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CREATIONIST BILLBOARD, CABLE SKI PARK, & BIKE PLAN TO BE CONSIDERED BY SANTEE COUNCIL WED. OCT. 28

Printer-friendly version  October 27, 2009 (Santee) – Santee City Council will hold public hearings on Wednesday Oct. 28 for three hot topics. First, Council will hear public testimony on a cable ski park and restaurant at Santee Lakes, proposed by Padre Dam Municipal Water District. Second, Council will weigh whether to issue a conditional use permit for a freeway-oriented sign

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WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TEAM TO CHALLENGE CUYAMACA COLLEGE ATHLETES IN FAST-PACED ACTION EVENT WED. OCT. 27

Printer-friendly version October 26, 2009 ( El Cajon)–The annual wheelchair basketball game–where the sound of squeaking rubber isn’t from the soles of players’ shoes, but from custom-built chairs pivoting and spinning across the gym floor–is set for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the Cuyamaca College gym. The five-on-five games feature a mix of Cuyamaca’s basketball team

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MUSIC IS THE BEST MEDICINE: GROSSMONT/SHARP HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS SAVORED “HAPPINESS COMMITTEE” MUSICAL EVENING

Printer-friendly version  A review by Bill Pogue   October 27, 2009 (La Mesa)–Grossmont Hospital Chief of Staff Michael Musicant M.D. recognized that the pace and structure of the medical practice today is stressful and tends to isolation of practitioners, compared to 30 years ago. So he set up a “Happiness committee” dedicated to getting staff together around social projects. Six

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CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ISSUES REPORT ON HOSPITAL BOND EXPENDITURES

Printer-friendly version October 27, 2009 (La Mesa)–A volunteer citizens group that is overseeing how the taxpayer-supported Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is spending millions of dollars in voter-approved bonds for construction projects at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa has issued a special mid-year report on construction progress, including the recent completion of the hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care Center (ECCC)

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ARMED ROBBERY AT LA MESA HALLMARK STORE

Printer-friendly version  October 22, 2009 (La Mesa) An armed man robbed the Susie’s Hallmark store at 5648 Lake Murray Blvd., La Mesa on October 22 at approximately 1:58 p.m. The man shopped in the store for several minutes, waiting for all customers to leave. Once all the customers were gone, the suspect displayed a k handgun to the store clerks and

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PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS EMERGENCY DECLARATION OVER H1N1 FLU PANDEMIC

Printer-friendly version  October 25, 2009 (Washington D.C.) –In an effort to proactively address the ongoing pandemic, President Barack Obama has signed a National Emergency Declaration on H1N1, which allows healthcare systems to quickly implement disaster plans should they become overwhelmed. This declaration gives authority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive certain regulatory requirements for

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SDG&E TO TEST INNOVATIVE WATER-SUSPENDED SOLAR POWER TECHNOLOGY

Printer-friendly version Increased Efficiencies, Reduced Costs Expected SAN DIEGO, Oct. 23, 2009 – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today announced it has joined with Pyron Solar of San Diego to test an advanced concentrated solar-power system that floats in a shallow pool of water and is expected to generate electricity at higher efficiencies and lower costs than conventional flat-panel

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MORTGAGE SCAMS ON THE RISE, DUMANIS SAYS AT RANCHO SAN DIEGO-JAMUL CHAMBER EVENT

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery October 24, 2009 (El Cajon) – “The biggest thing we’re seeing now is mortgage loan fraud and real estate fraud,” San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said at Cuyamaca College during a breakfast hosted by the Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce. “One scam had 400 victims.”  The D.A. discussed loan scams and other

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WATER SMART GARDENING FESTIVAL NOV. 14: MORE BEAUTY WITH LESS WATER

Printer-friendly version Attendees eligible to win a free Home Landscape Re-design–$700 value! (RANCHO SAN DIEGO, CA)—Fall is here–San Diego’s second planting season.  The Water Conservation Garden celebrates with an exposition of drought tolerant landscaping on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 9am-3pm, at the Water Smart Gardening Festival. Admission and parking are free.   Plant vendors will offer a variety of drought

