East County News Service

June 29, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- SDG&E estimates that power will be out until midnight for 190 customers who lost power at 9:21 p.m. The areas without power are in Casa De Oro/ Rancho San Diego/ Jamacha/ W Jamul/ Indian Springs/ La Presa/ Spring Valley/ Rancho San Diego/ El Cajon/ Granite Hills/ Singing Hills/Mt. Helix.

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2022 (El Cajon) – Bidding is now open online for a special auction of two signed, limited edition, framed and matted prints by Olaf Wieghorst, an internationally recognized artist considered one of the top painters of Western art.  Some of his works sold for over a million dollars during his lifetime.  Proceeds will benefit both the East County Art Association and East County Magazine. Now you can own one of Wieghorst’s  exceptional works, Spring Rain and Beef Herd. View video for a close-up look at these impressive artworks:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7V496dpqHSw.

About the auction:

The auction opens online (see below to bid),  and will close on Saturday, June 25  at 3 p.m. during the ECAA’s upcoming event, “Ocean Love” at the Courtyard Marriott in El Cajon. View event flyer. If you wish to view the works in person, you can visit the ECAA gallery at 124 East Main St. in downtown El Cajon, Wed.-Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  60 percent of proceeds will benefit the East County Arts Association and 40% will benefit East County Media, the nonprofit that supports East County Magazine.

How to bid:

Send your name, mailing address, phone number, and email along with your bid amount to editor@eastcountymagazine.org and the words "AUCTION BID" in the subject line, along with which art piece you wish to bid on, and the amount of your bid.  You will receive a bid number and confirmation your bid was received. Bid numbers and amounts will be posted online at the bottom of this page and updated regularly. (No personal information will be posted.) The online auction bids will be accepted until June 25 at 11 a.m., after which the auction will continue at the event from1-3 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

June 15, 2022 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) and El Cajon Police have launched investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by a Granite Hills High School teacher.

Motorists advised to allow additional travel time for lane closures and detours

Source:  Caltrans

June 3, 2022 (El Cajon) - Construction crews will reduce lanes on Interstate 8 (I-8) at State Route 67 (SR-67)/Magnolia Avenue Monday through Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for ongoing electrical work, according to Caltrans. At least one lane will remain open for traffic. The work is part of the I-8/SR-67 Bridge Repair Project.

East County News Service

May 20, 2022 (El Cajon) – Chase Folkes, 55, has been arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, 88-year-old Carolyn Jean Folkes. 

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from a man requesting help at a home in the 1200 block of Corto Lane in unincorporated El Cajon at 1:30 a.m. on May 19.  They found Carolyn Folkes dead in the home with trauma to her upper body.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- County Supervisor Joel Anderson has sent a formal request to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer and Sheriff, urging them to take action mirroring recent action by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to remove encampments along public roadways that pose critical safety concerns. Caltrans’ clearing of an encampment in the Berkeley area was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on April 27.

East County News Service

May 12, 2022 (San Diego) - Diego Humane Society is waiving adoption fees for small animals May 13-15, 2022.  The promotion, titled “Big Love, Small Package,” is generously sponsored by Petco Love.  https://petcolove.org/.

By Matthew Manosh

May 7, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Imagine walking into a building. Instead of being greeted by a person you are greeted by a robot. It sounds like a scene from a sci-fi story but it’s now reality. The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce had an introduction to its new robot assistant, TEMI, last month. This assistant is able to answer questions about East County.

In a demonstration, a presenter asked a question about Santee Lakes, which Temi responded to in detail. TEMI, also mobile, can move around an area or it can be programmed to follow people. This is not meant to replace human jobs, but to help humans do their jobs better by taking on simple tasks that may take away from more important tasks, Todd Brinkman explained to us. You can view the video here.

Brinkman is the founder of Virtual Reality for Main Street LLC, a company dedicated to bringing new emerging technologies to cities.You can look at their website here. 

Source: City of El Cajon

Photo: Children’s hospital in Mariupol bombed by Russians, courtesy of Ukrainian Army

May 6, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Last month, the California Office of Emergency Services reached out to local law enforcement agencies throughout the State with a list of equipment needed in Ukraine. This week, the City of El Cajon Police Department donated 45 ballistic vests and 8 ballistic helmets as aid to Ukraine.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

April 29, 2022 (El Cajon) - For the first time, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges will explore building affordable housing for students. The new initiative is being funded by a pair of $150,000 state grants received by the colleges, enabling college leaders to take a serious look at ways of providing housing security to students in need.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

April 25, 2022 (El Cajon) - Local Umbrella Media, in conjunction with numerous other “do-gooders,” is sponsoring O’Grady’s Holes for Heroes Golf Tournament on Friday, May 6^th at El Cajon’s Cottonwood Golf Course. The proceeds will benefit active-duty military, veterans, and first responders.

The beneficiary of the proceeds, Saddles in Service, based in Alpine, whose mission is to combat the suicide rates of active-duty military, veterans, and first responders using equine assisted learning and activities, is a non-profit 501(c)(3).

By Ray Bello

April 21, 2022 (El Cajon) -- If you live in Fletcher Hills, El Cajon, San Carlos, San Diego or near Parkway Middle School, La Mesa, you’ve probably driven by the star-spangled flag atop the flagpole at the intersection of Fletcher Parkway and Navajo Road many times without really seeing it.     

The City of El Cajon has begun a $2.8 million restoration project of Broadway Creek. As part of the project, a portion of Ballantyne Street in El Cajon will be closed while crews widen the bridge over the creek and make needed street improvements.

Source:  City of El Cajon

April 19, 2022 (El Cajon) - The City has begun a $2.8 million restoration project of Broadway Creek. Funded by grants, the project repairs the creek’s existing erosion and prevents future flood and erosion conditions.