Photo: Former Rep. Duncan L. Hunter, shown in 2019, says NPR “twists things” on the April 2004 friendly fire incident. Photo by Ken Stone
June 13, 2023 (San Diego) - Ex-Congressman Duncan Lee Hunter, the father of disgraced Rep. Duncan Duane Hunter, says he traveled to Iraq at least four times when he was House Armed Services Committee chairman in the early 2000s.
June 13, 2023 (El Cajon) -- “This is secret information. Look, look at this.”
Those are the words of former president Donald Trump, captured on tape, while he was showing stolen classified documents to others in a meeting at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. This is one of the many disturbing details in the recent indictment against Trump, where he is charged with 37 federal crimes, including obstruction of justice and violations of the Espionage Act.
The classified documents included information about U.S. and foreign defense and weapons capabilities, U.S. nuclear secrets, potential military vulnerabilities, and response plans for a possible foreign attack against the U.S. That’s just plain terrifying.
June 13, 2023 (Lemon Grove) – Judges in two separate cases have extended restraining orders against Lemon Grove Councilwoman Liana LeBaron pending future hearings, but have not yet ruled on the merits of the cases.
Temporary restraining issues were issued in response to requests from Councilwoman Jennifer Mendoza and from LeBaron’s estranged husband, Timothy C.D. Howell.
June 13, 2023 (Pine Valley) – The Sheriff’s department is asking for public help to find a man who falsely told a 12-year-old girl that her mother had asked him to pick her up. The girl told authorities that she had returned to Pine Valley Park after a movie screening Friday just after 9 p.m. to pick up belongings she had had left behind, when a tall, heavy-set man wearing a hoodie approached and asked her name.
“She gave the man a false name as she continued to walk away. After receiving the false name, the man told the girl that her mother had given him permission to pick her up,” says Lieutenant Jeff Ford with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Rural Command. “The girl immediately fled and notified her friends and family. The man did not follow her. The girl was not hurt.”
June 12, 2023 (El Cajon) -- On Thursday, ECM sat down with former Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball star Lamar Odom and Dontae Ralston, Executive Director / Founder of West Urban Outreach in El Cajon, to talk about their new substance abuse treatment centers called Odom Wellness Treatment Centers set in a residential recovery environment.
There are three treatment centers expected to open in San Diego County at this time. El Cajon and Lemon Grove as well as one in the city of San Diego.
When asked about the type of clients they will be servicing, Odom said, “I’m sure we will have a high-profile celebrity clientele, but of course anybody is welcome with a substance abuse problem. Addiction doesn’t discriminate, so we’ll be ready to help them.”
Odom said his inspiration to open these treatment centers was due to his own very public battle with addiction. Odom told ECM that when he overdosed, he had “12 strokes and six heart attacks,” adding that his purpose is “to help people.” At the time of his near-fatal overdose in 2015, Odom had just retired from the NBA and was going through a divorce with Khloe Kardashian.
June 12, 2023 (Lemon Grove) – A celebration of life service for former Lemon Grove City Councilman Tom Clabby will be held on Saturday, June 17 from 1-4 p.m.at the H. Lee House in Treganza Heritage Park, 3200 Main Street in Lemon Grove.
Clabby passed away on January 22 in the company of family and friends. He served on the Lemon Grove City Council for 14 years from 1994 to 2008, after previously serving on the city’s planning commission. He was also the city’s appointed representative to Metropolitan Transit System, providing leadership at the agency.
An in-depth look at wildfire preparedness and those who stand in harm’s way
Story and photos by Josh Stotler
Photo: flames race up hillside off Highway 94 in Dulzura
June 12, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- As the longer, warmer days of summer approach, San Diego braces for an all too familiar phenomenon: wildfire. According to Cal Fire, eastern San Diego County experiences an average of 192 wildland vegetation fires per year, burning 5,843 acres -- and that number is increasing with each new season. Thankfully, 95% of these incidents are contained at 10 acres or less, a target that local and state fire agencies strive to uphold. The thought of wildfire often strikes fear in the hearts of those who live in our backcountry and urban interface, where rural areas meet urban ones. This zone grows larger every year, as San Diegans build further and further into the eastern parts of the county.
