Credit photo to Billy Ortiz

East County News Service

August 17, 2015 (Lakeside) – The County is preparing an environmental impact report on a massive sand mining project  proposed in El Monte Valley. The first step is to determine the “scope” of issues to be addressed. The County will host a scoping meeting on the project on Wednesday, August 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lakeside Community Center, 9841 Vine Street in Lakeside.

Members of the public, agencies and organizations are invited to attend and submit comments to assist the in determining the scope and content of the environmental informational impact report.  Details can be found at http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/ceqa_public_review.html . To have your comments entered into the official record, you must voice your comments at the public meeting or submit a letter before September 14 to:

August 12, 2015 (Santee)--The twang of banjos and fiddles will again fill the air, while delicious food and beverages fill appetites, at the 6th Annual Santee Bluegrass Festival on Sept. 12.

August 6, 2015 (Lakeside) –Michael Paul Gharring, 48, of El Cajon died August 2^nd in a vehicle accident in Lakeside.

East County News Service

August 2, 2015 (Santee) – Nathan Smoltz, 31, has been arrested for felony drunk driving after the Ford Explorer he was driving plunged off a steep embankment and rolled over several times, ending up in a ravine in harsh terrain northwest of Summit Avenue in Santee.  Four people were injured, including two in serious condition and one who sustained critical injuries.

East County News Service

Photos: Hannah Anderson, James DiMaggio

July 31, 2015 (Lakeside) –According to law enforcement, James DiMaggio kidnapped Lakeside teen Hannah Anderson after first  torturing and murdering her mother and brother, then setting fire to his home in Boulevard with their bodies inside.  The crimes triggered a multi-state manhunt that ended when FBI agents killed DiMaggio in the Idaho wilderness where he had taken Anderson, after he fired a shot first. 

But now DiMaggio’s sister, Lora DiMaggio Robinson, has filed a claim with the FBI and also plans to file a lawsuit in Idaho federal court next week, 10 News reports. She seeks over $20 million damages from the FBI for what she claims was a wrongful death, plus personal injury and property damage.

Her lawyer, C. Keith Greer, told NBC 7 TV that "Robinson knows that her brother was a very kind man, certainly not one to shoot at an FBI agent.”

July 28, 2015 (La Mesa) – The San Diego East County Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce will host its second Meet Your Candidates Night on Wednesday, August 5 from 6-7 pm.. at Sammy's Woodfire Pizza, 8555 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa 91942.

Assemblyman Brian Jones, who is running for State Senate, and Randy Voepel, Santee Mayor and candidate for the Assembly seat Jones will vacate next year due to term limits, will be speaking.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

July 26, 2015 (Lakeside)—A head-on crash on Lakeside’s Wildcat Canyon Road near Blue Sky Ranch killed two people early this morning, the California Highway Patrol reports.

July 22, 2015 (Lakeside) - Save El Monte Valley, a citizens group opposed to a proposed sand mining project, invites concerned citizens to a community meeting on July 28 at 6 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the Lakeside Christian Church, 13739 El Monte Road in Lakeside.

Participants include Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Helix Water District, the San Diego County Water Authority, Building Industry Association of San Diego, and the Water Reliability Coalition

July 21, 2015 (El Cajon) -- On Thursday, August 13^th, 2015 Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) will be hosting a Drought Town Hall to educate constituents about the ongoing California drought, legislative solutions, and efforts to provide relief to the community.

County News Service

Photo: County crews work to clean up mud flow on Rutherford Road in Ramona, where over 3 inches of rain fell on Sunday.

July 20, 2015 (San Diego) -- The remnants of Hurricane Dolores created record rainfall in San Diego County, taking residents by surprise over the weekend. If your property or small business sustained damage from the weekend’s heavy rains and flooding, the County would like your help to estimate rain damages in our region.

The County Office of Emergency Services is asking storm-affected residents to complete a short damage survey form that will assist the County in collecting damage information and associated costs from the weekend’s heavy rains and flooding.

The information gathered from the surveys will be used to estimate total damages countywide and will determine if enough damages occurred to qualify the region for federal disaster assistance, such as low interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration for those who are uninsured or underinsured.

By Miriam Raftery

file photo: Calif. Dept. Fish & Game

July 13, 2015 (San Diego) – A mountain lion apparently protecting her cubs startled a pair of hikers Thursday night at Mission Trails Regional Park.

Mike Smith told ECM news partner 10 News that he was wearing a head lamp on the trail when he spotted a reflection and then heard a sound like “kittens, kind of like a meowing, but loud.”

He and his friend walked toward their car, when they saw eyes  staring at them. Next, a full-grown mountain lion walked out of the bushes and across the road less than 30 feet from the hikers, before heading up to high ground.

By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2015 (Lakeside) – A drug house in Lakeside has been raided and the property condemned, Sergeant David Hale with the Sheriff’s Department reports.  County Sheriff’s deputies from the Lakeside substation, aided by the Sheriff’s special enforcement detail and ASTREA helicopter served a search warrant at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at 9001 Creekford Road.

East County News Service

July 8, 2015 (Santee) -- Santee Lakeside Rotary Club Foundation and the Santee Lakes Foundation will host the Fourth Annual Concert At The Lakes at Santee Lakes (Lake Five) on Saturday July 18 at 5 p.m. All proceeds will support scholarships at local high schools and youth programs at Santee Lakes.

By Miriam Raftery

July 9, 2015 (Santee) – At last night’s Santee City Council meeting, 24 people came to show support for asking that dogs from puppy  mills be outlawed for sale in Santee.   The group is waiting to see if Council will agree to add the item to its agenda.

Sydney Cicourel, west coast director for The Puppy Mill Project, told Council members that her organization has gathered 3,000 signatures on a petition in support of the ban.  The group has been protesting at Pups and Pets, a Santee store that Cicourel says purchases dogs in from puppy mills where the animals are kept in “deplorable” conditions that are unsafe and unsanitary, often in stacked wire cages.

By Miriam Raftery

July 8, 2015 (Santee)—The Santee City Council has voted to raise the Fire Benefit Fee for all commercial and industrial properties to a maximum of $492 per building, per year.  Parcels with multiple buildings will owe the fee for each building. The highest increase faced by any property owner would be $1,800, staff told Council.

“This is really a per building fee,” Councilman Jack Dale observed, “whether you’re 500 square feet or you’re Costco.”