East County News Service

January 24, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- The  San Diego County Office of Education has announced numerous school closures today due to the Border 2 Fire as well as power outages.

Power outages have resulted in closure of all Mountain Empire Unified School District and Warner Unified School district campuses today, as well as all Borrego Unified School District and Dehesa School District schools.. Currently over 19,000 customers are without power due to public power safety shutoffs, with more than 63,000 more at risk of losing power. For updates on power outages due to public safety shutoffs, visit https://www.sdge.com/psps-dashboard.

The Border 2 Fire has caused closures of the following schools:   Eastlake High, Eastlake Middle, East Hills Academy in the Sweetwater Union High School District,High Tech High in CHuula Vista, Arroya Vista Charter School, and in the Chula Vista Elementary School District Arroyo Vista, Camarena, Eastlake, Liberty, Marshall, Olympic View, Salt Creek, and Wolf Canyon elementary schools are closed; all other CVESD schools remain open but on rainy day schedule due to poor air quality.

Source:  Grossmont Union High School District

January 17, 2025 (El Cajon) -- Superintendent Mike Fowler has announced plans to step aside from his duties until March 1, 2025, as he receives treatment for a malignant brain tumor. After his diagnosis, Fowler underwent a successful surgery in December. He has now begun a rigorous treatment schedule which will require him to remain on leave through February. As a result, the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Governing Board took official action during a January 16 Special Governing Board meeting to appoint Sandra C. Huezo as Acting Superintendent.

January 8, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for San Diego County mountains and valleys today and tomorrow due to high winds and extreme fire danger. The strong winds that have fueled two large wildfires decimating Los Angeles County are forecast to move into San Diego County next.

This is the driest winter period measured from October 1 through January 8 since 1850, according to the National Weather Service, increasing fire danger.

Due to high winds and potential power outages, schools in six local districts will be closed today. The San Diego County Office of Education announced the closures for:

• Julian Union Elementary School District
• Julian Union High School District
• Mountain Empire Unified School District
• Ramona Unified School District
• Spencer Valley School District
• Warner Unified School District

“The safety of students and school staff is of the utmost importance to San Diego County school districts,” officials said in a news release.

In Los Angeles County, devastating fires have collectively destroyed over 1,000 homes and two people have died, the Los Angeles Times reports.

East County News Service

December 17, 2024 (Lemon Grove) – Students at Lemon Grove Academy Middle School saw a student with what appeared to be a firearm in his backpack on Friday, December 13, but didn’t report it to school staff until Monday, December 16.

School administrators immediately contacted the Lemon Grove substation. Deputies questioned the 14-year-old student and his parents. The firearm turned out to be a plastic BB gun that the student showed to classmates. The BB gun was seized without incident, says Lieutenant Joe Barry.

Source:  Cal Coast Cares Foundation

December 9, 2024 (San Diego) - The Cal Coast Cares Foundation has awarded $75,000 in grants to local educators to support innovative STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Math) projects in San Diego and Riverside counties.

Source:  San Diego Sheriff's Department

November 22, 2024 (Alpine) - On Thursday, November 21, around 5:30 p.m., the San Diego County Sheriff's Office was notified by the administration of Shadow Hills Elementary School in Alpine about threats made by two students against a group of students and teachers.

District earns Partnership of the Decade Award; leaders honored

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

October 31, 2024 (El Cajon) - On Friday, October 25, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District was honored with a Partnership of the Decade Award from the East County Economic Development Council at their 40^th Anniversary Gala. The event celebrated the accomplishments of the East County EDC, as well as their valued partners. The East County EDC recognized the most impactful partnerships over the past decade, and honored organizations that have played a crucial role in driving economic development in East County.

Hear audio of full interview aired on KNSJ

October 20, 2024 (San Diego) -- Victor Crosthwaite Contreras is the founder of  Early California Speaks, an organization that provides historical recreations for schools and other locations. East County Magazine recently interviewed him for our radio show on KNSJ, where he spoke about the multicultural programs offered. He also provided a dramatic reading bringing to life a soldier from the first Spanish expedition here.

Early California began in 2019, “direct of my ancestry and working with Old Town San Diego State Park,” Contreras says. He became involved in Old Town through his  mother for the 200^th anniversary of San Diego, where descendants of those early residents were asked to provide documents and stories and artifacts of early California.

“I’m a retired teacher, so schools are close to my heart, and of course California history is close to my heart because of my ancestry,” he says. Also an accomplished actor, Contreras was the head of the theater department at the school of performing arts in Chula Vista, as well as Cal State San Marcos.

East County News Service

September 13, 2024 (Ramona) –Yesterday morning before 9 a.m., the Ramona Sheriff's Substation was notified by Olive Pierce Middle School about a threat of a possible school shooting. After an investigation, authorities have concluded the threat was unfounded.

Deputies arrived at the school within minutes. For the safety of students and staff, school administrators made the decision to place the school on a limited lockdown while deputies investigated the incident.    

After a thorough search of the entire campus, deputies did not find anything suspicious at Olive Pierce Middle School. No one was hurt.

Out of an abundance of caution, deputies also conducted security sweeps at Ramona High School and Ramona Community Montessori School and provided extra patrols at all three campuses until the end of the school day.

By Miriam Raftery

September 2, 2024 (Dulzura) – Migrants have twice approached school buses in the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District, sparking concerns among some parents.  However Superintendent Liz Bystedt, in a letter to families, says the Sheriff’s office has spoken with several witnesses and found no crime occurred.

Based on witness statements, the Superintendent’s letter states, “It appears that while several individuals approached the bus, there never appeared to be any intent to take over the bus or harm anyone. At no point in time did anyone other than the students enter the bus, or even get close to entering a bus.”

Source: Lemon Grove Lions Club

August 18, 2024 (Lemon Grove) -- In a heartwarming display of community spirit, the Lemon Grove Improvement Council, Lemon Grove Lions Club and the Lemon Grove Forward Club joined forces  for a special mission: stuffing school supplies into backpacks for local students. With the new school year just around the corner, the importance of preparation can't be overstated.

Together, these dedicated organizations prepared around 200 backpacks filled with essential supplies, all destined for homeless students in the Lemon Grove area. The Lemon Grove School District played a crucial role by identifying the students most in need and will also assist in distributing the backpacks.

Source: San Diego County News Service

August 4, 2024 (Spring Valley) --The County’s Tuberculosis Control Program is working in close collaboration with Grossmont Union High School District to notify students, staff and volunteers potentially exposed to tuberculosis (TB) for four months during the second semester of the 2023-24 school year at Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley.

The dates of potential exposure are from Feb. 1 to June 4, 2024.   

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air. The bacteria are spread when someone sick with TB coughs, speaks, sings or breathes. People with frequent and prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB should get tested.  

Effective treatments are available to cure people who are sick from active TB. It is especially important for people with symptoms of active TB and those who are immunocompromised to see a medical provider to rule out active TB disease and to discuss treatment.