June 12, 2023 (Del Mar) - Get great ideas to get outside this summer at a new San Diego County fair exhibit. This year’s theme at the fair is ‘Get Out There’ and the County’s Parks and Recreation Department is featured in the main hall. Here’s a sneak peek and be sure to stop by when you’re at the fair.
Update June 19, 2023 --The Medical Examiner has identified the victim as Christopher Dembowski.
East Count News Service
June 12, 2023 (El Cajon) – A 43-year-old El Cajon was killed in solo-vehicle crash Friday around 6:45 p.m. at the junction of State Route 67 and Interstate 8 in unincorporated El Cajon.
He was driving a 2010 Ford Econoline van on the ramp from SR-67 southbound onto westbound I-8 when for unknown reasons, the vehicle veered right off the roadway and struck a yellow and black advisory sign, then crashed into a tree.
Update June 19, 2023: The victim has been identified as Darrell Raymond Yenawine, 60, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office.
By Miriam Raftery
June 12, 2023 (Julian) – A driver and his passenger, both from Julian, were ejected from the vehicle during a rollover crash June 9.
Neither were wearing seatbelts, according to Officer Jared Grieshaber with the California Highway Patrol.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger, a 56-year-old woman, was transported by Mercy Air to Desert Regional Hospital with major injuries.
June 12, 2023 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Historical Society is hosting an open house to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The public is invited to commemorate this special occasion on June 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knox House Museum, 280 North Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon.
June 12, 2023 (San Diego) -- Former president Donald Trump’s second indictment, this time by federal prosecutors who allege that he compromised national security by mishandling classifeid documents, is big news around the world. Here’s a sampling of how the international press is covering the story.
Photo: Judge Aileen M. Cannon, official portrait via U.S. Southern District Court in Florida
June 12,2023 (Washington D.C.) --The federal judge in Florida’s Southern District who is handling Donald Trumps’ indictment over classified documents at his home is Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020. She is slated to preside over Trump's arraignment tomorrow afternoon. Trump has denied guilt in public statements since being informed of the indictment.
Last year, Judge Cannon ruled in favor of allowing Trump to have a special master review documents seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago home. This temporarily halted prosecutors’ investigation into the stolen documents. The Justice Department said that this decision, one of several pro-Trump rulings made by Cannon, would “significantly harm important governmental interests, including national security interests."
Her ruling was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the11th Circuit, which found that Cannon had "improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction." The Appeals court judges, including Trump appointees, ordered Cannon to lift the block she had imposed on prosecutors’ accessing the documents.
June 11, 2023 (Lakeside) – Barrel racing is a rodeo event where contestants attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around three barrels in the fastest way possible. Depending on the size of the arena, 15 seconds and up are average times.
On June 8, the Lakeside Rodeo grounds held barrel racing practice, including timed sessions. These fun events are regularly held and are free to the public to attend.
By David R. Shorey, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies
June 11, 2023 (San Diego) -- If you’re looking for medical attention in the East County’s backcountry, chances are you have about a 30 to 60-minute drive ahead of you to get the help you need. While the challenges of rural health care are not new, the topic got more attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination rates in the region were lower than anywhere else in the county. That could have been because of the lack of trust by some rural residents, disinformation spreading by word of mouth, and isolation, among several other reasons. The rural backcountry stretches from the east side of Alpine to the County line and from the border to the south side of Julian. Rural healthcare challenges are not limited to East County.
Timeline analysis prepared by ECM documents efforts to conceal records from FBI
By Miriam Raftery
Photo, from indictment: Boxes with classified records stored insecurely in a bathroom at Trump’s Mar a Lago Club.
June 10, 2023 (Washington D.C.) – Special Counsel Jack Smith yesterday unsealed a 49-page indictment charging former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump with “felony violations of our national security laws as well as participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice,” Smith announced, after a Florida grand jury voted to indict. Trump is charged with 37 felonies; if convicted, he could face decades in prison.
His chauffeur and former White House aide Waltine Nauta also faces charges, including conspiring with Trump to obstruct justice.
Prosecutors allege that Trump:
Showed a secret Pentagon plan of attack against a foreign country to unauthorized persons including a writer and publisher in a taped meeting in July 2021, in which he stated, “See as president I could have declassified it…Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret.”
Showed a political action committee member without a security clearance a classified map of a foreign country during a military operation that he stated was “not going well” in summer 2021.
Asked his lawyers to defy a subpoena, withhold documents and lie to the FBI;
Ordered an aide to move boxes of subpoenaed documents without telling his attorneys, shortly before the FBI raid on Mar a Lago;
Stored highly sensitive documents in an insecure manner in a bathroom, ballroom, storage closet and other areas with unlocked doors Mar a Lago, where thousands of guests attended over 150 events while records were there;
Mishandled documents on nuclear weaponry of the United States, America’s vulnerabilities, nuclear capabilities of a foreign country, a foreign country’s support of terrorism against U.S. interests,and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.
Smith says of the indictment, “I invite everyone to read it in full to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged…Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and they must be enforced. Violations of those laws put our country at risk….We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.”
e-Check is fast & free at sdttc.com; payment deadline is June 30
Source: Dan McAllister, Treasurer-Tax Collector of San Diego County
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat on Pixabay
June 11, 2023 (San Diego) - San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister reminded San Diego property owners that the deadline to pay their property taxes is quickly approaching. The deadline to pay without incurring additional penalties is June 30, 2023.
June 10, 2023 (Alpine)-- In Saturday, June 17, Supervisor Joel Anderson will be hosting a town-hall style Community Coffee in Japatul at the residence of John & Cori Mendez, 23155 Illahee Drive in Alpine, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
June 9, 2023 (Santee) -- Padre Dam Water District’s board is fed up with having to pay higher rates for the water it purchases from the San Diego County Water Authority, and voted unanimously not to go along with any rate hike unless the CWA gets serious about its long-range planning.
Update June 12, 2023 -- The victim has been identified as Sarah Louise Crocker, 48, of Ladera Ranch, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner.
Story and file photo by Miriam Raftery
June 8, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – A woman supervising four teenagers on a hike to Three Sisters Falls died after trying to save a girl who slipped on a ledge at the middle waterfall and fell into the pool below in Cleveland National Forest near Descanso this morning.
Both the woman and girl fell, suffering severe injuries. According to Lieutenant Jeff Ford with the San Diego Sheriff’s department, “Several people witnessed the accident and attempted to render medical aid.
Deputies from the Sheriff’s rural command responded. Rescuers pulled the victims from the water, but the woman was dead.
June 8, 2023 (La Mesa)-- It's the best breakfast deal in town. On Saturday, June 10, Heartland Firefighters of La Mesa will host a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at La Mesa Fire Station 11 (8034 Allison Avenue) from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. For just $5, guests can savor pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and orange juice, as well as receive emergency preparedness training.
The public can receive training in several areas: CPR, Basic First Aid, and Crime Prevention. There will be training “stations” for the public to receive the information.
June 8,2023 (La Mesa)—You’re invited to enjoy Art in the Park, an evening with appetizers, drinks and entertainment starting at 4 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Garden at MacArthur Park. Socialize while viewing and bidding on artwork for sale from local artists.
Ticket sales help support La Mesa's parks and cost $35 per person. This is a 21+ event.
June 8, 2023 (Santee) – Harken back in time to the 16th century to experience the Renaissance on Saturday, June 17 in Santee. Come as you are, or dress to experience the life of a noble, knight or peasant.
You can try your hand at archery, watch fighting tournaments all day long, learn a craft, learn a dance, listen to a bardic recital, or experience a battle of the bards. Enjoy fun for the entire family – and admission is free.
Photo, left to right: Janessa Goldbeck, Paul McQuigg, Amy Reichert, Monica Montgomery Steppes
June 7, 2023 (San Diego) – Yesterday was the deadline to file papers to run in in the special election to fill the vacancy on the County Board of Supervisors in District 4 left by Nathan Fletcher’s resignation.
