September 11, 2015 (Santee)--The death of a 79-year-old San Diego woman on Sept. 8 and the recent hospitalization of an 80-year-old Santee woman are under investigation as probable West Nile virus cases, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today. The 80-year-old woman is currently recovering.

East County News Service

September 7, 2015 (Lakeside) – Residents of El Monte Valley and other community members concerned about a massive sand mining project proposed in Lakeside are invited to join a meeting convened by the Preserve El Monte Action Coalition.  The meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the Lakeside Christian Church, 13739 El Monte Road in Lakeside.

The goal will be to help residents frame concerns to address them in writing to the County of San Diego.

Here our interview:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

September 2, 2015 (Lakeside) – In an interview with the East County Magazine on KNSJ, Barona tribal council member Beth Glasco shared insights into the 45^th annual Barona Powwow set for this weekend.  A powwow dancer herself, she discusses the history and origin of the Barona Powwow , as well as its cultural significance for her own family and for Native American tribal members who convene from across the nation to celebrate their heritage.

The 45^th Annual Barona Powwow begins on Friday, September 4 and ends Sunday, September 6. The three-day celebration held at the Barona Sports Park starts on Friday, September 4 with Gourd Dancing at 6 p.m. and the spectacular Grand Entry at 7 p.m. and continues throughout the weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is free.

Same plane previously landed on highway 52; residents voice alarm

August 3, 2015 (Santee) – A plane owned by a flight school at Gillespie Field crashed into a Santee neighborhood at 9:15 this morning, damaging two cars and a home. The pilot died on impact and a  passenger later died in a hospital of critical injuries, Santee Patch reports. (Photo, left: ECM news partner 10 News.)

The plane, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, is currently registered to the Volar Corp. flight school at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. The same plane made an emergency landing on State Route 52 in 2013 directly in front of ECM reporter Paul Kruze (photo, right), 10 News reports. Back then the plane was registered to Golden State Flying Club, another local flight school.  

Advocates for Safe Airport Policies (ASAP), has long voiced concerns over increased flight school traffic over homes nearby.  ASAP leader Sue Strohm shared her reaction with ECM.:

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by James Fauset

September 1, 2015 (Santee) – East County Magazine extends our thanks to the Santee Solutions Coalition for hosting our “Meet the Editor” night at the Santee Library last week.

August 28, 2015 (Lakeside) -- The Heartland Foundation, publisher of East County Magazine, an award-winning community publication, has been named a media partner of the 2015 Kids Care Fest, a free, family-oriented event open to the public. Kids Care Fest, featuring free health care screenings, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds,12584 Mapleview St., Lakeside. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

August 26, 2015 (Lakeside)--El Monte Nature Preserve, LLC, the company that aims to sand mine El Monte Valley in Lakeside, a designated county scenic view corridor, for the next 30 years announced this week that it has entered into a sand extraction and marketing agreement with West Coast Sand and Gravel, Inc.

East County News Service

Photo:  Vernal pool fairy shrimp, Calif. Dept. of Pesticide Regulation

August 19, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - What do bald eagles and fairy shrimp have in common?  They’re both on a list of species to be protected under a $3 million grant that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is providing to San Diego County for habitat preservation. In addition, the City of Santee will receive close to $189,000 for its Multiple Species Conservation Program.

Credit photo to Billy Ortiz

East County News Service

August 17, 2015 (Lakeside) – The County is preparing an environmental impact report on a massive sand mining project  proposed in El Monte Valley. The first step is to determine the “scope” of issues to be addressed. The County will host a scoping meeting on the project on Wednesday, August 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lakeside Community Center, 9841 Vine Street in Lakeside.

Members of the public, agencies and organizations are invited to attend and submit comments to assist the in determining the scope and content of the environmental informational impact report.  Details can be found at http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/ceqa_public_review.html . To have your comments entered into the official record, you must voice your comments at the public meeting or submit a letter before September 14 to:

August 12, 2015 (Santee)--The twang of banjos and fiddles will again fill the air, while delicious food and beverages fill appetites, at the 6th Annual Santee Bluegrass Festival on Sept. 12.

August 6, 2015 (Lakeside) –Michael Paul Gharring, 48, of El Cajon died August 2^nd in a vehicle accident in Lakeside.

East County News Service

August 2, 2015 (Santee) – Nathan Smoltz, 31, has been arrested for felony drunk driving after the Ford Explorer he was driving plunged off a steep embankment and rolled over several times, ending up in a ravine in harsh terrain northwest of Summit Avenue in Santee.  Four people were injured, including two in serious condition and one who sustained critical injuries.

East County News Service

Photos: Hannah Anderson, James DiMaggio

July 31, 2015 (Lakeside) –According to law enforcement, James DiMaggio kidnapped Lakeside teen Hannah Anderson after first  torturing and murdering her mother and brother, then setting fire to his home in Boulevard with their bodies inside.  The crimes triggered a multi-state manhunt that ended when FBI agents killed DiMaggio in the Idaho wilderness where he had taken Anderson, after he fired a shot first. 

But now DiMaggio’s sister, Lora DiMaggio Robinson, has filed a claim with the FBI and also plans to file a lawsuit in Idaho federal court next week, 10 News reports. She seeks over $20 million damages from the FBI for what she claims was a wrongful death, plus personal injury and property damage.

Her lawyer, C. Keith Greer, told NBC 7 TV that "Robinson knows that her brother was a very kind man, certainly not one to shoot at an FBI agent.”

July 28, 2015 (La Mesa) – The San Diego East County Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce will host its second Meet Your Candidates Night on Wednesday, August 5 from 6-7 pm.. at Sammy's Woodfire Pizza, 8555 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa 91942.

Assemblyman Brian Jones, who is running for State Senate, and Randy Voepel, Santee Mayor and candidate for the Assembly seat Jones will vacate next year due to term limits, will be speaking.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

July 26, 2015 (Lakeside)—A head-on crash on Lakeside’s Wildcat Canyon Road near Blue Sky Ranch killed two people early this morning, the California Highway Patrol reports.