Story and photo by Liz Alper

May 24, 2017 (San Diego) - New La Mesa Fire Department chief Colin Stowell was this month's speaker at the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce's breakfast meeting at Marie Callender's on Wednesday morning.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: The project is bordered by existing sand projects to the north and east

May 23, 2017 (Lakeside) -- The Lakeside Community Planning Group  on May 17 approved by a 10-0 vote a major use permit for East County Sand LLC to extract sand from 19.23 of 27.39 acres in the heavy industrial portion of Hwy-67 and Vigilante Road. The project still needs to go before the County Planning Commission. Upon conclusion, it will host 8.8 acres of wetland in Slaughterhouse Creek and San Vicente Creekbed at the north end of Moreno Valley in Lakeside.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Bryan Snow, taken from State Route 52 in Santee

May 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – A brush fire yesterday afternoon scorched approximately 13 acres in Mission Trails Regional Park.  The blaze began  at Big Rock and was burning toward Cowles Mountain, Jay Wilson with Mission Trails Regional Park’s Foundation told ECM.

As a result of the wildland fire, three trail heads are temporarily closed:   The trail heads at Big Rock Park, Big Rock Road and Shantaung Drive are temporarily closed.  The trail heads from Mesa Road, Lake Murray Blvd. and Barker Way are open.

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2017 (Lakeside) – June is National Dairy Month. To celebrate, Van Ommering Dairy/Oma’s Pumpkin Patch in Lakeside invites you to celebrate during Family Day at the Dairy on Saturday, June 3 with tours, ice cream and use of play activities from slides and swings to a petting zoo.

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2017 (El Cajon) – Crews from Heartland Fire & Rescue, Cal Fire and San Miguel Fire responded to a  call reporting a shed fire.at the Safari Mobile Home Park, located in the 1100 block of East Main Street in El Cajon at 5:30 p.m. Crews arrived within four minutes, but found the fire had spread to the interior of a mobile home.

Public comments accepted through June 12; three public hearings set this week in San Diego region

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2017 (San Diego) – SDG&E and SoCalGas have applied to the California Public Utilities Commission to build a new natural gas pipeline from Rainbow through the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar to Mission Valley to replace an aging and potentially dangerous line, also boosting capacity and reliability for the region.  (View application.  View all project documents .)

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Cynthia Wharton, taken yesterday from Otay Lakes Road just before it was shut down.

May 21, 2017 – A criminal arson investigation has been launched into the cause of the Gate Fire, which has charred 2,056 acres and is now 70% contained.

Captain Isaac Sanchez with Cal Fire told ECM news partner 10 News that a video shot by a target shooter and posted on social media shows a group of people starting the fire. The video may be this one posted by a user named Vandalsworld on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/p/BUVtlvSBN0r/?hl=en.   The poster claims the people started the fire, but it is unclear whether the fire was started by shooting or some other way. After the fire started, the people could be seen walking away from the scene.

Earlier, some neighbors had blamed the fire on shooters at a target range near where the fire began, in an area where shooting is believed to have started several prior brush fires. But now a shooter may have captured evidence to catch possible arsonists or careless individuals whose actions ignited the Gate Fire.

Firefighters continue to make progress towards full containment, Cal Fire reports.  State Route 94 has been reopened, as well as Otay Lakes Road.  Please drive with caution, however, in this area.

East County News Service

Photo: GoFundMe

May 21, 2017 (Alpine) – The County Medical Examiner has ruled that a shooting death on the Viejas reservation in Alpine that occurred on May 16^th was a homicide.  Death was caused by a gunshot wound to the torso.

Update May 21, 2017, 8 a.m.  -- The Gate fire nearly doubled overnight to 1,500 acres,  but firefighters made good progress overnight and the wildfire is now 30% contained. Road closures remain in effect.

Update 9 p.m. - An overnight shelter is opened at Otay Ranch High School,  250 Olympic Parkway in Chula Vista for those who have evacuated.  Pet supplies and RV parking are available.

East County New Service

Photo by Cyndy Hoffman, taken from her home, looking toward Otay

May 20, 2017 (Dulzura) -- The fast-moving Gate Fire has charred 800 acres and is 10% contained.

Tonight at 6:30 p.m., the following emergency message was sent to 77 contacts by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department:  “There is a fire in the area of Dulzura. The wind is blowing to the East and there is a concern that the fire may spread to your area.  You are being advised to be ready to evacuate if notified to do so.  You may evacuate now if you choose to do so.  The evacuation route is Highway 94 East to Buckman Springs North to Interstate 8 West.  Take interstate 8 West to East Willows Road.  Exit East Willows Road and turn right(north).  Continue West on East Willows Road to the Viejas Casino.  The Red Cross will have a temporary evacuation center located in the casino parking lot. This a fire warning only, not an evacuation order"

If you have an emergency call 9-1-1.  Monitor local television and radio stations, or call the San Diego County Information line by calling 2-1-1 for updated information. For animal emergencies related to this fire please contact Animal Services Dispatch (619) 767-2675.

By Jonathan Goetz

May 19, 2017 (Lemon Grove) -- The Lemon Grove City Council voted 3-2 to support, with additional amendments, Assembly Bill 805 authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, which gives San Diego and Chula Vista more power on SANDAG, the regional transportation body in San Diego County.   The key change sought would allow chairs and vice chairs of SANDAG to include leaders from any city in the region, not just San Diego and Chula Vista. 

East County News Service

May 19, 2017 (El Cajon) – Joseph Bollacker, 25, of El Cajon has been arrested and charged with attempted homicide after shooting his girlfriend’s brother last night in El Cajon.

El Cajon Police received numerous calls of a shooting at an apartment at 633 South Johnson Avenue around 7:22 p.m. last night.  The victim was at the apartment shared by his girlfriend and her brother, Bollacker, when he was attacked by Bollacker, said Lieutenant Jason Taub.

East County News Service

May 18, 2017 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce encourages you to taste foods and beverages from dozens of local restaurants at the ninth annual “Taste of La Mesa” being held on Monday, June12th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive in La Mesa.

East County News Service

May 19, 2017 (Spring Valley) – Calling all walkers! You’re invited to get on track and take turns walking for 24 hours, since cancer never sleeps. It’s all part of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life team event to fight cancer this Saturday and Sunday, May 21, starting at 9 a.m. each day at Monte Vista High School’s football field, 3230 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. in Spring Valley.

East County News Service

May 17, 2017 (Alpine) -- Detectives from the Sheriff's Homicide Detail and the Alpine Sheriff's Station are investigating the apparent murder of a 42-year-old man in Alpine.

Last night at approximately 6:35 pm, the Sheriff's Communications Center received a call of a suicidal man at 31 Viejas Grade in Alpine. Deputies from the Sheriff's Alpine Station responded to the area and found the man unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics began life saving measures but the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

May 16, 2017 (Lakeside) – Names of the deputies involved in the fatal shooting May 10^th on the Barona Reservation in Lakeside have been released by the Sheriff’s Department.  Deputy Matthew Addenbrooke fired a shotgun, Deputy Patrick Farber fired a patrol rifle, and deputies David Williams and Aaron Brooke each fired less-lethal shotguns.