By Miriam Raftery

September 23, 2022 (El Cajon) Some people placed in El Cajon motels under the County of San Diego’s motel voucher program for the homeless had extensive criminal histories or were fugitives with arrest warrants, according to a statement issued by El Cajon Police Department. ECPD made the discovery after reviewing arrest records tied to the program.

“The number of criminal drug dealers and fugitives using the County’s motel voucher program is disturbing,” Police Chief Mike Moulton said. “Community safety is my primary concern and the El Cajon Police Department is more than willing to assist the County with better ways of vetting those utilizing their program, if that’s what’s needed.”

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2022 (El Cajon) – Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, started more than 200 years ago with the community-wide celebration of a German prince’s wedding. In El Cajon, the German-American Club will host its own authentic Oktoberfest over two weekends: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and Oct. 7-9 at the Club’s headquarters, 1017 S. Mollison Ave. in El Cajon.

$5 million remaining in the second round of funding; applications due Oct. 11 

Source: Supervisor Joel Anderson

Photo by Robert Gehr: homeless person in downtown El Cajon

September 16, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) — District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson sent letters out on Friday, September 16, 2022 to the East County cities in his district—El Cajon, Poway and Santee—reminding them of an opportunity for funding from the County to help in their efforts with addressing homelessness. According to Anderson, there is more than $5 million remaining in the second round of funding from the Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program—a program unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors this spring.

12 local food businesses will compete to win three months of free rent in Parkway Plaza’s food court plus a $20,000 business investment 

September 15, 2022 (El Cajon) — Parkway Plaza regional shopping mall has announced that 12 local food businesses selected to participate in the mall’s first-ever Taste for the Space competition on October 15. They are competing for a prize package valued at over $50,000, including a $20,000 business investment and three months of free rent. 

“We are excited to have such a diverse group of businesses competing in our first-ever Taste for the Space,” said Petra Rich, Marketing and Business Development Manager. “They’re diverse in many aspects including cuisines, business models as well as ownership backgrounds. We have everything from French and vegan cuisines to Hungarian and Haitian; there are competitors that have a food truck or storefront and others who are mobile caterers. We’re also proud to say that the majority of businesses participating are minority-owned. The competition is going to be tight, so I hope everyone is ready to put their taste buds to the test.”

Story and photo courtesy of Courtesy of Parkway Plaza 

September 7, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Parkway Plaza, El Cajon’s premier shopping destination, is hosting the 2022 nationwide beauty summit series, CosmeCon. Celebrating female entrepreneurs, body positivity, self-confidence and owning your glow at Parkway Plaza, the event takes place on Saturday, September 10 from 12-3 p.m. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 4, 2022 (El Cajon) –  The El Cajon nonprofit License to Freedom has been counseling nine children in a Syrian refugee family traumatized first by war in their homeland, and now by the death of their mother, who was found shot in the family’s home. In an interview with East County Magazine originally aired on KNSJ radio,

Dilkhwaz Ahmed, founder of License to Freedom, provides an update on the children’s situation, also sharing information on the stresses facing refugee families. The  children’s father, Abdulhannan Abdurazaq Al Rawi, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.

“It’s so hard,” Ahmed says, when asked how the children, ages 2-17, are doing. “In a situation like that, the community gets together.” She says other Syrian refugees in the community worked to help the children, as did people in the Sudanese community, since the babysitter is from Sudan. “One of their close friends, a family from Syria, decided to take the kids, and they have seven kids,” Ahmed said.  “The wife was best friends with the mom…it’s heartbreaking.”

108 Rescued Beagles reach El Cajon animal shelter and prepare for adoption

Story & photos by Josh Stotler

August 31, 2022 (El Cajon) -- As the wheels of the Embraer Brasilia touched down on the runway of Gillespie Field at 1:43 p.m., 108 rescued beagles officially became San Diegans. The dogs, rescued from Envigo, a Virginia-based company that breeds animals for sale to scientific research & testing facilities, arrived on time and in good spirits.

