SDSU FOOTBALL’S RASHAAD PENNY EARNS FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com December 7, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State senior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) has been named a first-team All-American by three outlets on Thursday. Penny made the Sports Illustrated first team, as well as the All-American’s inaugural first team and the Bleacher Report first team. Penny, a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award (college player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (nation’s premier running back), has rushed for a NCAA FBS-best 2,027 yards and 19 touchdowns on 275 carries (7.4 avg.), while adding 18 catches for 142 yards (7.9 avg.) and two touchdowns, 15 kickoff returns for 459 yards (30.6 avg.) and two touchdowns, and two punt returns for 70 yards (35.0 avg.), including a 70-yard touchdown. Last week, Penny became the first player in Mountain West history to win two Player of the Year awards when he was named the MW Offensive Player of the Year and the MW Special Teams Player of the Year. He is a two-time Walter Camp FBS National Offensive Player of the Week pick this year, five-time MW Offensive Player of the Week winner and a two-time MW Special Teams Player of the Week. Penny currently leads FBS in rushing yards (2,027), rushing yards per game (168.9), all-purpose yards (2,698) and all-purpose yards per game (224.8), and is second in total touchdowns (24), points (144) and points per game (12.0), tied for third in rushing touchdowns (19), tied for fifth in kickoff return touchdowns (2), sixth in rushing yards per carry (7.4), seventh in kickoff return average (30.6) and tied for 10th in punt return touchdowns (1). Penny has rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 of the team’s 12 games this year and five times has eclipsed 200 yards. SDSU (10-2) will play Army West Point (8-3) in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
VACANCY ANNOUNCED ON DEHESA SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD
East County News Service December 7, 2017 (Dehesa) – The Dehesa School District is seeking applications from interested residents within the school district’s boundaries to serve as an appointed member of the Governing Board to fill the balance of a four-year term, which would be up for election November 2018. A vacancy occurred due to the resignation of Board Member Vincent Blanco on October 20, 2017. In accordance with the law, the appointment must be made prior to December 19, 2017 and is expected to be filled immediately after interviews are conducted on December 15th at a special Board meeting on December 18, 2017. If you are interested in being considered for appointment to this vacancy, you may obtain an application at the District Office or the website at www.dehesasdsdcoe.net. Please submit your application to: Nancy Hauer Secretary of the Board/Superintendent Dehesa School District 4612 Dehesa Rd. El Cajon, CA 92019 (619) 444-2161 office (619 444-2105 fax Application materials must be received in the Superintendent’s Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on December 14, 2017.
GOVERNOR DECLARES EMERGENCY OVER LILAC FIRE IN NORTH COUNTY
By Miriam Raftery Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News Update December 8, 2017 8:45 a.m.: Cal Fire reports the fire has burned 65 structures but remains at 4,100 acres. Evacuation orders now extend west to Camp Pendleton. Four civilian injuries and two firefighter injuries have occurred. December 7, 2017 (San Diego) – Governor Jerry Brown has issued an emergency declaration over the Lilac Hills Fire, which has scorched over 4,100 acres in the Fallbrook-Bonsall area. The County has also declared an emergency. The devastating blaze is burning southwest and is still zero percent contained. It started at 11:15 a.m. west of I-15 and north of Lilac Road on the Pala Mesa. By this evening, at least 20 homes have burned, County Emergency Services reports. That includes numerous residences in the Rancho Manserate Country Club community. An estimated 5,000 more residences are threatened. Two people suffered burns and have been taken to a hospital. Dozens of horses have died including many at the San Luis Rey training center, Times of San Diego reports. In Bonsall, numerous horses were let loose, running wildly through billowing smoke, a photo posted by Horses so Fine on Instagram states, adding, “Pray for them.” Community volunteers have come forward to help save many horses and the Del Mar Fairgrounds has opened facilities for livestock including horses. State Route 76 is closed from I-15 to Camino del Rey. Old Highway 395 is also closed from I-15 to Highway 76/Pala Road. The offramp at I-15 south to 395 is also shut down. A Fox-5 news crew on the scene is documenting whirling “tornadoes of fire” and embers fueled by 40 mile per hour winds. Be vigilant overnight due to potential for new fires as Santa Ana winds continue. Keep your phone by your bedside to hear evacuation alerts and keep a window partially open so you can smell smoke if a fire approaches. It’s wise to park a vehicle outside so you can swiftly escape if power goes out and disables automatic garage doors. School closures Cal State San Marcos has cancelled classes for tomorrow. Numerous school closures, not only n the fire area but in high-wind areas countywide, have been announced including: Bonsall Unified School District Fallbrook Union Elementary School District Fallbrook Union High School District Julian Union Elementary School District Julian Union High School District Mountain Empire Unified School District Oceanside Unified School District Spencer Valley School District Vista Unified School District Warner Unified School District Evacuation orders: Mandatory Evacuations in the area of W. Lilac Rd. & Sullivan Middle School. South of Burma Rd. East of Wilshire North of N. River Rd. West of S. Mission Ave New evacuation orders: South of Renche Rd., West of I-15 Freeway, East of Green Canyon Rd. & S. Mission Rd., North of Hwy 76 Wvacuation Warnings are in effect: North of Pala Rd. South of Reche Rd. West of I-15 Freeway East of Green Canyon Rd. & W. Mission Rd. Evacuation centers: Fallbrook High School (2400 S Stage Coach Ln., Fallbrook) Pala Casino (11157 Highway 76, Pala) East Valley Community Center (2245 E Valley Pkwy., Escondido) Stagecoach Community Park (3420 Camino de Los Coches, Carlsbad)
WINDS TOPPLE TREES, TIP OVER TRUCKS
By Miriam Raftery December 7, 2017 (San Diego) — High winds roaring through San Diego County today have wreaked havoc. In Carlsbad, a tree fell onto an elderly man and killed him. Santa Ana winds knocked a semi-truck and trailer onto their sides on I-8 east, shortly before high winds forced closure of I-8 east of Alpine. A sign truck was nearly blown off the towering Pine Valley Bridge. In Lakeside the community Christmas tree toppled over; Lakeside’s Chamber of Commerce posted a photo on Facebook, vowing to restore it after the winds die down. Strong winds also led SDG&E to shut off power to thousands of homes in communities across the region, with some slated to be without power for days. Supervisor Dianne Jacob told ECM, “I’m concerned about any shutoffs because they can pose their own risks to property and life in a crisis, especially in rural areas where fire crews and residents need access to well water. I urge SDG&E to cut power only as a last resort and only if there’s the danger of an actual system failure that could ignite a wildfire.” High winds are also whipping flames in the fast-moving Lilac Fire near I-15 and State Route 76 in the Fallbrook Bonsall area. The fire has reached 2,000 acres with zero containment as of 4 p.m.today, forcing shutdowns at vaious times during the day along highways 76, 15, 395 and some surface streets. The blaze has burned at least two structures and sent two people to the hospital with burns. A map released by the National Weather Service has aded a new purple color designation for the first time, due to the extreme high winds locally. A red flag alert for high fire danger remains in effect until Saturday night, with a high wind warning active until 4 p.m. Friday, when calmer weather is expected.