Source:  Santee School District

December 26, 2024 (Santee) - At the Organizational Meeting on December 17, 2024, Tracie Thill was sworn in to Seat No. 4 on the Santee School District Board of Education, with her term expiring in December 2028.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Robert Gehr: skid marks where suspect’s vehicle drove onto sidewalk outside SDPD headquarters, moments before the deadly incident.

December 21, 2024 (El Cajon) – The individual who was shot and killed by El Cajon Police officers on December 11 has been identified as 24-year-old Benjamin Grube.  Earlier reports had listed the suspect as a woman.  

East County News Service

December 18, 2024 (Washington D.C.) -- Today, legislation authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) to place 172 acres of land in East County, San Diego into tribal trust for the Jamul Indian Village passed the House and heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law, after a companion measure authored by Senator Padilla previously passed in the Senate.

The Jamul Indian Village has sought for years to bring tribal members back onto their ancestral land – so they can raise their families, carry forward their culture, and add to their history,” said Rep. Issa. “This is the right thing to do, and it empowers not government, but individuals, to take new charge and best care of their lives. This Fee-to-Trust bill provides that opportunity, securing Jamul’s land, preserving its sacred sites, and protecting Kumeyaay traditions for generations to come. My thanks to Senator Padilla and Congressman Vargas for their support in pushing forth this important legislation.” 

By Miriam Raftery

December 17, 2024 (El Cajon) – The driver who fled the scene after hitting and killing a pedestrian on December 8 at 5:14 p.m. near 1368 East Main Street has been arrested for felony hit and run.  Police used information from a witness and the city’s Flock license plate reader system to obtain a photo of the white Dodge Ram truck involved in the collision, leading to the driver’s arrest.

The victim, 63-year-old Richard Michael Santana of El Cajon, died at the scene of the accident.  He was struck while crossing the street outside of the crosswalk. 

East County News Service

December 17, 2024 (Lemon Grove) – Students at Lemon Grove Academy Middle School saw a student with what appeared to be a firearm in his backpack on Friday, December 13, but didn’t report it to school staff until Monday, December 16.

School administrators immediately contacted the Lemon Grove substation. Deputies questioned the 14-year-old student and his parents. The firearm turned out to be a plastic BB gun that the student showed to classmates. The BB gun was seized without incident, says Lieutenant Joe Barry.

County approves tough migrant protections, but Sheriff says state laws should prevail;  El Cajon Council weighs city’s legal and moral obligations

Update:  The letter sent by Mayor Wells to the Attorney General is now available here.The letter states that the City Council is considering a resolution declaring the city's intent to "comply with federal immigration laws and assist federal authorities in their enforcement efforts to the maximum extent possible."

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Right, El Cajon Mayor Wells calls sanctuary policies "stupid and dangerous." He has voiced support for Trump's mass deportation policies but wants clarification on the city's legal obligations.

Left, Councilman Gary Kendrick does not support having police "dragging children out of schools or churches" or aiding in deportation of residents with no criminal records,only those guilty of serious crimes.

December 11, 2024 (San Diego) – Yesterday, San Diego County Supervisors and El Cajon’s City Council held discussions that could determine fates of many immigrant residents—and set the stage for showdowns among federal, state and local authorities. San Diego County has an estimated 169,000 undocumented residents, according to the Migration Policy Institute, based on 2019 data.

The incoming Trump administration has announced plans to deport millions of immigrants nationwide—and demands that local authorities cooperate in mass deportation efforts. But a California law, Senate Bill 54, passed during the last Trump term, prohibits state and local jurisdictions from cooperating with federal authorities on deportation,with notable exceptions for serious crimes. Local authorities are carefully weighing the legal and moral implications of potential actions.

Update December 12, 2024 -- The suspect has died, San Diego Police have confirmed to ECM news partner 10 News.  Per protocol in officer-related shootings, SDPD is in charge of the investigation.

East County News Service

Photo via ECM news partner 10 News:  officers beside suspect’s vehicle, a black 4-door pickup truck

December 11, 2024 (El Cajon) – During preparations for a retirement celebration for an El Cajon Police captain outside ECPD headquarters this afternoon, multiple officers opened fire on a black Toyota pickup truck after it rammed an ECPD officer and tried to hit another officer, according to public information officer Keith MacArthur.

