By Devorah Fox

Photo:  Isela and Kalani Creutzburg

June 8, 2017 (El Cajon) -- More than a ray of hope, the students of Cajon Valley Union School District delivered to their community the sun of a bright tomorrow with their TEDxKids@ElCajon Talks last Saturday. Using an expertly produced mix of live and videotaped audiovisual performances the children danced, and sang and played and talked their way into the hearts of all present.

By Miriam Raftery

June 8, 2017 (El Cajon) – For two decades, the Crown Victoria police intercept model was the iconic car used by law police departments across the nation.  So, when a reader of ours, Christina Carson, asked why El Cajon Police officer are now driving predominantly sport utility vehicles (SUVs) instead of Crown Victoria sedans, and what the differences are in gas costs, we reached out to the El Cajon Police Department to find out.

East County News Service

June 1, 2017 (San Diego’s East County)  You’re invited to join in a fun drive to discover the unveiling of Historic Highway 67 in San Diego’s East County on June 17^th from 8:30 to 1 p.m.  Travel through the wild and scenic countryside, stopping at pit stops in El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside and Ramona to get your passport stamped and win drawing tickets for prizes.

This event is  presented by the Historic Highway 80 Corporation along with the Santee, Lakeside, Ramona, and San Diego East County Chambers of Commerce.

By Jonathan Goetz

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

May 30, 2017 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council had a packed agenda Wednesday at its 3 p.m. meeting, taking actions including:

• Voting 5-0 to put an item on an upcoming agenda to have staff prepare a report on feasibility of hiring a Crisis House “homeless navigator” expert to match unique needs of homeless people with private and public programs to help house the homeless;  
• Voting 4-1 to hold two town hall meetings annually to allow residents to propose agenda items and for Council to set agenda priorities;
• Heard a report from the County Water Authority claiming Metropolitan Water has been squandering funds and overcharging ratepayers;
• Honoring participants and supporters of America on Main Street;
• Presented awards to local youths and Friends of East County Arts contest winners
• Praised a resident for using a drone to get evidence of an illegal marijuana dispensary.

East County News Service

May 27, 2017 (Sycuan) – Superstars On Stage will be performing at Sycuan’s Live & Up Close theatre on July 7 and 8.”Incredible costumes, choreography and the best  tribute artists in the world recreate the magical, on-stage performances of some of the biggest stars to ever grace the stage,” a press release from Sycuan states.  Tribute artists appearing as Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston and Elvis perform their greatest hits in this high-energy Las Vegas style production show.

By Miriam Raftery

May 26, 2017 (El Cajon) – Deputies are seeking a black pickup truck and its occupants involved in an altercation that ended with another motorist stabbed in the neck in the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant at 13574 Camino Canada in unincorporated El Cajon around 6 a.m. this morning.

By Jonathan Goetz; Miriam Raftery also contributed to this article

May 26, 2017 (El Cajon) – Following a lively public hearing on drawing up city council district lines to comply with Voting Rights Act requirements aimed at increasing minority representation,  El Cajon’s City council voted 3-2 to adopt  Paul Circo’s map PCirco1 for council district elections. 

Councilman Ben Kalasho,  a Chaldean-American and the only minority on the Council,  earlier sent a letter threatening to sue his city if that map was approved and request public records to determine if gerrymandering laws or the Brown Act were violated. 

Mayor Bill Wells, Councilmen Gary Kendrick and Bob McClellan voted to approve the map drawn by Circo, a Republican who ran for Council in 2016.  Councilmembers Steve Goble and Kalasho voted against it.  The district election map  chosen squares Kalasho off against fellow Councilman Kendrick, who also lives in Fletcher Hills, on the opposite side of Parkway Plaza. It also pairs Councilmembers Steve Goble and Bob McClellan, leaving two other districts that will be open seats. The Mayor will continue to be elected at-large by all voters in the city.

The plan chosen creates three majority minority districts.  Two have 70% minorities and a third has 51% . The minority definition used is broad, including language minorities such as Arabic speakers as well as all classes protected under state and federal  Voting Rights Acts.

By: Jordan Damond and Miriam Raftery

May 25, 2017 (El Cajon) –  Andre Zeehandelaar told El Cajon’s City Council at Wednesday’s meeting that he has evidence of dangerous conditions at an illegal marijuana dispensary obtained through drone footage. 

Zeehandelaar stated he was a licensed pilot. The FAA website confirms his license here:  https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/Main.aspx

After hearing noise from a generator Friday night at 1308 Bradway,  Zeehandelaar says he flew a drone overhead that revealed an estimated 25 gallons of gasoline on the roof. “That makes me afraid,” he said, citing risk of an explosion and fire.

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2017 (El Cajon) – Crews from Heartland Fire & Rescue, Cal Fire and San Miguel Fire responded to a  call reporting a shed fire.at the Safari Mobile Home Park, located in the 1100 block of East Main Street in El Cajon at 5:30 p.m. Crews arrived within four minutes, but found the fire had spread to the interior of a mobile home.

East County News Service

May 19, 2017 (El Cajon) – Joseph Bollacker, 25, of El Cajon has been arrested and charged with attempted homicide after shooting his girlfriend’s brother last night in El Cajon.

El Cajon Police received numerous calls of a shooting at an apartment at 633 South Johnson Avenue around 7:22 p.m. last night.  The victim was at the apartment shared by his girlfriend and her brother, Bollacker, when he was attacked by Bollacker, said Lieutenant Jason Taub.

By Mike Allen

May 18, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - Padre Dam Municipal Water District, already charging among the highest water rates in the nation, is proposing yet another five-year rate increase that officials say is necessary to maintain the agency’s services.

By Jonathan Goetz

May 12, 2017 (El Cajon) – After inviting the public to submit redistricting maps and hiring a consultant to advise the city as it moves toward district elections instead of citywide elections for all council members, the options have been narrowed to five maps.  Three of the five maps square Councilman Ben Kalasho off against Councilman Gary Kendrick by putting them in the same City Council District.  Four of the five maps put Councilman Bob McClellan and Councilman Steve Goble in the same district.  Below are the maps and descriptions of each proposal.

East County News Service

May 9, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – You’re invited to join the San Diego East County Chamber at the annual Grip it & Rip IT Golf Tournament and Mixer on Thursday, May 25^th.   (View flyer).

East County News Service

May 6, 2017 (El Cajon) - New air testing shows that vapors from a dangerous chemical that runs underground have seeped into homes in El Cajon.  Some people have breathed the toxic fumes for years or even decades, KPBS' inewsource reported.