East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

January 21, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for all areas of San Diego County tomorrow, Monday January 22, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Widespread moderate to heavy rain is forecast, with scattered thunderstorms.

The heavy rain may occur during morning and evening commutes, with a risk of flash flooding.

East County News Service

January 21, 2024 (La Mesa)-- Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa will present playwright Arthur Miller’s classic, The Crucible January 12 through February 4. 

Written in 1953, it is a dramatized and fictionalized retelling of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692-93. Most of the characters are real historical figures.  Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism.  It is regarded as a central work in the canon of American drama.  It’s a story of one man’s struggle toward grace.  It depicts human struggles both internal and external:  a community galvanized by fear and suspicion, a wife betrayed by lust, an orphan girl blind with passion and obsessed with revenge, ruthless prosecutors, deluded holy men, and covetous neighbors. 

Lamplighter’s director has updated once again, this time to 2020, where it appears the country is again seemingly divided and moving in two extreme directions.

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

January 21, 2024 (San Diego) -- A Lovely Girl, the Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California’s Most Notorious Killers tells of a 1958 murder as the evidence was collected. The story ends with the last woman to ever be executed in California.

Local author Deborah Holt Larkin tells her personal story. Larkin was 10 years old when Olga Duncan disappeared from her apartment in Santa Barbara, California. Larkin’s father, a reporter for the Ventura County Star Free-Press, covered the case and followed the story through all its court cases and final judgments.

Facility will house migrants,  serve as control center for enforcement  

By Michael Howard

An artist rendering of the new Dulzura Border Patrol facility slated to open in September 2024. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Border Patrol

January 20, 2024 (Dulzura, CA) –  A new $74 million U.S. Border Patrol station has begun construction and is slated to open in Dulzura next year, spokesperson Michael Scappechio said in an emailed statement this week.

“This new station will provide CBP law enforcement personnel with much-needed facilities, technologies, and other infrastructure carefully designed to meet the demands and challenges of an ever-evolving border environment,” Scappechio wrote.

The station will be used to process and house migrants short-term, as well as serve as a control center for border patrol enforcement activities. The facility sits on an approximately 9-acre plot of land and will include a helipad for air support, fuel stations, and dog kennels.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photos courtesy: City of Santee

January 20, 2024 (Santee) -- You're invited to Walker Preserve Saturday, January 27th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Santee Discovery Day, part of Santee Discovery Month, encouraging people to visit Santee's beautiful and plentiful family friendly trails (click for Citywide trail map). In addition to food available for purchase, there will be a rock wall, nature exploration booths, opportunity drawing and more, making this the signature event of January's public awareness campaign.

Suzanne Potter, California News Service

Photo courtesy of CNS

January 23, 2024 (Washington D.C.)--California tribes headed to the White House Tribal Nations Summit in December, where they asked Congress and the Biden administration to create or expand several national monuments.

The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla tribe in the Coachella Valley would like the president to establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park.

By Miriam Raftery

January 20, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – January and February are prime times to enjoy a full moon desert walk, Valentine’s dinners and wine pairings, farm tours, hawk watching, new nature walks at Lakeside’s River Park, concerts, theatrical productions and more in San Diego’s East County.

East County News Service

January 19, 2024 (La Mesa) -- Comedians Gene Levin and Carol Johnson produce 4th Friday Comedy every month at SpaceBar Cafe & Wine Bistro, 7454 University Avenue, La Mesa from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The monthly show is one of longest running free comedy shows in our region.

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

January 19, 2024 (San Diego) -- San Diego’s Toni Atkins yesterday signaled she would run for governor, and several news outlets say her announcement is expected today.

Atkins, 61, a Democrat who rose through the ranks of city politics to become the first gay leader of the state Senate, has filed paperwork to begin raising money for a gubernatorial bid in 2026.

East County News Service

January 17, 2024 (San Diego)—Brandon Andrew Yates, 24, died in custody yesterday at San Diego County Jail. Deputies conducting a safety check found him unresponsive and displaying signs of distress around 1:36 p.m.

All dogs that have been in a County shelter for more than 30 days will have adoption fees waived.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 18, 2024 (Bonita) -- County animal shelters in Bonita and Carlsbad are looking for adoptive and foster families to address a problem affecting shelters throughout the United States, and that’s overcrowding. County shelters have too many pets, especially dogs.  

A variety of factors led to overcrowding, including a challenging economy and housing shortages for many families. This has forced some people to make the difficult decision to abandon or relinquish their beloved dogs.  The rising cost of food and veterinary care is also a factor for some families. 

“More dogs are coming into the shelter this year than there were last year, and fewer dogs in the shelters are being adopted or reclaimed by their owners,” said San Diego County Animal Services Director Kelly Campbell. “We don’t want to run out of room and need the community’s help.  Adopting or fostering makes a huge difference for the animals in our care and has great benefits for those fostering or adopting.”  

A scientific study by the American Heart Association in 2019 showed that dog owners live longer and healthier lives than people without a dog. This was often due to an increase in physical activity from daily walks. Dogs also help people improve mental health by reducing daily stress or anxiety, according to a 1991 study in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 18, 2024 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego’s Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program helps first-time home buyers whose income is 80 percent or less than the annual area median income, which ranges from $77,200 or less for a single adult, to $110,250 for a family of four and $145,550 for a family of eight. 

The program offers low interest loans with deferred payments. The loans may be as much as 22 percent of the sales price for the down payment and up to $10,000 for closing costs.

By Miriam Raftery

January 18, 2024 (San Diego)—East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery recently sat down for an exclusive interview with state Senator Brian Jones, who represents the 40^th district and is also the minority leader in the California State Senate.

Issues discussed included homeowners losing insurance, the need to upgrade aging dams in the district, homelessness, housing, crime, and more.

East County News Service