By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CC via Bing

January 3, 2023 (Lakeside) – The San Diego Sheriff’s department has released the identifies of two women shot and killed on December 30 in Lakeside by a man who then fatally shot himself.  Two juveniles were also in the home in the 13500 block of Interstate 8 Business when the killings occurred.

East County News Service

December 26, 2022 (Lakeside) – Scott Lagace snapped these photographs of a Bald Eagle, our national bird, over the holiday weekend at Lake Jennings in Lakeside. Though no longer federally endangered, Bald Eagles are still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act as well as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They remain rare in San Diego County, however, where there are only a handful of nesting pairs, making such a sighting a special thrill.

Story and photos by Shiloh Ireland

December 23, 2022 (Lakeside) - Wesley Maddocks of San Diego County Parks and Recreation featured Snow Day at Lindo Park in Lakeside.

"It has been a dream of our directors to bring snow to our parks," says Maddocks.

Twenty tons of ice were donated for this event and the crowd grew to approximately 150 as kids arrived from school. Santa sat patiently for the children to hear their Christmas wishes. It looked like all the participants had a fun afternoon.

By Miriam Raftery

December 18, 2022 (Lakeside) – San Diego County is a hub for child sex trafficking, with at least 3,000 victims here each year. How can you protect your children?  Find out on Thursday, January 19 when the Lakeside Union School District and El Capitan High School PTSA groups host a screening of the film “Stolen: a Year-Long Investigation into Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation.”  This must-see film based on an NBC 7 investigative series will be shown at the El Capitan High School Events Center (10410 Ashwood St., Lakeside) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

By Mike Allen

Photo:   Rocky Qualin (beard) and Brian Fordyce, new directors of Padre Dam Water District

December 12, 2022 (Santee) -- Brian Fordyce was appointed this month as the newest director for the Padre Dam Municipal Water District board of directors, taking over a seat for District 1 formerly held by Doug Wilson.

East County News Service

December 10, 2022 (Lakeside) - Four people have been arrested in connection with a shooting in Lakeside that left a teenager in critical condition.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: El Capitan County Preserve

Update: The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Nathaniel Takatsuno, who had reportedly been free climbing without a rope when he fell 200 feet, Times of San Diego reports.

December 5, 2022 (Lakeside) – The body of a rock climber who fell to his death yesterday on El Cajon Mountain, located in the El Capitan County Preserve in Lakeside was recovered today by a Sheriff’s helicopter crew.

East County News Service

December 4, 2022 (Santee) - Take a good look at this sketch. This man is wanted in connection with an attempted robbery in Santee on Friday, November 25 and for striking two women with the dark green pickup truck he was driving.

By Mike Allen

Photo: CC by ND via Bing

November 22, 2022 (Santee) -- Santee may be late to the party that other city governments have joined, allowing the sale of cannabis, yet it’s in no hurry to figure out how it will be permitted and managed.

Source: City of Santee

November 14, 2022 (Santee) -- Have a holly-jolly good time at the City of Santee’s annual Holiday Lighting Celebration on Friday, November 18 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Santee Trolley Square, located at 9884 Mission Gorge Road.

East County News Service

November 12, 2022 (Lakeside) – Deputies at the Lakeside Sheriff’s substation are investigating the shooting of a juvenile shortly before 1 a.m. on  November 6 near El Capitan High School.

Deputies found the victim near the intersection of Mapleview and Ashwood streets, suffering from a gunshot wound in the back. The victim was transported by paramedics to a hospital.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, top left to lower right:  Andrew Hayes won reelection; newcomers Ron Kasper, Jim Bennett and Autumn Ellenson beat out a trio of other incumbents

November 9, 2022 (Lakeside) – Lakeside Union School District’s governing board will look dramatically different as a result of yesterday’s election.  Three full-term seats and one short-term seat were on the ballot. But only one of the incumbents up for reelection, Andrew Hayes, has won reelection.  Three others – Bonnie LaChappa, Holly Ferrante, and Don Whiseman, are trailing by substantial margins.

All of the leading candidates are endorsed by the Republican Party, though the race is officially nonpartisan. In addition to Hayes, challengers Jim Bennett and Ron Kasper appear poised to win full-term seats, while Autumn Ellenson is winning the short-term seat by a resounding margin of more than two-thirds.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and La Mesa Mayor Mark Araposthis are winning their reelection bids

November 8, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Early results after polls closed tonight indicate incumbents heading for reelection in La Mesa, El Cajon and Lemon Grove.

The power of incumbency proved stronger than partisan politics. Though city races are nonpartisan, political parties endorsed candidates and expended resources walking precincts to campaign for their parties' choices. But incumbents in both parties hold solid leads, though Democrats appear likely to pick up a seat in both the La Mesa and Lemon Grove Council races, following the retirement of Republican incumbents.

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, a Republican, has a solid 71.25% of the votes tallied so far; his opponent, realtor Arnie Levine, a Democrat, has 28.75%. The Mayor ran on a track record of boosting revenues through bringing in new hotels and reopening the performing arts center, while Levine criticized Mayor Wells’ defiance of public health business shutdown mandates duringthe pandemic. El Cajon Councilman Gary Kendrick ran unopposed, drawing 100% of the votes.  But El Cajon’s Measure P which the Mayor supports, to increase the city sales tax to a penny per dollar, is losing 58% to 42%.

By Mike Allen

November 5, 2022 (Santee) -- The Tin Fish at Santee Lakes, open for about a year, is closing this weekend, but why is a mystery. Padre Dam Water District, the agency that controls Santee Lakes, indicated only that a new vender is being selected.

Melissa McChesney, spokeswoman for Padre Dam, said that the owner of the business, Ed Kim, notified the agency in September “he intended to cease operations at Santee Lakes.”

She said the agency and owner determined the best course of action for both parties was to assign the licensing agreement to another vender, which Padre Dam’s CEO would oversee and select. But she provided no reason why Kim was exiting his contract early. In May of 2021, he signed a three-year lease with Padre Dam and opened the restaurant in June.