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.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photos:  Councilman Tony Ambrose, left, leveled harsh words at Richard Graydon, right, a citizen seeking more help for homeless people.

August 11,2016 (El Cajon) – Tempers grew heated during Tuesday’s El Cajon City Council hearing, where  Council member Tony Ambrose scolded a citizen, Richard Graydon, who had criticized the City's approach to homelessness.  The agenda included the city’s responses to two critical Grand Jury reports, one on homeless issues and the other calling for formation of a citizens’ police oversight board. 

The City determined it already does enough to help homeless people--more than other East County cities-- and also concluded there is no need to allow citizens'oversight of any complaints against El Cajon Police.

By Miriam Raftery

August 10,2016 (Jamul) – Signs posted by Cal Trans along State Route 94  are warning motorists to expect traffic delays August 15-22 due to ”events.”

According to a Cal Trans press release posted on the Jamul Indian Village website, Caltrans issued a permit to the Jamul Indian Village for traffic control on  SR-94/Campo Road related to the installation of a new temporary traffic signal at the intersection of SR-94 and Daisy Drive.

By Miriam Raftery

August 10, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Yesterday, Steven Guider, 52, was arrested in the 8200 block of Winter Gardens Blvd. in unincorporated El Cajon. Guider posted $2,000 worth of construction equipment on Craigslist that had recently been stolen from a vehicle burglary in Santee.

East County News Service

August 9, 2016 (Campo-Lake Morena) — A GoFundMe site has been established by Bill Holtwick to help raise money for huge medical costs needed to save the life of his wife, Pat.  Claudia Millerbragg, who runs a Campo-Lake Morena community forum, has confirmed that Pat Holtwick is a cherished community member who has devoted many hours to rescuing abandoned or abused animals.

“I am 71 years old and Pat is 66 and we just can’t keep up with physical and or the financial responsibilities. We are both on Social Security, and are on a very low/limited income,” Holtwick writes.

By Miriam Raftery

August 8, 2016 (Santee) — The man who fired arrows from a crossbow at Sheriff’s deputies in Santee and died after officers returned fire during a SWAT team incident Friday has been identified as Santee resident David Michael Moya, 31.

UPDATE AS OF 6:47 PM:  BRYAN HAS BEEN FOUND

East County News Service

August 7, 2016 (Lakeside) - The Sheriff's Departments wants the public's help in locating a missing person at risk in the East County.

East County News Service

Photo: San Diego Fire Department, via San Diego Police Department Twitter feed

August 6, 2016 (El Cajon – Governor Jerry Brown, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and thousands of San Diegans turned out Friday morning at Shadow Mountain Church in El Cajon to honor the memory of murdered San Diego Police Officer Jonathan DeGuzman. 

Officer DeGuzman died in the line of duty, gunned down July 28 in an attack that also critically wounded his partner, Wade Irwin.

San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman called Officer DeGuzman a “great man” who was liked by everybody on the force.  “As he would approach you, he would flash his big smile, and positive energy was just all around him.” The Chief added that DeGuzman was an outstanding police officer because he “truly cared about everyone.”

By Tasha Matthews

ECM Editor Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

August 4, 2016 (La Mesa)--Councilmember Guy McWhirter opened the La Mesa City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 26^th by expressing concern for our country in the wake of recent shootings of police officers. He thanked police for their brave work helping to protect citizens—two days before two San Diego Police officers were shot, one fatally.

But the Council rejected a Grand Jury recommendation to create a police oversight board aimed at assuring that citizens’ rights are protected if officer misconduct is alleged. The Grand Jury made its recommendations to La Mesa and other local cities in a report on Citizens Oversight Boards of Police Behavior.

East County News Service

August 4, 2016 (Santee) - The Pacific Island Beer Company invites you to a Polynesian parking lot luau on Sunday, August 21 from noon to 7:00 p.m.

Source: Caltrans news release

August 4, 2016 (San Diego) - Motorists are advised to expect delays on East County freeways Friday during the funeral procession for fallen San Diego Police Department Officer Jonathan “JD” DeGuzman.

By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The deadline to file as a candidate to run for local offices is August 11. But so far, many East County races have no candidates declared or qualified for the ballot, according to the Registrar of Voters candidate list for the November election.  Most community planning groups have nobody running.  The same is true in some school, water and fire districts. Races with no candidates will be filled by appointment. In other districts, people are running unopposed—even incumbents on some of the most controversy-riddled boards.

No candidates are listed yet for the city councils in El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove or Santee, nor for the mayoral seats open in Lemon Grove and Santee, nor the La Mesa City Clerk or Treasurer seats.  Candidates have been actively campaigning in some of those races and some will likely file before deadline, but it’s also common for candidates to drop out before qualifying for the ballot.

In the Grossmont Union High School District, incumbent Jim Stieringer is thus far running unopposed in district two (La Mesa/Mt. Helix/Rancho San Diego); in district one (Lemon Grove/Spring Valley) which is an open seat, only one candidate has filed: Pastor Steve Babbitt from Spring Valley Community Church.