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FIRE DOUSED ON PALOMAR MOUNTAIN

Printer-friendly version  September 16, 2009 (San Diego)—A fire that began early this evening has been contained at a half acre near Doane Pond on Palomar Mountain. Nine engines, four crews, three helicopters, two air tankers and tha Martin Mars were dispatched initially. As of 10:30 p.m., a single engine remains at the scene for the night, the U.S. Forest Service

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AFTER MASSIVE OUTCRY, SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS SONIC WEAPON SWITCH “DISABLED”; CONCERNS REMAIN

Printer-friendly version  By Miriam Raftery September 16, 2009 (San Diego) – San Diego County Sheriff’s Department notified media today that it would hold a demonstration of its highly controversial “sonic weapon.” What was demonstrated, however, was only the loudspeaker capability of the device—a feature which has effectively been used in search-and-rescue operations and to broadcast messages during a sandcastle contest.

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CANDIDATE PROFILE: FRANCINE BUSBY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS AGAIN

Printer-friendly version  "Leadership is about going where others won’t." –Francine Busby By E.A. Barrera September 9, 2009 (San Diego)–Democrat Francine Busby says the 50th Congressional District is ripe for change and she is the candidate best suited to unseat Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray next year. "There is an accelerating shift from the Republican Party to Independents and Democrats. This district

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GAME OF THE WEEK: GROSSMONT SUFFERS TURNOVERS IN 34-7 LOSS TO VALHALLA

Printer-friendly version  by Christopher Mohr   September 15, 2009 (El Cajon)–Sisyphean. That one word  describes how the Grossmont Foothillers must have felt in Friday night’s 34-7 loss to the host Valhalla Norsemen.   The term refers to Sisyphus, a character from Greek mythology, who was sentenced to an eternity of rolling a large rock up a steep hill. Although Sisyphus

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FALLBROOK SHERIFF’S DETECTIVES ARREST CHILD MOLESTER WHO APPROACHED CHILD AT BUS STOP

Printer-friendly version PUBLIC’S HELP SOUGHT TO IDENTIFY OTHER POSSIBLE VICTIMS September 14, 2009 (Fallbrook)–Detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Fallbrook Substation, have arrested Enrique Lopez Torres for  24 counts of possession of obscene material (depicting children under 18), three counts of annoying/molesting a Child, three counts of Lewd Acts with a child and one count of false imprisonment with violence.  After discovering photos showing Torres

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METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT PROPOSAL UNLEASHES A FLOOD OF PROTEST

Printer-friendly version  By Francine Phillips September 16, 2009 (San Diego)–The largest provider of water in Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), based in Los Angeles, has completed its final round of labor negotiations of a five-year contract that includes a hike in retirement benefits that has stakeholders in San Diego crying “foul.” Last week pension particulars were spelled out

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SONIC WEAPONS USED IN IRAQ POSITIONED AT CONGRESSIONAL TOWNHALL MEETINGS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Printer-friendly version  A Joint Investigative Report by East County Magazine and Liberty One Radio By Miriam Raftery   September 11, 2009 (San Diego) – “Long-range acoustic devices [LRADs] for crowd control can be extremely dangerous. These are used in Iraq to control insurgents. They can cause serious and lasting harm to humans…We want to know WHY our Sheriff Dept has

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SEMPRA LOBBYIST SEX SCANDAL SPARKS CALL FOR LOBBYING REFORMS

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery September 13, 2009 (Sacramento) –Last week, Assemblyman Mike Duvall (R-Orange County) resigned after bragging on videotape about sexual romps with lobbyists— including a lobbyist representing SDG&E and its parent company, Sempra Energy, according to an Orange County newspaper. Now Common Cause and the Courage Campaign have launched an online petition drive calling for lobbying reform legislation.

