April 16, 2012 (San Diego) – On April 9, U.S. Congressman and candidate for Mayor, Bob Filner, was joined by San Diego Unified School Board Vice President Richard Barrera and San Diego High School Business Academy Principal Consuelo Manriquez to push for free or reduced trolley and bus fare for San Diego middle school and high school students.

April 16, 2012 (Dehesa) – San Miguel Fire District’s Engine 23 and its three person crew was the first on the scene of a chimney fire in a home on the 1200 block of Avenida Elisa on April 15 at 10:46 p.m. The fire, which began in the chimney box, quickly moved to the attic.  Containing the blaze was problematic because the flames burning in the attic compromised the strength of the roof, according to Leonard Villarreal with the District.  The blaze was knocked down in approximately 30 minutes.

By Miriam Raftery

April 15, 2012 (McCain Valley) –Winds of change are blowing in McCain Valley, where Iberdrola Renewables hopes to build the 200 megawatt (MW) Tule Wind energy facility that could power an estimated 60,000 homes.  

April 13, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Forget April showers.  An April snowstorm bearing heavy snows and wind gusts up to 70 mph will be blustering across our region Friday and Saturday, the National Weather Service forecasts.

April 11, 2012 (El Cajon) – Dan Hughes, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, will be the guest speaker at the April 17 meeting of The Cajon Valley Republican Women Federated.  The meeting will be held at the Pancake House, 1000 North 2nd Street, El Cajon at 7:00 a.m.

 Update April 11, 2012 3 p.m. - The missing boy has been found and is safe, Monica Zech, spokesperson for El Cajon, has informed ECM.  

April 9, 2012 (La Mesa) – The San Miguel Fire Protection District will host a community meeting from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on April 17 at Foothills United Methodist Church, 4031 Avocado Blvd., La Mesa.  The meeting will provide residents a State of the District presentation and discuss the Request for Proposal submission from CAL FIRE for the outsourcing of the district’s fire protection. 

April 8, 2012 (Palomar) – It seems fitting that on Easter Sunday, we got word of a modern-day resurrection.

Rick Barclay chairs a foundation that’s been striving to save Palomar State Park from permanent closure in July, drawing help from many of our readers to fill the budget gap.  Today, he sent East County Magazine the following message of hope: 

April 6,2012 (San Diego) –California Highway Patrol has issued a SIG ALERT on I-8 eastbound at College Avenue due to a multi-vehicle pile-up  involving six to eight vehicles.  Alternate routes are advised for what is expected to be a long-term cleanup.

April 6, 2012 (San Diego) – Late Wednesday night, two teenagers were killed and three others seriously injured in a high speed rollover crash on eastbound state Route 52 at Convoy Street. The accident was reported at 11:46 p.m., according to California Highway Patrol.

Witnesses told the CHP that a 2001 Volvo S40 and a 1999 VW Passat were racing each other at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour when the Passat lost control and flipped over. There were five people in the Passat and three in the Volvo, all returning from a bonfire at a beach in La Jolla.

County, City, School and Church Partner to Make Vision a Reality

April 4, 2012 (San Carlos) – San Carlos has its first community garden at Springall Academy, a school serving K-12 students with special needs throughout San Diego County.  The school, in partnership with San Carlos United Methodist Church, developed and will operate and maintain the garden.  The garden, located at 6460 Boulder Lake Ave., San Diego, is one of two community gardens on San Diego Unified School District sites and represents an agreement between the district and the community to jointly use the plots for growing fresh fruits and vegetables.