MOVIES IN THE PARK: ON SCREEN AT PARKS COUNTYWIDE

RAIL SERVICE FROM SAN DIEGO TO ORANGE COUNTY RESTORED

EPA ALLOCATES HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR CLEANUP OF POLLUTED SITES IN EL CAJON

SEWAGE SPILLS CLOSES MORE LOCAL BEACHES AND BAYS

DOG KILLED AFTER ATTACKING DEA AGENT

MOTHER ARRESTED FOR CHILD ENDANGERMENT AFTER OVERDOSE IN EL CAJON MOTEL

LOVELAND RESERVOIR TO REOPEN MAY 30, SWEETWATER ANNOUNCES

RUNWAY CHARDONNAY FUNDRAISER MAY 27: MUSIC THERAPY FOR VETERANSRUNWAY CHARDONNAY FUNDRAISER MAY 27: MUSIC THERAPY FOR VETERANS

SWAT STANDOFF IN LEMON GROVE ENDS AS SUSPECT SURRENDERS

CONSTRUCTION COMMENCES AT JAMUL HOTEL

LA MESA COUNCILWOMAN'S FLAG-BAN IDEA SHREDDED BY PRO-LGBTQ SPEAKERS, DIE

COUNTY FIRE GIVES POOL ALARMS TO PROTECT FAMILIES

SDSU SOFTBALL FALLS AT UTAH IN NCAA SUPER REGIONAL

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

May 27, 2023 (Salt Lake City) - The San Diego State softball team dropped the second game of the best-of-three series in the NCAA Super Regional at No. 15 overall seed Utah Saturday afternoon at Dumke Family Softball Stadium. With the 10-1, five-inning loss, the Aztecs (39-16) and Utes (41-14) will play at noon MT (11 a.m. PT) Sunday for the right to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

CHECK TWICE FOR MOTORCYCLES; MAY IS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH

Source:  City of La Mesa

May 27, 2023 (La Mesa) - During May’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the La Mesa Police Department reminds drivers to always look twice for motorcycles. Safe riding and driving practices, and a shared responsibility from all road users, will help everyone get to their destination safely.

SHARE THE ROAD AND LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER DURING BICYCLE SAFETY MONTH

Source: City of La Mesa 

May 27, 2023 (La Mesa) - May is National Bicycle Safety Month and the La Mesa Police Department is encouraging more people to get active and safely take bike rides. “Bicycling is a great means of transportation and recreation,” Chief Ray Sweeney said. “Let’s look out for one another and make sure everyone arrives safely at their destination. Share the road and share the responsibility.”

MOVIES IN THE PARK: ON SCREEN AT PARKS COUNTYWIDE

By Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2023  (San Diego’s East County) – The County of San Diego is kicking off its annual movies in the park, which this year features 150 movies at dozens of parks across the County.  Bring the family—along with blankets and lawn chairs—to cozy up for a night under the stars.

The season opens this Memorial Day weekend at Waterfront Park downtown and runs through October.  East  County and inland locations include Anza Borrego,Campo, El Cajon, Encanto, Escondido, Julian , Lakeside,  La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Pine Valley,  Potrero, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Penasquitos, Rolando, San Carlos, and Spring Valley.

Theme weekends have also been scheduled, including Juneteenth (June 16 and 17), Comic-Con (July 21-22), Ladies Night (Aug. 12), International Dog Day (Aug. 25 and 26), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) and Halloween (late October).

RAIL SERVICE FROM SAN DIEGO TO ORANGE COUNTY RESTORED

East County News Service

May 27, 2023 (San Diego) – Rail service resumes today from San Diego to Orange County, after emergency workers stabilized a hillside north of the San Clemente pier that scattered debris onto the rail right-of-way below last month.

Both Metrolink and Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner are resuming service today,according to the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Find the latest updated train schedules at  metrolinktrains.com/service-update and  pacificsurfliner.com/alerts

The rail line is being reopened at the start of the Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start to summer and a popular time for travel by all modes, including rail.

EPA ALLOCATES HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR CLEANUP OF POLLUTED SITES IN EL CAJON

East County News Service

May 27, 2023 (El Cajon) – The Biden-Harris administration has announced over $4.8 million in grants to Southern California to cleanup polluted brown field sites and provide technical assistance. That includes a $500,000 grant to the East County Economic Development Council Foundation to address contamination cleanup in the city of El Cajon.

According to the EPA site, the target area for this grant is the 1.4-square-mile El Cajon Opportunity Zone Corridor. Priority sites include a 1.1-acre former commercial and lumber operation; a 3.06-acre former ice house, lumber operation, and garage; and several sites formerly used for auto repair centers, a dry cleaner, a gas station, and a current restaurant and motel.

