$5 million remaining in the second round of funding; applications due Oct. 11
Source: Supervisor Joel Anderson
Photo by Robert Gehr: homeless person in downtown El Cajon
September 16, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) — District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson sent letters out on Friday, September 16, 2022 to the East County cities in his district—El Cajon, Poway and Santee—reminding them of an opportunity for funding from the County to help in their efforts with addressing homelessness. According to Anderson, there is more than $5 million remaining in the second round of funding from the Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program—a program unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors this spring.
September 16, 2022 (Alpine) – Shadow Hills Elementary School in Alpine and Creekside Learning Center were briefly locked down today after a report of a gunshot fired near the campuses shortly after 10 a.m.
Out of an abundance of caution, school staff immediately initiated a campus-wide lockdown at both schools.
Deputies searched both schools. “They were unable to locate any evidence of a shooting,” says Captain Michael Rand with the Alpine Sheriff’s station. “The lockdown was lifted just before 11:00 a.m. No children, teachers or staff were hurt.”
Update July 31, 2024: Rendon has withdrawn his lawsuit and issued a joint statement with Rodriguez-Kennedy, who is now cleared of all wrongdoing.
East County News Service
Photo by Miriam Raftery: Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, March 2020 primary night
September 16, 2022 (San Diego) – The San Diego District Attorney’s office has closed its investigation into alleged sexual assault by County Democratic Party Chairman William Rodriguez-Kennedy.
Rodriguez-Kennedy today issued a statement saying he’d been “cleared of wrongdoing.” He has been on leave since May, pending the outcome of the investigation.
DA spokeswoman Tanya Sierra on Friday told Times of San Diego, an ECM news partner, “After a thorough review, we determined that no charges could be filed in this case. We do not discuss our charging decisions except to say that we can only file charges when we believe we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt.”
September 16, 2022 (Lakeside) – After the Willows Fire burned out homeless camps along the San Diego Riverbed in Lakeside on August 31, I went back to speak with those who suffered losses. I found a couple, two men, who openly talked about their lives, how they got here, and shared some alarming thoughts on the fire.
They want housing and do not desire to live in the riverbed. But they said they have been unable to secure clean living arrangements as a couple and would “have to have children” to enter a shelter together.
September 16, 2022 (Lakeside) – On September 12, Hope for the Homeless Lakeside (www.hope4homelesslakeside.org) organized an outreach event held in the parking lot next to the Parks and Recreation Building in Lakeside. Also present was a mobile unit from the county, HHSA-Health and Human Service Agency and several deputies from the HART -Homeless Assistance Resource Team of the San Diego Sheriff Department.
Judy Scheuer (photo, right) is the executive director, spoke with East County Magazine about how she came to establish the organization to help homeless people in the community – help needed now more than ever, after the August 31 Willow Fire destroyed homeless encampments in the riverbed and one homeless man was found dead in a pond days earlier.
“Three years ago, it started as a grassroots effort; then I hired a homeless woman and then began taking water, food, blankets tents and also hauled out trash weekly in the riverbed,” she said. “Showers were offered weekly and Otay Mesa Detention Facility fixed broken bicycles for us.” Now bicycles are going to be repaired by a resident she knows.
September 16, 2022 (La Mesa) – Helix High School in La Mesa has been honored as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, one of just 29 California schools to make the grade.
These are among the state’s highest performing schools based on all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates. Helix is a charter high school within the Grossmont Union High School District.
The prestigious award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that made significant progress in closing achievement and opportunity gaps among student subgroups, and where students achieve high learning standards.
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.
“This is an emergency, as far as I’m concerned.” – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells
By Miriam Raftery and Shiloh Ireland
Photos by Shiloh Ireland
September 16, 2022 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells held a press conference Wednesday in front of the Travelodge Motel at 426 West Main Street, one of six El Cajon motels where the County of San Diego has placed homeless people temporarily under a voucher program.
“It’s very frustrating that the County never bothered to let us know about using of El Cajon’s motels as homeless shelters,” said Wells. The city learned of the program only noticing changes in calls for public safety around some of the motels. “This is an emergency situation,” Wells says.
City Manager Graham Mitchell states in a news release,“Not only did we notice an increase in crime and need for medical responses around some of these motels, our police officers started noticing new homeless individuals, along with drug dealers who prey on them, and open drug use.”
19 structures including homes, mobile homes and recreational vehicles were destroyed in the fire
Source: Supervisors Fletcher and Anderson
September 15, 2022 (San Diego) -- Chair Nathan Fletcher, Supervisor Joel Anderson and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors have voted to waive fees for people affected by the Border 32 Fire when they apply for a permit to rebuild a structure, or acquire replacement copies of important documents lost in the fire, such as birth certificates.
