East County News Service

March 3, 2016 (Lakeside) — A child who climbed into a vehicle accidentally shifted it into neutral, the Medical Examiner’s report reveals.  Kiera Larsen, 10, of Lakeside was playing nearby and saw the vehicle rolling down a driveway on Highway 8 business in El Cajon. 

Lots of free and discounted health/fitness services for Lakeside residents!

By Steve Lauria

View video with Senator Joel Anderson discussing the Lakeside Health Awareness Month: https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaHealthNetwork/videos/1234959753184102/

February 29, 2016 (Lakeside)--Lakeside is a rural area in the Eastern region of San Diego County. Many people find it a great place to call home, but like the rest of San Diego County, it has a growing problem with chronic disease and other health concerns.

Throughout the month of March, California Health Network, a nonprofit organization based in East County, is doing its part in improving  the health of the citizens of Lakeside by sponsoring Lakeside Health Awareness Month. Another 32 local health and fitness businesses are offering free and discounted services to  citizens of Lakeside. You can view the offers here: http://californiahealthnetwork.org/healthawarenessmonth

By Miriam Raftery

Controversial plan outrages Alpine voters, Chaldeans and other district residents

Priscilla Schreiber (photo, left) will be forced off board

February 25, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Grossmont Union High School District voted 4-1 to ditch district-wide elections and switch to electing trustees from each of five districts. (View map)  The board also voted to ask the San Diego County Committee on School Board Reorganization to waive a requirement that would ordinarily allow the public to vote on redistricting. (View map at bottom of this article)

East County News Service

February 25, 2016 (Santee) -- Riding inside the car is one thing, but riding trapped inside the front bumper of a car for 8 miles was quite another for a cat from Santee.

By Mike Allen

February 23, 2016 (Santee) -- Situated at the confluence of several regional connecting highways, traffic has never been smooth in and out of Santee, but it’s gotten much worse in recent years, prompting elected officials to seek out possible solutions.

By  Miriam Raftery

February 23, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)—Grosssmont-Union High School District’s board is expected to cast a final vote Thursday at 4 p.m. on controversial redistricting maps. The board will also vote to seek a waiver from the state from a requirement that would ordinarily requiring putting the redistricting measure on the ballot, and waiver from a state requiring that new trustee area plans be in effect at least 120 days before the next election in November.  (View meeting notice. The meeting will be at the East County Regional Education Center, 924 East Main Street, El Cajon.)

The district contends it has acted appropriately in response to a threat of legal action over alleged voting rights violations. But critics say the plan would oust the board’s most outspoken dissenting member, Priscilla Schreiber, leave Alpine represented by an opponent of the Alpine High School, and divide Iraqi-Chaldean residents into multiple districts, diluting their power as a voting block.  It also carves out a new district in the Lemon Grove/Spring Valley area with no trustee currently residing in that district, which does have a history of representing people of color.

Source: San Diego Couunty Sheriff's Department

February 17, 2016 (Lakeside) - Do you recognize the man in these photos? He is wanted in connection with a theft outside the Lake Jennings Apartments in Lakeside. 

By Mike Allen

February 15, 2016 (Santee) -- Santee teachers will receive an immediate four percent raise retroactive to July 1 of last year and get an additional four percent salary bump starting July 1 as part of their new contract, which is expected to be ratified by the board of the Santee School District on Feb. 16.

East County News Service

February 15, 2016 (Santee) -- On Saturday, February 20th, at 8 a.m., Santee City Councilman John Minto will be leading a fitness walk through Mast Park in Santee. The award-winning park winds along the banks of the San Diego River between Carlton Hills Boulevard and Cuyamaca Street.  Participants will view natural habitat areas and follow the trail system surrounding the park, while enjoying a nice walk.

East County News Service

February 12, 2016 (Lakeside) – An 18-year-old man from El Cajon driving a Toyota struck and killed a 49-year-old man from Santee who was driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

By Miriam Raftery

February 8, 2016 (Santee) – Carol Wahl died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease on March 1^st, 2010. To honor her memory and raise money to help other ALS patients have better lives, her son, Mark Solz, will embark from Petco Park in San Diego on March 1^st for a 3,200 mile walk across America. 

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

February 8, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Good Samaritans pulled the injured driver of a pickup truck out to safety moments before the vehicle caught on fire early this morning following a four-vehicle collision on State Route 52 just west of Santee.

East County News Service

February 2, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Sheriff Bill Gore has announced that his department will launch a pilot program to test body cameras.  The test period starts Friday, February 5^th.  It includes the Lakeside substation, Rancho San Diego station and Rural Command covering much of East County as well as the North Coastal and Vista stations, plus deputies assigned to the Hall of Justice.

East County News Service

January 30, 2016 (Lakeside) – On Tuesday, February 2, the Lakeside Community Planning Group is expected to vote on over $250,000 in improvements to Lindo Lake Park. Final public comments will be heard from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the meeting in the Lakeside Community Center, 9841 Vine Street in Lakeside. After several community workshops, planning group members are set to approve a final design concept from among four plans considered.

By Mike Allen

January 28, 2016 (El Cajon)--A plan to expand operations at Gillespie Field and develop a 70-acre site once occupied by the El Cajon Speedway was put in a holding pattern because of a lack of federal funding.

Earlier this month, board members from the Gillespie Field Development Council, a five-member board that oversees the county-owned airport, heard that expected federal grant funding to finance the estimated $30 million project wasn’t available.