WIND ADVISORY ISSUED: STORM DUE TO HIT REGION TUESDAY
March 31, 2014 (San Diego County) – The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for San Diego County’s mountains and deserts from late afternoon Monday through Wednesday morning. A low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska will bring strong west winds with gusts up to 65 miles per hours. High winds will make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles such as SUVs. Watch for broken tree limbs and in desert areas, blowing sands. Colder and wetter weather is also on tap for this week with showers starting Tuesday morning. Showers will decrease in coverage Tuesday afternoon and evening before increasing again on Wednesday as low pressure settles over our area, the National Weather Service predicts. The storm is expected to drop as much as an inch and a half of precipitation over the mountain areas, with snow dropping to 4,500 feet overnight on Tuesday. Later in the week, expect clearing, though temperatures will remain cool through Friday.
NEXT HISTORY ALIVE APRIL 3 IN LEMON GROVE: WHEN THE CIVIL WAR MOVED WEST
March 31, 2014 (Lemon Grove)–he remarkable of story of San Diego’s first school teacher, Mary Chase Walker, is next up on the “History Alive” lecture series, sponsored by the Lemon Grove Historical Society, on Apr. 3 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove. Well-known Old Town historical impersonator Vanessa Jones, in period attire, will relate Walker’s move from Massachusetts in 1865, as the horrific Civil War was winding down, to teach all grades in Old Town San Diego’s original public school. Walker came West with an Eastern sensibility, one that included friendship with African Americans. This would lead to a minor scandal that forced her resignation from the school. Ironically, aid came from the school board president, Ephraim Morse, just as Walker faced dire straits as a single, jobless woman in a community that was a long way from the explosion of cultures and ethnicities that would mark its late 20th century persona. “She bridged America east and west, as well as past and present,” noted Estelle Lauer, vice president for Programs in the historical society. “As an emigrant American, she is an ideal figure for this season’s lecture theme, Coming to California: The Immigrant Experience.” “History Alive,” now in its 36th season, is suitable for ages 13 and over, and is free (though donations are appreciated). Refreshments will follow the presentation. Information: 619-460-4353.
FATAL SKYDIVING ACCIDENT IN OTAY AREA
Update March 31: The victim has been identified as Jordan Janway, 27. Janway is the brother-in-law of NASCAR racing champion Jimmie Johnson and sister to Johnson’s wife, Chandra. By Miriam Raftery March 30, 2014 (Otay Mesa) –A skydiving instructor in his 20s is dead after colliding with another skydiver this afternoon. He may have been knocked unconscious and his parachute never opened. He was reported missing, prompting a search of the Otay area by Sheriff’s deputies, Border Patrol agents, Cal-Fire firefighters and approximately 20 skydiving volunteers. The Sheriff’s A.S.T.R.E.A. helicopter also responded and located the missing skydiver’s body. Ironically, a device that could have saved his life had reportedly been sent out for maintenance. A master parachutist and rigger with more than 1,000 jumps on record, he usually carried a device to automatically open his parachute in the case of emergency. The victim was teaching students at Skydive San Diego on Otay Lakes Road in Jamul. The facility requires the devices for those with fewer than 1,000 jumps. The parachutist who collided with the victim was not injured, Fox 5 reported.
YEE WITHDRAWS FROM SECRETARY OF STATE RACE AMID CORRUPTION CHARGES
Update: Anderson casts lone vote against suspension of Yee, calls for expulsion from Senate instead. By Miriam Raftery March 30, 2014 (Sacramento) – Capitol Hill is reeling over charges against Senator Leland Yee alleging corruption and conspiracy to smuggle firearms. The FBI evidence reportedly includes Yee caught on tape setting up a meeting with an arms broker for an undercover agent, as well as ties to organized crime leader Raymond Chow, better known as Shrimp Boy. Lee, a Democrat and California’s first Chinese Senator, will appear on the June ballot statewide as a candidate for Secretary of State, though he announced his withdrawal after the charges against him were filed. That opens the door for the five other candidates in the Secretary of State’s race, since incumbent Secretary of State Debra Bowen must step down due to term limits. This is an important position, since the Secretary of State can take steps to protect election integrity – as Bowen did when she decertified voting machines that could be easily hacked. Or conversely, a Secretary of State who engages in partisan politics such as Florida’s Katherine Harris did during a disputed presidential race can cast the integrity of elections into doubt. On the Democratic side there are two contenders running for California’s Secretary of State seat. Derek Cressman is the former Vice President of Common Cause, a nonprofit organization advocating for open and transparent government in the public interest. Cressman has been outspoken against secret money funding political campaigns—the kind of secret money that Yee was reportedly accepting. Democratic State Senator Alex Padilla of Los Angeles is also in the race. On Friday, Senator Padilla voted to suspend Yee from the State Senate and has further called on Yee to resign, calling the allegations against Yee “shocking and disturbing.” On the Republican side of the aisle is Pete Peterson, executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University, which researches current policy issues. Former Republic strategist Daniel Schnur is also in the race, running as an independent. He was spokesperson for Governor Pete Wilson and Republican presidential candidate John McCain. He also formerly chaired the California Fair Political Practices Commission and says he wants to see all donations disclosed within 24 hours. In addition, architectural designer David Curtis is running on the Green Party ticket. Curtis sees a need to break the two-party system to halt corruption in government– says his donations are being reported in real time online to provide full transparency to voters. In the State Senate, ironically Lee was best known for his efforts to strengthen open records, government transparency and whistleblower protection laws. Late last week, Yee’s Senate colleagues voted to suspend him, with pay, along with two other Senators involved in criminal proceedings, one of whom was convicted. One of these, Rod Wright, was convicted of filing a false voter registration at an address not in his district. The third, Ron Calderon, is facing corruption charges. The suspensions are with pay; Senate leader Darrell Steinberg has said there is no provision in the Senate to suspend without pay. The lone vote cast against the suspension of Yee was East County’s Senator Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), who told ECM on Saturday that the measure did not go far enough. He supports expulsion of the members instead of “more paid holidays for bad behavior…If you reward bad behavior, you’ll get more of it.” View video of Anderson’s floor speech here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqww9Zbp7pM