By Miriam Raftery

June 6, 2021 (San Diego) – More than three dozen earthquakes struck Imperial County yesterday before 12 noon, centered near Calipatria and the Salton Sea. The strongest tremor measured 5.3 on the Richter scale, with a depth of 5.8 kilometers.

The temblors were felt across Southern California including the San Diego region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website’s shake map.

By Angela Kurysh

June 6, 2021 (Lemon Grove) – Lengthy Lemon Grove City Council meetings conducted remotely have come to an end. As of Tuesday, May 18 Council meetings have returned to being held in-person and virtual options to attend the meetings have been eliminated. 

June 5, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Edward Gene Burr, the co-founder of EDCO Disposal Corporation and one of East County’s most generous philanthropists, passed away on May 31, 2021 at age 89 in Sharp Grossmont Hospital. 

The hospital named its Burr Heart and Vascular Center after Ed Burr and his wife, Sandy, whose $5 million donation was the largest in the facility’s history.

“We believe in giving back to the community where we have been fortunate to grow our business for many years,” Ed Burr said during a dedication ceremony in 2018. He added, “Sharp Grossmont has been there for us when we needed it, so it is our honor to support a cause that has such an impact on so many of us in East County.”

The hospital foundation was one of many charitable endeavors supported by the Burrs through their many years of service to East County and the San Diego region.

By Miriam Raftery

June 5, 2021 (La Mesa) – East County’s newly elected Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a medical doctor and former La  Mesa Councilmember, this week introduced her first authored bill, Assembly Bill 1207. It would create a “Pathway Through Pandemic Task Force” to collect and analyze California’s COVID-19 data and develop a response plan for future pandemics.

By Miriam Raftery

June 4, 2021 (Alpine) – A 63-year-old San Diego woman is dead and several others injured following a collision in Alpine last night.

A GMC Sierra pickup truck and a 2000 Toyota Solara collided on westbound Interstate 8, west of Tavern Road in Alpine at 6 p.m. The impact caused both vehicles to veer toward the center divide, plunge down an embankment and overturn. The GMC came to rest blocking an eastbound lane on I-8, while the Toyota came to rest in the center median.

By Miriam Raftery

June 4, 2021 (El Cajon) – A 60-year-old man has died after being struck by a gray Nissan Altima last night shortly after 10 p.m. in the 1900 block of East Main Street.  

By Briana Gomez

June 3, 2021 (San Diego) - May 15 was certainly a busy day for San Diego’s minority activist groups. 

The Racial Justice Coalition held a rally in front of the Hall of Justice in Downtown San Diego as part of its campaign to demand that District Attorney Summer Stephan resign immediately. The coalition faults Stephan for not prosecuting many cases of law enforcement officers shooting unarmed people. 

By Patrick Cameron

Image: Creative Commons image by SA via Bing

Senate filibusters have been part of the U.S. Senate rules since 1806, used as a procedure for a minority party to block legislation

June 3, 2021 (San Diego) -- There’s so much being written about the filibuster these days, but in all the articles I read I feel like this important point gets lost: The filibuster isn’t mentioned in our Constitution. Not even one time.

By Mike Allen

June 2, 2021 (Santee) -- On the same day that a San Jose rail yard employee fatally shot nine of his co-workers before killing himself, the Santee City Council unanimously voted to send a letter to Congressman Darrell Issa opposing a bill in Congress that would place more controls on gun ownership, including more stringent background checks.

East County News Service

June 2, 2021 (San Diego) -- The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for San Diego County Deserts, effective until Friday at 9 p.m. Dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures of 105 to 110 degrees expected.

Several County facilities will be open as Cool Zones in Alpine, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Lakeside, Potrero, Santa Ysabel, Spring Valley, and Valley Center. For location information, hours of operation, and tips to beat the heat, visit: www.coolzones.org.