By Jessyka Heredia

December 10, 2023 (San Diego County)—Friday, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) unanimously voted in both the Executive Committee meeting and the Board of Directors meeting to approve adding an advisory member to represent the unincorporated areas of San Diego County.

East County News Service

December 9, 2023 (La Mesa) - In partnership with the FBI San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association and the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation’s Senior Center Coalition will host a series of one-hour elder fraud information sessions for seniors, caregivers and neighbors. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Skye Pinon, via ECM news partner 10 News

December 9, 2023 (La Mesa) – Skye Pinon says it was the “scariest moment of my entire life” when she realized that her 15-year-old son,  Max, who has autism, was missing.  Max went for a walk around 3 p.m. shortly before Thanksgiving wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, with no wallet or cell phone.

Skye Pinon and her husband spent an hour searching on their own, then called La Mesa Police, according to her post on a La Mesa community forum. Within minutes, officers took a report, had a helicopter in the air broadcasting Max’s description, called in a volunteer canine search and rescue team, and launched a social media post that was soon widely shared.  

“It only took minutes for the amazing people of this community to begin responding and I immediately began getting calls, texts, and social media messages from people asking how they could help,” Pinon says.

Source:  Superior Court of California

December 7, 2023 (San Diego) - The San Diego Superior Court has received complaints about individuals trying to scam members of the public by pretending to be court officers or officials.

WATCH FULL VIDEO HERE

By Jessyka Heredia

An earlier version of this artile mistakenly reported the Council voted 5-0. The vote was 4-1with LeBaron voting no.

December 6, 2023 (Lemon Grove) —Yesterday the Lemon Grove City Council unanimously voted to move forward with installing all new playground structures at Lemon Grove Park, thanks to the Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program. This non-competitive grant program provides funding to local government agencies to support the rehabilitation, creation and improvement of local parks and to address deficiencies in neighborhoods lacking access to outdoor recreation facilities. Lemon Grove currently only has two parks with playground equipment and a recreation center that lost all funding over 12 years ago.

By Miriam Raftery

December 5, 2023 (La Mesa) --  A representative from District Attorney Summer Stephan's office and the La Mesa Police Dept. invite community members to a hate crimes forum with Q&A session on Dec.14 at 5:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Police Dept., 8085  University Ave., La Mesa.

The forum comes on the heels of anti-Semitic flyers repeatedly disseminated in La Mesa and the nearby San Diego communities of Del Cerro,  San Carlos and Allied Gardens in recent months, among other neighborhoods targeted. Some flyers blamed Jews for 9-11 attacks, among other false claims.

By Anita Lightfoot, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by Suzanne Bartole

December 1, 2023 (San Diego) - It’s been a little over a year since the Safe Parking site opened below the State Route 67 overpass on North Magnolia Ave. in East County. The space had previously grown into a large encampment where drug use was common and trash spilled into the street.

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2023 (Campo, CA)—Austin Nathaniel Spirz, a 26-year-old Campo father of three, died at the scene of a crash on Nov.23 at 5:28 p.m. on Sheridan Road near Custer Road in Campo. Spirz was on his way home on his Kawasaki motorcycle, with his life’s partner and children  following close behind him, when a Jeep Wrangler crossed over the center lines and struck  his motorcycle.

“I don’t know how to live life without him,” Aubree Pinkston, his partner of 10 years, told ECM news partner 10 News.

Pinkston and the couple’s children drove up to find Austin Spirz dead at the scene. “His body had to be identified by his father and mother-in-law ,Brandie Pinkston,” Debi Gonzalez at the Backcountry Trading Post told ECM in an email. “The Spirz family has suffered great losses, because their other son, Josh, was also killed this year in an accident. This tragedy has hit our community hard.”

Michelle Sweetman has set up a GoFundMe site to help the victim’s family.  A MealTrain site has also been established to provide meals for the Spirz household.

By Michael Howard

Photo: Council Salary Adjustment Citizen Panel member Aaron Landua acknowledges his fellow panel members at the October 24 La Mesa City Council meeting

November 29, 2023(La Mesa) -- After 18 years without getting a pay raise, the La Mesa City Council members voted to give themselves a hefty 90% pay increase at their regularly scheduled November 14 meeting.

The ordinance passed unanimously and will amend section 2.04.010 of the La Mesa Municipal Code to increase each city council member’s salary from $1,000 per month to $1,900 per month.  The move also increases the mayor’s compensation by an additional $1,900, reflecting the dual role a mayor plays as both council member and mayor, bringing the mayor’s total monthly salary to $3,800 a month, or a 135% increase.

The increase doesn’t take effect until after the November 2024 elections, which means current pay rates remain the same until then.

By Miriam Raftery

November 27, 2023 (Ramona) – A 26-year-old man has been arrested for causing a head-on crash on November 25 in Ramona that killed a Ramona woman, 44, then fleeing the scene.

By Shiloh Ireland

File photo:  Dr. David Jeremiah at a previous event

November 25, 2023 (El Cajon) -- After a long absence of  recovery from illness, Dr. David Jeremiah returned to his church, Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon on November 19^th..  The pastor was assisted with a walker and staff guided him to the pulpit. His congregation gave him a warm welcome back and the sanctuary was full. 

Oven on the recalled ranges sold at major national retailers pose serious risk of death or injury from carbon monoxide poisoning

November 24, 2023 (Washington D.C.) – Consumers who own a recalled ZLINE gas range/oven should contact the manufacturer for a full refund due to danger of the oven potentially deadly carbon monoxide poisoning—even if you already had the unit repaired. Approximately 30,000 ranges were recalled in January, but many consumers reported dangerous levels of carbon monoxide still leaking even after repairs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports, in cooperation with ZLINE.  

The ranges were made in China and sold at major national retailers and online outlets including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Costco, Overstock.com, Wayfair.com, and the RangeHoodStore.com.  The recall includes three sizes and several different color finishes.

At least 175 reports of carbon monoxide emission  from the ovens in ZLINE ranges, have been reported, including 131 after the repairs were ordered. Three consumers have required medical treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning.

East County News Service

Image left: Project map

November 22, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) –The I-8 Pavement Replacement and Road Improvements Project from Viejas Creek to Pine Valley Creek is now 72% completed after 291 working days. Full completion expected next summer.

Below are details from  CalTrans on upcoming work in late November and December.

“We could’ve been burned out last night. Nobody would have known, and it was windy.” -- Lora Devault,  Pine Hills resident

”I think we are going down a slippery slope...and I have a problem telling people what they can do with their properties.” --Katy Morelli, planning group member

By Jessyka Heredia

WATCH FULL VIDEO HERE

November 17, 2023 (Julian)—Campers at a short-term rental (STR) property in Julian’s Pine Hills neighborhood started an unauthorized campfire on Sunday and failed to properly extinguish it. The embers sparked a brush fire, causing damage to the owner’s property and panic for nearby neighbors.

On Monday, residents spoke out at the Julian Community Planning Group (JCPG) meeting to voice concerns about the growing number of short-term vacation rentals in Julian and disruptions some guests have caused in the community.  The most heated concern focused on off-site owners, such as the vacation site in question, which has rentals both inside a home and outside at tent camping sites. Some vacation rental owners also spoke up in defense of property rights for responsible STR owners.