Update June 8, 2022 - The Secretary of State's office has posted preliminary results  for the 48th Congressional including both San Diego and Riverside counties. With provisional and some mail-in ballots remaining to be tallied, Rep. Issa has 59.3%, Houlahan, with 29%, will advance to the November runoff.  Rascon has 10% and Lucinda KWH Jahn has 1.6%.

By Miriam Raftery

June 7, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Stephen Houlahan, a nurse with a masters in business administration and former Santee Councilman, is heading for a runoff election against Congressman Darrell Issa in November.

By Henri Migala

June 7, 2022 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted 4-1 on May 24 to support a package of three California State Legislature bills that seek to address the high and rapidly escalating rate of hate crimes throughout the region, state and country.

By Nigel Duara, CalMatters

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

Photo:  WEE1 Tactical claims their JR-15 .22 caliber long rifle is 20% smaller than a traditional AR-15. Screenshot via YouTube

May 28, 2022 (San Diego) - The man at the gun show lifted a 2.2 pound rifle and pulled back the stock with an audible “chock,” presenting it to the YouTube segment’s host.  

May 27, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – In an interview with East County Magazine on KNSJ radio, Congressional candidate Stephen Houlahan draws sharp contrasts with his opponent, Rep. Darrell Issa, on key issues including women’s rights, the economy, healthcare, homelessness, immigration, climate change and more. A registered nurse who also has both a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) and a degree in healthcare administration, he addressed the opioid crisis, the need to help small businesses, and a plan to put powerlines underground in East County to prevent more devastating wildfires.

Houlahan is running in the newly redrawn 48^th Congressional district, which includes most of the former 50^th Congressional district that encompasses most of San Diego’s Eat County.  It runs from the international border in the south north to Menafee in Riverside County, east to Imperial County, and as far west as Mt. Helix, with a few exceptions (El Cajon and Escondido are now split between two districts).

Here are his views on the issues impacting people across our region.

By Elijah McKee

Photos, left to right:  Dave Myers, Kelly Martinez, John Hemmerling, Charles Battle, Juan Carlos Mercado, Gundo Gunderson, Jonathan Peck

May 26, 2022 (San Diego's East County) — A seat of power will soon be filled in San Diego County that has not seen turnover since 2009: the Sheriff. 

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

May 23, 2022 (Sacramento) - We get it, California voters. You’ve been busy lately.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Poll workers collect ballots at San Diego County Registrar of Voters in 2020. Photo by Chris Stone

May 19, 2022 (San Diego) - The ballot for the June 7 primary election in San Diego County is short, with several important local races not requiring a primary or even uncontested and therefore not on the ballot.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom by Ron Logan

May 15, 2022 (Sacramento) - Citing rising inflation and a large surplus, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a revised state budget of $301 billion on Friday that is $14 billion higher that his initial proposal in January.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- County Supervisor Joel Anderson has sent a formal request to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer and Sheriff, urging them to take action mirroring recent action by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to remove encampments along public roadways that pose critical safety concerns. Caltrans’ clearing of an encampment in the Berkeley area was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on April 27.

East County News Service

May 11, 2022 (San Diego) – The County of San Diego’s Planning & Development Services has prepared a revised Transportation Study Guide that establishes a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) threshold using the countywide average. It also designates which areas will or won’t need to have VMT analysis or mitigation. The actions follow a new state law, SB 743, which requires the amount of driving and length of trips – as measured by "vehicle miles traveled" or VMT – be used to assess transportation impacts on the environment for Calif. Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

The public has until June 13 at 4 p.m. to submit comments. Two public meetings are planned on May 24 and June 1: 

By Miriam Raftery

May 10, 2022 (San Diego) – John Hemmerling is a  a retired Marine Corps Colonel and combat veteran, a former San Diego Police officer, and he’s served as head prosecutor in the city of San Diego’s Criminal and Community Justice Division. Now he’s running for San Diego Sheriff, hoping to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of former Sheriff Bill Gore. 

East County Magazine recently sat down for an in-depth interview wit Hemmerling for his goals if elected.  View the interview.   View a followup question on scanner traffic. Hear an audio version aired on KNSJ Radio.

“Probably my most relevant experience would be the leadership that I bring,” he said.  “You need strong leadership at the top. I’ve spent 36 plus years in public service.”  That includes combat tours and running jails in Iraq.  As a police officer he worked nearly a decade in City Heights, obtained his law degree and eventually became chief legal counsel for San Diego Police before his current position as chief criminal prosecutor for the city of San Diego.

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

May 8, 2022 (Sacramento) -- Leaders from the California Legislative Women's Caucus vowed to protect a person's right to have an abortion in the Golden State after a leaked draft opinion appears to show the U.S. Supreme Court is ready to overturn the decision known as Roe v. Wade this summer. That would turn the matter over to the states.

Alito and his four cohorts on the Supreme Court are attempting to bury the last fifty years of safe, legal abortion, now supported by at least 70% of the U.S. population.

By Amy Goodman, Dennis Moynihan, staff writers, Common Dreams

Reprinted under a Creative Commons license from Common Dreams

Photo: CC by SA via Bing

May 6, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC is truly august, its Corinthian columns and ornate pediments reminiscent of ancient Rome's Temple of Mars Ultor, erected by Emperor Augustus to commemorate Mars, the god of war, in his role as avenger. Augustus employed the imperial design to convey that a new order had arrived after quelling a civil war that had consumed the region for fifty years. Two thousand years later, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has unleashed his own form of vengeance, from within the Supreme Court's columned walls, revealed in a draft opinion he authored, leaked by a person or persons not yet publicly known then published by Politico.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2022 (San Diego) -- East County Magazine interviewed Dave Myers, a retired San Diego Sheriff Commander running for Sheriff to fill the seat left by the retirement of long-time Sheriff Bill Gore.  He says it’s time for a new Sheriff in town to change the culture of law enforcement to one that respects everyone while assuring safe communities and rebuilding trust between residents and law enforcement.

He's served in law enforcement for 35 years, won awards for exceptional service and lifesaving, volunteered in nonprofits and community groups, and led efforts to form the Sheriff’s Youth Advisory Group.

Watch video by clicking the video link. Hear audio aired on KNSJ radio at the audio link. Scroll down to read highlights from the interview conducted in late March.

By Elijah McKee

April 13, 2022 (La Mesa) — City of La Mesa employees are now eligible for $500 bonus checks — and if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, they can receive an additional $500.