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January 23, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media. This week's round-up stories include:
LOCAL
- Family of woman who died at Santee jail files wrongful death lawsuit (Times of San Diego)
- A 'river' surges through homes in unincorporated El Cajon, woman rescued from floods (10 News)
- San Diego congressional leaders react to court battle victory over ICE facility access (10 News)
- ICE misses deadline to release report on in-custody death in Imperial County (KPBS)
- San Diego County Supervisors vote to keep Lawson-Remer as chair (City News Service)
- Local TV ownership consolidates with potential changes to broadcast regulations expected (KPBS)
- Pressure builds on San Diego city officials to scrap parking fees in Balboa Park (KBBS)
- Strict wildfire safety rules will soon apply to much of urban San Diego (KPBS)
- San Diego jail wrongly held 82-year-old with dementia in solitary confinement, where he died, new lawsuit says (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Parking, water, budget woes loom as San Diego City Council reconvenes in 2026 (KPBS)
- Former Poway city council member pleads not guilty to bribery, perjury charges (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- San Diego Blood Bank to merge with national blood services nonprofit Vitalant (City News Service)
STATE
- Federal Judges Uphold California’s New Congressional Maps (New York Times)
- California utilities will keep almost all profits as regulators ease up. They’re still upset (CalMatters)
- 11 new laws that will impact California schools in 2026 (EdSource)
- Video shows moment California protestor is hit in the face with a projectile by federal police officer (AP)
For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.
LOCAL
Family of woman who died at Santee jail files wrongful death lawsuit (Times of San Diego)
... Callen Lines, 31, died on May 12 due to fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity, but according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Diego federal court, jail staff were aware of her substance abuse history, yet failed to properly treat her withdrawal symptoms. The complaint further alleges that just before her death, Lines was in medical distress and “screamed and begged for help, stating several times that she could not breathe and needed urgent medical attention.”
A 'river' surges through homes in unincorporated El Cajon, woman rescued from floods (10 News)
El Dorado Parkway was a river on New Year’s Day. As the creek spilled over its banks, floodwater rushed through homes. Now that the damage is done, the cleanup begins
San Diego congressional leaders react to court battle victory over ICE facility access (10 News)
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's policy requiring congressional members to give seven days advance notice before visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, ruling the restrictions interfere with Congress's oversight responsibilities. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed earlier this year by a Colorado congressmember. It comes after San Diego's Democratic congressional delegation was twice denied access to an ICE holding facility inside the federal building downtown over the past two months.
ICE misses deadline to release report on in-custody death in Imperial County (KPBS)
The federal agency’s failure to meet the deadline came in the final days of a deadly year for immigrants in federal detention.
San Diego County Supervisors vote to keep Lawson-Remer as chair (City News Service)
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to select Terra Lawson-Remer as chair for a second time, with Monica Montgomery Steppe serving as vice chair and Paloma Aguirre as chair pro tem.
Local TV ownership consolidates with potential changes to broadcast regulations expected (KPBS)
- Nexstar Media Group is in the process of acquiring a third TV station in San Diego. If the deal goes through, critics say it could lead to fewer diverse voices and a conservative tilt in news coverage.
Pressure builds on San Diego city officials to scrap parking fees in Balboa Park (KBBS)
A coalition of mayors and community leaders from across San Diego County demanded the end of fees to park in Balboa Park on Monday.
Strict wildfire safety rules will soon apply to much of urban San Diego (KPBS)
Last month, the San Diego City Council adopted new regulations for the city's "very high fire hazard severity zones," which cover roughly two-thirds of the city….Among the most controversial regulations are those that apply to "zone zero" — a five-foot buffer zone surrounding a structure — where combustible materials will be banned. That could include wood fences, trellises, sheds, small trees, shrubs, flowers, wood-based mulch, grass and synthetic lawns.
San Diego jail wrongly held 82-year-old with dementia in solitary confinement, where he died, new lawsuit says (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Karim Talib's children say their father was gravely disabled and should have been under medical observation... Talib — who had dementia, relied on a wheelchair and was incontinent — was arrested in August 2024 after assaulting his roommate at the senior care facility where they lived. The roommate later died from the assault.
Parking, water, budget woes loom as San Diego City Council reconvenes in 2026 (KPBS)
One of the first orders of business is a report on the five-year financial outlook of the city's water and wastewater utility funds... The financial outlook report…states that two years of rate increases will not be enough to keep the utility funds solvent. Finance officials say, barring significant changes in costs or revenues, the city will have to raise water and sewer rates by 11.5% in fiscal year 2028, 11% in fiscal years 2029 and 2030 and 5% in fiscal year 2031.
Former Poway city council member pleads not guilty to bribery, perjury charges (San Diego Union-Tribune)
The charges, filed in October, followed a monthslong District Attorney’s Office investigation
San Diego Blood Bank to merge with national blood services nonprofit Vitalant (City News Service)
According to the blood bank, by combining expertise and resources, they will "offer integrated support, expanded reach, and advanced capabilities" to donors, physicians and patients alike.
STATE
Federal Judges Uphold California’s New Congressional Maps (New York Times)
A panel in Los Angeles sided with Gov. Gavin Newsom in a decision that will help Democrats counter Republican gerrymandering in Texas. Republicans are expected to appeal.
California utilities will keep almost all profits as regulators ease up. They’re still upset (CalMatters)
Regulators on Thursday approved a slight reduction to the profits shareholders are allowed to receive from California’s three major investor-owned utilities. The decision dropped all three major investor-owned power companies’ returns by 0.3%, bringing the shareholder return for Pacific Gas & Electric to just below double digits for the first time in at least two decades.
11 new laws that will impact California schools in 2026 (EdSource)
California students are likely to see fewer cell phones and more gender-neutral bathrooms next year as new state education laws go into effect. Protecting students from immigration raids was a priority for state legislators this year, resulting in several new laws, including one prohibiting school staff from allowing immigration officers to enter campuses or providing student or family information. The most controversial of the new laws is one meant to target antisemitism, although amendments made during the legislative session resulted in a bill that defines discrimination more broadly.
- Video shows a federal officer hit a demonstrator in the face with a projectile fired from close range during a protest in Southern California last week. In a statement read aloud by a friend on Monday, the demonstrator said he lost vision in one eye.
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