By Miriam Raftery

May 20, 2024 (Santa Ysabel) – The world has lost a creative giant.  Visionary artist and internationally acclaimed architect James Hubbell passed away on May 17 in Chula Vista at age 92, surrounded by family members including his wife, Anne.  

“We’ve lost a great friend, a generous, creative talent, and an extraordinary man,”  reads a statement issued by the Ilan-Lael Foundation, founded by Hubbell to inspire future generations of budding artists, architects and builders. 

Hubbell designed hundreds of public and private artworks. Locally, his creations include the Pacific Portal gazebo and Pacific Rim Park’s Pearl of the Pacific on Shelter Island, the Triton Restaurants in San Diego and Carlsbad, Kuchumaa Passage, a public artwork at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort and Spa in Tecate, Mexico, and a mosaic foundation at Coronado Ferry Landing.

Internationally,  he headed up efforts to create a series of international peace parks at locations rimming the Pacific Ocean.  He also began a 30-year volunteer project to build Colegio La Esperanza, an elementary school embedded with mosaics to bring hope, education and beauty to students east of Tijuana, Mexico.

East County News Service

May 9, 2024 (San Diego) – Governor Gavin Newsom has declared May 5-11 as “Wildfire Preparedness Week.”  Noting the increasingly challenging wildfire seasons due to climate change, Newsom says his administration has made historic investments to increase forest management and decrease catastrophic wildfire risks, such as buying state-of-the-art firefighting equipment and technology.

Now he’s asking all Californians to take steps to protect their properties by creating defensible space around homes, hardening homes, developing wildfire action plans and teaming up to join Fire Safe Councils and Firewise Communities, which work to regularly assess wildfire risk and prioritize actions to address those risks.

“All of us have an essential role in protecting ourselves, loved ones, and communities from wildfire,” the Governor says. “During Wildfire Preparedness Week, I encourage all Californians to visit ReadyForWildfire.org to learn about steps we can take to prepare for wildfire season and help prevent loss of life and property. Together, we can create a more fire resilient California.”  Find tips at https://readyforwildfire.org/.

To stay ready for a wildfire or natural disaster at any time, the California Fire Foundation has just relaunched its Firefighters on Your Side community preparedness program at FirefightersOnYourSide.org to help Californians prepare their homes with defensible space, make a 5-minute evacuation plan, pre-pack essentials, and print a master checklist. . 

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2024 (Ramona) – A phone call to the Sheriff’s communications center yesterday around 1:40 p.m. reported an individual armed with a firearm outside  Ramona High School. The incident prompted a lockdown of the high school and other nearby schools while deputies from Ramona and Poway stations searched the campus.

The call appears to have been a false report or “swatting” incident to provoke a law enforcement response. Nothing suspicious was found.

East County News Service

April 3, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)—Yet another storm is forecast to bring rain and snow to East County Thursday night and Friday. The snow level is expected to drop down to the 3,000 to 3,500 foot level.

Mt.Laguna could receive 3 to 4 inches of snow, with up to 2 inches in Julian. Interstate 8 east of Alpine could also get snow, so use caution if traveling in this area.  Other areas that may receive snow include Pine Valley, Cuyamaca, and Warner Springs.

East County News Service

February 21, 2024 (Santa Ysabel, CA) – An 11-year-old girl has died as a result of a two-vehicle collision that occurred in Santa  Ysabel on February 17 around 2:40 p.m.

According to Officer Jared Grieshaber with the California Highway Patrol, an Escondido woman,27, was driving a 2020 Honda Accord with three passengers. She was headed east on State Route 76 and stopped at the intersection with State  Route 79, then pulled out in front of a 2022 Ford F-150 pickup truck that was heading south on  State Route 79.

East County News Service

February 12, 2024 (Ramona) – Jorge Aguilar, 21, has been arrested for felony vandalism after reportedly ramming his pickup truck into the back gate of the San Diego County Sheriff’s substation in Ramona on Saturday, says Detective Thomas Sutton.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: CC via Bing

February 8, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – AT&T has filed an application asking the California Public Utilities Commission to end AT&T’s obligation to serve as a carrier of last resort (COLR) and cease maintaining land line telephone service. A map indicates this would include the entire San Diego region. If the CPUC approves the request,  land line service could end as early as six months later.

There are no in-person hearings in San Diego County, but you can voice your opinion in a virtual hearing March 19 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. or post online comments here.  

"If approved by the CPUC, over 580,000 affected AT&T customers would be left with fewer options in terms of choice, quality, and affordability," warns the Rural County Representatives of California. "Alternative services, such as VoIP and wireless, have no obligation to serve a customer or to provide equivalent services to AT&T landline customers, including no obligation to provide reliable access to 911 or Lifeline program discounts."

The proposal has drawn strong opposition from rural residents in East County and elsewhere in California, as well as consumer advocates who warn that ending land lines would leave many in rural or remote locations with no reliable phone service at all, since Internet VOIP phone service is not widely available in many places and some areas also lack cell phone connectivity. Even for those with cell service, land lines have proven life-saving options when cell towers have burned down during wildfires in places such as rural Potrero.

By Miriam Raftery

February 7, 2024 (Pine Valley) – Crews from multiple agencies are searching for the crew of a military helicopter that went missing southeast of Pine Valley and north of Interstate 8 near Kitchen Creek Road. The helicopter has been located this morning as of 10:50 a.m., but the crew has not yet been found.

Heavy snow is making it difficult for searchers to access the area. Cal Fire San Diego is currently in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service, according to Cal Fire. Agencies helping in the search include the U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept., and California Civil Air Patrol.