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) says, “Safely cleaning up and reinvesting in properties with potentially hazardous materials strengthens our local tax base, promotes job growth, and protects public health and the environment. That’s why I’m so glad East County Economic Development Council Foundation will receive a much-needed $500,000 from the EPA to invest in properties and frontline communities that have been ignored and neglected for far too long.”

SEWAGE SPILLS CLOSES MORE LOCAL BEACHES AND BAYS

 

Warnings issued for beaches from North County to South Bay, impacting beach safety for humans and dogs

East County News Service

File photo by Tony Webster,Friendship Park sewage warning sign in Imperial Beach cc 2.0

May 27, 2023 (San Diego) – Sewage spills in Tijuana have contaminated many local beaches. Some South Bay beaches have been closed for months or more, including Imperial Beach and Tijuana Slough shoreline. Earlier this month, the Coronado shoreline was shutdown by county health officials, after earlier closing the Silver Strand.

This Memorial Day weekend, the county has also issued advisories warning consumers of pollution at the following beaches:

  • San Diego River Outlet – Dog Beach, Ocean Beach
  • North Cove, Vacation Isle
  • Oceanside Pier at Surfrider Way
  • Comfort Station at Leisure Lagoon
  • Fanuel Park
  • Fiesta Island Northwest Shoreline
  • San Elijo Lagoon
  • Childrens Pool

RUNWAY CHARDONNAY FUNDRAISER MAY 27: MUSIC THERAPY FOR VETERANSRUNWAY CHARDONNAY FUNDRAISER MAY 27: MUSIC THERAPY FOR VETERANS

May 26, 2023 (Lakeside) – Trevi Hills Winery in Lakeside will host “Runway Chardonnay” on Saturday, May 27 from  3 p.m. to 7 p.m. featuring wine, fashion and music.  The event is presented by Local Umbrella Media and  benefits Music Therapy for Veterans studio.

Floyd Armstrong will be entertaining with his smooth, baritone voice singing favorites while guests sip wine and feast their eyes on Dawn Sebaugh's new spring collection from WALA, a beautiful compilation one of a kind dresses inspired from her original art.

SDSU BASEBALL ELIMINATED BY FRESNO STATE AT MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS

Bulldogs hit a pair of two-run homers to sink Aztecs

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

May 26, 2023 (Fresno) - Second-seeded San Diego State was eliminated from the 2023 Mountain West Championship on Friday after suffering a 4-2 defeat to No. 4 seed Fresno State at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.

PHOTOS OF THE MONTH: BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE LAKESIDE RODEO

East County News Service

May 25, 2023 (Lakeside) – Shiloh Ireland took photos behind the scenes for two days leading up to the Lakeside  Rodeo last month.

 

Just eight seconds is considered a successful bull ride.  Bulls released into the arena briefly weighed between 1,800 to 2,000 pounds each. 

SWAT STANDOFF IN LEMON GROVE ENDS AS SUSPECT SURRENDERS

 

Update 3:15 p.m. -- The seven-hour SWAT standoff has ended. According to the Sheriff's Dept., the suspect, Brandon Andrade, walked out of the house and surrendered after deputies used chemical agents. Mental Health Clinicians with the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) will evaluate Andrade before he is booked into San Diego Central Jail. He is expected to face three counts of attempted murder charges. The evacuation notification and road closures will be lifted in an hour.

East County News Service

May 25, 2023 (Lemon Grove) – The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is working to peacefully resolve a SWAT standoff in Lemon Grove. A suspect has barricaded himself inside his home and is refusing to come out after firing multiple shots and injuring a neighbor. 

Skyline Drive between Longdale Drive and Palm Street is closed as deputies continue to negotiate with the suspect, who may have other weapons. Deputies evacuated eight homes in the neighborhood. Lemon Grove Early Childhood Education Center was also placed on lockdown as a precaution.

COUNTY FIRE GIVES POOL ALARMS TO PROTECT FAMILIES

 

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by Alex Aguirre

May 25, 2023 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Fire Protection District is giving out more than 400 pool alarms to help prevent drownings as part of Health and Safe Swimming Week (May 22 through 28). The alarms can offer notification when a child or pet falls into a pool. The alarms will be available to households in the San Diego County or Deer Springs Fire Protection Districts.

