Update 5 p.m. A new fire is reported in the Carlton Hills area of Santee.  For timely updates visit www.Twitter.com and follow ViejasAlerts.  As of 5:30 p.m., 5 acres have burned in Santee from a blaze that started in the San Diego River bed.  Forward spread was stopped at the Carlton Hills golf course with help from four helicopters droping water before the fire reached 125.  Fences were burned but no structures were damaged. There were no injuries.

The Ramona fire has been extinguished.

April 29, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A full wildland response by Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service has been ordered for a vegetation fire that reportedly began in a compost pile in Ramona.  Heartland Fire is also on the scene.

The fire is burning near Dye Road and Ramona Street, between Highway 67 and San Vicente.   View map:https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dye+Rd+%26+Ramona+St/@33.0083989,-116.8796472,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80dbe6729949d82d:0xfecc04e91f9678d1

April 8, 2014 (Ramona)--Aviation enthusiasts and war history buffs will enjoy an exciting display at Ramona Airport when the Wings of Freedom Tour flies into town this month. World War II aircraft, including the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and P-51 Mustang, will be on display April 23 to 25 at 2898 Montecito Rd., Ramona.

March 29, 2014(Ramona) The Ramona Valley Vineyard Association (RVVA) elected Vintner Micole Moore, of Ramona Ranch Winery to serve as President of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association for 2014.   The RVVA represents nearly100 vineyards and wineries, with the Ramona Valley AVA recently named the fastest emerging wine-region in California.  Located approximately 35 miles NE of San Diego, the Ramona Valley is nestled in the front range of the Pacific coastal mountains of Southern California and has a rich history of vineyards and wine making, dating back to the early missions.  Hot days and cool nights, influenced by the coastal marine layer and fog, contribute to conditions that produce quality wine grapes in the Ramona Valley.

March 16, 2014 (Barona) – Graciela Bustos, 53, of Ramona died at a local hospital of injuries sustained earlier in the evening on March 15 in a head-on collision.  The crash occurred at 6:37 p.m. on Wildcat Canyon Road on the Barona reservation.

The vehicle that swerved over the center line and caused the deadly crash was reportedly driven by a Barona tribal enforcement officer who was on duty at the time, a Cal Fire official told the Ramona Sentinel.  Bustos was a passenger and was wearing a seatbelt, the Medical Examiner reports. The driver of the vehicle carrying Bustos was seriously injured, sustaining injuries to his face, arm, leg and hip, according to the Ramona Sentinel.

By Miriam Raftery

March 3, 2014 (Ramona) – A man with a felony warrant who is also suspected of a vehicle theft in Ramona fled from deputies but eluded capture this evening,  according to Lt. Hank Turner.

February 14, 2014 (Ramona)—Matilda Abaez, 42, has been arrested after residents found her inside a neighbor’s garage and called  for help.  Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a burglary in progress shortly before 2 p.m. today in the 200 block of Kalbaught Street, Ramona.

By Miriam Raftery

January 16, 2014 (Ramona) – The County is considering changes to its zoning ordinance for boutique and small wineries.  But local vintners say the added regulation could crush our region’s growing wine-making industry.  Concerned winery owners are meeting tonight to discuss the issues.  View latest revisions here. On Friday at 10 a.m., a meeting with County planners will be held in the County Operations Center, 5520 Overland Road San Diego in the Planning Commission chambers.

Teri Kerns is president of Ramona Ranch Winery and editor of the Ramona Valley Wine Region Magazine.   In a letter to Joseph Farace at the County’s Planning and Development Services, she writes that the proposed changes “will destroy our new industry” if adopted and would be “the most restrictive grape-growing, farming, and wine-making ordinance in California.”

By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2013 (Ramona)--After 20 years, Hawk Watch, a popular wildlife educational program in Ramona featuring  hawks, owls and eagles, has been cancelled for 2014 .  Visitors can still go birdwatching on their own at the Ramona Grasslands  Preserve, but there will be no organized presentations or up-close looks at captive birds of prey.

 Wildlife Research Institute, which ran the program, announced the cancellation on its website with no explanation.  But the decision likely stems from trouble raising funds for the nonprofit after news broke that its founder, David Bittner, was sentenced in federal court  in August after pleading guilty to unlawful taking  a Golden Eagle without a permit and failing to file any data reports for a four-year period on birds that he had banded.

Our November shows are now online—including special reports on East County issues, interviews with top newsmakers, local musicians, authors, colorful characters and people making a positive difference in our community. Click here for a list of our November shows and guests with links to listen online.

You can also hear our show live when it airs on KNSJ 89.1 FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. and reruns Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9 a.m.  Or listen live online during those hours at www.KNSJ.org.

November 28, 2013 (Ramona) – Two of East County’s more unusual holiday traditions will take place this Saturday in Ramona.   The public is invited to bring new toys, clothes, gift cards, household items or donations  to the Holiday House Motorcycle Run, which helps the Ambassadors Foundation benefit children, senior citizens, military members and animals.  Later , the Ramona Trails Association and San Vicente Saddle Club will hold a Turkey Trot for outdoor enthusiasts, with a potluck lunch at Hellenback winery.

November 17, 2013 (Ramona) – A Ramona resident and a transient have been arrested for the attempted murder of a San Diego Police officer in Poway last night after shots were fired during a traffic stop.

October 31, 2013 (Ramona) – Danny Shaw, a convicted sex offender, was arrested this evening for annoying children and slipping candy into a child’s bag at the Ramona Chamber of Commerce’s Main Street Trick or Treat event.

By Miriam Raftery

October 18, 2013 (Ramona) – At the Tournament of the Phoenix in Poway this weekend, Ramona resident Jeffrey Hedgecock is one of six competitors from around the world vying for glory in a global jousting competition.  These armored competitors joust with real weapons—unlike the mock battles at Renaissance fairs.  The action takes place October 18-20 at the Poway Rodeo Grounds.

“This is an honest competition, a true competition. It’s not staged; it’s not fake,” noted Hedgecock, who makes his living as an armor maker and has won several international competitions, most recently in France.  The  Tournament features medieval sporting competitions as well as a living history encampment, vendors, food and more.

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2013 (Ramona) – A woman accused of murdering her mother has entered a not guilty plea.  The body of Mehria Mansury, 79, an Afghan immigrant, was found  in a field near San Vicente and Wildcat Canyon Road east of Barona Casino last week. 

Mansury was a resident of Serra Mesa. She  was last seen September 23 and was reported missing on September 25. Relatives told authorities that they feared her daughter, who has a criminal record, could be involved, ECM news partner 10 News reported.

September 30, 2013 (Ramona) – With the federal government nearing a shutdown, Supervisor Dianne Jacob and Supervisor Ron Roberts have issued a press statement emphasizing the importance of keeping the Ramona Airport traffic control tower open. The Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year targeted the facility – a hub of aerial firefighting operations -- for closure due to sequestration, but extended the funding to October 1.  In recent weeks, the FAA has not publicly disclosed its plans for the tower and the looming shutdown is heightening worries about the facility’s future.