East County News Service

March 15, 2026 (Lakeside) – Lake Jennings invites you to enter your best photos taken at Lake Jennings between April 1 and April 30, 2026.  “Lights, camera… lake life! Show us your best lake adventures, wildlife sightings, epic catches, and golden sunsets,” the lake’s post on Facebook reads.

East County News Service

March 14, 2026 (Alpine) – Dog and cat food, treats, grooming supplies, new pet toys, feeding bowls, beds, blankets, crates/carriers, leashes, collars, litter boxes and litter are among the items sought to help pets in need. You can drop off items on April 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Viejas Pit Stop, 5454 Willows Road in Alpine.

East County News Service

March 14, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – An extreme heat watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for San Diego County over the next week. Temperatures will start to climb Sunday, with high temperatures 20 to 30 degrees above normal starting Tuesday. By mid-week, temperatures above 100 degrees are forecast, with potential to break record high temperatures.

There is a high risk for heat-related illnesses for people, pets and livestock. Stay well hydrated and avoid outdoor activities during the heat wave. Those without access to air conditioning can visit a county library, community center, or indoor mall.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 12, 2026 (San Diego) -- The Registrar of Voters is now hiring poll workers for the June 2 Gubernatorial Primary Election. Poll workers play an essential role in elections and can receive a daily stipend while serving their community.

By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

Photo:  San Lorenzo High School teacher Judy Smith teaches her third period government class in San Lorenzo on Dec. 3, 2024, as they develop civic action infographics on topics ranging from gun violence to vaping. Smith’s students will submit their final projects to the KQED Youth Media Challenge which will publish the infographics online to share how students see themselves, their world and their future. Photo by Florence Middleton for CalMatters

March 11, 2026 (Sacramento) - The national political climate may be polarized and combative, but California is taking steps to ensure K-12 students learn to have respectful debates, get involved in their communities and understand their rights. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via U.S. Navy: F/A-18E Super Hornet on flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026. 

March 10, 2026 (Washington D.C.) – Ten days after the U..S. began bombing Iran, the Pentagon announced today that approximately 140 U.S. service members have been wounded, including eight with life-threatening injuries.  Seven U.S. military members have been killed as a result of Operation Fury,  the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the Mideast.

Residents, gardeners should take precautions to protect against deadly disease transmitted by snails, slugs, and animals that ingest them

By Miriam Raftery

March 9, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a brain-eating parasite, has been found for the first time in San Diego County. It can be transmitted to humans, pets and wildlife with potentially deadly results. It was found in 10 opossums taken in by wildlife rescuers across the county that were euthanized after falling ill. The locations where the opossums were found include La Mesa, the College Area, Bonita, Peñasquitos, Cardiff by the Sea, Carlsbad, Point Loma, and San Diego. In addition, rat lungworm was also found in three rats and a wallaby at the San Diego Zoo.

East County News Service

March 9, 2026 (Spring Valley) – Two people have been arrested for possession of methamphetamines following a traffic stop for an expired vehicle registration.  Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station conducted the traffic stop shortly before 2 a.m. on a vehicle driving on State Route 125 near Jamacha Road. 

By Dennis Moore

March 9, 2026 (San Diego) -- As the former and retired Bookshelf Editor of the East County Magazine in San Diego, as well as a former member of Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Operation P.U.S.H. in Chicago, I am honored to share memories of this visionary, and to include some close and poignant meetings and involvement with this man.

Chicago, was and still is a city of political activism, that the Reverend Jesse Jackson was involved in, and I hope to share my involvement in that political and civil rights activism. Jesse Jackson came along at a time when the City of Chicago, as well as the world itself needed him. There is possibly no other person in life that has an aura or makeup as this man!

By Paul Levikow 

March 7, 2026 (San Diego) – Saying “we have to win or we will die trying,” Democratic community organizer Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla yesterday announced her candidacy for Congress in California District 52, challenging incumbent Rep. Juan Vargas. Under Prop 50 redistrict, the new district spans the entire southern portion of San Diego County, from Chula Vista east to Jacumba.

March 6, 2026 (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 round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• San Diego gas prices surge amid Middle East tensions (Times of San Diego)
• Lithium-ion battery fire at SDSU leaves at least one student injured (Times of San Diego)
• ICE in San Diego is monitoring activists through Operation Road Flare (Daylight San Diego)
• Tijuana businesses reopen, yet residents remain cautious following cartel attacks (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Joe Musgrove completes another step on path to recovery from 2024 surgery (Times of San Diego)
• CBP’s Request for All San Diego County Parcel Data Raises Questions Among Officials (Newschunks)
• ICE agents deny US Senator, San Diego County supervisors access to Otay Mesa immigrant detention center (KPBS)
• .Federal agents detain immigration court observers in downtown San Diego (KPBS)
• County launches aging dashboard as senior population grows (KPBS)
• He saw an abandoned trailer. Then, he uncovered a surveillance network on California’s border (KPBS)

STATE

• California’s next insurance commissioner will have ‘brutal’ balancing act (Cal Matters)
• 8 dead in Tahoe avalanche; victims include moms of Sugar Bowl youth team skiers (Sacramento Bee)
• Bernie Sanders kicks off billionaires tax campaign with choice words for the ‘oligarchs’ (Politico)
• Billionaires Spielberg, Zuckerberg eyeing East Coast, stirring concerns about California’s wealth-tax proposal (Los Angeles Times)
• Canadian snowbirds are still unhappy with Trump. And Palm Springs is feeling the chill (Los Angeles Times)
• Frustrated families sue the state to stop antisemitism in California schools (EdSource)
• Senators decry surge in deaths at ICE detention facilities, citing poor medical care (Los Angeles Times)
• Part of California’s Highway 1 shut down due to rockslides and debris (San Francisco Chronicle)

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

East County News Service

March 6, 2026 (San Diego) -- SDSU will host its 54th annual pow wow on Saturday, April 11 starting at 11 a.m.

The San Diego State University Pow Wow is a cultural and social event held annually to bring together the Native American community at SDSU. SDSU has the reputation of having one of the longest running pow wows ran by a university in California.

This event is open to the public and is a partnership between the Native Resource Center, the SDSU American Indian Studies Department, the Native American Student Alliance and the American Indian Alumni Chapter of SDSU.