By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

December 29, 2017 (La Mesa) – A La Mesa man called 911 last night at 11:30 to report that he had filled his home with gas and planned to blow it up.  La Mesa Police swiftly evacuated neighbors, some in pajamas.

ECM news partner 10 News was at the scene and got video of the man emerging from the home after police knocked on the door.  He went back inside but after a 45 minute stand-off, staggered out front and collapsed briefly.  Police carried him to the street, where he revived and was taken into custody.

By Paul Kruze

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

Read Judge Taylor’s full decision dismissing Kalasho’s cross complaint.

December 27, 2017 (San Diego)--San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor gave his early Christmas gift Friday to embattled El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho: a proverbial piece of coal.

The judge dismissed a counter suit filed by Kalasho against two beauty pageant contestants and a taco shop owner who are suing Kalasho on serious allegations of abusive behavior including sexual misconduct, fraud, defamation, and cyberharassment.

With Kalasho stoically standing next to his attorney, Judge Taylor found that the countersuit filed by Kalasho, a public figure, met the definition of a SLAPP suit meant to intimidate individuals’ constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances. SLAPP suits are illegal under California law. The judge affirmed that the plaintiffs have a right to redress their grievances against Kalasho in a court of law and to speak about their grievances in the media.

“Lawsuits are public proceedings,” Taylor admonished Kalasho’s attorney, Stephen J. Liosi.

By Miriam Raftery

December 28, 2017 (Descanso) – Acclaimed pianist, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter John Nilsen from the Pacific Northwest will perform a solo piano concert on Saturday, January 13^th at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Hills Community Church, 25153 Viejas Blvd. in Descanso. The concert is free of charge. The church will provide light refreshments, a chance to chat with the artist in a reception after the performance, and his musical CDs will be available for purchase.

According to his bio, Nilsen is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most successful performance and recording artists, with records that have sold well over a million copiesl His love of the outdoors is reflected in many of his works. Chosen a Deering Banjo artist in 2016, he has performed in all 50 states and many foreign countries, also speaking and conducting residencies on songwriting and music performance at schools across the U.S.  He has performed with luminaries such as Jose Feliciano, Jesse Colin Young and Marc Cohn and Kenny G.

East County News Service

December 28, 2017 (Spring Valley)—Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting last night shortly before 7 p.m. last night at the intersection of Concepcion Avenue and San Francisco Street in Spring Valley.  When deputies arrived, they located an adult male victim with traumatic injuries, inside a vehicle.

“The victim was treated and rushed to a local hospital by San Miguel Fire Department. His injuries are life-threatening,” says Lieutenant Rich Williams. “Multiple subjects were seen running from the vehicle at the time of the shooting. Detectives would like to speak to those subjects.”

By Miriam Raftery

December 27, 2017 (Ramona) – A fire on December 22^nd destroyed a mobile home rented by Fidel and Dora Ontiberos at the Lenora Winery on Steffy Lane in Ramona. 

“They did lose everything that they owned inside that mobile home as well as their pick-up truck and some contents in a small storage shed,” winery owner Eric Metz told East County magazine in an e-mail on December 26^th.  “They were not injured, fortunately, but they escaped with just their lives.”  The couple had no insurance, so the loss is total.

East County News Service

December 25, 2017 (Lakeside) – William “Frank” Taylor is home safe for the holidays, thanks to the kindness of community members.  The 89-year-old, who suffers from dementia but is very physically fit, vanished from 7900 Shalamar Drive in Lakeside around 5 p.m. last night.

 He left without a jacket, wearing only a long-sleeve blue shirt, jeans and tennis shoes on a chilly winter night.  Fortunately, he was found a short time later, the Sheriff’s department announced at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. 

Source: City of El Cajon

December 24, 2017 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon City Council is now accepting applications for Personnel Commission, Planning Commission, and Veterans’ Commission. The filing period is December 13, 2017, through January 11, 2018, at 5:30 p.m.  Applicants will be interviewed and appointed on January 23, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 200 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, CA 92020.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Julian Market & Deli, decked out for Fourth of July

December 23, 2017 (Julian) – The holidays just got a lot merrier for one lucky Julian resident or visitor.

