By Kristin Kjaero

June 21, 2025 (San Diego) - - On June 26, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) will vote on a staff recommendation to end its sponsorship and funding for the Water Conservation Garden.

The Garden says accessibility to the public is at risk if SDCWA withdraws, and started an online petition campaign to request that an option to stay, be added to the Committee's agenda. The petition has received 1,319 signatures in its first 24 hours. One can also send an email addressed to committee members via their clerk at  kwalker@sdcwa.org.

The proposal to end SDCWA’s support of the Garden will go first to the Administration and Finance Committee at 9 a.m. which will consider two options: to withdraw, or to withdraw and donate $150,000 over the next two years. The result of the Committee's vote will then move to a list of consent items at the full SDCWA Board meeting at 2p.m.

East County News Service

Image: Fentanyl pills seized by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

June 24, 2025 (San Diego) – Deaths from fentanyl dropped 30% countywide in 2024 over the prior year. That coincides with a major increase in drug seizures, including 1.9 million fentanyl pills worth more than $20 million over the past 18 months, Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced Monday in a press conference.

“When children as young as 13 years old began dying from using the drug, we knew we needed to act with more urgency,” said Martinez, who credits state and county funding for aiding law enforcement's crackdown on illlegal fentanyl sales.

By Miriam Raftery

June 23, 2025 (al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar) – Iran has fired multiple missiles at the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East, al-Udeid in Qatar.  The attack was launched in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran.

Qatar’s air defenses intercepted the missile attack, and there have been no reports of injuries, CNN reports., Qatar condemned Iran’s attack on the air base, calling it “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace.”

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

by Mikhail Zinshteyn

Photo: National Guard in Los Angeles, via U.S. Northern Command

June 23, 2025 (Los Angeles) -- President Trump had a legitimate interest in protecting federal employees when he deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles, an appeals court ruled.

President Donald Trump can continue to control the National Guard in California for the time being after a panel of judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determined he followed the law in deploying troops to Los Angeles.



The order, handed down Thursday evening, is the latest in a fast-moving legal saga playing out over Trump’s decision to call up the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the Los Angeles area in response to protests after federal immigration law enforcement agents began worksite raids and arrests two weeks ago. California’s Democratic leadership, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, has called the deployment unnecessary and illegal.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: Screenshot from BBC video of Iranian nuclear facility bombing by U.S.

June 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. has bombed three Iranian nuclear sites,  President Donald Trump announced tonight on social media.  The BBC confirmed the action, posting video of smoke rising above an Iranian nuclear site.

The action, done without Congressional approval, has drawn mixed reactions from lawmakers. Some praised the destruction of any potential nuclear weapons development by Iran, a state supporter of terrorism, while others voiced concerns over escalation of tensions in the region.  Some Congressional members also denounced the action as unconstitutional, since it was done without the approval of Congress, which the Constitution requires for acts of war.

Netanyahu has decided to wage war against Iran— specifically designed to sabotage United States international diplomacy

By Alexander J Schorr

Friday June 20, 2025 – Under the current leadership of the Trump administration, the United States risks military involvement with Iran at the behest of Benjamin Netanyahu.

One may have hoped that the international community could be working together to address the existential threat of climate change, wealth and income inequality, a better standard of living, and even stronger safeguards against future pandemics. Today, that is sadly not the case. Instead, the world now faces more war than just the illegal conflict of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine or the horrific slaughter and starvation of Palestinian children under inhumane war policies of Israel under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu. The United States now faces a perilous escalation of war in Iran.

By Miriam Raftery

June 19, 2025 (Campo) --  Billie Jo Jannen, an award-winning journalist and chair of the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group from 2013-2025, died May 27 of cancer at age 69. 

Jannen was a powerful voice for backcountry residents. She won awards for investigative reporting and spent nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor covering East County’s hottest topics such as wildfires, wind turbines, border and land use issues. Her coverage drew national attention on 60 Minutes and 20-20 TV shows.

