By Dianne Jacob

Ratings triple crown: In a big win for local taxpayers, San Diego County has again earned the highest possible ratings from the nation’s top credit agencies — Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.

All three recently renewed their “triple-A” ratings for the county, a vote of confidence in our efforts to keep a lid on costs and watchdog tax dollars. The agencies praised the county’s forward-looking management and conservative budgeting.

Only a handful of other counties in the nation have similar sky-high ratings.

Fighting an epidemic: Our region has taken another big step to assist families dealing with the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Project, our county-led effort to find a cure and boost care, recently announced the creation of a screening tool to help primary care doctors diagnose and manage dementia.

Many doctors don’t have clear standards on what Alzheimer’s looks like and patients are often misdiagnosed. With this new screening protocol, now in trial stage, doctors will be able to identify those with dementia faster and help them get the resources they need.

Stop scams: Attention seniors and caregivers — you’re invited to a special community forum set for Thursday, May 12, on how to avoid financial scams.

Joining me at the free “Don’t Get Hooked” event will be Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, along with fraud watchdogs, scam victims and financial experts.

The event will run 9 to 11 a.m. at Poway Community Park Auditorium, 13094 Civic Center Drive, Poway. A free breakfast is included. To attend, call 844-899-1597.

For more District 2 news, go to diannejacob.com or follow me on Facebook and Twitter. If I can assist with a county issue, please call my office at 619-531-5522 or email [email protected]

Have a great East County day!

—Dianne Jacob is County Supervisor for District 2. Reach her at [email protected].