SDSU SWIM & DIVE: AZTECS TIED FOR THIRD AFTER OPENING DAY AT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Source: goaztecs.com Photo: Alexandra Caplan captured fourth place on the 1-meter springboard on opening day of the 2017 Mountain West Swimming and Diving Championships. Courtesy goaztecs.com February 15, 2017 (San Diego) – The San Diego State swimming and diving team finds itself tied for third place after the opening day of the 2017 Mountain West Championships being contested at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. After finals in three events on the first-day of the four-day meet, the Aztecs have 166 points and sit behind champion Boise State (200) and defending champion Nevada (198). SDSU’s point total ties that of Wyoming and leads the six other schools in the competition. Wednesday’s finals session began with the 200 medley relay, where the foursome of Kate Santilena, Morganne McKenna, Summer Harrison and Alma Thormalm captured third place with a time of 1:39.17. That mark ranks as the fourth-fastest time in the event in Aztec program history. In the 1-meter diving, junior Alexandra Caplan advanced to finals where she took fourth place with a score of 319.25. Her mark of 297.90 in the prelims put her in third heading into the finals. Freshman Marie Yacopino’s score of 268.10 in the prelims left her just outside of qualification for the finals, but she went on to place second (10th overall) in the Consolation Final. Her mark of 286.10 in the B Final ranks as the fifth-best mark ever by an SDSU diver. San Diego State had four other athletes compete in the prelims of the 1-meter springboard, but none was able to advance. That group included Nicole Dutton (17th – 250.20), Delaney Gallagher (21st – 239.85), Makena Chamoures (23rd – 237.30) and Payton Gabris (36th – 200.10). In addition, freshman Wella Hsu, who just joined the team in January, was an exhibition diver and turned in a score of 191.70. The third final on Wednesday came in the 800 freestyle relay where the Aztecs registered another third-place showing. This time it was the quartet of McKenna Meyer, Frida Berggren, Peyton Wilson and Kassidy Henson that went 7:17.79 to establish the seventh-fastest time ever for the Aztecs in the race. Action continues at the 2017 Mountain West Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday, Feb. 16, with prelims in the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle and 3-meter springboard set to get underway at 9:00 a.m. PT. Finals in those four events along with the 200 freestyle relay will be held later that day starting at 4:30 p.m. PT. 2017 MW Championships Boise State……….200 Nevada………….198 San Diego State…..166 Wyoming……..….166 New Mexico……..115 San Jose State……..110 Colorado State…….94 UNLV…………….84 Fresno State……….84 Air Force…………..53 Wednesday final results
ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS
East County News Service February 15, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – East County Magazine’s World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include: U.S. First ‘dreamer’ protected by Obama’s DACA order arrested in Trump immigration raid (Sacramento Bee) Here’s what we know about Trump’s border wall (Bloomberg News) Russian spy ship spotted off Delaware coast (CS Monitor) Abortion protests on both sides erupt across U.S. (Reuters) Mexicans in the U.S. are Sending Home More Money Than Ever (NPR) Website for disabled kids disappears as DeVos takes office (Seattle Post Intelligencer) Trump then: ‘I would have no problem’ banning lobbyists. Trump now: You’re hired! (Pro Publica) State-sponsored hackers targeting journalists, Google warns (Politico) Legal scholars: Why Congress should impeach Donald Trump (Time Magazine) Russia Considers Returning Snowden to U.S. to ‘Curry Favor’ With Trump: Official (U.S. News) How ISIS is beginning to train child terrorists in the West (Jewish World Review) WORLD Why Is Russia Helping Anti-U.S. Insurgents in Afghanistan? (NPR) Amnesty International Identifies Assad’s ‘Policy of Extermination’ (NPR) U.S. blacklists Venezuela vice president for drug trafficking (Reuters) NATO says it sees sharp rise in Russian disinformation since Crimea seizure (Reuters) German police arrest two men suspected of planning Islamist attack (Reuters) Islamic State-linked group claims rocket attack on Israeli resort (Reuters) Chinese sent Iran missile parts (Washington Times) North Korea tests ballistic missile; U.S. to avoid escalation (Reuters) Malnutrition Is Killing Nigeria’s Children Because of Food Shortage (NPR) South Korea suspects female assassins killed half-brother of North Korea leader (Reuters) Russia Deploys Missile in Violation of Arms Treaty (NPR) At Denmark’s Borderless Kitchen, refugees cook foods from their home countries (Conde Nast) Airport assassination focuses new attention on North Korean leader (Washington Post) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. U.S. First ‘dreamer’ protected by Obama’s DACA order arrested in Trump immigration raid (Sacramento Bee) A young immigrant protected from deportation under an executive order issued by President Barack Obama because he’d been