By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) –Carter Yarborough, 48, a Valhalla High School cross country and track coach, was killed Sunday morning when his motorcycle struck a Sheriff’s vehicle that had pulled into his lane after a left turn on South Coast highway in Encinitas, Patch.com reports.

A memorial Mile in his memory will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Valhalla.  Team members, alumni, and friends are invited to participate in the walk of remembrance.

By Miriam Raftery

June 28, 2018 (El Cajon) – The city of El Cajon will present its annual Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration at Kennedy Park (1675 East Madison Ave.) starting at noon Wednesday and ending with a 9 p.m. fireworks show synchronized to music.  1675 East Madison Avenue. Bring  a picnic or buy food from vendors, plus enjoy live music by two bands, inflatables, crafts, games and a “kiddie train.

Schedule of events:

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Paul Kruze

June 23, 2018 (El Cajon) – A pedestrian was struck and seriously injured at Main and Ballantyne in El Cajon tonight by a black Ford Focus.  Witnesses told ECM that the injured man suffered a head injury and was transported to a local hospital.

He was described by bystanders as an elderly man believed to be homeless. 

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor, and Miriam Raftery, Editor

June 21, 2018 (El Cajon) — The seeds of El Cajon’s Herculean downtown redevelopment plans for the city's historic heart bore fruit at Thursday's grand opening of the Courtyard-by-Marriott El Cajon hotel, drawing an enthusiastic crowd.

The four-story, 88,000-square foot hotel is located on Magnolia Street just off Main Street near the city's “superblock”, which also includes the East County Performing Arts Center set to reopen in spring under management of international concert promoter and producer Live Nation.

Numerous restaurants, sidewalk cafes, shops, galleries, and civic festivals  are all within a couple of blocks of the hotel in the revitalized heart of El Cajon, a city that celebrated its centennial in 2013. Located just off Interstate 8 in San Diego's East County,  the hotel is 20 to 30 minutes from downtown San Diego and beach areas, also close to attractions in the region's backcountry. 

But there's plenty to do right here in downtown El Cajon, where major community events include Friday night outdoor concerts at Prescott Promenade Park and Wedneday night classic car shows (photo, below right)on Main Street all summer long. Visitors can also enjoy seasonal celebrations such as America on Main Street, Hauntfest on Main, and holiday festivities. The superblock also includes city hall, the courthouse, library, and police headquarters.

Protest planned Saturday downtown

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

Photo: Congressman Juan Vargas, right, and Congresswoman Susan Davis, left, arrive at child detention facility in El Cajon.

June 18, 2018 (El Cajon, CA) – San Diego Congressional members Susan Davis and Juan Vargas joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic members of the Hispanic Caucus in touring three local facilities holding child immigrants, including a fenced facility in EL Cajon with 65 migrant boys, 10 percent of whom were forcibly separated from their parents by the Trump administration’s new “zero tolerance” policy of prosecuting all undocumented parents.  In the past six weeks, the federal government has acknowledged taking away over 2,000 children from parents at the border, including infants and toddlers.

“The United States should have a zero tolerance policy for the immoral treatment of children,” said Rep. Davis (CA-53), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee whose district includes part of El Cajon. “We are a nation of values and we ask our men and women in uniform to defend those values every day. This policy is in no way consistent with those values.”

Update June 30, 2018: El Cajon Planning Commission again denied the Conditional Use Permit sought by El Cajon Mortuary and Cremation Service to build a crematorium at its existing site near El Cajon’s city center. The vote was 3-0 at the June 19 meeting, with commission members Mroz and Longoria absent. For details, click here.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo, left, by Paul Kruze:  Mortuary, shown on right.

 June 16, 2018 (El Cajon) -- A downtown El Cajon mortuary owner’s plans to add a crematorium to his existing mortuary business was upended on Thursday when the City of El Cajon Planning Commission staff recommended that the Planning Commission deny his application for a second time.

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

June 18, 2018 (El Cajon) - If you were among the San Diego County residents to receive a hepatitis A vaccine before December 1, 2017, it’s time for your second dose of vaccine.

The County’s Health and Human Services Agency is hosting a free hepatitis A vaccination event on Thursday, June 21, at the East Region Public Health Center, 367 N. Magnolia Ave. from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.

East County News Service

June 13, 2018 (El Cajon) - Sha Na Na debuted in the ‘50s, performed at the now legendary Woodstock festival, was featured in the movie Grease, and on their own Sha Na Na TV show. 

Founded by students at Columbia University in New York, the band has continued through the years with new members from Columbia joining three of the original band members still on tour.

East County News Service

City has had 20 fatalities and 205 injury collisions with pedestrians in the past three years

June 11, 2018 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Police Department will step up pedestrian safety enforcement operations in the month of June, focusing on collision causing factors involving motorists and pedestrians.  Routine traffic patrols will focus efforts in trouble spots, while special targeted patrols will also be deployed to crackdown on drivers and pedestrians who violate traffic laws meant to protect all roadway users, says Lieutenant Steve Kirk.

East County News Service

June 11, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- Home Start, a non-profit child abuse prevention and treatment agency that has strengthened and developed San Diego’s families and communities since 1972, has named East County resident Rick Roark as its Chief Financial Officer.

East County News Service

June 8, 2018 (El Cajon) – Robert Gehr got the shot of this gorgeous Mimosa blossom at Judson Park, located at the corner of North Magnolia Avenue and West Park Avenue in El Cajon.

East County News Service

June 8, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) – The dog days of summer are here – with “Wags and Wine” on Tuesday, June 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.  You’re invited to bring your furry friend for a special evening stroll through the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

June 7, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – El Cajon resident Clyde Ray Chappell, 58, died at Sharp Memorial. from blunt force injuries suffered in a vehicle accident that occurred on June 2^nd. 

Chappell was the rear passenger of a vehicle traveling north on State Route 67 through Lakeside when the driver lost control approaching Winter Gardens Blvd. The vehicle left the roadway and Chappell was ejected.

Witnesses called 9-1-1 and first responders transported the victim to Sharp Memorial, a trauma center, where despite aggressive resuscitative efforts, he was pronounced dead at 1 a.m. on June 3^rd.

By Miriam Raftery

June 5, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Two small brush fires in La Mesa and Rancho San Diego caused brief evacuations over the weekend but were doused with no structure damage or injuries.

On Saturday, June 2^nd, a fire started in brush near an apartment complex at Jamacha Road and Fury Lane in unincorporated La Mesa shortly after 4 p.m.  About 40 residents were evacuated from two apartment buildings as a precaution. The fire was held to 2.5 acres by San Miguel Fire Departments. The Sheriff’s Bomb Arson detectives are investigating the cause.

East County News Service

June 1, 2018 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police seek public help to identify suspects in a stabbing overnight that left the victim with life-threatening injuries, according to Lt. Jason Taub with El Cajon Police Department.

Police responded to a call shortly before 2 a.m. from a caller who said an acquaintance was “bleeding out,” and then hung up.