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.
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.
March 21, 2026 (Santee) -- Santee School District was awarded a $215,000 grant through the Strong Workforce Program to launch a new Career Technical Education (CTE) program that will give 7th and 8th grade students the opportunity to explore a variety of career pathways.
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Vendors, food trucks and parade participants wanted
By Paul Levikow
March 21, 2026 (Crest) – The Crest Community Association is planning the 80th Annual Crest 4th of July Parade and is looking for parade participants and vendors for the festival. The event will also honor the 250th birthday of the United States.
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March 19, 2026 (Julian) -- In another month, the sun will be coming out for youths in the San Diego County's backcountry mountains.
In April, the newly formed Julian Junior Theater will take to the stage for its inaugural production, bringing the beloved classic Annie (but in the Annie Jr. version) to the local community. Tickets are $10, and there will only be four performances.
As a California nonprofit, Julian Junior Theater was established with a clear mission: to foster self-confidence, self-expression and a lifelong love for the performing arts.
By providing enriching education and dynamic performance opportunities, JJT is a vital creative hub for young residents in the rural Julian region.
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March 19, 2026 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont College Library was selected as one of only 50 libraries across the United States to host the traveling exhibition “Americans and the Holocaust.”
Americans and the Holocaust is a collaborative effort between the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association. Locals will be able to visit the exhibition from April 14 through May 21, 2026 at Grossmont College, 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon.
This is the exhibition's second national tour, and follows a successful run at 50 libraries between 2021-23. Because of its popularity, the USHMM and ALA expanded the initiative to an additional 50 sites for a 2024-26 cycle, reaching communities from Hawaii and Alaska to Texas and New Hampshire.
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March 18, 2026 (La Mesa) -- As the national conversation surrounding immigration enforcement continues to intensify, local community leaders are working to provide clarity.
On Monday, March 23, the group La Mesa Conversations will host a public panel titled “Community Responses to Immigration Enforcement: Standing with Our Neighbors.”
The event, which is free and open to the public, will provide an opportunity for people to share information about the complex federal issue and examine its impact on families, schools, businesses and houses of worship. The discussion is featuring a diverse cross-section of local leadership, reflecting how immigration enforcement touches various facets of civic life.
The panel includes:
Mariah Jameson, community representative for San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe; Christian DeMent: pastor at La Mesa First United Methodist Church; Erin Tsurumoto Grassi: Associate Director of Alliance San Diego; Krystle Johnson, a special education teacher and community activist; and Brianna Coston, trustee for the La Mesa–Spring Valley School Board.
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March 18, 2026 (San Diego East County) – Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at 12:20 a.m. in the 16000 block of Loose Creek Road in Jamul. Upon arrival, deputies did not locate any victims at the residence.
“Shortly afterward, the Alpine Fire Protection District notified the Sheriff’s Office that a shooting victim had arrived at their station. Emergency personnel initiated lifesaving measures;” says Lt. Juan Marequez with the Sheriff’s department. Despite those efforts, the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the fire station.
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Photo of Lake Murray on March 17 by Karen Pearlman
East County News Service
March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- Baby, it's hot outside!
An unusually powerful high-pressure system has settled over Southern California, ushering in a period of dangerously hot conditions that threaten to shatter both daily and monthly temperature records across San Diego County.
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for the desert regions beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, and extending through 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21.
The NWS warns that residents in the low deserts should prepare for blistering highs between 104 and 112 degrees Fahrenheit, with the most intense heat expected on Thursday and Friday. Overnight relief will be minimal, as temperatures are only projected to dip into the mid-70s.
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March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- As the marine layer thins and temperatures climb across the region, San Diego’s original residents are beginning to stir.
From the coastal sage scrub of Torrey Pines to the rocky canyons of Mission Trails Regional Park, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake is officially back on the move, the County of San Diego warns.
Rattlesnake season in Southern California typically spans from March through October, but experts warn that the peak "shaking" occurs between April and June.
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March 17, 2026 (Santee) -- Get ready for fire-breathing fun at Santee's Bunny Trail, including dragon dancers performing from White Dragon Martial Arts School.
This year, the event takes place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive in Santee.
This year’s event features a bunny trail experience instead of a traditional egg hunt.
Families stroll booth-to-booth collecting eggs at their own pace, then exchange collected eggs for a festive goodie bag. Visit booths in any order and stop by as many as you’d like. Be sure to bring baskets!
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March 16, 2026 (East County) -- An evening of music, storytelling and community will be the draw in La Mesa later this month.
The Ira Aldridge Repertory Players will be presenting “Sanctified in Swing” starting at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 28 at Spacebar Café & Wine Bistro, 7454 University Ave., in La Mesa. Doors open at 6 p.m., organizers say.
The event will include poems written by Calvin Manson as well as jazz, blues and R&B vocal music by Leslie Green and Roosevelt Carter -- all Lemon Grove residents.
