By Ken Stone

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Judge Randa Trapp will hear arguments Thursday and Friday in cases involving the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District. Photo by Ken Stone

April 25, 2019 (Julian) - Lawyers for San Diego County will ask a judge Thursday to evict volunteer firefighters and others who have locked themselves in the Julian fire station, saying they’re worried about equipment and property worth $3 million being stolen or damaged.

East County News Service

April 24, 2019 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon’s City Council will be choosing a new Councilmember to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Ben Kalasho.

The Council will make its decision at its regularly scheduled May 14th meeting.

By Allan Acevedo

April 23, 2019 (La Mesa) – Helix Water District’s Board of Directors held a sparsely attended meeting last Wednesday that covered major topics including establishing guidelines to develop next year’s budget—including possible rate hikes.  Other issues covered included reconciling current policies with unfunded state mandates and reviewing specific actions on parcels.

The District provides drinking water for over 273,000 people in the communities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Spring Valley and portions of Santee, Lakeside and San Diego County.

By Miriam Raftery

April 23, 2019 (El Cajon) – El Cajon has received projects awards from  the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Public Works Association (APWA).   The new animal shelter was honored by all three organizations.  Other projects honored including Stony’s Neighborhood Park improvements, sewer and traffic light projects. City Manager Graham Mitchell advised the City Council and Mayor that the city has received the following awards:

East County News Service

April 22, 2019 (El Cajon) – A woman struck by a Ford Explorer on April 19^th in El Cajon succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.  

El Cajon Police and paramedics responded to the accident in the 800 block of South Mollison Ave. around 7:50 p.m.  Witnesses told officers that the woman, 69, stepped off the curb outside of a marked crosswalk and was struck by the Ford Explorer. The driver of the Explorer, a 58-year-old El Cajon resident, remained on scene and cooperated with authorities, says Lt Stephen Kirk.  Drugs or alcohol are not suspected as factors in the collision.

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

April 17, 2019 (San Diego) - An undergraduate student at San Diego State University was hospitalized Tuesday with a probable meningococcal infection, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported today.

Julian paramedics struggling after County freezes JCFPD funds

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Read the documents here: JCFPDCourtDocuments

View older ECM article on Brown Act violations: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/julian-cuyamaca-keep-fire-district-starts-path-healing

April 15, 2019 (Julian) -- The judge who ruled in favor of the Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District a week ago, San Diego Superior Court Judge Randa Trapp, late Friday afternoon was designated to preside over the ex parte hearing requested by JCFPD attorney Cory Briggs. The change of judge was noted in the legal case’s online Register of Actions on the San Diego Superior Court website.

By Ken Stone 

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Destiny Guns, 22, escaped from La Colinas women’s jail in Santee about 6 p.m. Saturday. Photo via Sheriff’s Department

April 13, 2019 (Santee) - When 22-year-old Destiny Guns jumped walls and fences Saturday night at Las Colinas women’s jail, she made local history — as the first-ever escapee from the Santee lockup.

But Thursday night, she ended a manhunt with her arrest in the parking lot of the jail, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Melissa Aquino.

Residents weigh legal challenge as election paves way for County Fire Authority and CAL FIRE to assume fire protection and medical emergency services

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

April 5, 2019 (Julian-Cuyamaca) - After nearly two years of controversy, Julian residents voted on Mar. 19 by mail ballot to abolish the 34-year old Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (JCFPD) and replace it with fire and medical emergency services provided by the San Diego Fire Authority and Cal Fire.

April 3, 2019 (La Mesa) - La Mesa Police report that at 2 p.m. today,  Conception "Connie" Bibo, 89, was found safe in San Ysidro.

Bibo, who is believed to have pre-dementia and has memory issues. She had been last seen yesterday around 11:30 a..m. leaving her residence in the 6700 block of Alamo Way in tLa Mesa. Hers family returned home at approximately 2:30 p.m. and and discovered Mrs. Bibo and her vehicle (a gray 2013 Hyundai Elantra)were not at the residence.

East County News Service

April 2, 2019 (San Diego)--The National Weather Service has issued a wind warning in effect from noon today to 11 a.m. tomorrow for San Diego’s mountain and desert areas.  Southwest winds of 20-30 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph are forecast.

Watch for blowing dust or sand in these areas and use caution if driving a high-profile vehicle.

By Miriam Raftery



Updated April 1, 2019 with clarifications from Catherine Martin at the GUHSD.

March 31, 2019 (Alpine)  -- For over two decades, Alpine residents have sought a high school in their community.  After the Alpine Union-High School District (AUSD) board recently voted to close the Alpine Elementary School in June due to declining enrollment, the AUSD and the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) are exploring options to bring some high school programming to the campus on Alpine Boulevard. But it won't be a full-service high school, as the community was originally promised in two past bond initiatives.

GUHSD Superintendent Tim Glover confirmed in an e-mail to ECM, “We’ve been having discussions with AUSD over several months regarding potential programs and services as part of a satellite program option. We look forward to creating an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with AUSD and gauging the interest in some specialized program offerings such as Independent Study, Home Choice, and Adult Education classes.”