East County News Service

January 27, 2022 (El Cajon) – Downtown El Cajon Business Partners invite you to join them on  Friday, February 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a walking tour of the arts on Main Street in Downtown El Cajon. There will be art demos, murals, art exhibitions and studio tours, all in a family-friendly environment.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see the latest artworks and more.

Retail, finance, and information technology are among the most popular industries to start a new business this year

East County News Service

Photo: CC via Bing

January 22, 2022 (San Diego) – Workers are leaving jobs at a record pace amid the pandemic, as CNBC recently reported. Fear of COVID, burnout over job stresses, and a desire to work remotely are likely all factors. But where are those workers going?  While some have found jobs elsewhere or dropped out of the workforce, others are starting up their own businesses – a trend that appears poised to accelerate in 2022. 

By Melissa Montalvo and Nigel Duara, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Protestors wave to passerbys, on Sept. 25, 2021 in Yountville, CA, as they make their way towards PlumpJack Winery, owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom, to protest the governor’s veto of bill AB 616. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

January 19, 2022 (San Diego) - When the nation’s high court effectively forbade union representatives from accessing fields and orchards to recruit workers last June, the United Farm Workers union turned to Sacramento for help. 

East County News Service; Times of San Diego contributed to this report

Photo by Miriam Raftery

January 6, 2022 (San Diego) – Staunch labor advocate Lorena Gonzalez on Monday announced her resignation from the California state Assembly to accept a job as leader of the  California Labor Federation.  Her resignation took effect yesterday; her new position begins in July.

By Elijah McKee

December 5, 2021 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove has several new businesses that you may want to check out when doing your holiday shopping including a boutique and art space, a coffee shop with health and wellness gifts, and a brewery.

Shopping locally not only brightens the holiday season for local businesses and those on your holiday gift list, it also puts some sales tax jingle into the city’s coffers to help fund projects that benefit the community.

This is part 3 in our series on new local retailers in East County.

By Henri Migala

December 4, 2021 (El Cajon) – Within a couple of blocks in downtown El Cajon, you’ll find an array of new boutiques, a salon, galleries, gift stores, a pastry shop and a coffee shop – all brand new.

For your holiday shopping needs, consider supporting our local economy and these new small businesses, many offering unique goods from around the world reflecting the owners’ multicultural backgrounds. 

This is part 2 in our series on new local retailers in East County.

East County News Service

November 17, 2021 (San Diego) - Last week, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and Assenblywoman Akilah Weber co-hosted a Virtual Small Business Webinar. During this webinar, presenters from State and local agencies discussed a variety of useful resources available to small business owners during these unprecedented times.

East County News Service

Photo: S. Harris Communications has a mission to serve businesses, nonprofits and individuals who have struggled with a media presence.  According to Harris, the company is believed to be the only Black-owned communications firm locally.

November 11, 2021 (San Diego) -- Rev. Shane Harris, a national civil rights activist and President of the People's Association of Justice Advocates, recently announced that he is entering into private sector business with the launch of S Harris Communications.  With the new endeavor, Harris says he aims to take skills he learned as a young activist in developing an “unorthodox communications strategy” into the private sector to train creators, nonprofits and businesses who have struggled to build their communications strategies and are historically left out of being covered in the media.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  flyer announcing fast-food strikes

November 7, 2021 (San Diego) – Fast food workers in San Diego are planning to join a statewide strike on Tuesday, November 9.  Workers will rally at 10 a.m. at Dennis V. Allen Park, 850 Boundary Street in San Diego, to highlight health and safety violations and wage theft, according to a flyer. They will also be calling on state legislators to pass Assembly Bill 257, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act also known as the Fast Recovery Act, which was introduced by San Diego  Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez.

By Brian Schrader

Photo: County administration building, from Flickr by Tony Webster

November 1, 2021 (San Diego) -- Everything old is new again, and California seems likely to revive an old idea to solve its modern challenges. Public banking isn’t a well-known or often discussed subject, but proponents believe that it might just be the catalyst of much needed reform in California.

In general, there are two kinds of public banks: investment banks and deposit-taking banks. The latter is the kind that most of us are familiar with—those that offer checking and savings accounts—and while there is an ongoing discussion about public deposit-taking banks, it’s the investment banks that are currently getting the most attention in San Diego and in Sacramento.

East County News Service

October 26, 2021 (Pala) -- Pala Casino Spa Resort will host its next “Meet, Eat, and Greet” Culinary Career Fair  on November 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to promote employment opportunities with the Food & Beverage team. The culinary career fair will feature a unique mixer-style atmosphere with music, food, and more.

The event will include the opportunity to get to know the Food & Beverage management team and on-the-spot interviews.

Job opportunities include:

Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

October 19, 2021 (El Cajon)  – Grossmont College’s 43rd annual Career Expo will be virtual again this year to avoid the crush of attendees the popular event typically draws, but organizers are making the online environment as interactive as they can.

Grossmont College, the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and the East County Chamber of Commerce will host the free, public event 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

Students, alumni, job- and career- seekers in the general public can register at https://tinyurl.com/VirtualCareerExpo2021. Employers can register for free at https://tinyurl.com/5ctu4xyb. A Remo login will be emailed upon registration.

Remo is an easy-to-use virtual conference platform that will allow job-seekers to visit multiple “tables” and be interviewed privately in real time by potential employers. When the conference switches to presentation mode, attendees can visit as avatars. A digital room with tables will be available where they can sit and listen to presentations. They can also take part in chat and networking sessions among themselves and vendors.

East County News Service

October 9, 2021 (Santee) – You’re invited to join the Santee Chamber of Commerce at its third annual Veterans Appreciation Golf Tournament on November 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.at Carlton Oaks.

East County News Service

September 30, 2021 (San Diego) – The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is considering a proposal to tax drivers for every mile driven.  SANDAG leaders say the plan would help fund future transportation needs and encourage use of mass transit. But opponents say it unfairly penalizes motorists in areas such as East County, where many communities lack access to mass transit and drivers have no choice but to commute long distances to work, shop, or attend college.

East County News Service

Image Credit: Shutterstock 

September 15, 2021 (San Diego) -- The County Board of Supervisors voted today to move forward with plans to legalize microenterprise home kitchen operations, or MEHKOs. MEHKOs are defined by California law as a small retail food facility, operated from a private home.