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VACCINES ARRIVE FOR H1N1 FLU, CLINICS OPEN THIS WEEKEND

Printer-friendly version Pregnant women, children, healthcare workers and infants’ caregivers urged to get vaccinated October 24, 2009 (San Diego) – A new shipment of 102,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine arrived in San Diego on Friday. Seven public health clinics will be open extended hours over the weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to vaccinate high-risk individuals. The

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Vegetables sprout in new $1.67 billion County Crop Report

Printer-friendly versionBy Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office November 1, 2025 (San Diego) – Agriculture values rose by just over 1% to $1.67 billion, and vegetable and vine crops thrived in San Diego County’s Annual Crop Report released today. The new Crop Report, which covers the 2024 growing season, showed the county’s list of Top 10 crops changed

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Trump administration draws criticism and lawsuit over tearing down entire East Wing of White House

Printer-friendly version By G. A. McNeeley   Image, left via Library of Congress:  interior of East Wing, now demolished; this hallway displayed portraits of first ladies. October 31, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — President Donald Trump is facing legal action and criticism from historic preservationists and others over demolition of the White House’s East Wing as part of his $300 million

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Probation enforces no trick or treating at some neighborhood homes

Printer-friendly versionBy Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office October 31, 2025 (San Diego) – No Jack-O-Lanterns, festive lights or Halloween decorations of any kind, candy outside or contact with children is allowed at the homes of sex offenders, and a San Diego County Probation team went out to make sure they were following the restrictions. Supervising Probation

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Charges filed against driver who killed cousins in Lemon Grove

Printer-friendly version East County News Service October 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The hopes and dreams of Nadia Charles, 19, and Junior Joseph Juste, 20, cousins who came to America from Haiti seeking a better life, were snuffed out on New Year’s morning when two vehicles collided in Lemon Grove. The crash pushed one of the vehicles into the two

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Spring Valley woman sentenced for animal cruelty

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service   Oct. 30, 2025 (Spring Valley) — A woman has been sentenced in an animal cruelty case after San Diego County Department of Animal Services officers responded to a case involving a Chihuahua in Spring Valley.   Animal Services met with the dog’s owner in August after receiving a recording from a member of the

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Save a life, honor a Legend at Bill Walton Memorial Blood Drive on Nov. 5

Printer-friendly versionLast year’s inaugural Bill Walton Memorial Blood Drive hosted by the San Diego Blood Bank was in Mission Valley. This year’s Nov. 5 drive will be at Grossmont Center, in Walton’s hometown. Photo by Karen Pearlman   East County News Service   Oct. 30, 2025 (La Mesa) — The San Diego Blood Bank is calling on the community to

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California commits $80M boost to food banks as hardship rises

Printer-friendly version  The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank’s main warehouse. Photo courtesy San Diego Food Bank   East County News Service   Oct. 30, 2025 (Sacramento) —  In a vital response to increasing economic strain on families across the state, California has officially approved fast tracking an additional $80 million in extra funding for local food banks.   The

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Help shape the County’s Emergency Operations plan through an online survey

Printer-friendly version By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office    Oct. 30, 2025 (San Diego) — Residents, businesses and community organizations, your feedback is needed to help shape how the region responds to disasters, especially if you want the County to consider specific community needs.   An online survey is available for community members and organizations to

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County reaches $16 million settlement over jail death of Hayden Schuck

Printer-friendly versionJudge had threatened sanctions over 55 hours of deleted video By Alexander J Schorr Photo: The late Hayden Schuck October 29, 2025—San Diego County Supervisors have voted to approve a historic settlement to resolve the in-custody wrongful death of Hayden Schuck. In the case of Estate of Hayden Schuck v. County of San Diego, et al. (Case 23-cv-00785-DMS-AHG), they

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