brought into the country as a child faces deportation following sweeping raids launched by the Trump administration. Daniel Ramirez Medina, a 23-year-old with no criminal record, was taken into custody in Seattle as part of last week’s raids … Here’s what we know about Trump’s border wall (Bloomberg News) President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Homeland Security to move forward with one of his more prominent campaign promises: to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico. But he hasn’t provided many details about the project, including when and how the wall would be built, or how much it would cost. Based on what we know so far, here are some answers about how his plan might work. Russian spy ship spotted off Delaware coast (CS Monitor) In a complicated week for US relations with Russia, a Russian surveillance ship was spotted off the eastern seaboard. Abortion protests on both sides erupt across U.S. (Reuters) Anti-abortion groups rallied at Planned Parenthood clinics in scores of U.S. cities on Saturday to urge Congress and President Donald Trump to strip the health services provider of federal funding…Supporters also showed up at some clinics where the anti-abortion demonstrations were being staged, and in some cases, outnumbered those who were protesting against federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Mexicans in the U.S. are Sending Home More Money Than Ever (NPR) A new report finds that remittances by migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean topped $69 billion last year — the highest amount on record…. The 2016 tally is the highest amount on record and an increase of nearly 8 percent over 2015. About 40 percent of the money goes to just one country — Mexico. Website for disabled kids disappears as DeVos takes office (Seattle Post Intelligencer) A U.S. Department of Education website, empowering families of students with disabilities, has disappeared… Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell want to know what happened to the vanished website, and have asked Education Secretary DeVos to put it back up. The website was set up under President George W. Bush so educators, advocates and parents could get a “one-stop” explanation on the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), as well as know their rights under the disability law. Trump then: ‘I would have no problem’ banning lobbyists. Trump now: You’re hired! (Pro Publica) Donald Trump suggested during the campaign that he would ban lobbyists from his administration. Now they’re working at the very agencies they sought to influence. State-sponsored hackers targeting journalists, Google warns (Politico) Google has warned a number of prominent journalists that state-sponsored hackers are attempting to steal their passwords and break into their inboxes, the journalists tell POLITICO. Legal scholars: Why Congress should impeach Donald Trump (Time Magazine) … Examples of existing business arrangements that constitute violations of the foreign-emoluments clause include: China’s state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is the largest tenant in Trump Tower, and the state-owned Bank of China is a major lender to Trump. Trump’s business partner in Trump Tower Century City in Manila, Philippines is Century Properties, which is run by Jose Antonio, who was just named special envoy to the United States by the president of the Philippines. Further, many Trump Organization projects abroad require foreign government permits and approvals, which amount to substantial financial benefits that also constitute foreign emoluments. Russia Considers Returning Snowden to U.S. to ‘Curry Favor’ With Trump: Official (U.S. News) U.S. intelligence has collected information that Russia is considering turning over Edward Snowden as a “gift” to President Donald Trump….Snowden responded to NBC’s report on Twitter and said it shows that he did not work with the Russian government How ISIS is beginning to train child terrorists in the West (Jewish World Review) The threat presented by the Islamic State is taking on a new form: child terrorists either directly in contact with or inspired by the militant group…. the
SUSPECT KILLED IN LEMON GROVE HOME INVASION IDENTIFIED AS DERRICK HARRIS JR., 15
By Miriam Raftery February 15, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A suspect killed in a February 7th home invasion in Lemon Grove has been identified as a juvenile, 15-year-old Derrick Harris Jr. The Sheriff’s Department seeks public help to identify a second suspect who remains at large, says Lieutenant Kenneth Nelson with the San Diego Sheriff’s Homicide Detail. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (858) 974-2321/after hours at (858) 565-5200. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The crime occurred in the 2400 block of Edding Drive in Lemon Grove shortly before 2 a.m. on February 7th. Investigators said that two armed suspects forced their way into the home. During a struggle, the homeowner’s son suffered a gunshot wound that was not considered life-threatening. The homeowner returned fire, killing Harris. The second suspect fled.
EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS
East County News Service February 15, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include: LOCAL Inspections underway at San Diego dams after Oroville scare (Times of San Diego) Deporting undocumented immigrants in San Diego: How will the president’s plan play out? (NBC7) Crime Rate in San Diego Drops to Lowest in Decades (KPBS) San Diego City Council supports lawsuit against Trump travel ban (KPBS) City camp could be San Diego’s homeless solution (San Diego Union-Tribune) Why some homeless advocates oppose mayor’s shelter plan (Voice of San Diego) Homeless man wins harassment settlement from San Diego Police (Los Angeles Times) January refugee arrivals were up 61 percent in San Diego from last year (SD Union-Tribune) Report: San Diego Ranks 13th Highest for Immigrants Living in the Country Illegally (KPBS) Children’s Nature Retreat created for the love of underprivileged children (EC Californian) Report: SDPD body cameras reducing misconduct, aggressive use of force (SD Union-Tribune) Protesters march through downtown for Standing Rock (10 News) STATE For California community in dam’s shadow, troubles go back decades (Reuters) Evacuation order lifted for residents near Oroville dam (San Jose Mercury News) Damaged Oroville Dam spillway undergoes more water releases (Sacramento Bee) Los Angeles County voters to decide on quarter-cent tax for homeless programs (LA Times) California Senate gives 10% pay raise to 71 employees to close gender gap (Sacramento Bee) Does California give more than it gets from Washington D.C.? (Politifact) Friend to plead guilty to aiding San Bernardino gunman: prosecutors (Reuters) Central California continues to sink (Mercury News) California bets on electric cars, at ratepayer risk (San Diego Union-Tribune) Lack of Competition Is Leading to a Costly Electricity Glut in California (Reason) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. LOCAL Inspections underway at San Diego dams after Oroville scare (Times of San Diego) A comprehensive condition assessment of nine dams owned by the city of San Diego has been underway for the past year, the Public Utilities Department said Monday…some of the dams operated by the city are those at the San Vicente and El Capitan reservoirs, Lake Morena — all in the East County — and Lower Otay Lake, just east of Chula Vista…In all, there are 54 dams in San Diego County, owned by 19 public agencies. Deporting undocumented immigrants in San Diego: How will the president’s plan play out? (NBC7) The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department outlines its policy on immigration enforcement and two attorneys explain what it means for undocumented immigrants with or without criminal records. Crime Rate in San Diego Drops to Lowest in Decades (KPBS) City leaders Tuesday hailed statistics for calendar year 2016 that showed San Diego crime rates dropped to their lowest levels in four decades. San Diego City Council supports lawsuit against Trump travel ban (KPBS) The San Diego City Council on Tuesday voted to sign an amicus brief in support of a Washington state lawsuit against President Donald Trump, inserting the city into the ongoing legal battle over the president’s executive order on refugees and immigration. The vote was 8-1 in favor of supporting the lawsuit…The action …does not make San Diego a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, but does add the city’s voice City camp could be San Diego’s homeless solution (San Diego Union-Tribune) The time has come for us to seek out a realistic way to manage our worsening problem of people living on the streets of our city and to do so in a manner that best serves our city’s entire population of 1.35 million. With this in mind, we propose the establishment of “Camp Hope San Diego” on city-owned land adjacent to Brown Field. Why some homeless advocates oppose mayor’s shelter plan (Voice of San Diego) …Moving a person into a shelter or even transitional housing that comes with months of services doesn’t end his homelessness by definition. He’s just got a temporary bed. To McConnell and Theisen, the mayor’s initial pitch to quickly add 300 shelter beds and an intake facility are only temporary solutions. Problem is, San Diego has a dearth of affordable housing and lots of competition for what does exist. There’s not enough housing available to house all of San Diego’s homeless. Homeless man wins harassment settlement from San Diego Police (Los Angeles Times) The city of San Diego has agreed to pay $15,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a homeless man who accused police of harassment and improper arrests. January