East County News Service

Photo via 50501: thousands rallied against Trump in Washington D.C. outside Capitol

February 19, 2025 (San Diego) –  Protesters held “Not My President” rallies at state capitols in all 50 states and other locations to oppose unprecedented attacks on our democratic system’s checks and balances by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

View video of this incident, via Lemon Grove Media on Facebook

By Miriam Raftery

February 19, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – During last night’s Lemon Grove City Council meeting, former Councilmember Liana LeBaron urged members to agendize a discussion on 70 tiny homes for the homeless slated to be built on Troy Street. County Supervisors approved building the project in Lemon Grove before holding any public discussion, angering many residents.

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

Photo:   a child at Jewish Family Service of San Diego’s refugee shelter. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)

February 17, 2025 (San Diego) - Faced with a halt in federal funding and and the closing of the border to refugees, Jewish Family Service of San Diego is shutting down its shelter and shifting focus to legal support of asylum seekers.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Alexis & Deondre

February 15, 2025 (San Diego) - The day started with a few showers, but the sun came out for many couples saying “I do” on Valentine’s Day.

Issue prompts drive to recall Councilman Phil Ortiz

By Alex Schorr and Miriam Raftery

View video

Photo, left:  Resolution opponents hold up sign denouncing hate and likening ICE roundups to “Gestapo” tactics

February 14, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council on Tuesday passed a controversial resolution allowing the city’s police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and hand over any undocumented who has been convicted of a violent crime, as well as immigrants merely accused of a crime.  The measure was introduced by Mayor Bill Wells, with backing of Councilmember Phil Ortiz and amendments by Councilman Steve Goble.

The meeting was contentious, sparked by numerous emotional outbursts, threats to recall Councilmember Ortiz for supporting the resolution, and playing of phone threats made against Councilmembers who voted against the measure previously.

Just two weeks ago, the Council rejected a similar proposal by a 3-2 vote, but reversed that action on Wednesday after Councilmember Goble switched sides.

Developing story

By Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Roz Allina, second from left, at a Sisterhood luncheon at Sheldon’s Service Station in La Mesa hours before her death. (Photo: Sue Cherlin)

February 12, 2025 (La Mesa) -  Hours after attending a birthday gathering for Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood members who were celebrating their February birthdays, Rosalyn Allina and her husband James — Roz, 77, and Jim, 79 — were killed in a chain-reaction freeway accident.

East County News Service

February 12, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- An atmospheric river is moving into our region, bringing rain today with heavier rain late Thursday and Friday. A flood watch has been issued starting Thursday afternoon through Friday.  

The Pacific storm could bring up to 7 inches on Mt. Palomar, up to 5 inchesin Julian, 2-3 inches in valleys, and up to an inch in some desert areas,  with snow  at higher elevations, up to two inches above 6,000 feet. Strong wind gusts in mountains up to  70 miles per hour and up to 50 mph in deserts are forecast.

California Highway Patrol is warning of winter storm conditions this morning on I-8 east of Willow Road in Alpine.

This story was originally published by ProPublica.

By Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

February 11, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - The Trump administration has terminated more than $900 million in Education Department contracts, taking away a key source of data on the quality and performance of the nation’s schools.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego on Facebook

February 11, 2025 (San Diego, CA) – Multiple faith leaders and a crowd of around 1,500 people overflowed the St. Joseph Cathedral and then held a procession to the federal building downtown and prayers in support of undocumented immigrants, chanting “our neighbors, our coworkers, our brothers and sisters,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego posted on Facebook.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, whom the Pope has appointed Archbishop of Washington D.C., spoke at the event, as did Episcopalian Bishop Susan Brown Snook and other faith leaders.

“Just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph had to flee oppression to another land when they were on this Earth," Cardinal McElroy said, “So too we must stand with those who are immigrants here in our midst now and make sure that their safety is secure, and that humanity is respected.”

East County News Service

Photo: Palisades Fire, courtesy of Lakeside Fire Dept. which helped battle the catastrophic wildfire in Los Angeles County in January

February 11, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- As Southern California recovers from devastating wildfires, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, has introduced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts.

The package includes the Wildfire Emergency Act, to support forest restoration, wildfire mitigation, and energy resilience; the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, to authorize the removal of trees or other vegetation within existing electrical utility corridors; and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act, to further incentivize homeowners to proactively protect their homes from disasters.

“Eliminating USAID means no more food for millions of Sudanese refugees who’ve fled a civil war, no more medical care for displaced Palestinians, no more HIV treatment on the African continent, and more." -- Congresswoman Sara Jacobs

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via X: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs speaks at a rally to save US Aid.

February 11, 2025 (San Diego) – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) today introduced legislation declaring it illegal for the Trump administration to dismantle the USAID agency without an act of Congress, and to prohibit any funding of such efforts. Jacobs calls the action a "coup" and warns other agencies could be illegally dismantled next.

Elon Musk and his Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have shut down the USAID agency’s headquarters and website, put thousands of staffers on leave, and issued a stop work order on most foreign aid.

As a result of those actions, Jacobs says in a press release, “HIV/AIDS clinics have closed across Africa, hospitals in war-torn Syria have locked their doors, millions of Sudanese refugees will be at risk of catching diseases like cholera, malaria, and measles that are spreading, and so much more.”

East County News Service

February 11, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – A head-on collision in Rancho San Diego has left two people dead and three others injured. The deadly crash occurred on February 7 around 8:25 p.m.

Major funding for schools nationwide is at stake

By G.A. McNeeley

February 10, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – The Trump administration has begun drafting an executive order that would begin the process of eliminating the Department of Education, CNN reports. This order would instruct the Secretary of Education to create a plan to diminish the department through executive action. Since Congressional approval is required to eliminate any agency created by Congressional action, Trump also plans to push Congress to pass legislation that would abolish the department.

In an Oval Office press briefing, Trump stated, “I believe strongly in school choice, but in addition to that, I want the states to run schools.” He added that he wants his Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon to “put herself out of a job.”

East County News Service

February 9, 2025 (Julian) – The proposed supervised placement of sexually violent predator Gary Snavely at a home on Wynola Road in Julian has been cancelled, CBS 8 reports, after the homeowner withdrew the property from consideration.