By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2023 (Tecate)  -- The #Border20Fire which started late this afternoon has burned 458 acres. The fire started on the south slope of Tecate Peak. 

At 6:35 p.m., Cal Fire reports that updated mapping and intelligence shows the fire is completely within Mexico – a correction from their early report, which had indicated that the fire had crossed the border.

East County News Service

Source: County News Service

July 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors heard an update in late June on a  three-stage plan to implement new paramedic-based community health initiatives that aim to improve emergency medical services in rural areas.

By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—Michele Michalina Lange was a devoted mother  and a popular waitress at the Por Favor Restaurant in La Mesa.  But on June 22, her ended when she was walking across  Jamacha Blvd. near Lamplighters Village Drive in Spring Valley and was struck by two vehicles—a red SUV and a silver sedan.

 Both fled the scene, and now Michele’s father, Michael Lange, is offering a $25,000 reward to find those drivers and hold them accountable.

“I’m lost…I loved my daughter dearly,” he told 10 news, adding, “I want justice.”

By Branda Gorgies

Photos: Left: Model at Runway Chardonnay Fashion Show at Trevi Hills Winery; right: Dawn Sebaugh

July 1, 2023 (Spring Valley)—Dawn Sebaugh is a local artist who wears, lives, and loves her art in every way. Sebaugh, creator of “Wear Art, Live Art,” has a unique twist to her art: for every painting, she creates a fabric to match. Her slogan is "Wear art, live art, love art."

East County News Service

July 5, 2023 (Spring Valley) – Shortly after 10 p.m. last night, Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call reporting gunshots in the 2700 block of Central Ave. in Spring Valley. Deputies found a man in the middle of the street suffering from several gunshot wounds to his upper torso.

“Deputies and medical personnel provided medical aid, but he succumbed to his injuries. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene,” says Lieutenant Joseph Janjura.

A second male victim arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm.  He is expected to survive.

Story and Photos By: Josh Stotler

Photo, left:  A San Diego Helitack crew heads into the smoke to clear crush as the Proctor fire burns in the background.

June 24, 2023 (Jamul)-- Crews from CAL FIRE and Inmate fire crews are still on the scene at the #ProctorFire this evening, mopping up and dousing hot spots. All   road closures and evacuation orders have been lifted.

The  brush fire was reported off Proctor Valley Road around 5:23 pm. Units were dispatched to the scene and reported the blaze burning in medium vegetation with a medium rate of spread. Due to vegetation drying out and homes in the area, the fire was upgraded; more air and ground units were called in.

East County News Service

June 24, 2023 (Spring Valley) – California Highway Patrol is searching for the drivers of a red SUV and a silver sedan which each struck a 50-year-old woman in Spring Valley shortly before 10 p.m. on June 22, then fled the scene.

The woman was walking northbound on Jamacha Blvd. east of Lamplighter Village Drive when she was hit by the red  SUV, which was traveling west on Jamacha.  The impact knocked the victim to the ground. While she was lying on the roadway, she was struck a second time by the silver sedan.

The woman sustained major injuries and died at the scene.

“Both vehicles were last seen fleeing the scene, westbound on Jamacha Blvd.,” says Officer Matthew Baranowski with the California Highway Patrol. 

East County News Service

June 21, 2023 (Spring Valley) –Sweetwater Regional Park in Spring Valley will soon be expanded from 300 acres to 490 acres, helping the county to complete the 11-mile Sweetwater Loop Trail around Sweetwater Reservoir.

Story and Photos By Josh Stotler

June 20, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) --  Federal, state, and tribal fire departments battled the #Blackwood Fire this afternoon, which threatened homes before crews halted the blaze at 37 acres.

The fire broke out around noon on the Campo Reservation just off interstate 8 on Black Wood Rd and Old Mine Rd.  Initial responders confirmed a vegetation fire and immediately upgraded the incident, calling for more ground units as well as air support.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  A Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot, by Charles J. Sharp, Sharp Photography, CC by SA 4.0

June 15, 2023 (Jamul) – Chirping at a Miami airport alerted authorities to a smuggler with 29 parrot eggs inside—including one that had just hatched. Two dozen of the eggs later hatched out, including 21 critically endangered Yellow-Naped Amazon parrots and three Red-Lored Amazons.

Update June 19, 2023 --The deceased has been identified as  Max Andrew Vizcarra, 26. The Medical Examiner found cause of death to be blunt force injuries and inhaling products of combustion.

By Miriam Raftery

June 15, 2023 (Dulzura) – A 26-year-old San Diego man lost control of the sedan he was driving last night on State Route 94 in Dulzura, causing a fiery collision with a pickup truck.  The crash killed the sedan driver and injured the pickup truck’s driver.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the sedan was heading westbound on 94 just west of Cochera Via Drive around 7:10 p.m. when the driver traveled onto the dirt shoulder, then spun counterclockwise and crossed into the eastbound lane. The sedan struck a 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by a 26-year-old man from Tecate, Mexico, who was traveling at 55 miles per hour.

“The right side of the sedan struck the front of the Dodge, resulting in the sedan bursting into flames,” says Officer Jared Grieshaber with the CHP. “The driver of the sedan was knocked unconscious during the impact, and the driver of the Dodge attempted to extricate him from the sedan, but was unable to do so.”

By Miriam Raftery

Donald Michael Santini,  aka Wellman "Wells" Simmonds

June 13, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – A fugitive wanted for the murder of a Florida woman nearly 40 years ago, as well as a robbery in Texas, has been leading a double life in Campo. There, he brazenly held public positions under an assumed name.

On Wednesday, Donald Michael Santini, known locally under the alias Wellman “Wells” Simmonds, was arrested in Campo's Lake Morena community by U.S. Marshals, ECM news partner 10 News reports.

Simmonds served on the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group as well as president of the board of directors for the Lake Morena Views Mutual Water Company, a troubled water district where nitrate contamination has left district residents forced to drink bottled water for the past three years, as ECM reported.

“Everyone was surprised. There was nothing unusual about him,” Billie Jo Jannen, Chair of the planning group, told ECM.

By Miriam Raftery

June 4, 2023 (San Diego) – The outbreak of Vesicular Stomatitis  Virus (VSV) that started last month in San Diego County has now spread to San Bernadino as well as Riverside County. There are now 44 properties quarantined, including 28 in San Diego County, according to the latest update posted  June 2, 2023 by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

Since the last report a week earlier, 18 new properties affected by VSV have been identified, including three new confirmed positive cases and 8 suspected cases in San Diego County.

To date, all of the premises quarantined have cases in horses or other equine species, except one property that has clinically affected cattle locally. However the disease can occur in other animals such as llamas, alpacas, pigs, sheep, goats and deer.

By Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2023  (San Diego’s East County) – The County of San Diego is kicking off its annual movies in the park, which this year features 150 movies at dozens of parks across the County.  Bring the family—along with blankets and lawn chairs—to cozy up for a night under the stars.

The season opens this Memorial Day weekend at Waterfront Park downtown and runs through October.  East  County and inland locations include Anza Borrego,Campo, El Cajon, Encanto, Escondido, Julian , Lakeside,  La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Pine Valley,  Potrero, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Penasquitos, Rolando, San Carlos, and Spring Valley.

Theme weekends have also been scheduled, including Juneteenth (June 16 and 17), Comic-Con (July 21-22), Ladies Night (Aug. 12), International Dog Day (Aug. 25 and 26), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) and Halloween (late October).