Humane Society’s Foster team enabled temporary care dogs and heartwarming reunion

Source: San Diego Humane Society

February 8,2024 (San Diego) -- In a heartwarming tale of resilience, three small dogs have been reunited with their owner following the challenging aftermath of the Jan. 22nd flooding in San Diego.

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 27, 2024 (San Diego) -- County officials provided an update today on recovery efforts after the unprecedented storm earlier this week that deluged various communities in the region with more than two inches of rain in just two hours.

“We are bringing together the city, county and state resources to help those that need it the most,” said Chairwoman Nora Vargas, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “To all those that have been impacted, I want to make sure you know we are doing everything we can to bring you the resources you need and to make sure we help you as you recover from this natural disaster.”

Chairwoman Vargas also announced she was postponing the State of the County address. Instead she will host a “Day of Service” for San Diego flood victims.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 25, 2024 (San Diego) -- San Diegans who want to help local victims recover from this week’s severe storm can now make financial donations to a new Flood Response Fund.

The County worked with the San Diego Foundation to set up the online fund. The San Diego Foundation will match donations up to $100,000.

Money from the fund will only be directed to non-profits helping flood victims. The fund is not accepting any non-monetary donations at this time.

Monday’s storm was the fourth wettest day recorded since 1850. The torrential downpours caused millions of dollars of damage, flooded streets and roadways, damaged hundreds of homes and created mudslides, erosion and more.

By Miriam Raftery

January 21, 2024 (Alpine, CA) – Tamara Newton, a Granite Hills High School alumni and daughter of Alpine resident Carlette Anderson, is hospitalized after suffering a brain hemorrhage from a suspected tumor. She is paralyzed on her left side, cannot walk, and requires full-time care.

“The family has been very generous, but now we need some extra help with her expenses and recovery,” Anderson, founder of CPR PROS,  told  East County Magazine. A GoFundMe account has been setup to help pay for surgery and other medical needs.

The family posted on the site, “There is no doubt that it will be SO much easier for her if you join us in showering her with blessings and support in this time of need. She cannot work at this time, has limited savings and many new expenses. AND all this happened within days of moving from New Jersey to California with her youngest son.”

By Duke Gonzalez, Strategic Communications Specialist, U.S. Postal Service

January 16, 2024 (Pine Valley) – A  ‘Pony Express’ recently rode again in Pine Valley, California. But this time, it delivered heroism and community service rather than the mail. 

Story by Henri Migala

Photos by Henri Migala and Vince Kattoula

December 18, 2023 (Jamul) -- The largest cross in San Diego County was raised atop Rancho San Diego Hill, on 80 acres of private land, in Jamul on Friday, December 15.

The 36’ tall Chaldean cross, made possible by Samad (“Sam”) and Evone Attisha and their family, will serve as a symbolic memorial for persecuted Christians throughout Iraq and all of the Middle East.

"Over the last several decades, Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East have been persecuted simply because of their faith," said Samad Attisha, who established the project. "The Chaldean Cross serves as a symbolic memorial for those martyrs who were murdered because of their love for our Lord Jesus Christ. My family and I are blessed with the opportunity to have made this possible on behalf of the entire Chaldean Community."

By: Jessyka Heredia

December 12, 2023 (Lemon Grove)—Back in October, founding member of the Lemon Grove Improvement Council (LGIC) Teresa Rosiak received 100 sleeping bags that convert into warm coats for the unsheltered. Rosiak has already distributed over 75 of them directly to the homeless in Lemon Grove during her group’s weekly volunteer outreach.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

December 11, 2023 (San Diego) - The County’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ) has launched a new initiative that will invest $2 million over two years into community-driven initiatives that address inequity.

East County News Service

December 8, 2023 (Ramona) - Ramona Community Foundation (RCF), a regional affiliate of San Diego Foundation, has awarded $40,000 to seven local nonprofit programs that demonstrate the power to build a more vibrant community and recover from the pandemic.

Dog owner surrender services on hold through Dec. 1 due to highly contagious disease

By Shiloh Ireland

Photo, left:  Former San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Ernest J. Dronenberg cuts ribbon to dedicate the Archive Reading Room in Santee

October 25, 2023 (Santee) – A ceremony was held today at the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder’s office in Santee, where Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Jordan Marks dedicated the Archive Reading Room to his predecessor, Ernest J. Dronenberg, Jr.  The event also celebrated Dronenburg’s legacy of public service.

The facility was full of guests, local county politicians and officials including Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, Santee City Councilmembers Ronn Hall and Vice Mayor Laura Koval,  Andrew Hayes, staffer for  Senator Brian Jones as well as an Assembly candidate and Lakeside Union School Board President,  Padre Dam Director Bill Pommering, Jordan Gascon, Chairman of the San Diego Republican Party, and others.

Bow ties were requested to be worn, since that was Dronenburg’s  signature look during his tenure.  Dronenburg was accompanied by his wife. His colleagues described him as a “numbers guy” and praised his service.

By Cecilie Shamanow

El Cajon – Imagine going to sleep at night in your home, content, safe and secure, only to wake up to it going up in flames. Melissa Taylor didn’t have to imagine such a tragedy because it was her reality.  The 65-year-old El Cajon resident woke up the night of August 7th to a fire rapidly spreading through her home.

Taylor, who normally falls asleep to the sound of her television, was awoken at 5:30  pm. by the sudden silence caused by the power going out in her trailer. She could hear the sound of her neighbors outside yelling for her to get out.

She narrowly escaped; the trailer was burned beyond repair in a matter of moments. Taylor could do nothing but watch as it burned, and listen to the sounds of her four cats crying inside, unable to escape.

East County News Service

Photo: Brett Sayles (Pexels)

October 10, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Filipino American History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the contributions and achievements of Filipino Americans in the United States. It is also a time to learn about the rich and diverse history and culture of the Philippines and its people.

California and San Diego have a special connection to Filipino American history, as they are the places where the first Filipinos arrived in the continental United States. On October 18, 1587, a group of Filipino sailors landed on what is now Morro Bay, California, aboard the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza1. They were the first modern Asians to set foot on American soil, and they established trade and cultural exchanges with the native Chumash and Obispeño peoples2, according to Bing AI.

September 28, 2023 (Jamul) -- Connie Nierodzinski will be celebrating 90 years of life in December. She and her late husband, Joe, celebrated 61 years together and were long-time residents in Jamul since 1963. She and Joe established their home in the back country hills of Lawson Valley, where they raised eight children. Connie was a long-time member of the St. Pius X Catholic Church and participated in many church-sponsored parades and gymkhanas.

 In 1991, Connie was nominated by Bud and Blossom Snively and honored by the community and County Supervisor Diane Jacobs as Woman of the Year for her 25 years of leadership at the helm of the robust Jamul Chaparros 4-H Club founded in 1970. The youth organization flourished and was well recognized over the years throughout San Diego County.  

Connie inspired volunteerism, community, and hard work. As a mother of a busy household and leader of a very active youth organization, her skills as a teacher, seamstress, homemaker, medic, goose whisperer, chicken-feather plucker, goat catcher, pig wrangler, hair braider, cheese maker, tortilla roller, food preservationist, driver of the big red truck, farmer and gardener were always at the ready.

By Samantha Dietel, Kansas Reflector, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Photo: A parade float supported women’s suffrage, the right to vote, in 1913. (National Archives)

September 8, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) -- As Congress considers a bill to place a women’s suffrage monument on the National Mall, a nonprofit is working to raise the estimated $50 million needed to build it.