She also rooted out tales of feral pigs and turkey hunts, offered tips on how to remove horse manure, and covered local politics. As Jannen wryly noted, “Some might see similarities in these topics.”

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

Update June 20:  The #MonteFire has burned over 1,000 acres and is 65% contained.

Image by Josh Stotler, East County Magazine:  Helicopter scoops water to fight fire on day one of #MonteFire

June 18, 2025 (Lakeside)-- On day three of the #MonteFire,  976 acres have burned and the wildfire fire is 25% containment.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office has lifted an evacuation order for an area off El Monte due to improved containment of the fire. If you had to evacuate your home in this area, it is now safe to return. All other evacuation orders and warnings, which are in remote areas away from homes, remain in place until further notice. To see maps of the affected areas, visit: https://protect.genasys.com/hazards/2f3488c6-736d-4161-aff6-a7729a7e28c0?z=14&latlon=32.89795864312755%2C-116.83490992590015 and https://emergencymap.sandiegocounty.gov/index.html.

The Temporary Evacuation Point at the Walmart Supercenter, located at 13487 Camino Canada in El Cajon, will be closed.

By Karen Pearlman

File photo by Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2025 (El Cajon) – Just weeks after they stood in San Diego Superior Court for a trial about code enforcement issues at their Fletcher Hills home, former El Cajon City Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho and his wife, Jessica Deddeh Kalasho, skipped out on a scheduled June 9 court hearing they were required to attend. There are now arrest warrants out for them, even as they are slated to appear in Superior Court here on a separate matter on July 2 (postponed from June 18). 

The June 9 hearing in San Diego Superior Court was to start the beginning of the couple’s eight-day jail sentences, which each received previously for criminal contempt-of-court findings.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo: Red areas are under mandatory evacuation orders as of 5 p.m. Yellow areas have evacuation warnings.  View interactive map here for latest evacuation updates. This is the county's map which has more details than others.  

Find out what evacuation zone you are in by typing your address here:  https://protect.genasys.com/search?z=14&latlon=32.794773%2C-116.962527

Update 6:44 p.m.-- Fire size: The fire is 340 acres and 10% contained, per Cal Fire.

Update 6:18 p.m.  Road closures: Due to the #MonteFire, the following roads are closed to thru traffic and open to residents only: • Lake Jennings Rd & El Monte Rd • El Monte Rd @ Omas Rd • Willow Rd @ Omas Rd, per CHP.

Update 5:19  p.m. -- Animal evacuation:  Large animals can be evacuated to Dianne Jacob Equestrian Park, 11055 Moreno Ave, Lakeside. Small animals can be evacuated to Humane Society shelter at 5821 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita.

Update 4:34 p.m.- The fire is now 312 acres, per Cal Fire with zero percent containment.

June 17, 2025 (Lakeside) -- Evacuations have been ordered in the fast-moving #MonteFire in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley.  The fire began at 15900 El Monte Rd. near El Monte Park and the San Diego River. Cal Fire says the fire has potential for extended attack.

El Monte Rd. is closed at Yucca Rd.

A very large air tanker has been ordered, per scanner traffic.

A temporary evacuation point has been set up at the Walmart Supercenter, 13487 Camino Canada, El Cajon per Genasys. .

For a map and more information go to www.AlertSD.org

The fire has reached the ridgeline, per Watch Duty App.

By Miriam Raftery

June 16, 2025 (San Diego) – Federal immigration officials have begun arresting immigrants and refugees at San Diego’s federal courthouse, denying them due process at hearings that could have granted them legal status in the U.S.  Now, Bishop Michael Pham  and two local auxiliary bishops have announced that on World Refugee Day June 20, they will stand in solidarity with migrants making court appearances. They are also calling on all diocese parishes to join them and celebrate a mass devoted to immigrants.

Pham, who came to America as a refugee from Vietnam at age 8, understands the hardships that refugees and migrants face.  His family fled Da Nang to Malaysia, then escaped on a rice barge with no food or water, huddled among dead bodies before finding freedom.  He is the first bishop appointed by Pope Leo IV, who has voiced strong support for refugees and immigrants.