refugee arrivals were up 61 percent in San Diego from last year (San Diego Union-Tribune) The number of refugees resettling in San Diego County did not slow down in January — 365 arrived last month, the same as December’s new arrivals total, according to data from the county Health and Human Services Agency. Report: San Diego Ranks 13th Highest for Immigrants Living in the Country Illegally (KPBS) A study released Thursday found the San Diego region is home to about 170,000 immigrants living in the United States illegally, ranking 13th nationally…. Five of the 20 metro areas with large populations of immigrants living in the country illegally are in California: Los Angeles Riverside-San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose. Children’s Nature Retreat created for the love of underprivileged children (East County Californian) This is not a petting zoo. It is set up for education, relaxation, and connecting with nature. The vision of owner Agnes Barrelet, founder for Hands United for Children that supports underprivileged children in the U.S. and Africa, the Children’s Nature Retreat in Alpine is now a branch of her dream for children. With 20-acres of beautiful Alpine terrain, it is a safe haven to domestic, livestock and equine animals from around the world. Report: SDPD body cameras reducing misconduct, aggressive use of force (San Diego Union-Tribune) The San Diego Police Department says body-worn cameras are having a positive impact and that coming technological upgrades
TRUMP’S LABOR SECRETARY NOMINEE WITHDRAWS, LACKING SUPPORT FOR CONFIRMATION
By Miriam Raftery February 15, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – CNN reports that President Donald Trump’s nominee for Labor Secretary, Andrew Puzder, has been withdrawn due to growing opposition in Congress as well as from organized labor. Puzder is CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns fast food chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. He has opposed key labor objectives such as raising minimum wage and has also drawn scrutiny for revelations that he employed an undocumented immigrant as housekeeper. Multiple sources report that Puzder lacked the votes needed for confirmation by the Senate. Besides opposition from Democrats, CNN reports that h at least four Republican Senators opposed his nomination, and possibly as many as a dozen. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Puzder the “worse pick for Labor Secretary” “adding, “He does not belong anywhere near the Labor Department, let alone at the head of it. Puzder’s disdain for the American worker, the very people he would be responsible for protecting, is second to none.” A press release from the United Farmworkers hailed the news, calling Puzder “unqualified” and “anti-Labor.” The labor union’s statement concludes, “We hope he chooses for his next nominee someone who believes in enforcing and abiding by the nation’s labor laws.”
SDSU WATER POLO: CAROLINE ISRAELS NAMED GCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior earns the first award of the season for SDSU Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com February 15, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State water polo senior Caroline Israels has been named the Golden Coast Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Wednesday night. The weekly award is the first for the Aztecs this season and the fourth of Israels’ career. A native of Pompano Beach, Florida, Israels helped SDSU to a 3-2 record last week, with a GCC win over Santa Clara (home) and upsets over No. 16 Hartwick (neutral) and T-No. 9 UC San Diego (road) at the UCSD Triton Invitational. For the week, she totaled 11 goals, which included four multiple-goal efforts, two assists, 10 steals and three drawn ejections. Israels started her week by tallying two goals, a team-high-tying two assists and a team-high seven steals vs. the Broncos in the Aztecs’ conference opener at home. Then as the action moved north to La Jolla, she led the team with four goals, which were a San Diego State and individual season high, while adding two steals and one drawn ejection vs. the Hawks in SDSU’s tournament opener. In game No. 2 of the first day of the invitational, Israels led the team with two goals in a loss to second-ranked USC. The senior finished her and the team’s weekend vs. T-No. 9 UC Santa Barbara and the Tritons. Against the Gauchos, Israels had a team-high-tying two goals and drew two ejections, and followed it with a one-goal, one-steal performance vs. UC San Diego. The Aztecs have this week off to prepare for the UCI Invitational, which is scheduled to start next Friday, Feb. 24.
