By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2022 (San Diego) – East County Magazine journalists received four awards in San Diego Press Club’s 49^th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards on October 25^th. All awards were in the online and daily newspapers category.

East County News Service

October 31, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Organizers of one of San Diego County's longest-running and most beloved holiday events have announced cancellation of the 2022 event, but pledge that the annual tradition will be back bigger and better than ever in 2023.

East County News Service

Photo: CC via Bing

October 31, 2022 (El Cajon) -- EDCO’s FREE Paper Shredding, Electronic Waste and Mulch Giveaway Event is coming up on November 5 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the El Cajon police department’s parking lot, 100 Civic Center Way in El Cajon. This event is for El Cajon residents only.

The festival turns Independence from a City of 10,000 people into 30,000

By: Jonathan Goetz

October 31, 2022 (Independence, Kansas) - Most Cities in Kansas have a large annual parade to draw visitors from throughout their region. Typical Octobers here in Southeast Kansas, the last week of the month is commemoration of Neewollah, or, Halloween, spelled backwards, in )sasnak ,ecnednepedni).

The festivities date back to 1919, and were only cancelled during 1941. As more information became available in late 2020 regarding COVID's less chance of spread in outdoor settings, the pandemic never put an end to Halloween in Kansas. 

By Mike Allen

October 28, 2022 (Santee) - Tim McDermott has seen the good times and the bad times overseeing budgets for the city of Santee over the past 21 years, and now he’s presumably enjoying the best of times in retirement.

By Jake Christie

October 28, 2022 (Spring Valley) -- At its September 13 special meeting, the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group took action on the Pre-final Campo Road Corridor Revitalization Specific Plan to dramatically reconfigure the area, as well as proposed changes to a forthcoming pickleball club. Planners also heard a presentation on Senate Bill 9, a nine-month-old law that allows homeowners to do duplex lot splits more easily.  The meeting itself was held in the multipurpose room of the Hillsdale Middle School on Brabham Street due to Labor Day.

Online pie sales help raise critical funds for Mama’s Kitchen’s nutrition services to support San Diego residents at risk of malnutrition due to critical illnesses

Photos courtesy of Mama's Kitchen

October 28, 2022 (San Diego) – The holidays will be here before we know it and with the giving season comes local nonprofit Mama’s Kitchen’s highlighly anticipated 18th Annual Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale. This popular fundraiser helps raise critical funds needed for the nonprofit to continue to provide nutritional support to San Diego residents at risk of malnutrition due to HIV, cancer, congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.

By Miriam Raftery

October 28, 2022 (Alpine) – Protecting our democracy is the “number one issue” in the Congressional races, says Stephen Houlahan, who is running against Republican Congressman Darrell Issa.  “He is anti-democracy. I am pro-democracy.”

Houlahan says he’s received threats, had his home vandalized, and his pro-choice campaign signs slashed.  During the recent Candidates to Constituents forum in Alpine, Houlahan talked about the positive changes he hopes to bring to the 48^th Congressional district. He faults Issa for voting against funding bills and failing to fight for federal dollars to improve firefighting, highway and water infrastructure, as well as Issa's extreme stance on abortion and Issa's vote against certifying the 2020 presidential election while the U.S. Capitol was under assault by insurrectionists.

By Robin N. Kendall

October 27, 2022 (Alpine) -- Alpine Union School District voters can change or keep the status quo in this year’s election for school board trustees, with three seats on the ballot and five candidates. Two candidates are challengers and the other three are incumbents. Trustees in Alpine represent the entire district, so voters can choose three names when they mark their ballots.

Story and video by John Levken

October 27, 2022 (Lemon Grove) --East County Magazine visited the “My Space & Early Learning Time” center in Lemon Grove, where owner Onika Miller gave a tour around her new childcare business. There are a total of seven spaces for ages ranging from newborns to children up to five years old, as well as children ages six to eight years old with developmental delays. The spaces have all the necessary toys for children of each age group. 

Onika Miller answered questions about her new business. It started in July of 2021, and she is still going to add new things to her business to improve on the experience for early learners. She also hosts events such as birthdays, co-operative events involving parents, as well as teachers and tutors offering one-on-one sessions with students. Recently, she hosted her first family game night. where families can have the opportunity to spend time and learn with their children and interact with other families.

East County News Service

Photo by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

October 26, 2022 (Santee) – Today, the District Attorney announced that Dr. Friederike Von Lintig will be charged in the death of Elisa Serna, an inmate who died on November 11, 2019 at  the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility in Santee.