EX-LEMON GROVE MAYOR’S DAUGHTER ARRESTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photo: Former Mayor Mary Sessoms June 22, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – The U.S. Attorney’s office has revealed that Mary Sessoms Baker, 30, the woman charged in a fentanyl drug trafficking case, is the daughter of former Lemon Grove Mayor Mary Sessoms, the San Diego Reader reports. Baker is accused of acting as a courier to transport narcotics in three separate trips. Federal agents stopped her in a rented vehicle and found 15 kilograms of fentanyl, then found 30 more kilograms at her home. The Department of Justice has described the bust as one of the largest seizures of fentanyl ever nationwide, as ECM previously reported. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and has been added to street drugs including heroin and counterfeit narcotic pain pills, with sometimes lethal results. As little as 3 milligrams can be fatal; the 44.14 kilograms seized is enough to result in 14 million deadly doses, if misued. Fentanyl is also prescribed as a last-resort opioid prescription for severe pain. The former Mayor’s daughter was taken into custody along with two others, Jonathan Ibarra, 45, and Hector Fernando Garcia, 46. If convincted, they could face up to life in prison and huge fines. Mary Sessoms served as Mayor of Lemon Grove from 1996 to 2016, also serving on the San Diego Regional Association of Governments (SANDAG) board and was a respected leader in East County. Her daughter has served as her campaign manager, and also ran unsuccessfully for Council in 2014. Don Bauder, reporter for the Reader, posted an update indicating that the former Mayor has indicated her daughter was caring for her four-year-old son, has worked full-time and completed requirements for a degree in water/wastewater. The former Mayor provided this statement to Bauder after her daughter’s arrest. “I am hugely disappointed in her judgment. But as her mom, I stand with her and will work with her as she pays her price to society and becomes the person I know she can be. I love my daughter and will support her through this.” Printer-friendly version
LAKE MURRAY MUSIC FEST AND FIREWORKS RETURNS JULY 4
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery June 22, 2017 (La Mesa) — After several years on hiatus, the beloved San Diego Lake Murray Music Fest and Fireworks show is coming back on July 4th from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the fireworks show at 9 p.m. The music fest is held at Lake Murray Community Park in San Carlos (5540 Kiowa Drive, La Mesa, off Lake Murray Blvd.). The day of fun includes food vendors, fun, bands and fireworks. Bands range from a Beatles tribute to classic rock. The fireworks can be seen throughout the Navajo community, from La Mesa to Del Cerro and beyond. Kiwanis (Hotdogs & Hamburgers) Admiral’s Restaurant with Geoff Cole Rita’s Italian Ice Bullseye Kettle Corn Windmill Farms Los Primos Inferno Woodfired Kitchen Download and print the event poster and place it in your window to help support this event. View a full schedule of bands and activities, get more details, or make a donation to make sure the fireworks show can go on next year at https://www.lakemurrayfireworks.org/. Printer-friendly version
HOTTEST DAY EVER IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery June 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Tuesday’s blistering heat wave set a new county record. In Ocotillo Wells, the temperature reached 124 degrees—the hottest temperature ever recorded in San Diego County, according to Noel Isla with the National Weather Service. Borrego Springs recorded 122 degrees, tying a previous record set exactly one year ago on June 20, 2016. A reader with a weather station in Boulevard informed us he measured 102 degrees, while temperatures in Ramona, Alpine and other mountain areas reached the mid-90s. In case you’re wondering, the hottest temperature record ever recorded on earth occurred in Death Valley, California in July of 2013, when the mercury hit 134 degrees, shattering a world record formerly set 90 years earlier in Libya. By contrast, San Diego’s coastal areas were balmy by comparison, with high temperatures in the high sixties to low seventies. An excessive heat warning for San Diego County’s deserts through Monday evening, with a heat advisory issued for the mountains and inland valley areas. So drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, don’t leave children or pets on hot cars even for a short time, wear loose-fitting clothing to keep cool, and check out air conditioned locations designated as county cool zones at http://www.coolzones.org/. Printer-friendly version
COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY WINS APPEAL IN CASE AGAINST METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OVER RATES
