By Kathy Carpenter, Associate/Youth Reviewer www.sdtheatrereviews.com

February 22, 2017 (Santee) – In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch admonished his children to walk in someone else's shoes before judging them. You cannot know another clearly until you have considered things through their eyes. That’s a lesson we could all benefit from if we chose to exercise the option more.

East County News Service

February 20, 2017 (Santee) – A SWAT team stand-off in the 8500 block of Massery Lane in Santee has ended peacefully. 

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February 15, 2017 (La Mesa) - Grossmont girls’ soccer sports an outstanding 10-3-6 record on the season, with a 2-1-5 record in Grossmont league play.  Tonight, they hosted the Wolf Pack of West Hills, an opponent of equal stature with an 11-6-6 overall record, but a 1-2-5 record in league play.

Crash raises concerns from flight school neighbors

By Miriam Raftery

February 14, 2017 (Ramona) – A Cessna registered to the American Aviation Academy and flying out of Gillespie Field as an instructor/student flight on Sunday crashed onto a mountainside in Ramona, killing Shaira Noor, 21, of Bangladesh. She had been training at the academy for nine months. Noor was in the backseat of the Cessna and was impaled by a tree on impact, which killed her instantly.

Two other occupants survived, climbing to an elevated area and using cell phones to call for help, the Sheriff’s department reports.

Story, photos and video by Billy Ortiz (Lakeside)

February 12, 2017 (Lakeside) -- The Lakeside Optimists are a great group helping out our community.  Yesterday they were at Lake Jennings in Lakeside for the annual "Kids Day", where all kids under 10 were allowed to fish for free at Lake Jennings.

By Miriam Raftery

February 11, 2017 (Santee) – Mountain Health celebrates the grand opening of Santee Family Medicine, the organization’s 5^th health center location, on February 11^th at 120 Town Center Parkway in Santee. There will be an open house and guided tours, free blood pressure screenings, help with Medi-Cal and Covered California, dental information, vendors, speakers and a blood drive.

East County News Service

February 7, 2017 (Lakeside) -- Eastbound Bar & Grill is turning seven on February 11^th and is throwing a birthday party with a lineup of events that aren’t to be missed!  Because everyone knows that no Eastbound celebrations are complete without the Pajama Brunch, live music, charitable giving and the annual Beer Belly Contest.

East County News Service

February 7, 2017 (Lakeside) - Robin Rierdan with the Lakeside Rive Park Conservancy will lead a series of four beautiful hikes through Lakeside. The first is this Friday, February 10^th along the Flume Trail in El Monte Valley.  Space is limited and registration is required by Thursday. Register here.

East County News Service

February 4, 2017 (Lakeside) – It’s February and love is in the air – including at Lake Jennings, where photographer Scott Barnhill photographed a pair of nesting bald eagles.   He also captured dramatic images of other birds of prey in flight, fishing, and hunting, including the osprey catching a fish, shown here.  View more photos below, and see this link for a full gallery of images: 

http://www.csprophoto.com/Nature/Lake-Jennings/

East County News Service

January 26, 2017 (Santee) –  Last night at 11:09 p.m., a caller reported hearing smashing sounds of windows breaking and car alarms going off outside her residence in the 9300 block of Carlton Oaks Drive in Santee. She went outside and saw a white older model Ford Explorer; its occupants were throwing rocks or using some weapon to hit vehicles parked on the street.

Do you have a son or daughter that plays a sport at a level other than varsity?  Drop a line on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

January 25, 2017 (La Mesa) - The Helix High varsity boys soccer team is off to a decent start in conference play with only one tie.  The 6-2-4 overall Highlanders stayed at home today and faced El Capitan.  The Vaqueros are 0-1 in league play and 5-5-1 overall.

East County News Service

January 24, 2017 (Santee) – The San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO), a Santee-based political action committee promoting Second Amendment rights, reports it has signed up more than 500 members in its first full year of operation.

By Mike Allen

January 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- El Cajon’s Gillespie Field is in the middle of an expansion aimed at creating more hangers, more space for aviation- related businesses, and thousands of new jobs.

Video, photo and story by Billy Lakeside Ortiz

View video of coyote hunting and howling:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj55X4oHj40

January 17, 2017 (Lakeside) -- Not all coyotes are a nuisance, in fact where there is open land they can thrive without ever setting paw in your yard. If a habitat has all the right elements--grasses, mice, gopher, rabbits and a few other rodent types--the coyote has all it needs to live long and bear young.

East County News Service

January 12, 2017 (Santee) – Santee’s Mayor Minto,  newly elected in November, will be the featured speaker at the Santee Chamber of Commerce mixer on January 17^th at 7:30 a.m. at Mimi’s Café (9812 Mission Gorge Rd., Santee).