Chair Fletcher and Supervisor Anderson, the authors of the policy presented on Wednesday, issued the following statements after today’s vote:
SDSU will play seven of its 12 non-conference games in Viejas Arena
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
September 15, 2022 (San Diego) - Having posted a 25-4 record in non-conference contests since the start of the 2019-20 season, San Diego State men’s basketball program revealed its 2022-23 out-of-conference slate on Tuesday. It has a total of 12 regular-season games and one exhibition and features five opponents which played in the postseason last year, including three that competed in the NCAA tournament, and could include as many as two more NCAA tournament teams.
Photo: view of Fanita Ranch site, looking south from State Route 67
September 15, 2022 (Santee) -- Fanita Ranch, the 3,000-unit residential development that has gone through multiple iterations and designs since the city was founded, was approved once again by the Santee City Council after a four and a half-hour meeting Sept. 14.
This approval, on a 4-0 vote with Councilman Rob McNelis recused due to his property benefiting from the project, comes on the heels of the Council’s 2020 approval of the same project. That was followed by a lawsuit from environmental groups, a referendum that put the issue on this November’s ballot, and a court-order rescinding the 2020 approvals due to wildfire evacuation concerns. The Council used the court’s decision to negate its earlier approval and remove the initiative from the upcoming ballot.
Because Fanita Ranch complied with Santee’s Essential Housing Program, a law the city adopted in August 2021, city officials said last night that approval of the new plan presented last night did not entail amending the city’s General Plan, and hence, there is no requirement to hold a public vote.
12 local food businesses will compete to win three months of free rent in Parkway Plaza’s food court plus a $20,000 business investment
September 15, 2022 (El Cajon) — Parkway Plaza regional shopping mall has announced that 12 local food businesses selected to participate in the mall’s first-ever Taste for the Space competition on October 15. They are competing for a prize package valued at over $50,000, including a $20,000 business investment and three months of free rent.
“We are excited to have such a diverse group of businesses competing in our first-ever Taste for the Space,” said Petra Rich, Marketing and Business Development Manager. “They’re diverse in many aspects including cuisines, business models as well as ownership backgrounds. We have everything from French and vegan cuisines to Hungarian and Haitian; there are competitors that have a food truck or storefront and others who are mobile caterers. We’re also proud to say that the majority of businesses participating are minority-owned. The competition is going to be tight, so I hope everyone is ready to put their taste buds to the test.”
September 13, 2022 (Spring Valley) - The Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station wants your help in finding a missing person from Spring Valley.
72-year-old Eddie Joe Taylor was reported missing on Friday, August 5. He was last seen on Thursday, August 4 when he left his girlfriend's home in Lemon Grove. As he was driving home to Spring Valley, he called his girlfriend saying he mistakenly continued on SR-125 south towards Mexico and crossed the border into Baja California, Mexico.
September 13, 2022 (Potrero/Dulzura) - County Emergency Services opened a Local Assistance Center Monday to support those affected by the Border 32 Fire. The fire burned 4,400 acres and destroyed more than a dozen homes and buildings in the area between Dulzura and Potrero.
September 13, 2022 (Spring Valley) - The Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the official Laurel & Hardy fan organization, present their Halloween program, "Howl-O-Scream," October 15 at Williams Hall at Trinity Presbytarian Church in Spring Valley.
September 12, 2022 (La Mesa) – Bicycle need fixing? Pedal into downtown La Mesa, where you’ll now find a do-it-yourself bike repair station complete with tools and how-to tips.
September 12, 2022 (Lakeside) - Families, neighbors and their supporters gathered in Lakeside on Blossom Valley Road to protest five sex offenders secretly placed in their neighborhood in the past couple of weeks.
In a story that happens all too frequently in East County, approximately 100 residents and community members expressed their surprise, fear and outrage at finding out that their quiet, family-friendly community was housing convicted sex offenders. Not one, or two, but five – all in one home.
(Photo left - Scott Brown lower left, lower right Jeff Marks)
Sept. 11, 2022 (Mission Valley) – Local residents got to witness the Aztecs land their first win against Idaho State, 38-7, in Snapdragon Stadium, on Sept. 10.
The win followed an earlier loss during the season debut, when record 100 degree heat caused numerous fans to suffer heat-related illnesses.
September 11, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Some lost homes. Others lost outbuildings, horses, and vehicles. Damages included wells needed for water, orchards, and more. One needs help to pay her dog’s emergency veterinary bill. All are survivors of the Border Fire, which scorched through the Barrett Junction, Dulzura and Potrero communities – and all need your help through donations at GoFundMe.com.