Printer-friendly version Petition for California Supreme Court review anticipated East County News Servic Updated with statement from MWD June 21, 2017 (San Diego) – The 1st District Court of Appeal today issued a ruling in favor of the San Diego County Water Authority on key points in its lawsuits against the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The County Water Authority has charged that MWD rates charged are illegal. The case is expected to be appealed to the California Supreme Court, where if upheld it would mean a big win for San Diego County ratepayers. Mark Muir, Chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors, issued this statement on the decision: “One key ruling is that the Water Authority is entitled to tens of thousands of acre-feet more water from MWD than MWD had calculated under its preferential rights formula – a benefit valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars based on payments made by the Water Authority. Another is that MWD collected millions of dollars in illegal charges from San Diego ratepayers. MWD used this money to fund local supply and conservation projects for other MWD member agencies. “In addition, the court found that MWD breached its contract with the Water Authority, which required MWD to set legal rates. The court also ruled that MWD’s ‘Rate Structure Integrity’ contract clause is unconstitutional and that the Water Authority has legal standing to challenge it. The RSI clause was designed to punish the Water Authority for its decision to challenge MWD’s rates in court. “The court ruled against the Water Authority on one important issue with implications for ratepayers and taxpayers statewide – essentially, whether MWD must base its rates on the costs it actually incurs in providing its various services. We believe that the California Constitution, state law and voter-approved Proposition 26 compel MWD to do so – and the trial court agreed. MWD argued that it’s above the law, and convinced the Court of Appeal to reverse the lower court ruling on this key finding. We are also concerned about the chilling effect this ruling could have on water transfers and their benefits for the environment. “With so much at stake, we expect that both the Water Authority and MWD are likely to seek review from the California Supreme Court of various aspects of today’s decision. The state Supreme Court has discretion to hear a further appeal of any issues decided by the Court of Appeal. “When we filed the first-rate case lawsuit in 2010, we knew that this would not be a sprint. It’s a marathon that we are running on behalf of – and with the strong support of – our region’s ratepayers, business leaders and elected officials. While today’s ruling secures several important victories for the Water Authority and its ratepayers, we are no less determined to see this case to a successful conclusion.” NOTE: Additional information about the rate case, including today’s ruling, is at www.sdcwa.org/mwdrate-challenge. Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement on the decision by the California Court of Appeal on two lawsuits by the San Diego County Water Authority challenging Metropolitan’s rate structure. “This ruling by the three-justice panel of the California Court of Appeal scores a major legal and financial victory not only for Metropolitan, but for the district’s cooperative of member public agencies as well as the millions of consumers they serve. We are gratified that the court sided with Metropolitan on the central issue in this case, finding “the California Aqueduct unquestionably is an integral part of the system by which Metropolitan transports water to its member agencies” and it is lawful for Metropolitan to recover its State Water Project conveyance costs in its wheeling rate and the transportation rates charged under its exchange agreement with San Diego County Water Authority. “The Water Authority’s years-long effort to shift costs relating to their own water supply onto ratepayers elsewhere in Southern California has failed. We are equally pleased the court upheld Metropolitan’s full service rate—which represents the vast majority of Metropolitan’s revenues—including our ability to fund projects advancing conservation and local resource development through that rate. “In the end, years of litigation brought by the Water Authority and tens of millions of dollars in related costs borne by ratepayers have fundamentally changed no major aspect of Southern California water management or financing. While Metropolitan has prevailed as to the overwhelming majority of costs under challenge in this litigation, nobody is a winner when water districts decide to fight in court rather than resolve their differences in a democratic and collaborative fashion.” Background On May 10, 2017, the 1st District Court of Appeal heard oral argument in the appeals of the Water Authority’s victories in two lawsuits against MWD. Superior Court Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow ruled in November 2015 that MWD’s rates for 2011-2014 were illegal. The judge directed MWD to pay the Water Authority more than $243 million in damages, costs, pre-judgment interest and attorneys’ fees – the largest plaintiff’s award in the state for 2015. If MWD were allowed to continue its unlawful rate-setting practices, which are not based on the cost of services MWD provides, overcharges to the Water Authority could exceed $7 billion over 45 years. MWD appealed Judge Karnow’s final judgment and refused to change its rates. In addition, the Water Authority asked the 1st District Court of Appeal to review Judge Karnow’s ruling that the agency doesn’t have standing to challenge MWD’s “Rate Structure Integrity” contract clause (also known as “RSI”), which is designed to punish MWD member agencies that contest MWD rates in courts or the state Legislature. The Water Authority contends the RSI clause is an unconstitutional constraint on the Water Authority’s right to petition the courts and exercise free speech, and an unlawful attempt to immunize MWD against illegal, predatory water rates. The Water Authority filed its initial rate lawsuit against MWD in 2010,
ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS
Printer-friendly version June 21, 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. Special prosecutor investigation Lobbyist for Russian interests says he attended dinners hosted by Sessions (Guardian) Donald Trump, Felix Sater and the job: Lawyers push to unseal court documents they say could show fraud by president (Newsweek) Trump lashes out at Russia probe while Pence hires a lawyer (San Diego Union-Tribune) Senate approves new Russia sanctions (CNN) Criminal investigation of Trump puts his presidency in peril (Wash. Post “Right Turn”) Other national news Russia warns U.S. after downing of Syrian warplane (New York Times) Phoenix flights cancelled because it’s too hot for planes (BBC) Admin revokes blocked program to protect immigrant parents (Washington Post) Amazon to buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion (Reuters) U.S. Supreme Court strikes down sex offender social media ban (Reuters) U.S. top court says law banning offensive trademarks is unconstitutional (Reuters) Trump owes lenders at least $315 million, disclosure shows (Reuters) Trump signs bill revoking Obama era gun checks for mental illness (NBC) Emerging portrait of shooting suspect James T. Hodgkinson: Anti-Trump rhetoric on social media, repeat visits to YMCA near Virginia ballfield (Washington Post) Legal services in unprecedented danger under Trump’s budget proposal (Guardian) CEOs to Trump: You’re failing (CNN) Democratic lawmakers sue Trump, handing the president another legal challenge (NPR) WORLD Van rams Muslim worshippers in London; PM condemns ‘sickening’ attack (Reuters) Imam praised as hero for protecting Finsbury Park attacker (CNN) Veteran aide expert Egeland warns of ‘Biblical famine’ in Yemen (Reuters) 7 U.S. Service Members Wounded In ‘Insider Attack’ In Afghanistan (NPR) Saudi king empowers young reformer son in succession shake-up (Reuters) Palestinian Authority has not sent medical shipments to Gaza for over three months (Jerusalem Post) Why Is China Snatching Up Australian Farmland? (NPR) Attacks on Western cities prompt insurers to adapt (Reuters) FBI says probing Michigan airport stabbing as ‘act of terrorism’ (Reuters) Abortive Brussels attack could have been much worse -PM (Reuters) Explosion in Bogota shopping center kills three, wounds nine (Reuters) Jerusalem on high alert after police officer killed in Old City attack (JPost) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. U.S. Trump-Russia investigation Lobbyist for Russian interests says he attended dinners hosted by Sessions (Guardian) An American lobbyist for Russian interests who helped craft an important foreign policy speech for Donald Trump has confirmed that he attended two dinners hosted by Jeff Sessions during the 2016 campaign, apparently contradicting the attorney general’s sworn testimony given this week. Donald Trump, Felix Sater and the job: Lawyers push to unseal court documents they say could show fraud by president (Newsweek) …The sealed documents are from a federal case against Felix Sater, who Trump reportedly tapped as a senior advisor for his real-estate business in the 2000s even after Sater’s earlier role in a Mafia-linked stock scheme became public… Lerner told Newsweek that if Trump knowingly did real estate with a convicted felon, that could constitute financial fraud. Trump lashes out at Russia probe while Pence hires a lawyer (San Diego Union-Tribune) A heightened sense of unease gripped the White House on Thursday, as President Donald Trump lashed out at reports that he’s under scrutiny over whether he obstructed justice, aides repeatedly deflected questions about the probe and Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged hiring a private lawyer to handle fallout from investigations into Russian election meddling. Senate approves new Russia sanctions (CNN) The Senate on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to enact new sanctions against Russia and make it difficult for President Donald Trump to lift them. In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, the Senate voted 97 to two to approve the sanctions…The new Russia sanctions would create a congressional review process if the executive branch eases current sanctions. It also imposes new sanctions in a number of categories, including those “conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government” and “supplying weapons to the Assad regime.” Criminal investigation of Trump puts his presidency in peril (Wash. Post “Right Turn” column) The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice, officials said. The move by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump’s conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said. Other national news Russia warns U.S. after downing of Syrian warplane (New York Times) Long-running tensions between the United States and Russia erupted publicly on Monday as Moscow condemned the American military’s downing of a Syrian warplane and threatened to target aircraft flown by the United States