East County News Service

October 18, 2017 (Lakeside) - Trevi Hills Winery, which produces premium red and white varietals on hillside vineyards in rural Lakeside, celebrates its grand opening Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 21-22, from 10 a.m. to dusk. The 3,000-square-foot winery, tasting room and patio is located at 13010 Muth Valley Road and offers panoramic views of the historic Muth Valley and the 800-acre Trevi Hills community.  The grand opening festivities celebrate the 2017 harvest of Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc and will include discounted wine flights, food trucks and bocce ball.

East County News Service

October 14, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - The owners of The Hills in La Mesa and the Eastbound Bar and Grill in Lakeside are serving up some spooky fun--along with some wild libations, prizes and more this Halloween Season. From a cauldron of concoctions served in gravedigger skull mugs to a costume contest with a $10,000 prize, these local night spots have plenty of “treats” in store for their Halloween weekend guests.

East County News Service

October 7, 2017 (Santee/La Mesa) -- San Diego County Crime Stoppers along with investigators from the Santee Sheriff’s Station are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a man wanted for identity theft.

The victim from Santee never lost her credit card and does not know how her information was compromised.

East County News Service

October 6, 2017 (Lakeside) – The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East Region, will present the 2017 Kids Care Fest, a free, family-oriented health event open to the public. Featuring free health screenings, Kids Care Fest will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, 12584 Mapleview St., Lakeside.

Residents in La Mesa, Mount Helix, and other local neighborhoods complain of swarms biting during daylight hours

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2017 (Mt. Helix) – After numerous residents on the Mt. Helix Next Door forum complained of swarms of small, aggressive mosquitoes biting during daylight hours and often, indoors, East County Magazine contacted County Vector Control. We learned that the invasive Aedes mosquitoes have been found in 273 traps at 23 different locations between January 1^st and September 21^st this year.  View map.

East County News Service

September 29, 2017 ( San Diego ’s East County) – This year’s San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive benefiting Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego will launch on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the 12 Chick-fil-A restaurants in San Diego County, including the Chick-fil-A restaurants in the East County in Santee at 9418 Mission Gorge Road and in La Mesa at 8200 Fletcher Parkway.

By Miriam Raftery

September 26, 2017 (Santee) – Today, County Communications specialist Gig Conaughton reported that 11 cases of Hepatitis A have been diagnosed in Santee.

In response to a request from East County Magazine, the city of Santee responded that it has been working closely with the County Health and Human Services Agency to address the Hepatitis A virus outbreak by taking preventative measures to protect local residents.

By Jo Moreland

By Miriam Raftery

September 17, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- According to a California Health Alert Network bulletin, San Diego County’s outbreak of hepatitis A now includes  cases in La Mesa, El Cajon and Santee as well as unincorporated areas of the County, though cases have now been confirmed “in all parts of the County,” the report states.

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

September 15, 2017 (Spring Valley) - ECM Friday Night Lights stuck around Spring Valley this week to see the Matadors of Mount Miguel square off against a school we don’t get to report on often:  the Wolf Pack of West Hills High.  The kids from Santee left their blue turf this week with a 2-1 record on the young season.  The Matadors are improving, but still in the loss column at 1-2.

East County News Service

September 11, 2017 (La Mesa) – The two Chick-fil-A restaurants in the East County in Santee and La Mesa will host a fundraiser on Tuesday, Sept. 19 to support recovery efforts for Houston’s victims of Hurricane Harvey. Chick-fil-A officials said both stores will donate 15 percent of all sales between 5 and 8 p.m. to a Chick-fil-A fund earmarked for Houston residents.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo: CalTrans crew fixing dips on State Route 52 eastbound

September 8, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- If you're on the road tonight or this weekend, there are several road closures you should avoid including State Route 125, State Route 52, State Route 67, and Interstate 5.

Tonight, all northbound lanes of State Route 125 is closed in the Navajo Road area due to an officer-involved shooting, the Sheriff's office advises. No deputies were injured and there are no outstanding suspects.

Planned highway closures include:

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Billy Ortiz: El Capitan Dam in Lakeside, ranked “fair” for safety, has an “extremely high “downstream hazard status for potential loss of life and property damage.

September 2, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - The State of California on Friday released data on dam safety in California which found nine percent of dams statewide fall below satisfactory and could pose potential hazards in severe storms or earthquakes—including nine dams in San Diego County.

By Valerie Watts

August 29, 2017 (Lakeside) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District presents its Kids Care Fest Saturday, October 14 from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, 12584 Mapleview Street in Lakeside.  This event will offer FREE checkups and health information as well as safety demonstrations and fun activities for the whole family.  This year there will be dental and vision screenings and flu shots (while supplies last),   The District hasn’t forgotten the adults--they can have their cholesterol and blood pressure checked.  To alleviate the sting of the flu shots,  the kids can ride ponies, climb a wall or participate in other fun activities.  For more details and to see a video of last year's event, go to kidscarefest.org.  You can also get more information by calling 619-825-5050.

East County News Service

August 24, 2017 (Santee) – Women walking on the Walker Preserve Trail in Santee have said that a man exposed himself to them on August 17^th and 21^st.  He is described as a white or Hispanic man standing about 5 feet tall and weighing around 200 pounds. He wore a gold chain and a white shirt.