By Miriam Raftery

May 14, 2016 (El Cajon) – The driver of a red Mazda truck is dead after fleeing from police and crashing into a tree shortly after midnight in El Cajon.  Officers attempting to render aid to the driver made a grisly discovery – a dead female in the backseat. Arriving paramedics reported that they believe the female was deceased before the collision and that her death was suspicious, said Lieutenant Rob Rainsweiler.

East County News Service

May 13, 2016 (Lemon Grove) - Chantella Matira Ferguson, 32, of Lemon Grove died May 9^th shortly after midnight at Scripps Memorial Hospital of injuries sustained when she was struck by a vehicle at 11:15 p.m. on May 7^th. 

East County News Service

May 13, 2016 (La Mesa) – David Ben Gonzalez, 70, of La Mesa died during surgery following injuries sustained when he was hit by a car while crossing El Cajon Blvd. near Williams Avenue in La Mesa Tuesday night.

“We All Count” organizers voice concerns over undercount of homeless due to lack of data provided by shelter in El Cajon

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2016 (San Diego) – Results of “We All Count,” the annual count of homeless people countywide, show a 19% increase in the number of unsheltered homeless people, though a slight dip (less than a percentage point) in the total number of homeless countywide.

In an interview with the East County Magazine Show originally aired on KNSJ radio, Dolores Diaz, Executive Director of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, and Michael McConnell, an advocate for the homeless who has served as team leader for “25 Cities”, a national initiative to end homelessness and publisher of Homelessness News San Diego, discussed this year’s results of the point-in-time homeless count, as well as long term solutions to end homelessness.

Hear our interview by clicking the orange arrow above (sound files may take a few moments to load), plus scroll down for additional details and updates obtained after our interview aired.

Updated May 11, 2016 with comments from Michael McConnell, advocate for the homeless

By Jonathan Goetz

May 10, 2016 (El Cajon) - The El Cajon City Council praised the new owners of the Villa Serena Motel today for being “most cooperative” and “going above and beyond what we asked” as police evicted the residents at this 23-unit long-term hotel. Building inspectors found extensive building violations that have since been addressed.

East County News Service

May 10, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) - On May 18^th, the California Water Resource Control Board will determine whether or not to lift a statewide water conservation order imposed nearly a year ago. That order mandated that most cities and water districts cut water use by at least 20 percent.

Source: Caltrans

May 10, 2016 (San Diego) -- Caltrans construction crews will close all lanes on northbound Interstate 805 (I-805) from La Jolla Village Drive to Interstate 5 (I-5) Tuesday from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. to restripe lanes.

Agency will send senior official to SONGS meeting on June 22

East County News Service

May 7, 2016 (Washington D.C) -- Congressman Darrell lssa says he is pleased with the Department of Energy's response to a letter he sent earlier this month asking the Department of Energy to hold an additional meeting in Southern California to discuss options for the nation's plan to handle the long-term storage of nuclear waste.

Acknowledging Congressman Issa’s request, the Department of Energy has agreed to send the Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, John F. Kotek, to attend the next SONGS Community Engagement Panel meeting on June 22, where he will be seeking opinions and input from residents, elected officials and community leaders on this important issue. The Congressman encourages members of the public to attend.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Left and right: bull atop El Capitan High School and former Pinnacle Peak restaurant

May 6, 2016 (Lakeside) – A popular icon in downtown Lakeside—the bull statue atop the former Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse on Maine Avenue—vanished recently, leaving locals to ponder, where’s the beef?

Fortunately the missing steer statue was found this morning not far away, standing on the roof of El Capitan High School—and that’s no bull.

No one has come forward to fess up to steering the statue to the high school, though a senior prank is rumored.

By Miriam Raftery

May 5, 2016 (Sacramento) – California has become the second state in the nation (after Hawaii) to raise the smoking age to 21 years of age. Governor Jerry Brown signed a package of bills into law that also bans sale of e-cigarette products to youths and prohibits use of electronic cigarettes in public places such as restaurants or theaters, as well as at most areas in public schools including charters.

El Cajon Councilman Gary Kendrick praised the Governor’s action. “That’s going to save millions of lives,” said Kendrick, who authored El Cajon’s measures to restrict e-cigarettes and smoking in public places. The El Cajon Council, at Kendrick’s urging, also passed a resolution in support of raising California’s smoking age from 18 to 21.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

May 3, 2016 (San Diego) — Muslim student groups at San Diego State University are calling for action after posters appeared on campus claiming certain Muslim students are allied with Palestinian terrorists and anti-Semitism.

By Miriam Raftery

May 2, 2016 (San Diego) – The San Diego Association of Governments  (SANDAG) board voted last week to send a ballot measure that would fund transit, freeway and infrastructure improvements to voters in November.  Next up, Supervisors must decide whether to let voters have the final say.  If approved the $18.2 million plan would raise county sales tax a half cent to fund freeway projects, road repairs, public transit, open space management and complying with state water quality mandates.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

May 1, 2016 (Sacramento) - If you have a credit card or a job, have ever seen a doctor or needed a nursing home, you've probably signed an arbitration agreement that requires you to give up the right to sue, and go through mediation in the event of a dispute.

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2016 (San Diego) — Mayor Kevin Faulconer is being rocked by criticism after a homeless advocacy group posted photos on Facebook of sharp, jagged rocks installed by the city of San Diego beneath an overpass where homeless people had been sleeping and taking shelter during storms. San Diego has no year-round homeless shelter and has also been conducting sweeps to confiscate belongings of homeless individuals.

Source:  Heartland Press Release

April 25, 2016 (El Cajon) — A fire at a mobile home in El Cajon has caused an estimated $40,000 worth of structure damage and $20,000 to the contents.