East County News Service

December 24, 2015 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on December 28th in the 300 block of W. Chase between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. 

East County News Service

December 18, 2015 (El Cajon) – A motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries in a collision with a silver Hyundai shortly before noon today in the 1600 block of Pepper Drive in El Cajon.

By Janis Russell

Photo: ECPD Chief Jeff Davis is sworn in.

December 13, 2015 (El Cajon)-El Cajon’s City Council had a busy agenda last Tuesday, including the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC), SDG&E’s  plan for vehicle grid integration, a beekeeping buzz, and issues faced by residents ranging from a home overrun by rabbits to a residence where residents were displaced due to flooding and a collapsed roof.  The City also swore in a new Police Chief and appointed a new Interim Mayor.

By Kathy Carpenter

Associate/Youth Reviewer www.sdtheatrereviews.com

December 8, 2015 (El Cajon) - The students at El Cajon Valley High School took on two Christmas plays this winter. Both with fairly large casts, with only a couple students taking on roles in both shows. A huge undertaking for teacher and director Shannon Turner. These students work hard, come out for the evening and support the local arts. The two shows the students performed were A Charlie Brown Christmas and Scrooge Makes UP!. The Christmas message in both ...the holiday season is one of love, kindness, giving, and being out best selves. Is seven dollars and an hour and a half to much too give?

Next up: Star Wars Day Dec. 12

Photo, left: “Snow Queen” from Parties Unique company greets a miniature, costumed Elsa from “Frozen” during Winterfest at the San Diego County Library Rancho San Diego Branch on Dec. 5, 2015

Story and photos by Megan Just

December 8, 2015 (Rancho San Diego) − Though it’s been two years since the release of Disney’s “Frozen,” Elsa and Anna still have the power to draw a crowd.  In this case, the princesses, played by performers from the Parties Unique company, were the headliners of Winterfest at the San Diego County Library, Rancho San Diego Branch, on Saturday afternoon.

The festival, which included cookie decorating, holiday crafts, an ugly sweater contest, an instant-print photo booth, and two princess-led sing-along performances, drew a crowd of more than 200 children and accompanying adults.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECPAC lobby

December 6, 2015 (El Cajon ) – El Cajon’s Council has a number of important topics on its agenda for the Council meeting Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Several are on the consent calendar – including a proposal to reject the only bid received for construction renovations on the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC).  Although 30 prospective bidders obtained bid packages, only one bid was received.  That bid, from Kinsman Construction Inc. in San Diego, was for over $3.7 million – far above the $2.7 to $2.9 million that an engineer estimated the work should cost.

East County News Service

December 3, 2015 (El Cajon)--Join city leaders in El Cajon to learn about potential impacts from a severe El Nino winter and how to create a plan to be prepared.  The El Nino community preparedness forum will be held December 9 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Police Department’s community room, 100 Civic Center Way in El Cajon.

Learn what the city is doing to prepare and respond, as well as what you can do before, during and after a flood.

Choral members also needed

November 30, 2015 (Rancho San Diego) – The San Diego Festival Chorus performs "Joyous Music for the Season" on December 6 at 3 p.m. in the College Avenue Baptist Church.   The program features an 80-voice chorus and 48-piece symphony orchest in its 15th season, perfoming Mendelssohn's "Hymn of Praise" and a unique arrangement of  holiday music.

Cost: Adults $17, Seniors and students $15, Children under 12 yrs $5, Military free

East County News Service

November 24, 2015 (El Cajon)--A fire at an El Cajon home could have been far more tragic – if not for the courage of a neighbor.

By Jake Christie

November 19, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - Over the weekend of November 15^th, the Haggen supermarket at 3681 Avocado Boulevard finally ran out of food and other salable items and closed for good. The store, located in the Rancho San Diego Village strip mall, was originally a Vons before Haggen bought the chain out in Southern California and then subsequently declared bankruptcy. Over the month of October the store slowly began winding down operations by not taking in new stock, selling off the food and sundries, and gradually barricading the empty aisles off as the food ran out.

Board also votes to incur debt to fight Alpine lawsuit—and gets legal warning of CA Voting Rights Act violations

By Miriam Raftery

“You should be proud that a school like this is helping students out. Are you thinking of the students and our futures, or just yourselves and your money?”—Jackie Ramirez, 16, young mother and student at Diego Valley Charter

November 19, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –Wearing green shirts reading “Defend School Choice”,  over 100 parents, students and teachers turned out to protest the Grossmont Union High School District’s litigation that seeks to shut down multiple charter schools.  Speaker after speaker gave emotional testimony tonight, pleading with the GUHSD board to save their schools.

A lawsuit filed by the district seeks to shut down Diego Valley Public Charter, which serves at-risk  students including many Chaldeans and other minorities, drop-outs , pregnant students, and students who have aged out of the public high school system, as well as Julian Charter School-Alpine Academy. A hearing on the case is scheduled for June 10, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Joan M. Lewis in San Diego Superior Court.

November 13, 2015 (El Cajon)--Anticipation of a new hotel in El Cajon is growing as officials have completed the sale of properties at the northeast corner of Magnolia Avenue and Rea Avenue for developers of the Marriott Courtyard Hotel. The 88,000-square foot hotel will feature 120 rooms, a swimming pool, outdoor dining areas, a business center, two meeting rooms, and two commercial lease spaces on the ground floor.

East County News Service

November 12, 2015 (El Cajon) -- On Friday, November 13th and Saturday, November 14th, the El Cajon Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Team will be conducting training at the vacant buildings located in the 100 block of Rea Avenue at Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon. This is a unique opportunity for a very specific and specialized type of training.

There may be explosions and other loud noises heard in and around the area throughout the day.

East County News Service

November 10, 2015 (El Cajon)--Parkway Plaza shopping mall in El Cajon will be hosting a Holiday Music Festival that’s free for the community from Saturday, November 28^th through Wednesday, December 23. 

These holiday concerts will include jazz, big bands, saxophone, fiddle, violin and vocal performances.