A lottery ticket sold at the Julian Market & Deli, 2202 Main Street in the mountain town of Julian has five winning numbers in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery and is worth $1,298,334, the state lottery announced yesterday. 

The five winning numbers drawn Friday were 1, 20, 30, 33, and 42.  The Mega number, 16, was not on the Julian ticket.

East County News Service

December 23, 2017 (El Cajon) – “The internet has enabled endless positive opportunities for time saving applications, navigation and access to news and information that could never be possible without it.  But it also provides access for predators to monitor and interact with unsuspecting juvenile and adult victims,” says Lieutenant Rob Rainsweiler with the El Cajon Police Department. “In this case, an El Cajon Police Detective was able to locate these two suspects who were using the internet to arrange to have sex with what they believed was a 13 year old girl.  They arranged to meet her at a hotel in El Cajon where they were contacted and arrested. “

The suspects arrested are Amer Jamil Mansour, 60, and Salman Dawood Salman, 63. 

East County News Service

December 22, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory for tonight that includes inland desert regions in San Diego County. Temperatures could reach as low as 25 degrees in some places.

Pet owners are advised to bring pets inside tonight and to bring in or cover plants sensitive to cold, such as tropical plants or citrus.

East County News Service

December 21, 2017 (Spring Valley) – The Sheriff's SWAT/Special Enforcement Detail (SED) assisted the Rancho San Diego Crime Suppression Team (CST) and Area Detectives with serving a search warrant at the Club 64 marijuana dispensary located at 8650½ Bancroft Drive in Spring Valley, this morning at 8:30 a.m.

“The search warrant was the direct result of numerous complaints from concerned citizens regarding the illegal marijuana dispensary,” says Sergeant Matt Cook. “As a result of the search warrant, deputies located a large amount of marijuana, marijuana edibles, cash, marijuana paraphernalia as well as items used in the sales of marijuana.”

By Paul Kruze

Hear audio of meeting: http://www.mediafire.com/file/bo4c5wwv6k6tmcb/SanteeSPARC12142017Meeting.mp3

December 21, 2017 (Santee) -- Cigarette smokers in our region may end up with one less place to smoke if the Santee City Council approves a recommendation of the Santee Park and Recreation Committee (SPARC) to ban smoking on its numerous hiking trails located within the city limits. Smoking would still be allowed in public parks, leaving Santee the last city in San Diego County to still allow smoking in public parks, although the city does restrict smoking to designated areas during special events.

Smoking marijuana, however, will remain prohibited in Santee parks, although the state is set to decriminalize use on January 1 after voters passed Proposition 64 legalizing the public recreational use and commercial purchase of marijuana.

East County News Service

December 20, 2017 (Dehesa) -- Carnaval Fantastique will bring performers from around the world to Sycuan’s Live and Up Close Theatre on January 7^th in a celebration of music and action that combines gravity-defying acrobatics, contortionists, jugglers, comedy, beautiful dancers and dynamic laser special effects.

By Miriam Raftery

December 19, 2017 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police have arrested two adults and a juvenile in connection with the December 12^th stabbing death of Kyle Khamphan and the attempted murder of a juvenile victim, says Lt. Rob Rainsweier, public information officer for ECPC.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Dennis Richardson

December 19, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E has responded to our inquiry seeking answers to questions raised by concerned readers during planned outages to 17,000 SDG&E customers due to last week’s high winds, which ECM reported on here and here.

Helen Gao,  communications manager for Sempra Energy,  parent company of SDG&E,  sent the following reply to our questions on topics including loss claims, factors that determine when to shut off power, people with medical needs, support for residents during outages in need of water and communications, adjusting bills to eliminate charges during outages, and what might be done in communities with repeated outages to reduce or eliminate that need in the future.

Below is her response in full, followed by comments from rural residents with contrasting opinions on the outages: