East County News Service

April 22, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A warrant sweep conducted this morning in Lemon Grove, La Mesa and Rancho San Diego this morning has resulted in 29 adults arrested, clearing 35 warrants. The sweeps were conducted between 6 a.m. and 12 noon by the San Diego Sheriff Department’s Court Services Bureau Field Unit.

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

April 21, 2017 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon Library, located at 201 E. Douglas Avenue in El Cajon, will host its first Monarch Butterfly Festival, in partnership with San Diego Master Gardeners and the Water Conservation Garden organization, on Saturday, May 13, 2017, from 1 – 4 pm.   Beautiful orange and black monarch butterflies are both year-round San Diego residents and winter migration visitors.  Their numbers have greatly declined over the years and festival visitors can learn about them and how to help increase their numbers by planting a monarch butterfly garden.  Having a butterfly garden is a popular and fun family activity.  Even if you don’t have room for a garden, you can plant milkweed in pots.

East County News Service

April 21, 2017 (El Cajon) -- As natural disasters continue to grow and become more destructive, emergency responders, such as CAL FIRE San Diego, are becoming increasingly dependent on community volunteer organizations. One such organization that has been called on to assist is San Diego County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). When activated through their sponsoring agency, CERT members can find themselves working in close cooperation with local first responders; augmenting their numbers and aiding their neighbors that have been affected by a disaster. Skills that CERT members have been trained in can include basic first-aid, volunteer organization and search and rescue. CERT members were activated as recently as last year during the Border Fire in Potrero and quickly became an integral part of the community response by helping families and property owners that were impacted by the fire which ultimately grew to nearly 7700 acres over two weeks.

East County News Service

April 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learn during training.  These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster until professional help arrives.

East County News Service

April 19, 2017 (El Cajon) - America on Main Street, a family fun celebration honoring the American spirit, will be held in downtown El Cajon on May  20th from 12 noon. to 8 p.m. The event includes four stages with live entertainment, a Ferris Wheel, petting zoo, hay ride, pony rides, kids’ games and crafts.

East County News Service

April 19, 2017 (Ramona) -- State Route 78 will be closed in both directions over the next four weekends while Caltrans crews conduct emergency repairs to stabilize the roadway and construct a retaining wall. The repairs are needed after large boulders damaged the roadway. 

By Miriam Raftery

April 19, 2017 (El Cajon) – A 9-year-old autistic girl who went missing from her home in unincorporated El Cajon yesterday morning was found on an onramp to State Route 67 at Bradley Avenue.

East County News Service

April 19, 2017 (Ramona) - The Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona invites you to an open farm and show this Saturday and Sunday, April 22^nd and 23^rd.  The fun starts at 1 p.m. for an afternoon featuring friendly farm animals and curious camels. At 1:30 there’s an animal show featuring performing parrots, racing turkeys, working farm dogs and majestic camels. 

Photo by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

April 18, 2017 (Lakeside) – A fire destroyed a free-standing garage on 12285 Rockstream Road in Lakeside Saturday night.

Editor’s note:  We first wrote about Kathleen Hayden’s efforts to restore the Coyote Canyon heritage herd of wild horses locally in January 2013. Read article. But in July 2013, she was served with an eviction notice and forced to  give up the last descendants of San Diego’s wild horses. Despite a 2012  support  letter from Congressman Darrell Issa and a 2014 letter from a genetics expert confirming that the horses are rare and of historic significance as descendants of Spanish Colonial horses,  the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has done nothing to protect or return them--and now is not turning over the deed of transfer, Hayden says  Now she has penned an open letter to  the House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop questioning the legality of the transfer.

Dear Chairman Bishop,

Please investigate the transfer of the BLM Federal CA Coyote Canyon Wild Horse Herd area (20,000 acres)  to CA Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  In response to Ca State Senator Joel Anderson's request for the deed, Parks claim it doesn't exist.

East County News Service

April 17, 2017 (Spring Valley) – The Otay Water District today voted 4-1 to formally censure director Hector Gastelum for official misconduct over racist remarks that he made to media, on social media, and in the March 1^st board meeting.  Gastelum opposed the measure.  The resolution called his actions “reprehensible and intolerable.”

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

April 17, 2017 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon Recreation Department will be hosting an afternoon of pool safety and fun - called “April Pools Day” on Friday, April 28 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  The event features a free lifejacket give-away, sun safety information, CPR mini lessons, crafts, water safety tips, and FREE open swim.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2017 (Santee) – Santee Lakes is an idyllic place to let kids enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood.  On a sunny afternoon over spring break, kids at the lakes gleefully discovered their inner Tom Sawyer or Becky Thatcher. 

I spotted a group of kids piloting a pedal boat around one of several islands in the lake.   A large Canada Goose skidded to a water landing in front of another pedal boat, where a startled dad snapped photos while his kids looked on, pointing with delight.  

East County News Service

April 17, 2017 (El Cajon) — “Every Mother’s Son,” an Investigation Discovery TV show episode about the disappearance of Elija “Bear” Diaz, will air on April 23^rd at 7 p.m.

Diaz vanished in the middle of the night of August 29, 2015 from his El Cajon home and his family suspects he met with foul play. A member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, he was 20 years old at the time.

“We are encouraged that this national focus on Bear’s case will spark someone to remember any clues that might help us find him,” said LeLanie Thompson, Bear’s mom. “We miss our son and won’t stop looking for him until we have some answers about his disappearance. We appreciate the community’s continued support.”

East County News Service

April 16, 2017 (Ramona) -- As the temperatures continue to rise region-wide, CAL FIRE San Diego is beefing up preparations for fire season by opening the Ramona Air Attack Base in Ramona.