Update December 20, 2018:  The State has sent a letter to La Mesa's city manager advising that it has dropped plans for a parole office at this location, at this time, but will seek an alternative site elsewhere in East County.

By Susan Nichols, President, Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association (GMIA)

December 19, 2018 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association (GMIA), along with the greater community, continues to gather information to oppose the leasing of a building by the Department of Corrections for a Parole Operations Center amidst of their residential community. GMIA and the greater community have sought help from elected state officials, who are aware of the community plea to stop the parole office but have yet to provide substantive action.

Source: City of El Cajon

December 19, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon has been awarded $4.8 million in grant funding from Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration. The grants will fund a number of improvements along two busy El Cajon roads—Jamacha Road (which turns into North Second Street) and Madison Avenue. The grant awards aim to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety at these two locations in El Cajon, which has had a high rate of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in recent years.

East County News Service

December 18, 2018 (Spring Valley) – A clerk at the Arco convenience store in the 9000 block of Campo Road assaulted a deputy who responded to a call reporting that the clerk was threatening customers with a knife. The caller reported that the clerk appeared to be under the influence of a drug and chased a customer with a knife.

By Paul Kruz, Contributing Editor

December 14, 2018 (El Cajon) -- Residents of El Cajon and the County of San Diego will have to wait awhile longer before the community's theater, shuttered for over a decade, will reopen for performances.

While performing an evaluation of the HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning) system at the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC), experts have determined that the system will require complete replacement rather than an overall. Further investigation has found more age-related problems with the roof of the 1,140 seat theater.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Students from Meridian Elementary arriving at East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon are surprised and delighted to see a playground that they envisioned has come to life at the center, funded by Allstate through the company’s Good Starts Young program.

December 14, 2018 (El Cajon)  --  Fourth grade students in Mrs. Lee’s class at Meridian Elementary were asked how they would like to improve their community. The children dreamed up the idea of a playground for families at the East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon, which helps homeless people transition off the streets, then created the design.  But they had no idea that Allstate Insurance had provided funding through its Good Starts Young program to make the playground become a reality.  

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo, left to right: Linda Charry, Jimmie Parker, Donald Wolf, Jessica Kalasho, and Ben Kalasho  

Source:  City of El Cajon

December 13, 2018 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon City Council is accepting applications for several Commissions and Committees.  The filing period is open through January 14, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

East County News Service

December 13, 2018 (El Cajon) – The Olaf Wieghorst Museum at the Wieghorst Western Heritage Center, 131 Rea Ave., El Cajon, is presenting an exhibit of 25 quilts created by East County residents, including Cheryl Minshew, Daniela Stout and Sylvia Thomas. “Visitors to the Wieghorst will be impressed by the variety and creativity of patterns designed by East County residents,” said Minshew, the show’s curator. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Dec. 29.  Admission to the museum is free. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. For more information, phone (619) 590-3431, or visit www.wieghorstmuseum.org.

Update December 26, 2018 -- Patient data was not on the missing hard drive, long-time Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District Chief Mike Van Bibber has informed EMC. Patients' information was on a county server instead.

By Ken Stone

Reprinted with permission by Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  photo taken Tuesday after backup hard drive was discovered missing. Photo via Brian Kramer

December 12, 2018 (Julian) - Julian fire district officials and local authorities are looking into the possible theft of private medical information and employee records from a backup hard drive.

According to Julian-Cuyamaca fire board member Brian Kramer, the external hard drive with possibly years of data went missing Dec. 1 from a locked room at the Julian fire station on state Route 79.

By Ana Nita

December 11, 2018 (Santee) -- The battle over the Fanita Ranch urban development proposal in Santee entered a new phase once the City of Santee scheduled the scooping meeting at the end of November to gather public input on a revamped proposal. 

East County News Service

December 10, 2018 (Lemon Grove) -- This holiday season, Lemon Grove’s cozy neighborhood eatery, Giardino, is giving diners multiple reasons to gather around its tables. A menu only available through the new year features chef’s specials highlighting flavors that bring on nostalgia. Start with a bowl of Lobster Bisque, or Portobello Ripieni stuffed with artichokes, gorgonzola, spinach and bell peppers. Pasta includes Oxtail Cannelloni and Turkey and Pumpkin Lasagna, while the entrees feature dishes like Roasted Duck Airline Breast, Veal Saltimbocca and Salmon San Remo. Save room for dessert – Chef Marco has a special Nutella Pistachio Tiramisu and housemade Limoncello to end the meal on a good note.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by James Kecskes

December 9, 2018 (Borrego Springs) - It’s official, the new County Library, park and Sheriff’s office are open for business in Borrego Springs. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony took place this afternoon, kicking off a community celebration with music, artists, animals and tours of the new library and Sheriff’s office. The two buildings and park all share a 19-acre property.

The library branch is the larger of the two buildings and sits on 2.6 acres. The facility measures three times the size of the previous one and includes 2,215 square feet of community meeting space, a 330 square foot conference room, separate areas for children and teens, a technology center with a 3D printer, and a Friends of the Library Book Nook and Conversation Café.

By Miriam Raftery

December 6, 2018 (Ramona) – Savor the season along the Holiday Wine Trail in Ramona, which this year features 18 different wineries.

The event continues the next two Saturdays and Sundays, December 8-9 and 15-16.   Some wineries are offering “extras” including live music, arts and crafts for sale, spiced mulled wine and even an appearance by Santa –in a wine cave!

I hit the trail last weekend, stopping by several locations along the tour, each offering a unique and special experience.

County denies request for health impacts of turbines, even as more are proposed

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: New proposed turbines would be much taller and produce more energy than these older Kumeyaay Wind turbines, also broadening the areas that could be impacted by noise, vibrations, and electromagnetic interefence with devices such as cell phones

December 6, 2018 (Campo) –Tonight, the Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold a scoping meeting on a notice to prepare n environmental impact statement for a proposal to build 60 wind turbines up to 586 feet tall (taller than the highest skyscraper in San Diego) on the Campo Indian reservation. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Campo Tribal Hall, 36190 Church Road (BIA 10) at highway 94 in Campo.  Written comments can also be submitted by December 21^st. Find details at www.CampoWind.com.

The new Campo Wind project is proposed for most Campo reservation ridgelines from north of I-8 to the U.S./Mexico border, each 4 megawatts.  Neighbors and the Boulevard Planning Group have raised concerns over the large turbines including noise, sleep disruption, health impacts and lost property values.   View flyer.

Minutes of the Boulevard Planning Group meeting from November 1, 2018 reveal numerous residents’ complaints about problems reportedly associated with similarly large-scale wind turbines recently installed at the Tule Wind project in McCain  Valley as well as turbines at the Kumeyaay Wind facility in Campo. Those complaints range from noise and vibrations to interference with cell phone service, a vital concern in an area prone to wildfires where communication is critical.

By Miriam Raftery

December 6, 2018 (Lemon Grove) — A man jumped over the county of a Jack-in-the-Box at 7979 Broadway Avenue in Lemon Grove shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday, thenpointed a black pistol at customers and employees, demanding cash.

The suspect is described as black, about 6 ft. 2 in heightwith medium to heavy build, wearing a baseball cap, red flannel shirt, grey hooded sweatshirt with hood pulled up, black gloves, white pants, and a white bandana covering his face.