East County News Service 

April 24, 2023 (El Cajon) - After record rainfalls across Southern California this winter, potholes are a massive issue for commuters everywhere. The City of El Cajon is taking on the issue of potholes head-on. Last week, the City challenged residents and businesses through a social media video to track down and report as many potholes as possible using the My El Cajon app. This week, the City is keeping up with its commitment to its residents by addressing every reported issue and filling hundreds of potholes across the city streets. 

East County News Service

April 23, 2023 (Alpine) – You can taste up to 40 wines from 25 wineries, sip beers from a trio of local breweries, as well as savor foods from over 20 local restaurants at Vintage Alpine. The event will take place on May 7 from 1-4 p.m. at Summers Past Farms (15602 Olde Highway 80) in Flinn Springs, which is located between El Cajon and Alpine just off Interstate 8.

By Miriam Raftery

April 22, 2023 (Boulevard) – For more than two decades,  Donna Tisdale has been a champion for residents in San Diego’s backcountry, leading battles against massive energy projects and a dump. She started a nonprofit, Backcountry Against Dumps and chaired the Boulevard Planning Group every year since joining it in 1991. She’s filed countless lawsuits against a seemingly endless array of Goliath-scale projects and organized community opposition after San Diego’s East County was declared an energy corridor by the federal government.

Source: Cal Fire

April 19, 2023 (Sacramento) – CAL FIRE has launched a new Online Burn Permit application platform that offers the public a user-friendly way to request a burn permit. Burn permits that are available on this platform include the following:

East County News Service

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner NBC 7

April 18, 2023 (Julian) - An El Cajon handyman who waded into a pond left by rainwater in Julian to retrieve his dog contracted a rare flesh-eating bacteria.

Family friendly event brings together residents, businesses, and local services

East County News Service

April 17, 2023 (Spring Valley) — You’re invited to join a community celebration at Spring Valley Day in front of Bancroft Elementary School on April 29 from 10a.m. to 3 p.m.  Spring Valley Day is a free, street-fair style event that will feature merchants, arts and crafts, food, live entertainment, Cars and Community car show, free pony rides, free kids’ zone, first responder displays, and multiple San Diego County services.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Kupa, one of the last dozen descendants of San Diego's heritage herd, has died of a rattlesnake bite. His owner is asking the County to protect  the remaining herd descedants under the County's MultipleSpecies Conservation Plan.

April 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Kupa, one of only a dozen descendants of San Diego’s heritage herd of wild horses, has died. Kathleen Hayden made the announcement “with a breaking heart” on Facebook yesterday, stating that “during the night, our four-year-old Coyote Canyon stallion, Kupa, was bitten in his eye by a rattlesnake and died.”

Hayden is cofounder of Coyote Canyon Caballos d’Anza, a nonprofit in Santa Ysabel.  For years, she and her foundation have been fighting to gain protection for the heritage herd. The federal government has long refused to recognize horses as native species worthy of protection, believing they were brought here by European explorers.

But on March 23, 2023, Science published a report by 84 researchers who concluded that horses evolved first in North America and later crossed a land bridge over the Bering Strait to Eurasia. There are ancient fossils found in the Anza Borrego desert and Carlsbad  predating the early Spanish and English explorers to bolster that claim, as well as references to Native American horses in writings of Sir Francis Drake in 1580.

Those findings have reignited the urgent call to save wild horses and try to repopulate San Diego’s heritage herd on public lands, before it is too late.

Source:  City of La Mesa

April 15, 2023 (La Mesa) - After an extensive recruitment process, Amanda Lee has been chosen for the Assistant City Manager position for the City of La Mesa. Ms. Lee comes to La Mesa after ten years at the City of Vista, California where she was the Assistant City Manager for the past two years. As Assistant City Manager at Vista, Ms. Lee provided direct supervision over Homelessness and Housing, Communications, Code Enforcement, Climate Action Plan implementation, Grants and Governmental Relations, and administrative support staff. Ms. Lee has been serving as the Acting City Manager at Vista for the past six months where she was responsible for leading the City’s Department Directors and Management Team.

East County News Service

April 14, 2023 (Jamul) -- The Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), owner and operator of Jamul Casino^® and a wholly-owned enterprise of the Jamul Indian Village of California,announce that on March 29, they closed on $515 million of Senior Secured Credit Facilities with a syndicate of commercial banks led by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.  The other lenders included Western Alliance Bank, Nevada State Bank, U.S. Bank, PNC Bank, CIT Bank, and Columbia State Bank. 

Proceeds from the Credit Facilities will be used to refinance existing debt, fund hotel construction, and pay transaction-related fees and expenses.

By Miriam Raftery

April 13, 2023 (El Cajon) – Robert Gehr, a senior citizen in El Cajon, was shocked to discover when he went shopping for groceries at Food 4 Less in El Cajon that $1,118 in CalFresh benefits had been stolen off of his Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.  Since he had only used the card at that store, Gehr and police believe he was a victim of a skimmer device attached by a thief to the store’s card reader.

The County has only reimbursed$120 for the most recent month’s benefits—and Gehr may never see the rest of his stolen benefits returned—benefits that he’d been saving up for months Such scams are alarmingly prevelant -- and hit hard on vulnerable recipients, including low-income individuals, seniors on fixed incomes, and disabled people.

Bianca Sosa-Graciano, program specialist at Self-Sufficiency Services with the County’s Health & Human Services Agency, told ECM that scammers ripping off benefits on EBT cards is a “nationwide issue at this time.”

April 13, 2023 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon is hosting a FREE April Pools Day event to help kick off May as National Drowning Prevention Month on Friday, April 21, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fletcher Hills Pool, located at 2345 Center Place in El Cajon.   

Drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children between the ages 1 to 4 years, and nearly 4,000 Americans drown each year. A study published in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found statistical evidence that children that participated in swim lessons had an 88% reduced risk of drowning.

“Living so close to the beach, we want children to learn to swim and parents to learn how to keep their family safe around water,” said Frank Carson, Director of Parks and Recreation. “The City of El Cajon is proud to offer a full range of aquatic programs to our community.”

Participants can learn about water safety, sun safety tips, or partake in mini CPR lessons. The event will feature free swimming, a free bag filled with activities (one per family), and crafts.

April 13, 2023 (Santee)  ECM intern Daniela Torres visited “Hop Down the Bunny Trail,” a free family-friendly event hosted by the city of Santee on April 1 at the Santee Trolley Square center.

By Mimi Pollack

April 11, 2023 (Ramona) -- South African musician and humanitarian Sharon Katz, will be giving a complimentary concert at the Ramona Ranch Winery on Sunday, April 16^th from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon with a wonderful musician in a lovely setting?

Music can soothe and heal the soul, no matter where you are from. The Ramona Ranch Winery, which is also a working farm with animals, will provide a peaceful outdoor setting where one can enjoy their award-winning wines by the bottle or the glass as they listen to songs in Spanish and various African languages sung by Katz, a musician who also has quite a story to tell.

By:Jessyka Heredia

Video video of hearing: part 1, part 2

Photo: Applicant Chris Williams addresses the City Council.

April 8, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- During what would normally be a routine hearing by the Lemon Grove City Council on extending a conditional use permit (CUP), Mayor Raquel Vasquez revealed that she had been offered a trip to Las Vegas by an undisclosed person to discuss the project, a medical marijuana dispensary -- an action the City Attorney called an "alleged bribe."

The hearing also included allegations that the City’s opposition to the extension was retaliation against applicant Chris Williams of Pick Axe Holdings, who said the City had approved similar extensions for other applicants.