By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – All schools in the Mountain Empire school district remain closed today due to the Border Fire.   The Mountain Empire High School graduation is tentatively set to be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m. contingent on air quality and fire conditions. 

By Miriam Raftery

June 12, 2016 (San Diego) – Five years ago, the California Dream Act authorized grants to help undocumented immigrant students attend community colleges, public universities and some private colleges.  But last year, about one-third of that “Dreamer” scholarship money was not given out, Ed Source reports.

By Miriam Raftery

June 8,2016 (San Diego’s East County)—Timothy Caruthers won 59% of the vote in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District 4 race. He will run off in November against Elena Adams, who received 33% of the vote. Incumbent Mary Kay Rosinski, who withdrew from the race but whose name still appeared on the ballot, got 9%. 

Although the race is nonpartisan, Rosinski was a Democrat and Adams has the backing of the Democratic Party after Rosinski’s withdrawal.  Caruthers is endorsed by the Republican Party, giving the GOP a chance to pick up a seat on the community college board in November.

Source: Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute

Photo: California Dept. of Fish and Game

May 31, 2016 (La Mesa) — Students from Helix Charter High School in La Mesa will release tagged juvenile white sea bass into local waters off Crown Point tomorrow to restore healthy population levels as a participants in Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute’s “Sea Bass in the Classroom” (SITC), STEM education program.

By Shani Shahmoon, Originally published in the New York Observer

http://observer.com/2016/05/jewish-woman-forced-to-hide-from-anti-israel-activists-at-uc-irvine/

Photo by Paula Prizio

May 22, 2016 (Irvine) -- An event hosted by a pro-Israel student group ended abruptly Wednesday night as police were called to protect attendees from an angry mob that had gathered. One student who never made it inside the venue called 9-1-1 as she hid in fear from anti-Israel activists who chased her into a building on the University of California-Irvine campus.

East County News Service



May 18, 2016 (El Cajon) - A busy academic year highlighted by new leadership at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges culminates with commencement ceremonies June 1 and 2, where more than 4,200 degrees and certificates will be awarded.

East County News Service

May 17, 2016 (Lemon Grove) -- San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation want the public's help in identifying and locating those responsible for stealing 43 laptops from San Miguel Elementary School April 27^th or 28^th. 

East County News Service

Image from the Alpine High School Citizens Committee that has worked for years to get a high school built.  Now a judge’s ruling could deprive Alpine of bond money that voters approved for the school.

May 15, 2016 (Alpine) — An attorney representing the Alpine Taxpayers for Bond Accountability has told East County Magazine that his client is prepared to file an appeal if Judge Joel Pressman’s preliminary ruling setting aside a preliminary injunction against the Grossmont Union High School district stands. 

First-ever Zahn Spirit of Innovation Award among pomp and prizes at SDSU commencement celebrations on May 13 to 15 at Viejas Arena

By Jill Esterbrooks, SDSU News Center

May 13, 2016 (San Diego)--This year's crop of San Diego State University graduates is more diverse, determined and decorated than any in its 119-year history.

Take Austin Owens. He'll receive his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and the first-ever Zahn Spirit of Innovation Award at the College of Engineering's commencement ceremony on May 14 at 5:30 p.m. Owens, who is "passionate about solving problems and making things happen against all odds," has been a four-year SDSU standout for founding the on-campus Mechantronics Club, competing in international RoboSub competitions and landing a post-graduation job at SpaceX, a space exploration company founded by Elon Musk.

Updated May 11: Plaintiffs issue statement saying they will appeal the ruling.

By Miriam Raftery

May 6, 2016 (Alpine) – A preliminary ruling by Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman would set aside a preliminary injunction against the Grossmont District. If the ruling stands, it will allow Grossmont to keep $42 million that had been set aside for an Alpine High School that the district never built. The money is a portion of bond measure funds approved by voters in part for the long-promised school.

The suit was filed by the Alpine Union School District and Alpine Taxpayers for Bond Accountability. The groups have 15 days to file an appeal.

East County News Service

May 3, 2016 (Warner Springs) – Extensive vandalism forced closure today of the entire Warner Unified School District complex, which includes elementary through high school classrooms as well as district offices.  The district's website states it hopes to reopen soon and will notify parents when children can return to school.

A maintenance worker arriving at work Wednesday morning discovered the damage, which included graffiti, broken windows, classrooms ransacked, furniture overturned and fire extinguishers discharged.  The worker called  Sheriff’s deputies at 5:15 a.m.

By Ken Stone

Photo:  Tim Glover, new Grossmont Union High School District superintendent via GUHSD

Originally published in Times of San Diego, a San Diego Online News Association member

April 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- With a court verdict looming in its fight with Alpine residents, the Grossmont Union High School District board has chosen a longtime East County resident as its new superintendent.

East County News Service



April 24, 2016 (El Cajon) - More than 50 employers from throughout the region will converge on Cuyamaca College May 4 to recruit applicants for an array of available jobs during the 2016 East County Career Expo.

East County News Service

April 23, 2016 (Spring Valley) -- Students and staff at Monte Vista High School know that Mondays are special.  They are faculty work days; classes begin two hours later than usual so students get the chance to sleep in.  But this coming Monday, April 25^th, won’t be a typical one for the Monarch student body.  Instead of sleeping in, more than 200 students and staff members will work with “Stop Hunger Now” to package 40,000 meals for needy children in developing countries.  The students and staff are excited to be a part of this community service event hosted by their school and nearby Foothills United Methodist Church.

East County News Service

April 21, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Grossmont Union High School District is seeking applications to fill a vacancy within the eleven-member Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC). The CBOC oversees the implementation of Proposition U, the $417 million general obligation bond measure passed in November 2008, to bring facility improvements and renovations to the district’s schools.

The appointee will serve a two-year term beginning June 2016, in the capacity of “Parent-at-Large” and will be eligible for up to two additional two-year terms, with the condition that the appointee must have a child or children continuously enrolled in a District school for all term periods. Deadline to apply is May 24 and there is a June 9 hearing.

In order to apply, you must….