LA MESA COUNCILWOMAN'S FLAG-BAN IDEA SHREDDED BY PRO-LGBTQ SPEAKERS, DIE

By Ken Stone,Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  La Mesa Councilwoman Laura Lothian, seeing no chance of council OK, made no motion for her policy proposal. Image via Facebook

May 25, 2023 (La Mesa) - La Mesa Councilwoman Laura Lothian ran a proposal up the flagpole but saw it shot down in a hail of public scorn and derision.

THE CASE OF THE FRENCH FRY PHANTOM

By Erik Christopher Martin

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

May 25, 2023 (San Diego) -- The small town of Elderton is in crisis. French fries and other forms of potatoes are disappearing from kitchens. The thief seems invisible in San Diego author Erik Christopher Martin’s latest children’s book, The Case of the French Fry Phantom.

COUNTY BOARD APPROVES WORKPLACE JUSTICE FUND

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 25, 2023 (San Diego) - Local victims of wage theft can turn to a County Workplace Justice Fund for help while trying to regain their lost wages.

The Board of Supervisors approved the introduction of an ordinance Tuesday which would put $100,000 into the new fund.

SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORT ADDING AN UNINCORPORATED AREA ADVISORY SEAT TO SANDAG BOARD

 

Action seeks to expand representation for a half million residents in County's unincorporated areas

East County News Service

Map courtesy of the County of San Diego

May 25, 2023 (San Diego)--  On May 23, San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution to support adding representation from the unincorporated area to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Board of Directors. This board action was introduced by Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Supervisor Joel Anderson, both of whom represent the County on the SANDAG Board.

The County’s unincorporated communities are home to more than half-a-million people, making them the region’s second largest population group behind only the City of San Diego. Geographically, the vast majority of the county lies within unincorporated areas.

WANT TO RUN FOR SUPERVISOR IN SPECIAL ELECTION? DEADLINE TO PULL PAPERS IS FRIDAY

Three candidates are running to replace Nathan Fletcher so far

By Miriam Raftery

 

Photo, left to right: Monica Montgomery Steppe, Amy Reichert,and Janessa Goldbeck

 

May 24, 2023 (San Diego) – Supervisors have authorized an Aug. 15 special primary election to fill the vacancy in District 4 left by Nathan Fletcher’s resignation Candidates must file paperwork to run at the Registrar of Voters’ office between May 30 and June 6, though if they wish to submit signatures instead of a filing fee, they must pick up those forms by this Friday.  If no candidate wins a majority of votes in the primary, then a general election will be held on Nov. 7.

 

District 4 includes the East County communities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove,  Crest, Dehesa, Casa de Oro, Spring Valley, Mt. Helix, and Rancho San Diego as well as San Diego neighborhoods including Clairemont, Hillcrest, Balboa Park, North Park, Bankers Hill,  Old Town, Mission Hills, Normal Heights, University Heights, Oak Park, Valencia Park, Encanto, Bay Terraces, Paradise Hills, Birdland, SerraMesaCivita, and parts of Grantville, City Heights, Rolando, Azalea Park, Chollas Creek, Rolando Park, Kensington, Talmadge, Mid-City, Montezuma Mesa, SDSU and Mission Valley.

BOARD PAVES WAY TO LEVERAGE STATE HOMEKEY AND LOCAL FUNDING FOR NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 24, 2023 (San Diego) - County Supervisors approved setting aside $32 million in state and County funds Tuesday to help quickly create housing for people experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of homelessness and $4.6 million a year in services to support them.

FENTANYL ENFORCEMENT SURGE RESULTS IN MASSIVE INCREASE IN SEIZURES AND ARRESTS

Photo: U.S. Attorney Andy Grossman, San Diego

Source: U.S. Attorney’s office

May 23, 2023 (San Diego) -- Law enforcement leaders today announced that an unprecedented two-month fentanyl-enforcement surge along the southwest border has resulted in the seizure of about 4,721 pounds of fentanyl, 1,700 pounds of fentanyl precursors and more than 200 arrests of alleged smugglers, traffickers and dealers within the Southern and Central Districts of California.

ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN!

 

American Carnage:Shattering the Myths That Fuel Gun Violence, by Thomas Gabor and Fred Guttenberg (Mango Publishing Group, Coral Gables, Fl., 2023, 228 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

 

May 26, 2023 (San Diego) – Criminologist Tom Gabor and activist Fred Guttenberg, who lost his 14-year old daughter Jaime in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, team up to dismantle some of the leading myths on guns and gun violence in their groundbreaking book and treatise; American Carnage: Shattering the Myths That Fuel Gun Violence. Many of these myths have been promoted by the the gun lobby to facilitate gun sales and normalize the presence of guns in American society.