and its allies west of the Euphrates. Phoenix flights cancelled because it’s too hot for planes (BBC) As temperatures climb in Phoenix, Arizona, more than 40 flights have been cancelled – because it is too hot for the planes to fly. The weather forecast for the US city suggests temperatures could reach 120F (49C) on Tuesday. That is higher than the operating temperature of some planes. Admin revokes blocked program to protect immigrant parents (Washington Post) An Obama-era immigration program intended to protect parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents from deportation has been formally cancelled, fulfilling a key campaign promise from President Donald Trump, the Homeland Security Department announced late Thursday. Homeland Security John Kelly formally revoked a policy memo that created the Deferred Action for Parents of
RABID BAT FOUND AT SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK
Printer-friendly version By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office June 21, 2017 (San Diego) – The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency is looking for anybody that may have come into contact with a dead bat that tested positive for rabies and was found at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on June 19. The bat was found dead at 10:25 a.m. on Monday at the Oasis Deli in Nairobi Village and was collected by a trained park employee. No human contact with the bat has been reported at this time. If you or someone in your family or group had contact with the bat, you are urged to contact the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency as soon as possible at (619) 692-8499. If you did not have direct contact with the bat, such as touching or holding the animal, you are not at risk for rabies. The bat was not one of the park’s collection animals. It was delivered to the County on June 20 and testing confirmed the animal to be positive for rabies. There have been 10 rabid bats found in San Diego County so far this year. One of those rabid bats was also found at this location in the Safari Park in April with no direct human contact reported. “Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment,” said Sayone Thihalolipavan, M.D., M.P.H., County deputy public health officer. “There has been no reported human or animal contact with this bat, but it was found in an area where many park visitors pass by, and we want to make sure that no one had contact with it.” Rabies transmission can occur from a bat bite or if a bat’s saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth. “People should always stay away from bats and other wild animals to prevent possible exposure to rabies,” said Thihalolipavan. “If you see a bat, dead or alive, don’t touch it.” Rabies in humans can be prevented by avoiding contact with wild, stray, and unknown domestic animals, ensuring pets are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations, and receiving prompt medical advice following animal bites and other significant exposures to potentially rabid animals. Rabies is not uncommon in wild bats in San Diego County. If direct contact with a bat does occur, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately. Printer-friendly version
ON THE SILVER SCREEN: “WAKEFIELD” A DELICIOUS BIT OF ABSURDIST THEATER
Printer-friendly version “If the reader choose, let him do his own meditation; or if he prefer to ramble with me… I bid him welcome.” Nathaniel Hawthorne Review by E.A. Barrera June 21, 2017 (San Diego) — What would it be like to become a ghost in your own life? To be a voyeur in your private world? In this film adaptation of E.L. Doctrow’s short story “Wakefield” we see Bryan Cranston in the role of Howard Wakefield, a man who wants a time-out on his life. He doesn’t want to change his life so much as put it on hold. This is not a story of a mid-life crises as it is a tale of human breakdown from the daily pressures “To me Wakefield’s actions seemed rooted in privilege,” said director Robin Swicord. “A man who’s lived with a surfeit of good fortune, who’s never had anything bad happen to him, a man protected by money and education and Anglo-Saxon heritage, one day capriciously decides to invite disaster. To what end, I wondered? An idea of self-annihilation seemed to hover over the story. Was he punishing himself? For what crime?” Doctrow adapted his own story from a 19th century tale by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne’s short story was set in London, in which a man disappears from his own settled life, with no explanation; then lingers in a boarding house across the street to watch what happens. In this story, Howard Wakefield chooses his attic apartment over the family garage. Swicord, who also wrote the script for this wonderful little film about human absurdities, creates a soft, almost Hitchcockian mood. There is a mystery to this story. We keep waiting for the mystery to unfold. Is there a crime afoot? Is someone being unfaithful? Why would a successful, upper-middle-class man simply exit his life on complete whim? Cranston brings good comic timing to this mysterious human drama. His diction and facial expressions remind one almost of Robin Williams (a distinctly less peripatetic Robin Williams). He demonstrates the inherent insecurity of a man who wants to see what goes on behind his back. He discovers the scary and meaningless existence of a man operating behind the scenes of life, the way homeless people exist, and he swiftly discovers how invisible a human being can become when they have divorced themselves from the conventions of a clean shaven face, a shower, a nice set of clothes and interaction with all but those poor souls also existing in invisibility from society. Howard’s wife Dianna is ably played by Jennifer Garner. Looking better and sexier now than 20 years ago, Garner under acts emotional scenes and we feel sympathy for her character without losing any sense of her character’s strength. She is bewildered by what has happened to her husband and there are genuine moments of emotion, but there is also the fundamental anger a person would feel at the idea she and their two daughters have been abandoned. “Wakefield” is abusrdist theater and thus, obvious questions of how a man could simply hide in his garage and not be found must be set aside to enjoy the entire complexity of a story of a man in our modern age wanting to disappear without having to make great changes to his life. It is a fun movie with a nice, rainy-night feel to the musical score by composer Aaron Zigman. “Wakefied” is currently playing at the Ken Theater in Kensington and will also play at the Hillcrest Cinemas. Printer-friendly version
HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Printer-friendly version June 21, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future. HEALTH Johns Hopkins researchers say they’ve unlocked the key to cancer metastasis – and how to slow it (Baltimore Sun) Trump ‘simply does not care’ about HIV/AIDS, say 6 experts who just quit his advisory council (Washington Post) Cholera Ravages Yemen (NPR) In Italy, parents can now be fined for skipping kids’ shots (Newsweek) A Good News Story About Diarrhea — With One Surprising Exception (NPR) Need to Fix a Heart Attack? Try Photosynthesis (Smithsonian) Cardiologist: Breast implants skew heart attack test (BBC) Survivors of Childhood Diseases Struggle to Find Care as Adults (NPR) Eating fried potatoes linked to higher risk of death, study says (Fox 5) Coconut oil ‘as unhealthy as beef fat and butter’ (BBC) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Coffee under threat: will it taste worse as the planet warms? (BBC) A Republican voter database firm likely exposed your personal information for days –and you don’t have much recourse (Los Angeles Times) Is the Concern Artificial Intelligence — Or Autonomy? (NPR) Silicon Valley giants outrank many nations, says first ‘techplomat’ (Reuters) China’s quantum satellite makes breakthrough in secure communications (Reuters) Dams could ‘permanently damage Amazon’ (BBC) Trump’s divided desert: wildlife along the border wall (BBC) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. HEALTH Johns Hopkins researchers say they’ve unlocked the key to cancer metastasis – and how to slow it (Baltimore Sun) … Jayatilaka and a team at Johns Hopkins discovered the biochemical mechanism that tells cancer cells to break off from the primary tumor and spread throughout the body, a process called metastasis. Some 90 percent of cancer deaths are caused when cancer metastasizes. The team also found that two existing, FDA-approved drugs can slow metastasis significantly. Trump ‘simply does not care’ about HIV/AIDS, say 6 experts who just quit his advisory council (Washington Post) The first hints of an uncertain future for the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS came last year, when Donald Trump’s presidential campaign refused to meet with advocates for people living with HIV, said Scott Schoettes, a member of the council since 2014. That unease was magnified on Inauguration Day in January, when an official White House website for the Office of National AIDS Policy vanished, Schoettes said. Cholera Ravages Yemen (NPR) More than 124,000 suspected cases have been reported over the past six weeks. And the health care system is collapsing. In Italy, parents can now be fined for skipping kids’ shots (Newsweek) Amid a measles epidemic spreading throughout Europe, the Italian government approved a measure to fine parents who don’t seek medical help on vaccinating their children. The measure even puts parents at risk of losing custody if they don’t vaccinate their kids. Romania has reported more than 3,400 cases and 17 deaths since January 2016, with the majority of cases concentrated in areas where immunization coverage is especially low. Italy has seen a sharp rise in cases, with at least 400 already this year. Experts predict the outbreak will only get worse. A Good News Story About Diarrhea — With One Surprising Exception (NPR) A new report points to great progress in reducing deaths from diarrheal diseases. But as the low-income world sees progress, rates are inching up in wealthy countries, including the U.S. Need to Fix a Heart Attack? Try Photosynthesis (Smithsonian) Injecting plant-like creatures into a rat’s heart can jumpstart the recovery process, study finds Cardiologist: Breast implants skew heart attack test (BBC) Breast implants make it trickier to run tests that can help spot a possible heart attack, a cardiologist says. Survivors of Childhood Diseases Struggle to Find Care as Adults (NPR) A population of patients who present new challenges to a health care system unaccustomed to dealing with survivors of once-fatal conditions. Eating fried potatoes linked to higher risk of death, study says (Fox 5) People who eat fried potatoes two or more times a week double their risk of an early death compared to those who avoid them, a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found…. Coconut oil ‘as unhealthy as beef fat and butter’ (BBC) It is packed with saturated fat which can raise “bad” cholesterol and pose a heart risk, say US experts. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Coffee under threat: will it taste worse as the planet warms? (BBC) Coffee drinkers could face poorer-tasting, higher-priced brews, as a warming climate causes the amount of land suitable for coffee production to shrink, say scientists from London’s Kew Gardens. A Republican voter database firm likely exposed your personal information for days –and you don’t have much recourse (Los Angeles Times) To any nefarious hackers looking for data that could be used to sway elections or steal Americans’ identities, the file compiled by a GOP digital firm called Deep Root Analytics offered all manner of possibilities. There in one place was detailed personal information about almost every voter in America. Is the Concern Artificial Intelligence — Or Autonomy? (NPR) The risk is not that machines will become autonomous and come to rule over us — the risk is, rather, that we will come to depend too much on machines. Silicon Valley giants outrank many nations, says first ‘techplomat’ (Reuters) The top firms in California’s Silicon Valley carry more weight on the global stage than many countries, which makes building diplomatic relations with them increasingly important, the world’s first national technology ambassador said. China’s quantum satellite makes breakthrough in secure communications (Reuters) A Chinese quantum satellite has dispatched transmissions over a distance of 1,200 km (746 miles), a dozen times further than the previous record, a breakthrough in a technology that could be used to deliver secure messages, state media said on Friday. Dams could ‘permanently damage Amazon’ (BBC) Scientists warn that hydroelectric dams in the Amazon could have a significant impact on the environment. Trump’s divided desert: wildlife along the border wall (BBC) President Trump’s promise to build a “great wall” along the US-Mexico border remains one of the central and most controversial promises of his presidency. But scientists from the University of Arizona are starting to unravel the effect that such a wall could have on a desert ecosystem it will cut through. Printer-friendly version
EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS
Printer-friendly version June 21, 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 Key figure in CPUC hearings on 2007 wildfires accepted gifts: officials (KNSD 7) Daughter of ex-Lemon Grove mayor in jail (San Diego Reader) San Diego County’s unemployment rate down (KPBS) La Mesa ready to take over land at Sun Valley golf course (San Diego Union-Tribune) San Diego City Council votes to put SoccerCity on 2018 ballot (KPBS) Could desalinated water from Mexico flow to San Diego? (San Diego Union-Tribune) Lemon Grove School District chooses new Superintendent (San Diego Union-Tribune) Syrian family celebrates Ramadan, but misses son (San Diego Union-Tribune) County proclaims June 15 Edna Kouns day (KUSI) Two immigration judges added to Otay detention facility (San Diego Union-Tribune) Lemon Grove serving up lunch for kids all summer long (San Diego Union-Tribune) Free Summer Meal Programs Kick Off Around San Diego County (KPBS) What it Would Take to Make SD’s Transit System Faster and More Reliable (Voice of SD) San Onofre — another Chernobyl? (SD Reader) STATE CA State Universities will offer admission to all qualified applicants (SJ Mercury-News) Internet privacy: CA bill to prevent users from being secretly tracked (Mercury-News) It’s a deal. Lawmakers send Jerry Brown a jam-packed budget (Sacramento Bee) LP Files Groundbreaking Civil Rights Lawsuit Against San Francisco State University (LawFareProject) California Lawmakers Seek to Subvert Government Transparency (Reason) California considers reducing traffic fines for low-income drivers (Marketplace) Audit: Low-income phone program grew to $84 million from $36 million because of poor oversight (San Diego Union-Tribune) Governor, Lawmakers to See 3 Percent Pay Boost (KPBS) Study: A Fully Renewable Energy Grid Is Too Costly for Now (KPBS) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. LOCAL Key figure in CPUC hearings on 2007 wildfires accepted gifts: officials (KNSD 7) Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon, a key figure in the 2012 hearings to determine a rate hike for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) ratepayers to cover the costs of the 2007 wildfires, accepted thousands of dollars in gifts at the time, according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)…Simon is facing a proposed penalty of $5,500. Daughter of ex-Lemon Grove mayor in jail(San Diego Reader) Anna Sessom Baker, daughter of former Lemon Grove mayor and council member Mary Sessom, is in jail today. Yesterday (June 20), she, along with Jonathan Ibarra and Hector Fernando Garcia, were arraigned and charged with possession of 44.14 kilograms of fentanyl, with the intent to distribute it. San Diego