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Our Rural section covers most San Diego County's inland communities south of I-8 to the border including Alpine, Barrett Junction, Boulevard, Campo, Deerhorn Valley, Dehesa, Dulzura, Jamul, Japatul, Lake Morena, Otay, Potrero, and Spring Valley.
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Our Mountain Living section covers the mountain communities in San Diego's East County north of I-8 including Aguanga, Cuyamaca, Descanso, Guatay, Julian, Mount Laguna, Pine Valley, Ranchita, Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley and Warner Springs.
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Our deserts section covers the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Borrego Springs, Ocotillo, Ocotillo Wells and Jacumba.
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
July 4, 2025 (El Cajon) – You’re welcome to join in the spirit of London at the 47th annual Haute with Heart Fashion Show benefiting the nonprofit St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center in El Cajon.
This fashion show on Saturday, August 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will display a vivacious showcase of flowing champagne, live music, silent auction, fashion, indulgent shopping and a delicious luncheon.
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July 4, 2025 (Ramona) -- A nice place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of San Diego and escape to the countryside is Ramona, especially when you are walking around and enjoying the lavender fields at the new Camel Valley Lavender Farm on Old Julian Highway.
It is next to the Oasis Camel Dairy and getting to see many of the 21 camels that live there is an added bonus!
Gil Riegler founded Oasis Camel Dairy twenty years ago with his wife, Nancy. They opened up Camel Valley Lavender last year.
According to the website, Camel Valley Lavender gets its name from its spectacular view. Camels graze on their native grass pasture while beautiful views of the Santa Ysabel mountains rise in the background, making the lavender fields a serene experience.
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Pam Baker and her granddaughter Grace Baker at Pizzabilities in Alpine
Story and photos by Karen Pearlman
July 2, 2025 (Alpine) – Any way you slice it, Pizzabilities, Alpine’s newest addition to the culinary scene, is about to serve the community in some of the most delicious and unexpected ways.
While Pizzabilities serves delicious pies, it is not your typical pizza joint. About half of its staff are people with special needs who have intellectual, physical or other challenges.
The fast-casual restaurant employs more than two dozen employees who serve in various roles. All workers wear bright orange t-shirts with “Pizzabilities, Pizza With Purpose” on the front and “Where Pizza and Abilities Rise Together” on the back -- and they also wear brighter smiles.
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July 4, 2025 (Spring Valley) -- San Diego County Animal Services is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person responsible for a horrific act of animal cruelty in Spring Valley.
On July 2 around 5:45 p.m., witnesses observed a red and brown Doberman being dragged behind a vehicle traveling at an estimated 30 miles per hour near the 9100 block of Edgewood Drive in Spring Valley. Witnesses reported that the dog was flipping over while being dragged, and that the driver appeared to laugh and ignored bystanders’ attempts to intervene. The incident continued for several minutes along Bancroft Drive.
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July 3, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – You’re invited to step into the splendor of the Jazz Age at a Roaring Twenties Fashion Show event benefitting the Lemon Grove Forward Club and the Southern District Women’s Club.
The event on Saturday, September 27 will feature a glamourous day of style and community purpose featuring a luncheon and silent auction. Dress to dazzle in your best 1920s-inspired attire.
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Board will consider how to fill vacancy at its July 17 meeting
By Miriam Raftery
July 3, 2025 (La Mesa) – After more than 30 years of dedicated service, Grossmont Healthcare District Board Member Gloria Chadwick, RN has submitted her resignation from the Board of Directors, effective June 30, 2025. Director Chadwick has been a steadfast advocate for healthcare access, mental health, and the advancement of nursing and community wellness throughout East San Diego County.
“We are incredibly grateful for Director Chadwick’s longstanding commitment and her tireless efforts to serve the people of East San Diego County,” said Aaron Byzak, Interim CEO of the Grossmont Healthcare District. “Her leadership and voice will be missed.”
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July 3, 2025 (El Cajon) – A motorcyclist killed in a solo vehicle collision on June 23 has been identified as Kevin Kim Webb, 46, of El Cajon.
According to the California Highway Patrol, his motorcycle struck a center median on I-8 westbound, east of Greenfield Drive in El Cajon.
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Photo: Mount Miguel High School teacher/librarian Jason Balistreri, Lauren Cazares, GEA Vice President Stephanie Macecca, Colin Parent, GEA President James Messina, and teacher Jay Steiger
July 3, 2025 (La Mesa) – On June 29, supporters of efforts to recall trustees of the Grossmont Union High School District gathered at Aztec Park. The mobilization effort focused on gathering signatures of those who live in Area 2 of the Grossmont Union High School District in order to recall board trustee Scott Eckert.
Speakers accused the GUHSD governing board of violating public trust and utilizing power to punish political adversaries or those viewed as “disloyal” to their personal agendas and ideologies.
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July 3, 2025 (El Cajon) – The driver of a red Tesla has been charged with multiple felonies including murder. He is accused of “intentionally” rear-ending a motorcycle, killing its driver who was from Chula Vista.
