East County News Service

August 21, 2016 (Lemon Grove) – Mexican Consul General Rafael Laveaga will hold a Mobile Consulate at the Lemon Grove Library (3002 School Lane, Lemon Grove) on Saturday, August 27^th from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Q & A with author of “Raising Ryland”

Source: Foothills United Methodist Church press release

August 21, 2016 (La Mesa) - “When the family dies I’m going to cut my hair so I can be a boy,” said Ryland Whittington when he was just four years old. His family was stunned.

August 20, 2016—Two Sig Alerts have been issued due to separate crashes in East County, both forcing long-term shutdowns of  major roadways.

A fatality accident has shut down State Route 67 in both directions for 8 to10 hours. Southbound 67 is closed at Archie Moore Road.  Northbound SR 67 is closed at Poway Road.   A head-on crash between a silver pickup and black Nissan reportedly occurred  on the highway just north of Cloudy Moon Road after the truck veered across the centerline.

By Miriam Raftery

August 20, 2016 (Jamul) – Supervisor Dianne Jacob today joined with residents at a press conference to voice concerns over state actions regarding the Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

August 19, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – For the first time,  the Grossmont Union High School District will elect its board trustees by individual trustee districts this fall, not at-large elections.  The two seats up for grabs have each attracted four candidates (eight total) offering candidates some diverse choices.

By Miriam Raftery

August 18, 2016 (El Cajon) — Planners, business and marketing leaders, a teacher, a restaurant partner, and a mother/ex-deejay are among the ten candidates who have qualified for the ballot to run El Cajon’s City Council in November, the city clerk confirms.

Source: Santee Fire Department

August 18, 2016 (Santee) -- The City of Santee is reintroducing red-colored fire suppression vehicles into its fleet after 50 years of having yellow as the primary color for the department’s fire apparatuses.

Source:  La Mesa police chief Walt Vasquez

August 17, 2016 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI Checkpoint on August 20th, 2016, at an undisclosed location within the City limits between the hours of 7:00pm and 3:00am. 

East County News Service

August 17, 2016 (La Mesa) — A lawsuit alleges that the Travelodge hotel in La Mesa discriminated against a deaf woman traveler, due to her service dog.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Screenshot, ECM news partner 10 News

August 16, 2016 (El Cajon) –A San Diego Gas & Electric worker suffered injuries from an electric shock while working on power lines on Shady Lane in El Cajon Monday morning.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo credit: Audrua  A. Lou’Lou, taken at Campo Hills, below cut photo:  Bob Scheid

Update August 14, 2016 2 p.m. -  Fire is now 120 acres, all currently south of the Border,per Cal Fire, which has three engines monitoring the blaze.

Update 7 p.m.:  Cal Fire Captain Isaac Sanchez says the fire is now 60 acres. According to Capt. Sanchez it is entirely in Mexico, though several eyewitnesses have told  ECM it did cross the border earlier in at least one spot near Campo. Cal Fire describes the fire as south of Bell Valley near Potrero,burning southeast along the Mexican side of the border fence."

  Firefighters will remain at scene throughout the evening in order to ensure that it does not spread to the north.  Currently, CAL FIRE and San Diego County Fire have 12 engines, 4 water tenders and 4 hand crews (approximately 100 personnel) at scene. 

August 13, 2016 (Campo) – A fast-burning brush fire that started in Mexico has now crossed into the U.S. in Campo, multiple residents confirm.  The fire crossed the border fence about two miles west of the Campo store. 

“It is on both sides of the fence and they are pulling water from private ponds not Lake Morena,” says Karen Noblitt-McIntyre. Lake Morena has been drained to below 3% capacity by the City of San Diego.

Long-time residents of the area advise that the brush there has not burned in many years. Some are voluntarily evacuating near the border.

By Monica Zech

August 13, 2016 (El Cajon) – Monica Zech from El Cajon has provided a list of hot happenings in the city coming up, including  anew El Cajon Walks! Meet-up group, Cajon Classic Cruise night, Island Music at the next “Dinner and a Concert,” Oktoberfest, classes, council hearings, nomination deadlines for Women in Leadership and a Veterans’ committee,  a fire station open house, free disaster preparedness class and more.

East County News Service

August 12, 2016 (Rancho Cuyamaca State Park) - A new search will be mounted this Saturday the 13^th for a horse missing since Aug. 7 in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park. The horse became scared bolted when its saddle flipped upside down. It is feared that Royal’s tack may have become entangled in brush, trapping the animal.

UPDATE:  SEARCHERS STILL NEEDED!  Need more on horseback, on foot and on bike to search brush areas.  Bring Bluetooth wireless speakers for phones or MP3 players and play horse sounds for Royal to reply to.  Meet Aug. 13 at the Sweetwater Bridge parking lot.  Call Shawna (760) 880-1714

East County News Service

August 10, 2016 (Cuyamaca) – Searchers on foot, on horse, and a drone are requested to help find a horse named Royal that ran off on August 7 in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park at Dyar Springs Trail south of the spring.  “He was fully tacked when he left us. His saddle slipped under him and scared him,” the owner says, according to a post at the Brush Fire Partyline on Facebook.  The horse took off bucking and the owner fears he could be caught up on brush.

East County News Service

August 11, 2016 (Santee) – 10 News reports that Pami Peterson found dozens of tacks, most pointing up, spread out and hidden in the grass at Mast Park where she brought her three young sons to play.