FOUR AZTECS INVITED TO NFL COMBINE
NFL Combine to take place Feb. 28-March 6 in Indianapolis Source: goaztecs.com Photo: Donnel Pumphrey (left), Nico Siragusa (center) and Damontae Kazee (right), along with Daniel Brunskill (not pictured) have been invited to the NFL Combine. Courtesy goaztecs.com February 15, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State will send four football players to the NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) in Indianapolis from Feb. 28-March 6, the NFL announced today. Daniel Brunskill (Valley Center, Calif./Valley Center HS), Damontae Kazee (San Bernardino, Calif.), Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas) and Nico Siragusa (Chula Vista, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic HS) all will attend the camp, which will be scouted by top executives, coaching staffs, player personnel departments and medical personnel from all 32 NFL teams. The four combine invitees are tied for the 11th most in the nation and are tied with Temple for the most among a non-Power 5 school. Additionally, the Aztecs have more invites than 50 Power 5 programs, including 11 from the ACC, Big Ten and SEC, nine from the Big 12 and eight from the Pac-12. Brunskill, Siragusa and Pumphrey will arrive on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and will test out on Thursday, March 2 and Friday, March 3. Kazee, meanwhile, is slated to arrive on Friday, March 3 and test out on Sunday, March 5 and Monday, March 6. Brunskill played in 54 games over his career, tied with Pumphrey and Siragusa for the most in school history. He earned second-team all-MW accolades at right tackle this year after being an honorable mention pick as a tight end in 2015. He had 15 catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns in his three seasons at tight end (2013-15) and was named the team’s offensive player of the year in 2016. Kazee finished his final season with 65 tackles (45 solo), seven interceptions for 156 yards, eight pass breakups, three tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry en route to being named the MW Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season. Kazee, a three-time all-MW selection over his career (first team in 2015-16, second team in 2014), finished with a school-record 17 interceptions, 30 pass breakups (sixth at SDSU) and 214 interception yards (seventh at SDSU). Pumphrey rushed 349 times for 2,133 yards (6.1 avg.) (10th in NCAA FBS single-season history) with 17 touchdowns on the season, while adding a team-high-tying 27 catches for 231 yards. A Doak Walker finalist, two-time MW Offensive Player of the Year (2015-16) and three-time first-team all-MW selection (2014-16), Pumphrey set an NCAA FBS record with 6,405 rushing yards over his career. He also finished fifth in NCAA FBS history in all-purpose yards (7,515), tied for eighth in overall touchdowns (67) and ninth in rushing touchdowns (62). Siragusa helped SDSU set program records in rushing yards (3,680), rushing touchdowns (34), rushing yards per carry (5.8), offensive touchdowns (62), points (493) and field goals (21). He was a two-time first-team all-MW selection (2015-16).
GIRLS SOCCER: WOLF PACK WIN HOTLY CONTESTED BATTLE AGAINST GROSSMONT 1-0
Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity? Drop a line on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage! Like our sports coverage? Donate to help support ECM’s sports section! Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories! February 15, 2017 (La Mesa) – Grossmont girls’ soccer sports an outstanding 10-3-6 record on the season, with a 2-1-5 record in Grossmont league play. Tonight, they hosted the Wolf Pack of West Hills, an opponent of equal stature with an 11-6-6 overall record, but a 1-2-5 record in league play. The season these two teams have been having showed on the field; rock-solid defenses prevented both teams from gaining any momentum in the first half, which ended with the Hillers and the Pack knotted at zero. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Syd Gilbert was the first to break the ice. The West Hills senior broke into the offensive zone and launched an overhead shot over the Hillers’ sophomore goalkeeper Ashlynn Dean’s head and the Pack went up 1-0. The Pack did what head coach Robert Romero told them to and dug deep, winning 1-0 and reaching .500 in Grossmont league play at 2-2-5 and moving to 12-6-6 overall. The Foothillers fall to .500 in league play and 10-4-6 on the season. The Foothillers play their last game of the regular season when they travel to their crosstown rival, Helix, on Friday at 4:30 p.m., pending the rain. The Wolf Pack return home for their last game and will host Valhalla on Friday at 4:30 p.m.