East County Roundup: local and statewide news

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February 15, 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

STATE

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

LOCAL

Supervisor Floating Big Changes to County Leadership (Voice of SD)

County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer is considering potential county policy changes including an extension of board term limits and an elected top county administrator. 

Congressman Juan Vargas denied access to Otay Mesa Detention Center during oversight visit ((KGTV)

Congressman Juan Vargas was turned away from the Otay Mesa Detention Center on Friday morning when he attempted to conduct an oversight visit after his office received reports of substandard conditions inside the facility.

San Diego City Council leaders propose suspending paid parking at Balboa Park for residents (10 News)

Museums report 20-25% visitor drops since paid parking launched earlier this month

An Urgent Proposal for Reforming How Safety Information Reaches the Public (San Diego Slackers)

Why automated, unattended public signals are essential during emergencies

The plan to build a massive data center in Imperial County — without environmental review  (KPBS)

For more than a year, a mammoth $10 billion data center project has been quietly moving forward in the heart of California’s Imperial Valley.  The nearly-one million-square foot computing warehouse is intended to power artificial intelligence development for one of the country’s biggest tech companies. By some estimates, it could rank among the largest data centers in the world.

San Diego sues federal agencies over razor wire fencing on city land (Cal Matters)

The city of San Diego is suing the federal government for building razor wire fencing on city land near the Mexican border, arguing that the fence damages sensitive habitat and trespasses on city property.

Five questions with David Lampley: Building Jacumba’s musical oasis in the desert (Times of San Diego)

About an hour and a half east of downtown San Diego, the town of Jacumba Hot Springs stands out ...because of its natural hot springs, it’s always been a tourist attraction — and now it’s becoming a hub for live music as well.

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino returning to position in El Centro: Sources (ABC)

It comes as Bovino and some Border Patrol agents are leaving Minneapolis.

San Diego expands free parking for city residents in Balboa Park  (KPBS)

The city of San Diego is walking back some of its controversial plan to charge for parking in Balboa Park. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced Friday he is expanding free parking zones for city residents and changing the hours parking will be enforced.

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year 2026 in San Diego (KPBS_ From lion dances to cultural fairs, discover the best community events in San Diego to welcome the Year of the Fire Horse.

San Diego Skater To Bring Disney Magic Home In Disney On Ice Tour (Patch.com)

Patch talked with Hannah Clark​, a 25-year-old skater from La Mesa who is bringing Disney magic to San Diego.

STATE

California ballot proposal would exempt seniors from paying property taxes (CBS 8) 

California voters could be asked during the Nov. election whether homeowners 60 and older should be exempt from property taxes on their primary residences.

ICE Secretly Leases Space In Advance Of Minneapolis-Style CA Surge: Report (Patch)

A Trump administration official told WIRED that California is "next" for the sort of ICE activity that has been seen in Minneapolis.

Judge blocks California's ban on federal agents wearing masks but requires badges be clearly seen (AP)

A federal judge on Monday blocked a California law from going into effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces, but they will still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number. 

California bill aims to prevent teachers, police from getting jobs if they worked for ICE (Fox KTVU)

The bill would disqualify anyone who is currently working for ICE from ever serving as a law enforcement officer for any state or local police agency in California. It also would prohibit current ICE employees from future roles in education in the state, including as educators or administrators. The restriction would apply to all public school districts and charter schools, from kindergarten through the University of California and California State University systems….Other lawmakers representing California have introduced anti-ICE legislation as well.

Gray wolf roams into north LA County for the first time in more than a century (ABC 7)

For the first time in more than a century, a gray wolf has ventured into Los Angeles County. A 3-year-old female gray wolf arrived in the northwestern part of Los Angeles County near Pyramid Lake Saturday morning, according to the data from her GPS collar.

 


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