Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

December 29, 2012 (Santee)—Jayme Midland, 25, was killed when the Volkswagen Beetle he was driving on State Route 52 was struck head-on by a Chevy pickup truck driving on the wrong side of the highway. 

The woman driving the truck suffered moderate injuries.  After treatment at Sharp Memorial hospital, she was arrested for gross vehiclular manslaughter while intoxicated. She has been booked into the Las Colinas Detention Facility, according to the California Highway Patrol.

 Midland,  a resident of Clairemont, was declared dead at the scene. The accident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on eastbound 52, just east of Mast Boulevard in Santee.

December 14, 2012 (Santee) -- The city of Santee dedicated on Tuesday, December 11 a 107-acre open space parcel along the San Diego River as a future public trail and parkway at a ceremony located at the 9600 block of Magnolia Avenue.

The event marked the transfer of the property from private to public ownership, a project spearheaded by the San Diego River Conservancy that was four years in the making.

“The San Diego River Conservancy is proud to have been the catalyst for the conservation of the Walker Property,” said Mike Nelson, executive officer for the San Diego River Conservancy. “It is a remarkable addition to a river park that will someday extend from the Cuyamaca Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

December 4, 2012 (Santee) - On November 1, 2012, the City of Santee started work to upgrade the City’s collision analysis software.  Funding for this program was provided by a $34,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The project will upgrade the City’s traffic collision analysis software to improve efficiency in collision data collection, analysis, and ultimately improve traffic safety. The grant will assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions. 

November 15, 2012 (Santee) – On October 29, Sportsplex USA will made a donation to the Santee School District Foundation in the amount of $1410.00.  Sportsplex USA and the Santee School District Foundation (SSDF) have partnered with the goal of offering affordable recreational youth indoor soccer programs to all parents and children in Santee.  Since the partnership with the SSDF began in January, 2012, Sportsplex USA has donated $4,510 to the Foundation after three successful youth recreational soccer seasons. 

By Miriam Raftery

November 13, 2012 (San Diego) – In Colorado and Washington, voters decided it's high time to legalize recreational marijuana use. But locally, voters in Lemon Grove, Imperial Beach and Solana Beach defeated initiatives that would have allowed medical marijuana dispensaries.

Labor scored a win in Escondido, where a charter city ballot proposition was defeated by a 47.29% to 42.71% margin. Meanwhile in In Santee, a bastion of conservatism, voters approved raising transient occupancy taxes for hotel guests and campers from 6% to 10%, a move expected to generate $239,000 in revenues.  

November 8, 2012  --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• Mayor-elect Filner: Everyone should be heard (UT San Diego)
• Election’s over. Now what’s ahead for Santee? (Santee Patch)
• Stieringers upset incumbents on school board, hospital board (La Mesa Patch)
• Voters reject pot initiatives in Lemon Grove and IB (UT San Diego)
• Runaway victor: Hunter claims 50th Congressional district race (Ramona Patch)
• Earthquakes, Faults and Misguided Development in San Diego (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• Public schools a big winner in election-statewide (UT San Diego)
• Blue Shield of California Refunds $50 Million To Consumers (KPBS)
• Election dominos could impact timing of supermajority in CA (SacBee)

October 27, 2012 (Santee) -- The Santee Sheriff's Station and Santee Fire Station invite you to the 14th Annual Santee Pancake Breakfast. It's a great way for people to get to know their local deputies, firefighters, neighbors, as well as help those in need. 



Money raised from the two-day breakfast will benefit two organizations. 

October 9, 2012 (Santee)--Santee's City Council will consider changing speed limits at its meeting on Wednesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. at Santee's City Hall, 10601 North Magnolia Avenue in Santee.

Editor's note: Also see video interviews with Santee mayoral and council candidates posted here.

By Nadin Abbott

September 20, 2012 (Santee)—Candidates for Santee’s City Council and Mayoral races met at the City Council complex for a candidate forum organized by the League of Women Voters and moderated by Dana Quitner. Mayor Randy Voepel squared off against Rudy Reyes, while long-time Councilman Jack Dale faced off against challenger Maggie Acerra.

The mostly-friendly debate touched on a series of issues of importance for the city. These ranged from the budget and how the end of redevelopment agencies has affected the city to public safety, including how the Cedar fire affected both Reyes and Voepel. Marijuana medical collectives, also a hot issue, drew some fiery responses.

August 6, 2012 (Santee)--A mountain lion has been reported in the 10700 block of Princess Arlene, a residential neighborhood in Santee.  Incident Page Network indicates that San Diego Sheriff and animal control officers are conducting a search of the area.

A mountain lion was also spotted days ago in an Alpine residential neighborhood.  Mountain lions are native to our region, though the normally shy animals are rarely seen.  Shooting a mountain lion is illegal in California, except in cases where a permit is obtained such as to address livestock predation.  Violators have faced stiff penalties.

Solar Shines Bright To Help San Diego Fight Construction Of Gas Power Plant 

July 25, 2012 (Santee) – San Diego’s Planning Commission voted last week against rezoning open space near Mission Trails Regional Park to install a gas-fired power plant. But the decision can be appealed at City Council.  Residents in Santee and San Diego have voiced strong opposition to the Quail Brush power plant on the site  bordering both communities. 

“We have created the San Diego Solar Program to offer a reliable clean energy solution that benefits our local communities,” said Daniel Sullivan, founder and president of Sullivan Solar Power. “Not only are program participants saving money and helping our region meet our energy demands, they are getting paid to do so.”

To help with declaring energy independence, a free San Diego Solar Program informational solar luncheon is being hosted for East County residents on Saturday, August 4, at 11 a.m. at Santee City Hall, Civic Building #7 (10601 Magnolia Ave, Santee, CA 92071).

• Catching up with San Diego’s legislators (San Diego CityBeat)
• Report: Padres to be sold to group including local golf star (10 News)
• Survey: Islam is San Diego County’s fastest growing religion (UT San Diego)
• Could economics doom ailing California nuclear plant? (Sacramento Bee)
• Santee among cities getting park grants (UT San Diego)
• Padre dam board settles on five-year  plan (UT San Diego)  
  
• ‘Appalled’ at Costs, Residents Slam Helix Water District Rate Hike Plan

• California growers join greens to query frack safety (Reuters)
• Legislature approves high speed rail spending (SF Gate)
• Historic bridges of Yosemite Valley under siege (Sacramento Bee)
• Study: What makes Californians smile? (News Service .org)
• College tuition is political fodder, from the state Legislature to the presidential campaign trail (Sacramento Bee)
  
• Rising costs push California cities to fiscal brink

July 2, 2012 (Santee) – Five office buildings on Riverview Parkway in Santee have been acquired by El Cajon-based San Diego Christian College, which plans to open a new campus in Santee.