, and our environment. Many of you want to preserve social safety nets and civil liberties. Plus a whole lot of you wanted to find the best holiday party in East County! Here are this year’s most read stories—and some lessons that we’ve learned: (Note: We’ve excluded emergency alerts, traffic reports, weather stories, columns and community event previews–including our own “feasting and merry making” holiday party invitation, which had over 26,000 views!) 1. Sex scandal – Over 52,000 of you read our story on a hitchhiker who recanted accusations that she was kidnapped and raped by Lemon Grove resident and former Tea Party official Michael Kobulnicky. She fessed up to consensual sex, a story confirmed by Kobulnicky’s lawyer. Criminal charges were dropped. But what does having sex rough enough to convince police officers that an assault had occurred just days before his planned wedding say about Kobulnicky’s family values? DOUBTS CAST ON SAN DIEGO TEA PARTY SPOKESMAN FACING RAPE CHARGE 2. You’ve got rhythm – Our story on a drumming class in El Cajon uniting refugee women and others as a means of stress reduction got over 36,000 reads. We can only guess that links to this story likely got posted at other websites, driving traffic to this piece on a relatively obscure topic from far and wide. SHIFAA RHYTHMS: REFUGEE WOMEN FIND HEALING AND UNITY THROUGH DRUMMING IN EL CAJON 3. Courage counts – Our profile of California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ successful efforts to win a multi-state settlement against big banks on behalf of foreclosure victims drew readership nationwide. While other states’ AGs were willing to settle for a pittance, Harris walked out and refused to sign the deal—ultimately negotiating a ten-fold increase in the settlement and preserving her right to file criminal prosecutions against lenders. THE WOMAN WHO STOOD ALONE AGAINST THE “THIEVING BANKS” 4. Inconvenient truths about wind energy – Wind power has been pushed forward as a viable renewable energy form. But little press has been given to the dangers posed by turbines that collapse or throw off blades. Our rural readers seeking to learn more about wind projects proposed across our region have been avidly reading our investigations into wind energy, including this story on safety issues. THE DARK SIDE OF “GREEN”: WIND TURBINE ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND FATALITIES RAISE SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS 5. A pesky problem: Our fifth most widely read story focused on residents of Jacumba and Escondido plagued by eye gnat infestations . Citizens banded together and lobbied Supervisors to declare the pests as disease-causing vectors and require organic farms to protect the public health. This is an example of hyper-local news coverage that our readers appreciate. SUPERVISORS SHOW SUPPORT FOR EYE GNAT ORDINANCE 6. Covert operations: A story on the supposed death of a local man who claimed to have been dispatched to Syria led to revelations that the death was likely a hoax. That investigation also led to intriguing information on U.S.special forces in Syria, drawing international readership. This story illustrates a point raised by the Society of Professional Journalism, which emphasizes the importance of “re-reporting” when new facts surface to reveal the truth. SOLDIER’S FACEBOOK POST RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT U.S. SPECIAL FORCES IN SYRIA 7. Our readers support community news and alerts: We are heartened to see that the seventh most widely ready story this year advised readers that you can donate a portion of your normal purchases to East County Magazine by shopping and dining, as well as each time you surf the Internet. 8. You’re informed voters: Our nonpartisan voter guide included coverage of local, state and national political races as well as ballot initiatives. Apparently our readers want to know more about candidates and issues, since our voter guide emerged as our eight most widely ready story of the year. EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE’S VOTER GUIDE 9. Arts project stirs controversy: An ECM editorial took to task an arts group that published a book purporting to show the “soul” of East County. The book had not a single image of East County’s mountains, deserts or rural areas, but did include photos of graffiti, a trailer park, and a used condom. Our contention that the work was lopsided drew the ire of some in the arts community, but also sparked strong words in our defense from East County readers offended by this “artistic” work. EDITORIAL: FAR EAST PROJECT PRESENTS SKEWED VIEW OF EAST COUNTY 10. School board candidates