East County News Service

September 23, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Visionary Youth Theatre presents Seussical, Jr at the Visionary Performance Space (8674 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa) from November 4-13.   Bring your family and friends to enjoy as the diverse and talented children of Visionary School for the Performing Arts bring to the stage this fun, family musical directed and choreographed by Sharla Mandere.

East County News Service

September 22, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Seven comedians will perform this Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Spacebar Café and Wine Bistro in La Mesa.  The café hosts comedy shows on the fourth Friday each month.

By Miriam Raftery

September 17, 2022 (La Mesa) – Peyton Pablo Manning Nurse, 21, of La Mesa, died of injuries sustained in a vehicle crash on August 17 in El Cajon. He was not wearing a seatbelt, according to El Cajon Police. 

By Susan Taylor

Photo: Map of LMSV Trustee District 4

September 16, 2022 (La Mesa) -- A new trustee to the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board is needed. At the Board’s September 6 meeting, Sarah Rhiley, District 4 Trustee, announced her immediate resignation.  This left the Board with two ways to fill the vacancy.  It could hold a special election, or it could appoint a new School Board member.

 In a special meeting held on September 12, the board voted unanimously that an appointment will be made to fill out the remainder of Rhiley’s term through December 2024.

The process for applying to be appointed as trustee is posted on the LMSV website at https://www.lmsvschools.org/board/#board-vacancy. The application is available online and must be submitted no later than October 14 at 4:45 p.m to be considered.

Board will meet Monday to determine how to fill immediate vacancy

By Susan Taylor

Photo:  Trustee Sarah Rhiley

September 8, 2022 (La Mesa) –Trustee Sarah Rhiley announced her immediate resignation from the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board, effective September 7. She submitted her resignation letter immediately before the board’s first meeting of the 2022-23 school year on September 6.

Asked how the vacancy  in trustee area 4 will be filled, Superintendent David Feliciano told ECM, “Following board bylaw 9322, the board may either make a provisional appointment or call for an election.” A special board meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. at which the board will decide how to fill the vacancy. 

Area 4 is not on the November ballot, which has areas 1, 2 and 3 up for election. Two of those, areas 1 and 3, are open seats, since incumbents Charda Bell and Megan Epperson are not seeking reelection. Each area has two candidates. In district 2, Megan McRae seeks reelection, facing off against a challenger.

Trustee Sarah Rhiley, in announcing her resignation, cited frustration with the many restrictions imposed on schools by the Department of Education of the State of California.  She said that she plans to take her children to visit all of the country’s National Parks and later settle on a city and school district for her family.

Height and density changes currently proposed would “not be in best interest of the city,” planning commissioners found

By Elijah McKee

September 8, 2022 (La Mesa) — Since 2018, Reza Paydar, the property owner of the palm-studded San Diego RV Resort in La Mesa, has been attempting to change the City’s zoning of the land so that apartment buildings can replace the RV park. The buildings would be among the largest La Mesa has ever seen. 

East County News Service

September 8, 2022 (La Mesa) – Richard Lederer, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s language columnist, best-selling language author and former usage editor for the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, will give two humorous presentations at Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy of La Mesa Police via Twitter

August 24, 2022 (La Mesa) – A fire that broke out inside Office Depot in La Mesa today caused over $1 million in damage to the building and its contents, according to Andy McKellar, public information officer for Heartland Fire & Rescue.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Diane Granander

Update August 21, 2022: The victim has been identified as Joseph "J.C." Curtis, 44, a father of four who lived nearby the gas station.

August 12, 2022 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police are asking for public help to locate a man suspected of shooting and killing another man this morning in front of the Speedway Express gas station at the corner of University and Park avenues.

Officers responded to multiple calls reporting the shooting. They found the victim on the sidewalk and immediately provided aid.  The victim, a 44-year-old man from La Mesa, was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, but “tragically was pronounced deceased,” says Lieutenant. Katy Lynch.

She adds, “Initial information gathered by investigators has revealed that the victim and suspect were involved in a verbal altercation that turned into a physical fight. The suspect then shot the victim several times before fleeing the scene in a dark colored smaller SUV or similar style vehicle, westbound on University Avenue.” 

The suspect is described as a Black male adult in his early to mid-30s. He was wearing a dark shirt and blue jeans and was accompanied by a heavy-set Hispanic female.

By Elijah McKee

Photo:  former Councilmember Kristine Alessio will challenge La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis.

Updated August 15 with additional candidates qualified

August 10, 2022 (San Diego's East County) — Each city in East County will have elected seats up for grabs in the approaching November election — but the deadline to file for candidacy ends this week on August 12.

Along with each city’s elected positions, filing periods for school, fire and water districts will close too, as well as community planning groups. 

Incumbents can be granted a five-day extension for filing their nomination, but time is almost up for challengers and political newcomers. Those interested in running for an office can refer to the appropriate city or board clerk for nomination paperwork.

Local councils and staff members have a wide scope of impact on ground-level development and policy changes that matter to residents, as they are tasked with designing priorities and implementing budgets. City council terms are typically four years, while staff positions may be longer.

ECM asked East County's four cities for information on who has filed to run so far. Below are the responses.

Source:  Mt. Helix Park Foundation

July 18, 2022 (La Mesa) - The Mt. Helix Food and Wine Festival on August 20th provides spectacular views at sunset with tastes of top restaurants and beverage companies, artwork by local artists and dancing under the stars to music by Surfs Up, a Beach Boys cover band and the Surf Birdz.

By Kathy Carpenter

East County News Service

June 29, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- SDG&E estimates that power will be out until midnight for 190 customers who lost power at 9:21 p.m. The areas without power are in Casa De Oro/ Rancho San Diego/ Jamacha/ W Jamul/ Indian Springs/ La Presa/ Spring Valley/ Rancho San Diego/ El Cajon/ Granite Hills/ Singing Hills/Mt. Helix.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2022 (Mt. Helix) -- Amy Payton took these dramatic images during last night's thunderstorm from her porch in Spring Valley overlooking state route 94 at Calavo.

Her photos show some spectacular lightning strikes over Mt. Helix in San Diego's East County.

East County News Service

June 19, 2022 (Mt. Helix) – The Fever Events Candlelight Series brings classical music to the amphitheatre atop Mt. Helix on July 8, Aug. 12 and Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. The concerts feature classical and popular music played by a string quartet beneath the stars, surrounded by the glow of candlelight in a spectacular setting.