County’s unemployment rate down (KPBS) San Diego County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent in May…“If you’re considering work this is the time to get back in the job market. Mom and Dad, tell your kids to get back in the job market,” said Phil Blair, executive officer at Manpower staffing which connects job seekers to employers. “Husbands and wives, tell your spouses to get back in the job market. We have jobs for them.” La Mesa ready to take over land at Sun Valley golf course (San Diego Union-Tribune) The city of La Mesa this week will take over the downtown parcel of land known as Sun Valley Golf Course and continue plans to turn it into a public park. San Diego City Council votes to put SoccerCity on 2018 ballot (KPBS) The San Diego City Council has decided to place the proposed SoccerCity redevelopment of the Qualcomm Stadium property in Mission Valley before voters in November 2018. The developers had collected enough valid petition signatures to force the council members to place the issue on an election ballot, or adopt it outright. Could desalinated water from Mexico flow to San Diego? (San Diego Union-Tribune) With Baja California pushing forward on its plan for a massive desalination plant in Rosarito Beach, a ground-breaking proposal to pipe some of that water to the United States has overcome a key hurdle. The U.S. State Department’s approval of a presidential permit marks a step forward for the Otay Water District and its vision for a cross-border pipeline to import the desalinated water from Mexico. Lemon Grove School District chooses new Superintendent (San Diego Union-Tribune) The Lemon Grove School District governing board last week hired a new leader to replace outgoing Superintendent Ernie Anastos. Kimberly Berman, currently the superintendent of the 3,500-student Greenfield Union School District in Monterey County, will start her new job in July 1. Syrian family celebrates Ramadan, but misses son (San Diego Union-Tribune) …While Alsadnawi family members have made progress in learning English and getting settled in El Cajon, they still have a long way to go. Their biggest challenge is dealing with the absence of their only son and eldest child, Ahmed, 24, who became separated from the family after they fled Syria and so was not able to immigrate with them to the U.S. County proclaims June 15 Edna Kouns day (KUSI) The County of San Diego proclaimed June 15 Edna Kouns Day in celebration of the Lakeside woman’s 103rd birthday. Two immigration judges added to Otay detention facility (San Diego Union-Tribune) The Department of Justice has appointed two new immigration judges, both former attorneys for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to hear cases at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Lemon Grove serving up lunch for kids all summer long (San Diego Union-Tribune) Lemon Grove is providing lunches all summer long to kids 18 and under thanks to a $20,000 grant awarded earlier this year through the National League of Cities. Free Summer Meal Programs Kick Off Around San Diego County (KPBS) According to the San Diego Hunger Coalition, more than 125,000 lower income children in the region depend on free or reduced-priced lunches. Yet, just a fraction of them participate in summer meal programs. What It Would Take to Make San Diego’s Transit System Faster and More Reliable (Voice of SD) The 215 Rapid bus averages only 12 mph. It’s not much faster than a cyclist. Offboard ticket purchasing and allowing all passengers to board at any door could speed up service. There are more radical — and controversial — solutions
JOURNALISTS’ GROUP OPPOSES SCHOOL DISTRICT’S PLAN TO DELETE EMAILS
Printer-friendly version Source: Society of Professional Journalists June 21, 2017 (San Diego) — The San Diego Unified School District recently announced it will start deleting emails older than six months effective July 1, a change the district describes as a cost-saving measure. The San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is concerned this policy will significantly hamper access to important public information at a time when the public and the media already have problems obtaining information and records from the district. San Diego SPJ has researched email retention policies in other large California school districts and learned that the policy San Diego Unified is proposing is outside the norm. The Los Angeles, Long Beach, Fresno and Elk Grove unified school districts all retain emails for at least two years, per their policies. At a productive meeting last week to discuss transparency concerns with San Diego SPJ, two of the district’s public information officers told the SPJ board the new email retention policy was an administrative decision that didn’t require school board approval, an SPJ press release indicates. But the district has since said the board may vote on the policy after it goes into effect, and school board member Richard Barrera has said he wants a June 27 vote on the new policy. San Diego SPJ believes San Diego Unified should follow other large districts’ examples and consider retaining emails for at least two years. San Diego SPJ urges the school district to adopt a better email policy and, even if it doesn’t, to honor all existing public records requests that seek emails more than six months old. Printer-friendly version