forum: This year, East County Magazine hosted our first candidates’ forum. We chose the Grossmont Union High School District board race, since with 12 high schools the district impacts many East County readers—and since the board majority was embroiled in controversy amid revelations of a grand jury investigation into possible misallocation of bond monies designated for an Alpine high school. Our coverage of the debate, including videos, was our tenth most widely read item. In a close race, incumbent Gary Woods lost his seat to challenger Jim Stieringer, who has pledged to support a high school for Alpine. ECM HOSTS CANDIDATES FORUM FOR GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD TONIGHT and A LEARNING EXPERIENCE: CANDIDATES CLASS AT GUHSD FORUM 11. Eagles at risk: A biologist with Save the Eagles International warned of sharp declines in golden eagle populations due to birds killed by wind turbine blades. East County residents love our eagles, as we’ve consistently seen through
BAYLOR BEATS UCLA 49-26 AT BRIDGEPOINT HOLIDAY BOWL
Story by David Lissek Photos provided by www.JM2-Group.com December 28, 2012 (San Diego) – Thursday’s 35th anniversary of the Holiday Bowl was sponsored by Bridgepoint Education and celebrated with Baylor University’s Bears winning in a runaway game over the 17th ranked UCLA Bruins. The Holiday Bowl was played at Qualcomm Stadium and highlighted contending NCAA teams from the Pacific-12 against the Big 12 Conference. UCLA entered the contest slightly favored but heavily represented by its supportive Southern California fan & alumni base. Unfortunately for the Bruins, neither proved helpful. Baylor’s fourth-year Senior Quarterback Nick Florence (#11) led the Bear’s with two touchdown passes and a rushing TD, while UCLA allowed three unanswered scores in the first two quarters before heading into halftime behind 35-10. Baylor posted two additional rushing touchdowns in the second half while UCLA battled back with two touchdowns and a missed conversion to end the game 49-26. Florence completed 10 of 13 passes for 188 yards, with a total of 4,309 yards on the season – eclipsing Robert Griffin III’s record season in 2011 by 16 yards. Most Valuable Player trophies for offense and defense both went to the Bears, with Baylor’s Running Back Lache Seastrunk (#25) and Defensive End Chris McAllister (#31) taking home awards. Baylor’s win pushed the Bears to 8-5 on the season, while UCLA ended at 9-5 with three straight losses. Total attendance for the Bridgepoint Holiday Bowl was 55,507. JM2Group is a professional media firm based in San Diego, California that provides expert photography, videography and design services for commercial, advertising, public relations, small businesses and web development clients. Additional photographic images from the event will be available at the firm’s website: www.JM2-Group.com
BRIDGE JUMPERS SHUT DOWN MAJOR FREEWAYS
Update: Both 163 and 805 are now reopened, though traffic on 163 remains slow as of 5:55 p.m. December 28, 2012 (San Diego) — For the second time today, a suicidal person threatening to jump off a bridge has caused major traffic delays. Late this afternoon, State Route 163 has been shut down in both directions at the Laurel Street Bridge in Balboa Park. The I-5 connector to 163 is also closed due to the jumper. Earlier today, a man threatening to jump off a bridge forced shut-down of I-805 at State Route 54. That individual has been taken into custody and 805 is now reopened. If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, please contact these resources: County Suicide Prevention Resources County Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-479-3339 Sign up to receive free ViejasAlerts via e-mail at the top right side of our homepage and also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine. You can also follow ViejasAlerts on Twitter for brief alerts on your mobile device. We recommend all of the above, since you don’t know what form of communications will work best in a major regional emergency.
DRIVER KILLED WHEN VEHICLE PLUMMETS OFF BRIDGE ONTO HIGHWAY 94
December 28, 2012 (San Diego) – Jesus H. Rodriguez, 24, or Otay Mesa died at the scene of an accident at 3:17 a.m. Rodriguez was driving west on the State Route 94 connector bridge to southbound I-15 when he lost control and went off the bridge, landing on State Route 94 beneath. Rodriguez, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. Rodriguez, who was single, was the only occupant of the vehicle. His death was confirmed by responding officers and fire personnel. An autopsy is scheduled for later today. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.