February 20, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County has a wide range of creative events, from Black History Month to Fido Fest, from birdwatching tips to the return of HoooleyFest, Touch-a-Truck,a liar’s contest in the desert, a harmonica festival in La Mesa, a chili cookoff in Lemon Grove, and an Earth Day Boulder Fair in Jacumba Hot Springs.
February 20, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County has a gem of a theatre in Moxie Theatre, located at 6633 El Cajon Blvd, in Rolando. It is a small venue currently playing Birds of North America, a thought-provoking drama that lives up to the theater’s mission statement.
Note: This event was postponed due to rain from Feb. 25 to March 11.
February 20, 2023 (Ramona) – The County of San Diego invites you to its “Love Your Heart Community Fair” on Saturday, March 11 from 12-3 p.m. at the Ramona Library, 1275 Main Street in Ramona.
Learn about good heart health and how to control your blood pressure—and get a free blood pressure monitor as well as a blood pressure check.
Plus there will be information booths, a Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Murals walk, and food distribution. In addition, the fair includes vaccines available free for COVID-19 and flu, as well as Naloxone distribution to prevent overdoses.
State’s two largest animal welfare organizations back effort to address nationwide shortage of veterinarians, ease vet school debt
East County News Service
February 19, 2023 (Sacramento) -- To mitigate the crisis-level shortage of veterinarians in California that is acutely affecting access to care for the most vulnerable companion animals including those in shelters, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris has introduced AB 1237, the California Public Interest Veterinary Debt Relief Act, in Sacramento. AB 1237 is co-sponsored by San Diego Humane Society and San Francisco SPCA.
AB 1237 aims to attract existing veterinarians to practice where demand is greatest in California, by providing state and private funding to apply toward their school loans. The new state program will offer payments of up to $150,000 in educational debt relief to licensed California veterinarians who agree to work for a California animal shelter or in underserved communities for at least five years.
February 19, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Diego County has more tribal governments than any other county in the nation. Since these communities are all located within the 75th Assembly District, tribal issues are very important to me, especially regarding their safety and prosperity.
February 18, 2023 (Lemon Grove) – Hot times are in store for guests at the Lemon Grove Lions club Chili Cookoff fundraiser on Saturday, March 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Community Center(3146 School Lane, Lemon Grove). The event includes chili tasting, live music, hot dogs, water and admission for $30. Raffle tickets will also be available to purchase and vie for prizes.
Love to cook? You can also sign up to enter the chili contest by contacting Chriss Murphy at 619-850-6581 or John Burke at 619-316-3225.
The Aztecs are in a three-way tie for second place in the Mountain West
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
February 16, 2023 (San Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball team (21-8, 11-5) fell to Wyoming 70-58 inside Viejas Arena Saturday afternoon. SDSU led by 15 points early in the third quarter, but the Cowgirls scored 50 second half points while shooting a blistering 79 percent from the floor in the second half to come back and steal a win.
February 17, 2023 (San Diego) - El Cajon Valley girls soccer came home from Yuba City on Tuesday with a win over River Valley High in the first round of Division V CIF playoffs. Tonight, the lady Braves headed out on the road again, but this time, it was a shorter drive to Clairemont and George Hoagland Stadium to face #1 seed Madison in the quarterfinals.
Federal government releases breakdown by Congressional district as Supreme Court readies to hear cases challenging program
By Miriam Raftery
February 17,2023 (San Diego)—The U.S. Department of Education has released a chart showing federal student loan forgiveness applications and approvals broken down by Congressional district. The data shows that “In every single congressional district, at least half of eligible borrowers either applied or were deemed auto-eligible for debt relief, and that was only in the one month that the application was available before the program got blocked because of lawsuits.”
Nationally, about 40 million student borrowers were eligible for the program and around 26 million applications were received, of which 16 million were approved before a court blocked the program pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court, leaving borrowers in limbo for now.
In San Diego County, over 400,000 borrowers would be eligible for the loan forgiveness, if the high court allows it to move forward. Over 240,000 of those have applied and around 154,000 local borrowers have been approved.
Photo: Pegleg Smith state historical marker; CC by SA-NC
February 17, 2023 (Borrego Springs, CA) – Telling a whopper is usually taboo. But at the Peg Leg Liars Contest, named for the purported discoverer of a yet-to-be-found treasure in black gold, you can win prizes for spinning the best tall tale.
After a two year hiatus due to COVID, the contest will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the American Legion Post, 4515 Borrego Springs Road in Borrego Springs (across from La Casa del Zorro). The contest starts at dusk.
Begun informally in 1916 and formally in 1948, the event is the longest ongoing story-telling competition in the West.
February 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – At 12:45 a.m., a truck towing a water tanker on Interstate 8 east near Tavern road struck a 26-year-old man from Lakeside who was standing outside of a disabled vehicle, a 2002 Cadillac Eldorado, on the roadway’s shoulder.
