Suspect in Magot murder arraigned in El Cajon
A judge set bail at $1 million Tuesday, Feb. 13, for the man accused of killing a Pacific Beach real estate agent at the defendant’s Lakeside condominium, which the victim was trying to sell.
Michael Ray Jennison, 36, pleaded not guilty to the shooting death of James Magot, 64. According to Lt. Dennis Brugos of the San Diego Sheriff’s Homicide Detail, Magot, a real estate agent at Willis Allen in La Jolla, was meeting Jennison to discuss selling the condo the day he was killed.
The motive for the slaying is a mystery. Jennison fled the area and was arrested Feb. 3 during a traffic stop near Globe, Ariz.
Officers found approximately $50,000 and three handguns when he was arrested. Jennison was extradited back to San Diego a few days later.
The attorneys said little about the case during Jennison’s arraignment before El Cajon Superior Court Judge Patricia Cookson. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 5.
“I can’t get into it yet,” said Deputy District Attorney Kristian Trocha when asked about the case.

Surf Bowl will feature area high school teams
Scripps Institution of Oceanography is hosting the La Jolla Surf Bowl, during which 16 teams from 14 regional high schools will compete in the one-day regional ocean science competition for the 10th annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). This event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Participating schools include La Jolla High School, The Preuss School at UC San Diego and High Tech High Media Arts.
The daylong competition will conclude with an awards ceremony. The winning team will advance to the NOSB national finals in Long Island, N.Y.
Students will be asked three different types of questions: toss-up, bonus and team challenge. Toss-up and bonus questions consist of multiple choice or short answers. The team challenge questions test students’ critical thinking skills in analyzing realtime data as well as responding to questions regarding cutting-edge research and policy issues.
NOSB is an educational program dedicated to promoting an interest in ocean sciences among high school students and educating the public on the value of ocean research. This competition also provides a way for students who have an interest in math and science to gain national recognition for their academic excellence.

Cove closed after private sewer line leaks sewage
A 194-gallon sewage spill at 1250 Prospect Street in La Jolla occurred around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, and flowed down a storm drain into La Jolla Cove, which was unsafe for recreational use Wednesday, according to San Diego County officials.
The sewage was leaking from a private sewer line in a commercial building and was reported to the City’s Metropolitan Wastewater Department by the property owners, according to Brian Drummy, a senior public information officer.
City crews responded to the scene around 11:45 a.m. to help clean up the spill and clear swimmers from the Cove. The property owner was responsible for unclogging the sewage blockage, Drummy said.
Signs warning people of the sewage spill were posted Wednesday at La Jolla Cove, according to a statement released by county officials.
For more information, contact the 24-hour hotline for beach closures, (619) 338-2073, or visit www.cleanup.org.

Rains elevate ocean bacteria levels
With rains expected through Friday, the Department of Environmental Health is warning the public to avoid swimming, surfing and diving in the ocean for 72 hours after the storms end.
Urban runoff often contains large amounts of bacteria that can cause illnesses or infections in surfers and swimmers following rain.
While storm drains that empty directly in the ocean have posted warnings about the possible high levels of bacteria, other beach areas do not have warning signs.

Leone to lecture on ‘Legends of Broadway’
Pianist and storyteller Bruno Leone will give audiences a glimpse into the development of musical comedies during the 19th and 20th centuries that have largely shaped Broadway today. In “Legends of Broadway and Other Tales,” Leone will utilize his piano artistry, humor and a scope of amazing narratives and stories to show the lives of composers and lyricists in a three-part lecture series.
“Having grown up in the 1940s and 1950s in Brooklyn, New York, Leone knew many of the musicians who were at the time actually putting this on,” said Judith Oishei, the music director of the Athenaeum. “So he decided to lecture on this. This is the insight into the Broadway legend. It’s not just ‘this is musical comedy by Richard Rodgers,’ but why Richard Rodgers would write this. It is very much a story-telling of these wonderful American composers.”
“Legends of Broadway and Other Tales” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on three consecutive Tuesdays, Feb. 27, March 6 and 13, at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, 1008 Wall St.
Ticket prices are $30 for members and $45 for nonmembers for the three-part series. Prices for individual lectures are $12 for members and $17 for nonmembers. For information, call (858) 454-5872.

Screening will benefit Sudanese refugees
The Sudanese Refugee Network (SRN) will present the award-winning film “God Grew Tired of Us” on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m. The film shows three orphaned boys, known as the “lost boys,” who spent five years walking thousands of miles to refugee camps in Kenya because their villages had been brutally destroyed.
“This documentary actually shows the boys helping one another,” said Kay Gurtin, a member of SRN. “The conditions were beyond anything you can imagine. They had next to nothing: no clothing, no shoes, no food. It’s unbelievable what these children endured. They got to these refugee camps and they were there for another five years, so this whole ordeal was over 10 years in the making.”
This film, winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, is directed by Christopher Quinn and narrated by Nicole Kidman. This event is part of SRN’s fund-raising efforts, and its goal to promote awareness and education.
It will be shown at the La Jolla Village Cinema, 8879 Villa La Jolla Drive. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.SudanRefugeeNetwork.org. All of the proceeds will be given to the SRN to help the Sudanese people in San Diego.
SRN was established about 10 years ago. Its primary function is to help Sudanese refugees in San Diego whose lives have been upended by approximately 20 years of civil war.