Retired paramedic loses RV home; family’s water well, solar panels and dreams up in smoke
By Miriam Raftery
Photos by Henri Migala, Miriam Raftery, Ryan and Gemma Sommers
September 10, 2022 (Potrero) – Ryan and Gemma Sommers had a dream—to build an earth-berm home on 80 acres in Potrero that Ryan grew up on and inherited from his father. So when the Border 32 Fire swept through the community last week, Ryan didn’t hesitate – he headed into the wildfire and fought singlehandedly to save what he could. But the family had no insurance, and their losses are overwhelming.
“I have been trying to live out my father’s dream of living self-sustainability on a ranch,” says Ryan, who lost his father to pancreatic cancer in 2020. Now the fire has torched much of their property, including burning his uncle’s RV home to the ground. “My uncle has lost everything,” Ryan reflects. Ryan and Gemma also suffered major losses, with Ryan risking his life to save what he could.
On a GoFundMe page set up to help the family repair and rebuild their lives, Gemma wrote, “We don’t want to say goodbye to our land that has been in our family these past 21+ years..”
September 11, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove Improvement Council invites you to stand up comedy open mic night at the Hamlett coffee house. The fun begins at 7 p.m.
September 10, 2022 (San Diego) - The Aztec football team (1-1) earned their first win of the 2022 season with a 38-7 victory over Idaho State (0-2) Saturday evening at Snapdragon Stadium.
September 10, 2022 (Santee) - Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors has appointed Rocky Qualin to the Board of Directors to fill the vacancy in Division 5 as the result of the recent passing of James Peasley. Qualin took the oath of office at the Board meeting on September 7, 2022 and then participated in his first meeting. Qualin will hold office for the balance of the unexpired term which expires December 2, 2022.
September 10, 2022 (Lakeside) -- It was a dark and calm morning as I arrived at 5:00 a.m. on August 16 at Trevi Hills Winery in Lakeside, where each harvest, several varieties are hand-picked by staff as well as neighbors who enjoy coming out and volunteering their time.
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.
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters
Photo: A Cal Fire employee tries to comfort another participant during a healing retreat at the Nurturing Nest in Desert Hot Springs on Feb. 25, 2022. Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters
September 10, 2022 (San Diego) - The morning sun warms California’s high desert, launching a clear spring day. Behind high walls at The Nurturing Nest, across from a burbling mineral pool, a small group of men and women roll up yoga mats and arrange themselves in a semi-circle. Their week at this tranquil retreat is ending and a counselor seeks final thoughts from each of them.
September 9, 2022 (La Mesa) - Last week, ECM Sports made the trek out to the desert, but for week four, we’re keeping it nice and local at Jim Arnaiz Field as the Helix Highlanders hosted the Dons of Cathedral Catholic for what’s always a great non-conference matchup. The Scottie dawgs are a perfect 3-0.
“Those of us living in San Diego County already pay the highest electrical rates in the nation, and they’ll go even higher with an added bill from Diablo Canyon cost.” –Senator Brian Jones
By Miriam Raftery
Photo: Diablo Canyon; Creative Commons license by Tracey Adams
September 9, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – State Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) has issued blistering condemnation of SB 846, a bill signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom which aims to keep open the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant for five years beyond the scheduled 2025 closure date. But the bill also authorizes a $1.4 billion loan to the plant’s operator, Pacific Gas & Electric, and opens the door for potential rate hikes statewide.
“”I voted against electricity rate hikes and the $1.4 billion gift to PG&E – I did not vote against Diablo Canyon and nuclear power,” says Senator Jones, in an editorial sent to media outlets.
September 9, 2022 (San Diego) -- The National Weather Service has issued flash flood watches, warnings and advisories for most of San Diego’s East County and inland areas this evening.
See map on this page and click for details: https://www.weather.gov/sgx/
Life-threatening flash flooding of creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses are occurring or imminent.
Flash flood warnings are in effect for Julian, Banner Grade, Highways 78 and 79, Santa Ysabel, Warner Springs, Cuyamaca, and Mount Laguna.
A flood watch is in effect for Santee, La Mesa, El Cajon, Poway, San Marcos, and Escondido.
$5 million remaining 
By Miriam Raftery and Shiloh Ireland
19 structures including homes, mobile homes and recreational vehicles were destroyed in the fire 
SDSU will play seven of its 12 non-conference games in Viejas Arena
By Mike Allen
12 local food businesses will compete to win three months of free rent in Parkway Plaza’s food court plus a $20,000 business investment 
Source: San Diego Sheriff's Department
By 
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
By Henri Migala
Story by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson
By Miriam Raftery
Retired paramedic loses RV home; family’s water well, solar panels and dreams up in smoke
East County News Service
Source: goaztecs.com
Source: Padre Dam Municipal Water District
By Shiloh Ireland
By Julie Cart, CalMatters
Story and photos by Liz Alper
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