The Tesla then struck a 2012 black Ram 1500 driven by an El Cajon man, 24. Six occupants in the Ram suffered minor to moderate injuries and were transported to hospitals.
The deadly incident occurred June 30 around 8:03 p.m. on southbound I-805, north of Telegraph Canyon Road.
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Horses relax at Alpine Acres Sanctuary Farm (Courtesy photo)
By Hoa Quach, Times of San Diego
July 2, 2025 (Alpine) -- San Diego Animal Sanctuary & Farm, a 20-acre animal sanctuary in Alpine with nearly 200 rescued animals, this week announced a new name and brand identity: Alpine Acres Sanctuary Farm.
The new name reflects the nonprofit’s primary work, as well as highlighting its regenerative farm, while also best communicating its location. The reason for the name and brand change is the result of a settlement lawsuit with another local not-for-profit in the area.
Alpine Acres Sanctuary Farm™ rolled out its new name June 25 with the full switch by July 15.
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July 1, 2025 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon Police Department detectives arrested a parolee in possession of a firearm, narcotics and ammunition on June 26, following a surveillance operation.
According to Lieutenant Will Guerin, detectives observed 26-year-old Hector Ruiz Rico standing near a vehicle in a parking lot. placing items into both the trunk and cabin of the vehicle. Detectives recognized Rico as a parolee on active California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole for a robbery conviction.
Uniformed El Cajon Police Department officers made contact with Rico at the scene. During a parole compliance search of Rico and the vehicle, officers located a shotgun, ammunition, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
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June 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A 28-year-old man is charged with vehicular homicide and felony driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, after a deadly head-on collision in Lemon Grove last night.
Sheriff’s deputies responded shortly before 8 p.m. to the crash in the 8400 block of Broadway, where they found the suspect beside a blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with major front-end damage. According to Sergeant William Price, the man was “determined to be the driver and sole occupant of the blue truck at the time of the collision and had the strong odor of alcohol emanating from his breath and person.”
The sergeant adds ,”During the initial investigation, two open alcoholic beverages were found within the pickup, and a canister of nitrous oxide was located on the ground between the male and his truck.”
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June 30, 2025 (Santee) -- Sheriff's Deputies and Santee Fire personnel responded to a report of a fire near the Walmart on Town Center Parkway in Santee around 6:32 p.m. on June 28. As deputies were driving to the location, a second witness called Sheriff's Dispatch and reported they watched a man set fire to contents of a trashcan just outside the Walmart parking lot.
Deputies arrived on scene and detained the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Ryan Crist, says Lieutenant Thomas Fletcher.
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June 29, 2025 (Ramona) -- After nearly five months of rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, a young mountain lion injured in a vehicle strike has been successfully released back into the wild.
The male mountain lion, estimated to be around 10 months old, was released by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) into a remote location of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County on June 17.
He was transferred to San Diego Humane Society on January 15 after being hit by a vehicle 4 days earlier and receiving emergency veterinary care at Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital in Orange County.
He was suffering from a skull fracture, head and eye trauma, and lameness in his left hind leg.
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Tents for U.S. Marines set up outside of the Campo Border Patrol Station in eastern San Diego County on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters here
East County News Services
June 29, 2025 (Campto) -- Dozens of Marines are now assigned to a Border Patrol station in eastern San Diego County, a new development that points to the Trump administration’s military buildup on the southern border.
Some Marines there told CalMatters on Wednesday that they are out in Campo patrolling the border twice a day.
That’s a change from how Marines have operated in Southern California since President Trump took office. Until now, Marines have been limited to a supporting role, adhering to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which keeps the armed forces away from civilian law enforcement.
But Trump has long hinted at using the armed forces in unprecedented ways at the border to deal with what he describes as “an invasion.”
And recently, the Trump administration shifted immigration enforcement northward toward the interior of California. Border Patrol agents have been seen chasing farmworkers through strawberry fields in Oxnard and swarming workers in unmarked cars at bus stops in inner-city Los Angeles.
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June 28,2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police have arrested three men and a juvenile for attempting to kill a teen boy, 17, insider Spencer’s at Parkway Plaza on June 24.
“One suspect pointed a handgun at the victim’s head and appeared to pull the trigger,” says Lieutenant Will Guerin. Fortunately, the weapon jammed and did not fire.
All four suspects fled the scene. El Cajon Police detectives reviewed surveillance footage, which confirmed the assault and attempted murder. According to Lt. Guerin, the video clearly identified the suspects as Abraham Rodriguez, 19, Isidro Vazquez, 24, and Jermaine Taylor, 23, along with a 16-year-old male juvenile who was the shooter.
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June 27, 2025 (Lakeside) -- The Lakeside Firefighters are hosting a $5 pancake breakfast on Saturday, June 28 at Lakeside Fire Station 2.
The breakfast of pancakes as well as sausage, eggs, orange juice and coffee, will be served from 8 a.m. until noon at the station at 12216 Lakeside Ave.