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WANT TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY? JOIN EL CAJON’S TEEN COALITION

Printer-friendly version  Applications Due By Sept. 28 September 11, 2009 (El Cajon)–To engage, educate and empower–these are goals for the City’s Teen Coalition, which is kicking off another year of leadership and community service. This special coalition, offered through the City’s Recreation Department, is an opportunity for teens to develop skills in leadership, discuss important teen issues, and become involved

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RETURN OF THE BODY SNATCHERS: FIRM WITH HISTORY OF GRAVE DESECRATIONS OWNS 10 CEMETERIES & FUNERAL HOMES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Printer-friendly version  By Miriam Raftery, Editor East County Magazine   September 11, 2009 (San Diego) –Tonight, CNN reports that hundreds of graves were allegedly desecrated to make room for more remains in a Los Angeles cemetery, where employees are accused of ripping up concrete vaults with backhoes, shattering caskets and discarding body parts including a human skull. The story had

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Hot San Diego Padres poised for post-season run

Printer-friendly versionPhoto courtesy San Diego Padres Instagram East County News Service Sept. 25, 2025 (San Diego) — The San Diego Padres are playoff-bound, clinching a postseason berth earlier this week with a strong performance that bookends a regular season defined by a scorching start and solid finish. The Padres hold a record of 87-72 heading into a final weekend series

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Jones’ mobile home insurance bill passes Legislature: measure would protect owners in case of disaster

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service September 25, 2025 (Sacramento) — Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) announced passage of his SB 525, which if signed by the Governor would help manufactured and mobile home owners afford to acquire full replacement cost insurance policies. “Mobile home owners should not be treated like second rate citizens when it comes to

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USDA secures new long-term fire-retardant contract, saving taxpayers millions

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Sept. 24, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has signed a new five-year contract for American-made fire retardant with Perimeter Solutions, supporting the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior’s aerial wildland fire suppression programs. The agreement secures significant savings, putting the American taxpayer first, while strengthening our manufacturing base by

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School threat in Spring Valley

Printer-friendly versionSource:  San Diego County Sheriff September 23, 2025 (Spring Valley) – Two juveniles have been arrested on suspicion of bringing a replica firearm (BB gun) to an East County magnet school.  On Tuesday, September 23, just after 11:30 a.m., deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station responded to STEAM Academy, located in the 1000 block of Leland Street

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California releasess its own vaccine recommendations as RFK shifts federal policy

Printer-friendly versionBy Ana B. Ibarra and Kristen Hwang, CalMatters  This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters Photo:  Amaya Palestino, 6, receives a COVID-19 vaccine at one of St. John’s Well Child and Family Center mobile health clinics in Los Angeles on March 16, 2022. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters September 23, 2025 (Sacramento) – In

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Woman who sued Nathan Fletcher now seeks restraining order against his wife, Lorena Gonzalez

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Photos: left, Grecia Figueroa, right, Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher September 17, 2025 (San Diego)  — Grecia Figueroa, the woman who filed an unsuccessful harassment  lawsuit against former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, has now filed a request seeking a restraining order against Fletcher’s wife, labor leader Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher. “It is vile and oppressive to use your position of power to

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School trustee Bazzo to run for 40th District state Senate seat in 2026

Printer-friendly versionBy Chris Jennewein and Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association   Photo:  SDUSD Trustee Sabrina Bazzo. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)   September 22, 2025 (San Diego) – San Diego Unified School District Trustee Sabrina Bazzo has announced that she will run for state Senate in the

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Trump ramps up bullying and censorship efforts against media

Printer-friendly versionBy G. A. McNeeley    September 20, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has been waging an aggressive campaign against the media, unlike any in modern U.S. history, according to PBS News. Those efforts have included lawsuits against major media outlets, threats to yank broadcast licenses of networks that cover him unfavorably, calling

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Newsom signs laws to resist Trump’s immigration crackdown; including ban on masks for ICE agents

Printer-friendly versionBy Cayla Mihalovich and Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. September 20, 2025 (Sacramento) – Gov. Gavin Newsom today signed a set of bills meant to check the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown in California, including a first-in-the nation measure to prohibit officers from wearing masks and others that limit

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Need money for college? Here are scholarship opportunities.

Printer-friendly version East County News Service. September 19, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Each year, Supervisor Joel Anderson sends out a scholarship and grant list  which is updated annually. “I am aware of the financial barriers that many students and parents face when applying for colleges and other training programs,” says Anderson. “Having three children who went through this

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