By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2017 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Adventurer Dana Law will present a travelogue about the West Coast’s national scenic trail on Tuesday, July 18 at the Jacumba Library (44605 Old Hwy 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934 at 6 p.m. On 31 separate journeys over 13 years, Law completed all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, which begins in California at the Mexican border and ends at the Canadian border in Washington.

Drone impeded firefighting near Camp Pendleton fire for a full hour, officials say.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  A CAL FIRE air tanker drops retardant on a fire in San Diego County.  Image credit:  Jeff Pack

July 10, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - Hobbyist drones are a growing safety concern among local first responders fighting fires in the air and on the ground.

By Jordan Damond

July 9, 2017 (San Diego) -- President Donald Trump’s Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, has announced her intent to discard college policies created by the Obama administration to  protect students and taxpayers from certain predatory for-profit colleges. Many take issue with Devos’ action, because during the final stages of Obama’s administration, it became evident that these policies have been increasingly effective ways of eliminating costly college programs that have left students mired in debt, without the earning power to pay off student loans.

By Miriam Raftery

July 9, 2017 (El Cajon) – Alfred Olango would have celebrated his 39^th birthday on July 29^th, if he hadn’t been killed by El Cajon Police Officer Richard Gonsalves. The shooting was ruled justifiable by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.  But his family and some civil rights activists from the National Action Network (NAN) and others believe justice was not served. 

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Story by Liz Alper

Photo:  Freddy Galvis' two-home run day lifted the Phillies over the Padres as Austin Hedges looks disappointed.  Via @Phillies on Twitter

July 9, 2017 (Philadelphia) - The Padres aimed for the sweep today against the Phillies to go into the All-Star break feeling good about themselves.  Trevor Cahill started against Jerad Eickhoff for the Phillies.

By Miriam Raftery

July 9, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Spring Valley resident Gregory Lawrence Scott, the father of two young children and husband of The Alpine Sun’s former editor Christy Scott, was killed in a car accident on I-15 on June 17^th.   A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Christy and the couple’s children, Jacob,and Isabelle.

East County News Service

July 9, 2017 (Jamul) – Debbie Ekhaml  sent in this great photo of a coyote that’s captured its prey, a plump squirrel, at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge  in Jamul, where she also shot award-winning images honored in our recent photo contest. 

East County News Service

July 8, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A sobriety checkpoint in Lemon Grove found no intoxicated drivers, but did lead to citations for license violations and impounding of several vehicles.  The checkpoint was initiative due to numerous DUI-related accidents and recent tragedies.

By Miriam Raftery

July 8, 2017 (Alpine) – A $1,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of a man who violently assaulted a 63-year-old woman. The victim was walking along Harbison Canyon Road near Hunter Pass in Alpine on June 20^th between 7:15 and 8:50 p.m. when the suspect attacked her from behind, pushing her into a fence and possibly striking her in the face with his hands or an unknown object.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

July 8, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - This year’s Fourth of July fireworks are over, and County’s animal shelters are again seeing a sudden spike in the number of dogs arriving after the displays.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Diego Valley Charter School students protesting to save their school at November 2015 GUHSD board meeting

July 8, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Several recent court rulings impact the future of many charter schools in California, including several in East County.

Last October, a California appellate court ruled that charter schools can’t expand within their home county by opening campuses outside their own authorizing district.  That ruling affected a suit filed back in 2015 by the Grossmont Union High School District seeking to shut down the Julian Charter School, Alpine Academy and Diego Valley Charter School, all operating within the GUHSD boundaries.

Source: San Diego Hall of Champions

Photo: Cameron Sisk, Valhalla High golf

July 8, 2017 (San Diego) -  Each month, the San Diego Hall of Champions honors as many as 4 professional, 7 amateur, and 6 prep athletes as Stars of the Month for their outstanding athletic accomplishments. Stars of the Month are recognized in the San Diego Union Tribune, via the Hall of Champions' app, social media channels and website, on-field at Petco Park prior to a Padres game, and at the annual Salute to the Champions awards dinner. And, top-performing Stars of the Month will also earn Star of the Year accolades.

East County News Service

July 7, 2017 (La Mesa) – The Boys and Girls Clubs of East County (BGCEC) has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction for its new Brady Family Clubhouse that will house the Gagon Academy and Bill Walton Gymnasium. The groundbreaking ceremony will begin at 9 a.m., Wednesday, July 12, on the west end of La Mesa Arts Academy, previously known as La Mesa Middle School, 4200 Parks Ave., La Mesa.

A Salute to Jimmie Johnson at the next Cajon Classic Cruise Car Show!

East County News Service

July 7, 2017 (El Cajon) – A soul music concert, outdoor movies and a salute to NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson are just some of the many events coming up in El Cajon.  See below for full details on these events and more.

Nearly 7,000 EV drivers applied for the credit

East County News Service

July 6, 2017 (San Diego) – Thousands of electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the San Diego region will get a pleasant surprise when they open their SDG&E residential bill over the next month, as they will be receiving $200 in credit for each EV they own or lease. EV drivers help clean the air and create healthier communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and they save on fueling costs, as charging an electric vehicle costs less than putting gas in the tank.