By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2022 (El Cajon) – Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, started more than 200 years ago with the community-wide celebration of a German prince’s wedding. In El Cajon, the German-American Club will host its own authentic Oktoberfest over two weekends: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and Oct. 7-9 at the Club’s headquarters, 1017 S. Mollison Ave. in El Cajon.

Source: San Diego Sheriff’s Department

September 20, 2022 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is warning the public about a phone scam involving con artists posing as deputies. To sound convincing, the caller identifies himself as a currently employed deputy. The storyline involves a missed court appearance. 

East County News Service

September 20, 2022 (Ramona) – A Ramona woman, 68, has died of injuries sustained in a collision yesterday afternoon. According to the CHP, she was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram westbound on Mussey Grade Road when after stopping at a stop sign, turned left onto southbound State Route 67, directly in the path of a 2004 Toyota Prius that was heading north.

The Prius, driven by an 83-year-old Ramona woman, broadsided the Dodge, which flipped over and came to rest on its roof. The Dodge driver was airlifted to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where she succumbed to her injuries, says Officer Matthew Baranowski with the California Highway Patrol.

September 20, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By J.W. August, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  hikers on a trail.  Photo via Pixabay

September 19, 2022 (San Diego) - A young man invites a female friend to go dirt bike riding with him and they end up in a head-on collision.

Discover the fabulous world of raptors right in East County’s backyard

By Josh Stotler

September 19, 2022 (Alpine) -- As I hike along the dirt trail, the morning fog rolls through the canyon. A hawk swoops from a branch and glides gently by. I am in awe as this amazing creature effortlessly soars by me, heading for the sun-drenched rock just to my left. It is a treat to see this animal up close and I’m lost in the moment, completely enveloped in the East County back country. This is no chance encounter though; I am at Sky Falconry, a 40 acre ranch located in the hills of Alpine.

When I arrived at the property earlier in the morning, the fog was heavy and the diffused sun rays were shining through the oak trees. I was warmly greeted by Kirk Sellinger and Denise Disharoon, the owners of Sky Falconry. Dressed exactly as one would envision a raptor handler to look (think Dr.’s Sadler & Grant from Jurassic Park) they quickly made me feel at home. As the other participants arrived and shuffled toward the circle of benches, we filled out a waiver and it was time to learn about these amazing birds.

By Liz Alper 

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

September 18, 2022 (Salt Lake City) - Aztecs football has had a shaky start to the season, but tonight, they traveled to face Utah.

By Liz Alper

Photo:  the Grossmont High alum struck out eight today.  Via @padres on Twitter

September 17, 2022 (Phoenix) - The Padres got sweet revenge last night in a 12-3 win against the Diamondbacks.  They tried for a two-game series lead tonight with Grossmont High alum Joe Musgrove on the mound against Zac Gallen for the Dbacks.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

September 17, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – An evacuation warning has been issued for the #HauserFire. It applies to residents who live west or north of Buckman Springs Road at Lake Morena Drive, the Sheriff reports.  Evacuees can go to Mountain Empire High School, 3305 Buckman Springs Rd., Pine Valley.

According to Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire, the brush fire began around 4:15 p.m. near 2022 Lake Morena Drive and Big Potrero Truck Trail in the Hauser Creek area of Lake Morena. Around 5-10 acres have burned with a moderate rate of spread.

Story and photos by Liz Alper

September 16, 2022 (Spring Valley) - We’re finally mostly into conference play and to kick it off, ECM Sports ventured to Spring Valley, where the Matadors of Mount Miguel hosted the Wolf Pack of West Hills.  Both teams are gridlocked at 2-2 and hoping to make some headway going into conference matchups.

$5 million remaining in the second round of funding; applications due Oct. 11 

Source: Supervisor Joel Anderson

Photo by Robert Gehr: homeless person in downtown El Cajon

September 16, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) — District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson sent letters out on Friday, September 16, 2022 to the East County cities in his district—El Cajon, Poway and Santee—reminding them of an opportunity for funding from the County to help in their efforts with addressing homelessness. According to Anderson, there is more than $5 million remaining in the second round of funding from the Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program—a program unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors this spring.

East County News Service

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, March 2020 primary night

September 16, 2022 (San Diego) – The  San Diego District Attorney’s office has closed its investigation into alleged sexual assault by County Democratic Party Chairman William Rodriguez-Kennedy.

Rodriguez-Kennedy today issued a statement saying he’d been “cleared of wrongdoing.”  He has been on leave since May, pending the outcome of the investigation.

DA spokeswoman Tanya Sierra on Friday told Times of San Diego, an ECM news partner, “After a thorough review, we determined that no charges could be filed in this case. We do not discuss our charging decisions except to say that we can only file charges when we believe we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt.”

By Shiloh Ireland

September 16, 2022 (Lakeside) – On September 12, Hope for the Homeless Lakeside (www.hope4homelesslakeside.org) organized an outreach event held in the parking lot next to the Parks and Recreation Building in Lakeside. Also present was a mobile unit from the county, HHSA-Health and Human Service Agency and several deputies from the HART -Homeless Assistance Resource Team of the San Diego Sheriff Department.

Judy Scheuer (photo, right) is the executive director, spoke with East County Magazine about how she came to establish the organization to help homeless people in the community – help needed now more than ever, after the August 31 Willow Fire destroyed homeless encampments in the riverbed and one homeless man was found dead in a pond days earlier.

“Three years ago, it started as a grassroots effort; then I hired a homeless woman and then began taking water, food, blankets tents and also hauled out trash weekly in the riverbed,” she said.  “Showers were offered weekly and  Otay Mesa Detention Facility fixed broken bicycles for us.”  Now bicycles are going to be repaired by a resident she knows.

By Susan Taylor

Photo: Map of LMSV Trustee District 4

September 16, 2022 (La Mesa) -- A new trustee to the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board is needed. At the Board’s September 6 meeting, Sarah Rhiley, District 4 Trustee, announced her immediate resignation.  This left the Board with two ways to fill the vacancy.  It could hold a special election, or it could appoint a new School Board member.

 In a special meeting held on September 12, the board voted unanimously that an appointment will be made to fill out the remainder of Rhiley’s term through December 2024.

The process for applying to be appointed as trustee is posted on the LMSV website at https://www.lmsvschools.org/board/#board-vacancy. The application is available online and must be submitted no later than October 14 at 4:45 p.m to be considered.