February 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – If you rode the Trolley’s Blue and Orange lines between June 31 and December 31 last year, you may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) and at risk of infection. The Orange Line services East County, running from El Cajon through La Mesa, Lemon Grove and San Diego to Imperial. The Blue Line runs from Imperial south to the border area in San Ysidro.
February 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Dane Terry, 67, co-founder of the Cadillac Wreckers jazz and blues band, lost his life February 13 of injuries sustained when an SUV ran a red light in San Carlos and struck the motorcycle Terry was riding. He was known as “Mr. Chromatonic” and was widely known and respected among San Diego’s music community.
A resident of El Cajon, Terry moved to San Diego County in 1987 from Los Angeles. His musical interest began early in life, when his parents gave him a harmonica before he started school. Later, he sang in church and played with several blues bands before founding a harmonica trio and later, the Cadillac Wreckers band, in which Terry played harmonica as well as serving as vocalist.
The band has performed jazz, blues and dance music at popular venues across the county including House of Blues, Humphrey’s Backstage Live!, and the Gator by the Bay festival. They also performed at many East County venues including street festivals, Spring Harp Fest in La Mesa, Hooley’s Irish Pub and Girll, Main Tap Tavern, and Wynola Pizza and Bistro. He was also amember of a bluegrass band headed by Chris Clarke.
February 16, 2023 (Santee) -- Customers of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District are getting some relief on their usually hefty bills, thanks to a vote last year by its board to freeze rate increases over five years.
But that freeze only applies to internal rate increases, not those imposed by outside agencies such as the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE), both of which are charging more for their services.
Aware that those entities were imposing price hikes, Padre Dam’s five-member board decided in June to use funds it received from a big legal settlement from a prolonged legal battle between the CWA and the Metropolitan Water Authority, headquartered in Los Angeles.
February 16, 2023 (Washington D.C.) - To help homeowners during this time of rising interest rates, the FHA has announced that its programs to help homeowners impacted by COVID-19 has been extended to help ALL eligible borrowers who are struggling to avoid foreclosure, regardless of the reason for their hardship. These tools will be available for at least the next 18 months.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 2 million homeowners were able to stay in their homes thanks to programs that allowed them to obtain loan modications or forbearances.
“Although the pandemic has ended, the economic effects will remain a challenge for the foreseeable future,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “These impactful and effective foreclosure prevention tools will help struggling borrowers find the right option to help them get back on their feet and keep them in their homes. These tools have been so successful already, which is why FHA worked to enhance them further and include more borrowers.”
February 15, 2023 (Alpine) – A Kenworth tractor pulling an enclosed trailer rear-ended a Peterbuilt truck with car carrier on Interstate 8 west of Tavern Road on Feb. 13 at 6:31 p.m. The Kenworth truck caught fire and the driver died at the scene.
The collision caused shut-down of I-8 east for several hours, until 1:08 a.m. Feb. 14. Due to possible fire damage, the Tavern Road overpass remained closed until CalTrans could inspect it, reopening around 11 p.m. on Feb. 14.
February 15, 2023 (Lakeside) - Not a lot of East County teams made the cut for CIF boys soccer playoffs, but as luck would have it, two of the region’s schools found themselves squaring off in the first round of Division V. It’s El Capitan and Liberty Charter coming at you live from Lakeside.
February 15, 2023 (Escondido) – The California Highway Patrol is investigating a suspected homicide on state property. The victim is a woman found dead on the El Norte onramp to northbound I-15, near a known homeless encampment.
Officers observed signs of foul play including defensive wounds to the victim, according to the CHP.
CHP was notified by Escondido Police at 7:22 last night and responded to the scene, along with the Escondido Fire Department, which pronounced the victim dead. Officers secured the area and declared it a crime scene.
February 15, 2023 (San Diego)-- San Diego County Supervisors have unanimously approved a proposal aimed at ending veterans’ homelessness. San Diego County is home to a quarter million veterans – and 8% of the homeless population countywide are veterans.
The ambitious proposal, introduced by Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Chair Nora Vargas, will direct county staff to join county government resources with regional partners. The goal is to get every veteran off the street and onto a positive life plan.
Fletcher that while the number of homeless veterans helped the streets locally in the past four years has dropped by 30%, this isn’t enough. While it’s common to say `Thank you for your service,’ to San Diego veterans, Fletcher says that’s not enough. He states, “I think that needs to actually mean something. In this effort, that means us willing to put together a dedicated effort, a focused plan, and the accountability” to effectively end homeless in San Diego County. (View video of his full statement.)
The approval of the policy put several actions in motion, including the convening of community organizations and stakeholders, government representatives from local, state, and federal levels, and individuals with lived experience to come up with a plan.
February 15, 2023 (San Diego) – Famed actress Raquel Welch, an international sex symbol who also drew acclaims and a Golden Globe award for her acting talent, died today at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness at age 82. She was a star of movies, TV and Broadway, but her childhood and first acting jobs were here in San Diego County.
Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago, Welch moved with her family to San Diego when she was two years old. She grew up in La Jolla and began winning beauty pageants at age 14. While still in high school, she was named Miss San Diego – Fairest of the Fair – at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar. She attended San Diego State College (now SDSU) on a theater scholarship and married her high schools sweetheart, and had roles in several local theater productions.
She later became a weather presenter for KFMB, the CBS station ion San Diego, before moving with her husband and two children to Dallas, where she worked as a model and cocktail waitress before stardom struck.
February 14, 2023 (San Diego) -- Valentine’s Day is not just about romantic love, it’s also about sharing affection and showing how you care for others. So, who’s to say your sweetheart can’t be furry?
The County Department of Animal Services is playing matchmaker this week. As part of a Sweetheart Special, starting on Valentine’s Day through Feb. 19, all animals are just $14 to adopt.
There is someone for everyone. For those of you who like to be the center of someone’s universe and don’t mind bad breath, try a dog. Maybe you prefer to earn your love, try a cat. If you like the intellectual type, try a pig — they’re smarter than dogs You like slow walks on aquarium beaches, how about a red-eared slider turtle? Recently gone vegetarian? Share a nibble on a carrot with one of our bunnies.
February 15, 2023 (San Diego) – Local and international efforts are underway to help survivors of the deadly 7.8 earthquake that struck Türkiye (formerly known as Turkey) and Syria on February 6. More than 40,000 people have died, the New York Times reports, including over 35,000 in Türkiye and at least 5,500 in Syria.
Here in San Diego, the house of Türkiye in Balboa Park has been raising money to help earthquake survivors and will match your donations. They have raised $60,000 so far.
Cold weather is making it even more dangerous for the people trying to survive the historically severe quake as well as major aftershocks. ECM’s video has more information on this issue, including where people can donate to help, plus we've provided links below to organizations raising funds to help the earthquake survivors:
February 15, 2023 (Alexandria, Va.) – The TurfMutt Foundation is a national organization that advocates appreciation and caring for our green space and encourages all of us to spend time in the living landscapes around us like backyards, parks, and other green spaces. The Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb. 17-20) is a great way for people – especially families and kids – to engage with the outdoors right in their own backyard, and the TurfMutt Foundation encourages everyone to participate.
February 14, 2023 (Carlsbad) - Playoffs for soccer and basketball have kicked off and tonight, the Christian High lady Patriots celebrated Valentine’s Day by heading up to Carlsbad to face Sage Creek in the opening round of CIF Division I girls soccer playoffs.
February 14, 2023 (Descanso) – KNSJ radio needs the community to show some love this Valentine’s Day and help get the station back on the air. The January 29 ice storm caused significant damage to the station’s transmission tower that was struck by a 35-pound block of ice which fell from a T-Mobile tower above.
Update February 15, 2023: The vicitm has been identified as Terry Dana Lee, 67, of El Cajon.
East County News Service
February 14, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – A 51-year-old San Diego woman is under arrest after running a red light and striking a motorcycle, causing death of the drive yesterday morning, according to San Diego Police Dept.
February 13, 2023 (Jamul) – A San Diego man, 40, sustained major injuries in a crash on February 10 in Jamul while attempting to pass another vehicle on State Route 94.
Source: San Diego County Office of Emergency Services
February 13, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for the San Diego County mountains, including Pine Valley and Julian, in effect this evening at 10 p[.m. until tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.
Severe weather conditions are expected, including heavy snow.
Damage to trees and power lines is possible.
If you must travel, plan on difficult travel conditions.
Keep an extra flashlight, blanket, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
The National Weather Service has also issued a High Wind Warning for the San Diego County mountains and deserts from 2/13/2023, at 10 p.m. to Tuesday 2/14/2023, at 10 p.m. PST.
February 13, 2023 (Lakeside) – Shiloh Ireland Photography sent in this image of a hummingbird nesting on his Lakeside property.
Hummingbirds build their tiny nests with twigs, moss and spiderwebs. They can measure as little as an inch in diameter when built, but can stretch to accommodate growing chicks once the eggs hatch. Because the nests are fragile, hummingbirds typically need to build a new nest each year, though if in a sheltered spot, nests are sometimes revisited year after year.
February 12, 2023 (San Diego) – Former Chair of the San Diego County Supervisors Nathan Fletcher, whose 4th district includes portions of East County, has announced plans to run for the 39th State Senate district seat. If successful, he would fill the legislative seat being vacated by political powerhouse Toni Atkins due to term limits.
East County News Service
By Susan Taylor
State’s two largest animal welfare organizations back effort to address nationwide shortage of veterinarians, ease vet school debt
By Assemblymember Marie Waldron
East County News Service
The Aztecs are in a three-way tie for second place in the Mountain West
Story and photos by Liz Alper
By Miriam Raftery
By Miriam Raftery
Source: County of San Diego Communications Office
By Miriam Raftery
By Miriam Raftery
East County News Service
Story and photos by Liz Alper
By Miriam Raftery
By Miriam Raftery
East County News Service
Story and photos by Liz Alper
By Miriam Raftery
East County News Service
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
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