East County News Service

File photo by Miriam Raftery

December 10, 2024 (Valley Center) — A bomb threat from an anonymous caller yesterday morning prompted a safety sweep at Harrah’s Resort Southern California on the Rincon tribe’s reservation in Valley Center. Resort staff found a backpack in an unauthorized area.

By Miriam Raftery

December 9, 2024 (San Diego) – A 15-year-old San Marcos girl is fighting for her life after suffering serious injuries. After running away from a treatment facility in North County, she was found in Mendocino “on the side of a highway, barely alive, some 600 miles away. Marielynn Watson was the victim of a horrific attack from a pack of off-leash dogs,” says Ron Logan, an East County Magazine photographer and cousin of the injured teen.

Logan, along with Marielynn’s father, David Watson, have started a GoFundMe site to help cover medical expenses for Marielynn, who remains hospitalized after multiple surgeries, with more needed.

“When I first saw her, I almost passed out,” Watson told ECM, adding that he was unemployed at the time of the attack by several pit bull dogs and has no insurance to cover his daughter’s medical bills. In addition to worrying about his daughter’s health, he is concerned that he could face financial ruin as the medical bills mount.

Celebration of Life to be held December 28 in  La Mesa

By Ben Perez

Photo of Jim Wieboldt and his pug, Frank The Felon,  courtesy Amanda Allsberry

December 12, 2024 (La Mesa) -- A respected deputy in the San Diego County Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit for more than a dozen years, James “Jim” Warren Wieboldt was much more than just an officer of the law. Wiebolt was a civic and business community leader, serving as founding chairman of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the city’s Parking Commission, and Chair of the La Mesa Centennial Project’s Events and Calendar Committee. He was also active in the La Mesa Village Merchants Association.

Wieboldt died of an unknown cause at his home in Fallon, Nev., on Dec. 7. He was 67.

Guided by faith and spending countless hours as a youth pastor in East County, he was a father figure to countless children and young adults through the years and a devoted parent to the three biological children he raised  in La Mesa with his wife of 42 years and high school sweetheart, Kelly, who preceded him in death four years ago.

Click here to view video full screen, or scroll down:  https://youtu.be/n_au8Pk7gCM

December 5, 2024 (Lakeside) – Shiloh Ireland interviewed Barona Fire Chief Ken  Kremensky and Cal Fire Division Chief Eric on December 3 during a 160-acre controlled burn on the Barona reservation in Lakeside.

Burning old brush has ecological benefits, also protecting communities from wildfires since it’s far easier to conduct a prescribed burn during winter conditions instead of battling a raging wildfire during high winds and heat when Santa Ana winds can drive hurricane-force gusts.

East County News Service

December 3, 2024 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon announces Captain Jeremiah Larson’s promotion to Chief of Police, effective December 18. Larson has served the El Cajon community for over two decades and will succeed the current Chief of Police, Mike Moulton, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2024 (El Cajon) – San Diego Port Commissioners have named Scott Chadwick to serve as the new CEO of the San Diego Port Authority, starting in January. Born and raised in El Cajon,  Chadwick graduated from Valhalla High School and Grossmont College, later obtaining a B.A. in political science from Purdue University. 

Currently he is the city manager for Carlsbad and previously served as the City of San Diego’s chief operating officer, human resources director and labor relations director. Prior to his 20 years of city government intelligence, he served as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst and also worked for AFSCME, a labor union representing state county and municipal employees.

Public service runs in the family.  Chadwick’s mother, Gloria Chadwick, is an elected member of the Grossmont Healthcare District’s board of directors  in district 4.

In an interview with San Diego Business Journal, Scott Chadwick stated, ”As a leader I have always been focusing on continuous improvement and customer service.” He said he is “thrilled” at the opportunity to “serve all who live, work, and play on and around the beautiful and vibrant San Diego Bay waterfront. It is an exciting time at the Port of San Diego."

By Robert Gehr

November 30, 2024 (El Cajon) – A man was taken into custody for smashing windows on an MTS bus on November 26 around 6:30 a.m. He was transported by American Medical Response to a hospital.