This extraordinary book resonates with me in a profound and personal way, for I am a survivor of gun violence myself, along with two of my sons, and in my more than 400 book reviews written, American Carnage has impacted my psyche more than any other. This book touches my heart and soul!

ATTORNEY GENERAL BONTA ANNOUNCES LAWSUIT AGAINST TELECOMMUNICATIONS CO. OVER BILLIONS OF ILLEGAL SCAM ROBOCALLS

577 Million Robocalls made to CA phones on National Do Not Call Registry, including Medicare and Social Security scams

May 23, 2023 (Sacramento)-- California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general, announced a lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly making billions of unlawful robocalls in California and across the nation.. Those robocalls included Social Security Administration scams, Medicare scams, and employment scams; two robocall examples can be found here and here

Today’s complaint is the result of efforts by the nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, which Attorney General Bonta helped launch last year and is charged with taking legal action against telecommunications companies that perpetuate robocall traffic.

WHO KILLED CLAUDETTE POWERS? GENETIC GENEOLOGY IDENTIFIES MURDER VICTIM FOUND IN WARNER SPRINGS CAMPGROUND 37 YEARS AGO

Male body found at same campground remains unidentified, may be related

East County News Service

May 23, 2023 (Warner Springs) — A body found near campsites on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation in Warner Springs on Feb. 16, 1986 has been identified through genetic genealogy as Claudette Jean Zebolsky Powers.

LABOR STRIKE DISRUPTS BUS SERVICE IN EAST COUNTY AND SOUTH BAY

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Tom Abbott

May 23, 2023 (San Diego) -- A work stoppage is currently in effect at the South Bay Bus Division, East County Bus Division, and Copley Park Division due to a strike called after negotiations between Transdev/First Transit and employees broke down.

MTS cautions, “Please plan for limited or no service to the following routes, effective immediately, and until further notice.”

ANIMAL SERVICES LAUNCHES OPERATION DOUBLE RESCUE

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Enzo, our campaign poster dog, is available for adoption at the County's Carlsbad animal shelter

May 23, 2023 (San Diego) - Sometimes someone rescues an animal and later realizes the animal rescued them right back.

In a salute to military members, veterans and their families, the County Department of Animal Services is offering them free animal adoptions May 26 through May 28. The department is taking part in the Animals for Armed Forces special adoption event over the Memorial Day weekend.

QUARANTINES IMPOSED AS VSV LIVESTOCK DISEASE SPREADS ACROSS REGION

Disease can affect all hooved livestock and can also spread to humans

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2023 (San Diego) – Fifteen properties in San Diego County are under quarantine by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, after six cases of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) have been confirmed in San Diego County and testing is underway on another nine suspected local cases, according to the USDA website on the disease. There are also two confirmed cases and two suspected cases in Riverside County, where four properties are quarantined.  These are the only areas in the U.S. with current cases of VSV.

 The first local case in this outbreak occurred May 17 in Ramona, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. While all of the local cases so far are in horses, the disease can also afflict donkeys, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas or other hooved livestock.

The quarantines will  last at least 14 days after the last known case.  However blisters on mouths and hooves can take up to two months to resolve.The quarantines mean no transporting animals to or from the impacted properties will be allowed until a veterinarian has cleared animals for travel.  Some states and livestock events such as horse shows may prohibit animals from the impacted areas from participating even if there is no known exposure, so check with show organizers before traveling to any livestock even

NEW BASKETBALL COURTS OPEN MAY 25 AT WELLS PARK

Source: City of El Cajon

Image: CC by SA

May 22, 2023 (El Cajon) - New basketball courts at Wells Park (1153 E Madison Ave, El Cajon) will open on May 25 with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. The 18-acre park was built in 1953 and is in the middle of the City’s most population-dense residential housing area.

SDSU SOFTBALL BEATS LIBERTY 6-3 TO ADVANCE TO FIRST NCAA SUPER REGIONALS

 

Source:  goaztecs.com

Video courtesy goaztecs.com

May 22, 2023 (Los Angeles) - The San Diego State softball team homered three times to rally for a 6-3 victory over Liberty Sunday afternoon and claim the NCAA Los Angeles Regional at Easton Stadium. With the win, the Aztecs (38-15) advanced to their first NCAA Super Regionals in program history and will play at No. 15 overall seed Utah next weekend. 

DESTINATION EAST COUNTY: TOP FESTIVALS AND EVENTS MAY 25-JUNE 30

East County News  Service

May 22, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Concerts, comedy, a Flag Day parade, a musical play, food festivals, a pride walk, and a library fundraiser are all coming up in San Diego’s inland region during late May and June. 

Scroll down for full details on these and more festive events coming up.

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