Story and photos by Robert Gehr

April 7, 2016 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon has something new on the horizon. It’s a Courtyard by Marriott luxury style hotel, which is scheduled to be opening soon and will accommodate visitors choosing East County for  our region’s many attractions. The location is 141 N. Magnolia Ave. on the corner of Rea Ave. near the El Cajon Police station.

East County News Service

April 2, 2016 (Alpine) – The Alpine-Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce will host a “Hot Topics” breakfast on April 12 at 7:15 a.m. at Mike Place, 1620 Alpine Blvd. Suite 101.

By Liz Alper

March 24, 2016 (San Diego) - Assemblywoman Shirley Weber is inviting all youths of San Diego County to a job fair on Tuesday, March 29^th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club at 6785 Imperial Ave. downtown.

East County News Service

March 21, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – A new billboard campaign rolled out by the Viejas Casino and Resort is drawing objections from some in the community.

Source: La Mesa Chamber of Commerce

Photo: Sliders at The Hills by Leon Thompson

March 18, 2016 (La Mesa) - On Tuesday, April 5, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the 2-year anniversary of The Hills Local Pub in La Mesa. This celebration and business mixer will be held between the hours of 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The owners of The Hills Local Pub, located at 8758 La Mesa Boulevard in La Mesa, have created various fund raisers and activities that make this a special and fun-filled location in La Mesa.

The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. and will end at 7:00 p.m. Enjoy great hors d’ oeuvres, including one of their house specialties and (1) complimentary glass of house wine, handcrafted beer and soft drinks.

Hear our interview: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

March 16, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Ben Kalasho, president of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, sat down with the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM to discuss concerns of the Chaldean community in the presidential primary election. In our interview, which originally aired on KNSJ last week, Kalasho speaks about the issues that matter most to the Iraqi Chaldean and Middle Eastern communities from an international and domestic standpoint.

He also discussed the new Mega TV news network that he helped launch, which debuted earlier this month. In addition, he shared his thoughts on the Grossmot Union High School District's redistricting proposal that divides the Chaldean voting block--and what steps he thinks should be done at the state level to assure fairness in elections for Chaldean Americans.

East County News Service

March 9,2016 (Alpine) — The Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce has announced the following upcoming events for the remainder of 2016.  These include monthly Hot Topics breakfasts, mixers, and special events including an “I Love a Clean Alpine” Earth Day celebration April 23, leadership awards, the annual Snow Festival, and more.

Scroll down for the full schedule, or visit www.AlpineChamber.com.  You can also stop by the Chamber office at 1620 Alpine Blvd. Suite 208, in Alpine or call 619-445-2722, or email AlpineChamber@att.net.

By Miriam Raftery

March 7, 2016 (Jamul)—60 guests hoisted glasses last month to toast the grand opening of East County’s newest wine tasting room: Casi Cielo Winery, located at their historical adobe ranch house at Maness Vineyards atop a sunny hilltop in Jamul just off highway 94.  It’s a dream that has been a long-time coming to fruition –a dream that began with two Italian immigrants back in the last century. As the afternoon sun bathes the adobe bricks and vineyards beyond in golden rays, it's not hard to see how Casi Cielo (Almost Heaven) got its name.

The winery offers a selection of  hand-crafted wines made with 25% grapes grown at the estate and 75% grapes grown in San Diego County.  With a motto “from juice to jelly,” Casi Cielo Farm & Vineyard also has a charming gift shop licensed under GregoArt.com featuring  a new line of delicious vineyard jellies (served up over chocolate cheesecake—pure bliss) as well as colorful hand-crafted quilts by Kathy, vineyard lifestyle attire and more.

East County News Service

March 1, 2016 (San Diego) - If you’ve used your credit or debit card to purchase monthly trolley or bus passes through the Metropolitan Transit System’s Compass Card fare collection system, your security may be compromised.

East County News Service

February 26, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - State Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) has introduced Senate Bill 1216, which would establish a business tax credit for employers who hire high-risk youth.  The credit applies only to jobs for young people ages 18-25, who have been convicted of a crime and completed a work readiness program through a qualified job training provider.    

By Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2016 (Ramona) – The Milagro Farm Winery has announced that it is closing its tasting room to the public effective immediately while undergoing upgrades, with plans to reopen in the next couple of months.

By Miriam Raftery

February 9, 2016 (La Mesa) — The Mesa Village Merchants Association failed to pay back nearly $48,000 it owes to the city of La Mesa for the 2015 Oktoberfest, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Now the city has referred the debt to its collection agency. Arlene Moore, president of the nonprofit merchants’ group, told the Union-Tribune that the organization plans to repay the debt and hopes to continue hosting the Oktoberfest in future years.

The situation has sparked controversy in the community, with some criticizing the merchants for financial mismanagement, while others find fault with the city for requiring full cost recovery for Oktoberfest and other public events.

East County News Service

February 8, 2016 (San Diego) – Voters in the city of San Diego will decide in November whether the minimum wage should be raised for all workers within the city limits.

By Brigitte Garcia

January 26th, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Dale and Mike Pearson wanted to start a new career after working in hazardous occupations.  So they founded Pearson and Pearson, a honey-wine making business in rural El Cajon. Now they’re savoring sweet success-- including a multi-million dollar deal pending to sell their products into Asia.