At the event, there will be games and opportunity drawings as well as fire engines on display.
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June 26, 2025 (San Diego) – The fate of public access to the Water Conservation Garden in Rancho San Diego is a little less certain after another partner, the San Diego County Water Authority, on Thursday voted to withdraw its funding and participation from the Water Conservation Authority, operators of the Water Conservation Garden.
The Garden is a six-acre site focused on natural resource conservation and sustainability. It was initially funded starting in 1990 and opened with strong backing during an era of major drought issues in 1999. A demonstration site for water-wise landscaping that offers programming reaching across the county, The Garden had been receiving support from the SDCWA since 2001.
Combined with the exit of backing earlier this year from the financially strapped city of San Diego, The Garden now looks to lose 1/3 of its funding.
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Photo at Forester Creek in Santee by Karen Pearlman
East County News Services
June 27, 2025 (Santee) -- If you care about the environment and don't mind getting a little dirty, then a clean up at Forester Creek may be the perfect fit for you!
The San Diego River Park Foundation is having a cleanup event from 8 to 11 a.m., Saturday, June 28 at Forester Creek as part of the group's monthly Community River Clean-ups.
Volunteers are needed to work outdoors with like-minded community members to help remove thousands of pounds of trash. The three-hour event is part of a regular schedule of cleanups hosted around San Diego County by the foundation.
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Fishing expeditions like this man's at San Vicente Reservoir will continue uninterrupted after fears of budget cuts within the city of San Diego that would have cut hours and days at a group of lakes and reservoirs were quelled. Photo by Karen Pearlman
By Karen Pearlman
June 25, 2025 (San Diego) --Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts are celebrating after the San Diego City Council voted Monday to keep the city's lakes and reservoirs open, overriding some of Mayor Todd Gloria’s budget vetoes.
The council voted 6-3 to adopt a $6 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-26, partially rejecting Gloria’s proposed cuts aimed at closing a $350 million deficit — one of the largest in city history.
Among the restorations: funding for recreation programs at city reservoirs, partial support for wildfire prevention, nearly $1 million in community grant funds for councilmembers and $450,000 for racial equity initiatives.
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June 25, 2025 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove’s summer concert series kicks off at Berry Street Park (7071 Mt. Vernon in Lemon Grove) each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The series opens June 26 with a DJ and Karaoke and runs through August 7, concluding with the Bayou Brothers playing Cajun, Zydeco and blues.
In between, perfromers include Stacy Anne and the Master Plan with modern country, variety with the Harana Band, The New Catillacs playing classic rock and vintage hits from the ‘50s through ‘80s, and ‘90s music with the Platinum Beat.
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The Navy Southwest Band, shown here in 2013, is a regular part of the Sundays at Six summer concert series in La Mesa. (Photo by Karen Pearlman)
East County News Services
June 25, 2025 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa's Sundays at Six summer concert series continues this Sunday, June 29, with variety dance band Breez'n taking the stage from 6 to 7 p.m. at Harry Griffen Park.
This Sunday's free concert will also include the crowning of Miss La Mesa 2025, a person who will take over for the current Miss La Mesa, Samantha Luevano.
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June 21, 2025 (San Diego) - - On June 26, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) will vote on a staff recommendation to end its sponsorship and funding for the Water Conservation Garden.
The Garden says accessibility to the public is at risk if SDCWA withdraws, and started an online petition campaign to request that an option to stay, be added to the Committee's agenda. The petition has received 1,319 signatures in its first 24 hours. One can also send an email addressed to committee members via their clerk at kwalker@sdcwa.org.
The proposal to end SDCWA’s support of the Garden will go first to the Administration and Finance Committee at 9 a.m. which will consider two options: to withdraw, or to withdraw and donate $150,000 over the next two years. The result of the Committee's vote will then move to a list of consent items at the full SDCWA Board meeting at 2p.m.
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June 22, 2025 (Lakeside) -- Cal Fire Captain Robert Johnson discusses firefighting efforts in the Monte Fire in Lakeside, during an interview yesterday with Shiloh Ireland.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
June 23, 2025 -- Photographer Shiloh Ireland provided this video of Lakeside residents Sarah Ann WIlson and BIlly Ortiz unfurling a banner to thank firefighters who worked tirelessly to protect homes and halt the Monte Fire in Lakeside's El Monte Valley.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
By Heidi Hope 
By Mimi Pollack
Horses relax at Alpine Acres Sanctuary Farm (Courtesy photo)
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
Story and photos via San Diego Humane Society
Tents for U.S. Marines set up outside of the Campo Border Patrol Station in eastern San Diego County on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)
East County News Services
Photo and story by Karen Pearlman
East County News Service
June 22, 2025 (Lakeside) -- Cal Fire Captain Robert Johnson discusses firefighting efforts in the Monte Fire in Lakeside, during an interview yesterday with Shiloh Ireland. 
East County News Service
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