By Mike Allen

May 29, 2016 (Santee) -- Santee’s library is bursting at the seams, hosting more children’s story-tellings, classes and community meetings than ever and library officials have the numbers to prove it.

East County News Service

May 26, 2016 (Santee)--The Santee Street Fair and Craft Beer Festival draws over 30,000 visitors each year with patriotic fund for the whole family. The eight annual festival will be held this year on Saturday, May 28^th from 10a.m to 6 p.m. at Riverview Parkway and Town Center Parkway in Santee. The festival will feature local breweries and honor the military on the Heroes Stage.

Festival highlights include: a craft beer festival, live music and entertainment, a crafter row and artist alley, over 300 food and vendor booths, carnival rides, and games for the family. 

East County News Service

May 20, 2016 (Santee) – The Santee Firefighters Fishing Derby will be held on Saturday, June 25 at Padre Dam’s Santee Lakes (Lake 3 and 4, Area G) from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.   Derby participants will receive a free day permit, worms, raffle ticket, hot dog lunch and free door prizes while they last.

East County News Service

May 13, 2016 (Santee) – The nine Chick-fil-A restaurants in San Diego County, including the Chick-fil-A restaurant at 9418 Mission Gorge Road, Santee, are preparing to give away more than 10,000 chicken sandwiches on Wednesday, May 25, as part of its annual “Military Appreciation Night” promotion.

East County News Service

May 13, 2016 (Santee) – The River Park Festival and San Diego River Run 5K will take place this Saturday, May 14^th from 3:30 to 8 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive in Santee.

The festival is free and includes live music, a beer garden by BNS Brewing and Distilling, tree planting (sign up) , interactive booths, kids’ corner, crafts, games and activities, BMX demos by East County BMX and a free bike repair event.

East County News Service

May 11, 2016 (Lakeside) -- Lake Jennings will hold its greatly anticipated Catfish Opener on Friday, May 27th. The lake will open at 4 p.m. instead of the usual 6 a.m., and will close at midnight. 2,000 lbs. of catfish will be stocked for this event.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Left and right: bull atop El Capitan High School and former Pinnacle Peak restaurant

May 6, 2016 (Lakeside) – A popular icon in downtown Lakeside—the bull statue atop the former Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse on Maine Avenue—vanished recently, leaving locals to ponder, where’s the beef?

Fortunately the missing steer statue was found this morning not far away, standing on the roof of El Capitan High School—and that’s no bull.

No one has come forward to fess up to steering the statue to the high school, though a senior prank is rumored.

East County News Service

April 29, 2016 (Santee) – George Lowery, 50, a homeless man found brutally beaten April 24^th in the San Diego riverbed in Santee, has died of his injuries. 

East County News Service

April 25, 2016 (Lakeside) – Yeehaw!  Lakeside’s Rodeo and Western Days Parade took place this past weekend and photographer Randy Jordan of  R. Jordan Photography was there to catch the action, including barrel racing and calf-roping at “Slack Thursday” in the Bulls Only lead-up event to the Lakeside Rodeo.  He also watched the annual parade roll out down Maine Avenue through the heart of downtown Lakeside.

Updated April 25, 2016 with victim's identity and cause of death.

East County News Service

April 24, 2016 (Lakeside) – Lance Benson, 29, of Lakeside has been arrested and will be charged with murder for the death of a man found early this morning on a sidewalk by a newspaper delivery person. The victim has been identified as Trammel Joseph Rizzuti, age 35 and the death was caused by sharp force trauma.

East County News Service

April 21,2016 (Lakeside) – You’re invited to a fun and festive Earth Day celebration and birthday party for the new Triple H Ranch bed and breakfast, 12453 Yerba Valley Road in Lakeside from 1 to 8 p.m.

Activities for the whole family include tours of gardens and the bed and breakfast, a petting zoo, face painting, an open gallery, mosaic making, music, plant and seed exchange and gifts, poster and photo contests, and a pot luck luncheon.

East County News Service

April 18, 2016 (Lakeside) – The developer who seeks to build a sand mine the scenic El Monte Valley in Lakeside that is overwhelmingly opposed by residents has submitted  a scoping letter to the County of San Diego with significant changes to the proposed project.  Click here to view the full document.

By Janis Russell

April 18, 2016 (Lakeside) - A public hearing was conducted April 11 in Lakeside to inform the public and let them voice their opinions for the by-trustee area election for GUHSD.  The hearing was held by the County Office of Education’s Committee on School District reorganization, which later approved the redistricting plan and map at its April 13 meeting. (http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/county-approves-guhsd-shift-trustee-districts)

East County News Service

April 13, 2016 (Santee) - An SUV driver who reportedly ran a red light after exiting State Route 52 near Mission Trails Regional Park in Santee struck a big rick truck at high speed early Wednesday morning, Patch.com reports.  The dark blue SUV became wedged under the big rick, trapping the driver inside.

By Miriam Raftery

April 9, 2016 (Lakeside) --  A worker for a pest control company who arrived to remove a termite fumigation tent from a home at 9548 Farmington Drive in Lakeside Friday found an intruder in the home. The suspect fled and the employee pursued him in his work truck, said Sergeant Mike McNeill.