Update:  The suspect's last name as Al Rawi, not Al Wari. The earlier misspelling was provided by El Cajon Police based on a a translation error. Friends of his have voiced shock at his arrest and doubts about the accusations against him, calling him a good father and pillar of the Syrian community locally who has helped other refugees, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Abdulhannan Abdurazaq Al Rawi is under arrest for allegedly shooting and killing his wife, 37, in the bedroom of their El Cajon home at 1599 Soma Place. The couple's nine children, ages 2 to 17, were in the home at the time, according to Lieutenant Randy Soulard with EL Cajon Police.

Dilkhwaz Ahmed with License to Freedom, an El Cajon social services agency supporting refugees, posted on Facebook tonight “Please pray for these kids who lost their mom today. Out team of therapists and myself stayed with them all day to make sure they have a safe place to go. If you would like to support them, please let me know. They are refugees from Syria.”

East County News Service

August 20, 2022 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police Department seeks public help to identify a suspect in a fatal shooting last night. 

Officers responding to a report of one or more gunshots found a man with a gunshot injury in the parking lot at 441 Dominguez, El Cajon.

By Miriam Raftery

August 19, 2022 (El Cajon) -- A man was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a three-hour standoff and garage fire in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.

Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

August 18, 2022 (El Cajon) -- If you haven’t registered for fall classes at Grossmont or Cuyamaca colleges – there’s still time! Both colleges will welcome back students on campus beginning Monday, August 22.For help registering for classes, students are invited to:

Grossmont College: In-person Class Assistance events August 22-23 12 – 6 p.m., August 24-25 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and August 26 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Student Services Building computer lab; A Student Fair in the Main Quad on August 24 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., with a College Hour 12 – 1 p.m.; or the Virtual Help Center (https://www.grossmont.edu/help-center).

Cuyamaca College: Online Find Your Pack events, where students can meet faculty and staff to hear about programs and services, August 16-17 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.; Online Student Help Center (https://www.cuyamaca.edu/help-center) or How to Register for Classes webpage (https://www.cuyamaca.edu/admissions/how-to-register-for-classes);

Financial aid information is also available online through the Grossmont College Financial Aid Office (https://www.grossmont.edu/financial-aid) and the Cuyamaca College Financial Aid Office (https://www.cuyamaca.edu/financial-aid/index.php). If you are a first-time college student planning to attend full time, you may be eligible for free tuition through the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise program (https://www.gcccd.edu/promise/index.php)

Both colleges are offering a variety of compelling courses and programs this fall:

By Elijah McKee

Photo:  former Councilmember Kristine Alessio will challenge La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis.

Updated August 15 with additional candidates qualified

August 10, 2022 (San Diego's East County) — Each city in East County will have elected seats up for grabs in the approaching November election — but the deadline to file for candidacy ends this week on August 12.

Along with each city’s elected positions, filing periods for school, fire and water districts will close too, as well as community planning groups. 

Incumbents can be granted a five-day extension for filing their nomination, but time is almost up for challengers and political newcomers. Those interested in running for an office can refer to the appropriate city or board clerk for nomination paperwork.

Local councils and staff members have a wide scope of impact on ground-level development and policy changes that matter to residents, as they are tasked with designing priorities and implementing budgets. City council terms are typically four years, while staff positions may be longer.

ECM asked East County's four cities for information on who has filed to run so far. Below are the responses.

East County News Service

August 5, 2022 (San Diego) – On August 10, East County’s first safe parking site for people living in their vehicles will be open beneath a freeway overpass on Magnolia in unincorporated El Cajon. The county-run safe parking area will be on the same site where homeless people have camped out for years.

East County News Service

August 3, 2022 (El Cajon) – Joshua Lee Martinez, 32, of El Cajon has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a man in the head aboard a trolley near the Marshall Avenue station in El Cajon.