Green will light up the stage with a powerful voice flowing through jazz, blues, and R&B, rich with soul, warmth, and the power to lift every heart. She will be joined by Carter, known for his velvet smooth, rich and warm voice.
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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 Jennings officials' post on Facebook reads.
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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.
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March 12, 2026 (El Cajon) -- The German Theater Group San Diego has announced its 2026 production, a German-language cabaret titled "Es fährt kein Zug nach irgendwo" (There is no train to anywhere), scheduled for a two-show run this April.
The performances will take place at the German American Societies of San Diego headquarters 1017 S. Mollison Ave. in El Cajon at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Organizers noted that tickets for the annual event typically sell out in advance.
The production follows the tradition of German Kabarett -- a distinct theatrical form that blends social satire, sketches, music and poetry. Unlike American-style stand-up, German cabaret often utilizes a full ensemble to offer humorous and critical reflections on contemporary life and politics.
The San Diego ensemble, operating under the artistic direction of founder Astrid Ronke, has grown from 13 members at its 2016 inception to today's more than 30 actors, vocalists and volunteers.
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March 12, 2026 (Temescal Valley) -- The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District marked a significant infrastructure milestone earlier this month with a March 4 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $33 million expansion of the Horsethief Canyon Water Reclamation Facility.
The project, which increases the facility’s treatment capacity from 0.5 to 0.8 million gallons per day, has been designed to support the region's accelerating residential development. The expanded capacity is expected to provide essential wastewater services for nearly 1,200 homes in a growing Riverside County community.
The expansion stands out as a landmark for public-private collaboration.
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The Lemon Grove City Council on March 3, following the exit of Councilmembers Seth Smith and Yadira Altamirano
Story and photos By Armando Rasing II
March 11, 2026 (Lemon Grove) - Councilmembers Seth Smith and Yadira Altamirano exited the latest Lemon Grove City Council meeting early on Tuesday, March 3, in protest over conflicting views on a tenant protection ordinance enacted in February.
Both council members left during a discussion on the selection of members for a potential stakeholder group for the new emergency ordinance. The council was also given the option to choose between a stakeholder committee or an ad hoc committee for public outreach.
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Source: Donna Durckel, County of San Diego Communications Office
March 10, 2025 (San Diego) -- The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has declared a new quarantine area affecting the cities of La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, San Diego, and Santee as well as Spring Valley and Bonita in San Diego County after Mexican fruit flies were found during a routine inspection in La Mesa.
Residents should not move produce grown in these areas off of their properties, since this pest can infest more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables.
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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.
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March 9, 2026 (San Diego) - Construction is underway to renovate a 13,500 square-foot wing at the County’s Edgemoor Distinct Part Skilled Nursing Facility campus in Santee to convert it into a new Acute Psychiatric Unit.
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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.
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March 6, 2026 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon invites community members and families to attend Spring Into El Cajon, a free community celebration of Arbor Day and the arrival of spring on Saturday, April 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Renette Park (935 Emerald Ave., El Cajon). This day of family-friendly activities focuses on sustainability, nature, and community connection.
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March 6, 2026 (Mt. Helix) – You’re invited to celebrate Nature Day at the Mt. Helix Park, where Earth Day is every day. The historic nature preserve atop Mt. Helix will come alive with live animals, butterfly releases, a native plant sale, activities, crafts, ecosystem tours, and booths from over 30 nonprofit nature groups
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Photo by Miriam Raftery: Bishop Shaleta in May 2024 at opening of incubator business center for refugees and immigrants in El Cajon
March 5, 2026 (El Cajon) – San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies today arrested Chaldean Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta at the San Diego International Airport, where he was attempting to leave the country. He is charged with eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated white collar crime enhancement, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s department.
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March 4, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – A suspect accused of stealing a Jeep Wrangler in Santee and crashing into parked cars near Parkway Plaza in El Cajon following a pursuit has been arrested and is hospitalized with serious injuries.
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March 4, 2026 (El Cajon) — El Cajon Valley High will roll out the proverbial red carpet on Friday, March 6 for the Grossmont Union High School District's 2026 GUHSD Film Festival.
The annual event will take place this year from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the El Cajon Valley High School Event Center, a premier stage for the district’s most talented young filmmakers.
The film showcase features original creative works from students enrolled in the Career Technical Education Arts, Media & Entertainment pathway at GUHSD.
More than just a screening, the film festival is a celebration of technical mastery and artistic storytelling of students, and by students in the district -- GUHSD students who have spent months scripting, filming and editing projects that range from narrative short films to complex animation.
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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.
Vendors, food trucks and parade participants wanted
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
Photo of Lake Murray on March 17 by Karen Pearlman
Photo courtesy County of San Diego
By Miriam Raftery
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
The Lemon Grove City Council on March 3, following the exit of Councilmembers Seth Smith and Yadira Altamirano
Residents, gardeners should take precautions to protect against deadly disease transmitted by snails, slugs, and animals that ingest them
East County News Service
East County New Service
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
East County News Service
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