Four candidates qualified to appear on the ballot for the special primary election August 15. If no candidate wins a majority, a run-off between the top two vote-getters will be held Nov. 7. The qualifying candidates are:
Janessa Goldbeck, Marine veteran and CEO of Vet Voice Foundation
Paul McQuigg, Military veteran and speaker for disabled veterans
Amy Reichert, small business owner and founder of ReOpen San Diego
Monica Montgomery Steppes, President Pro Tem of the San Diego City Council
A fifth candidate who pulled nomination papers, Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez, has announced that she decided not to run.
Scroll down for information on the District 4 candidates.
Experience the captivating blend of art and nature at Ilan-Lael Foundation's Spring Tours, exploring visionary creations of founder James Hubbell in Santa Ysabel
Story courtesy of Ilan-Lael Foundation
Photos, left by Kristin Kjaero and Miriam Raftery
June 7, 2023 (Santa Ysabel) - Immerse yourself in the enchanting and fantastical world of renowned artist and architect James Hubbell, founder of the Ilan-Lael Foundation at the 2023 Spring Tours. The world-famous compound will open its doors to visitors every Monday, Friday, and Saturday until June 17 with tours running at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Located in the stunning hills of Santa Ysabel, California, Ilan-Lael offers a unique and captivating experience for art and nature enthusiasts alike. Built “from the earth up” as living and working spaces for himself and his family, Hubbell spent over two decades creating the awe-inspiring structures. Despite losing four of the Ilan-Lael buildings in the 2003 Cedar Fire, Hubbell, his family, and team came back stronger and rebuilt with the help of the community. Their Spring Tours provide a rare opportunity to explore this extraordinary space, where Hubbell’s vision can be seen and felt.
June 7, 2023 (Lemon Grove)- The Lemon Grove Recreation Center will be hosting the 3rd annual 3-on-3 Trevon Harris basketball tournament on June 10, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
June 7, 2023 (Ramona) -- The rider who died yesterday afternoon in a crash while performing jumps at the Slayground Motocross Park in Ramona as been identified as Patrick Michael Casey of Riverside, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office.
A BMX champion who turned pro at age16, Casey is remembered as "an incredible BMX rider, multiple X games, Simple Session medalist, and an all-around fantastic human," Simple Session posted on Facebook. "We are heartbroken about the news and sending lots of love and prayers to his wife, Chase, his son Reid, and his daughter Taytum. This crushing news will send shockwaves through the BMX and action sports world today."
Photo: Amtrak Surfliner in San Clemente, by Steve Wilson, cc 2.0 via Wikipedia
June 7, 2023 (San Diego) – Railway tracks utilized by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink trains have been shut down again, following a new landslide in San Clemente discovered early Monday morning.
Amtrak travelers from San Diego to Orange County will, however, be able to take a bus in Oceanside to bridge the gap, while Metrolink is offering stranded passengers $50 Uber vouchers to complete their trips.
June 6, 2023 (La Mesa) - "Gioia di vivere!” The joy of living is expressed in Slikworms, Lamplighters Theatre’s latest production, by local playwright Connie Terwilliger. A world premiere, Silkworms represents three generations of women. Silkworms need mulberry leaves to survive; both are interdependent. Similarly, the women in this play need each other for support and love.
The grandmother provides wisdom and guidance, the mother provides love and support and the daughter provides hope and new beginnings. Together, they form a strong and unbreakable bond that sustains them through good times and bad. Silkworms is relatable, humorous and poignant.
B
By Miriam Raftery
On Thursday, ECM sat down with former Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball star
An in-depth look at wildfire preparedness and those who stand in harm’s way
By Jacob Pamus
Barrel racing is a rodeo event where contestants attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around three barrels in the fastest way possible. Depending on the size of the arena, 15 seconds and up are average times.
By 
By Miriam Raftery
e-Check is fast & free at sdttc.com; payment deadline is June 30
In Saturday, June 17, Supervisor Joel Anderson will be hosting a town-hall style Community Coffee in Japatul at the residence of John & Cori Mendez, 23155 Illahee Drive in Alpine, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
A recall has been announced today of improperly
The Lemon Grove Recreation Center will be hosting the 
By Kathy Carpenter
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