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ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

DESTINATION EAST COUNTY: EASTER EVENTS, WILDFLOWER WALKS AND MORE SPECIAL SPRING HAPPENINGS

EAST COUNTY EATER: THE BARN HOUSE BBQ BRINGS KANSAS CITY FLAVOR AND FAMILY FUN TO LEMON GROVE

EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE WINS SANTEE CHAMBER FAVORITES AWARD FOR BUSINESS RESOURCES

REFUGE ON THE MOUNTAIN: SURVIVAL AFTER AN APOCALYPTIC DISASTER

SHARP-COLLINS SURPASSES VASQUEZ IN 79TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

WOMAN DIES IN EL CAJON HOUSE FIRE

BEAUTIFUL BORREGO BLOOMS: OUR GUIDE TO WILDFLOWER VIEWING

EARTH DAY 2024 FAIR IN LA MESA

COUNTY APPROVES PLAN TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES

HISTORIC CEMETERY TOURS IN CAMPO OFFERED

News

RAINS MAY RETURN MIDWEEK

East County News Service

November 26, 2023 (San Diego) – Mild to moderate Santa Ana winds will continue through Monday in San Diego’s mountains, valleys and deserts. Rain is possible the latter half of this week, due to a low pressure trough over the West Coast.

There is a 20 percent chance of an inch or more of rain latter this week and a 50 percent chance of at least a quarter inch of precipitation, the National Weather Service predicts.


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SHADOW MOUNTAIN WELCOMES BACK PASTOR DAVID JEREMIAH

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 19th..  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. 


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NEW SHERIFF HELICOPTERS SERVE AS A REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY ASSET

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photos and video courtesy of San Diego Sheriff's Department

November 25, 2023 (San Diego) - Two new state-of-the-art helicopters joined the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department air fleet as part of the department’s commitment to safeguarding communities.


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ZLINE GAS RANGES STILL LEAKING DANGEROUS CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS AFTER REPAIRS: MANUFACTURER NOW OFFERS REFUNDS FOR CONSUMERS

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.


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SAGE FIRE THREATENS HOMES IN JAMUL/SPRING VALLEY AREA

Update  4:53 p.m.  from the Sheriff:  An evacuation order related to the #SageFire in Jamul has been lifted. The fire started in the 3300 block of Lorrel Place just before 2:00 p.m. @CALFIRESANDIEGO personnel are making progress with the fire. @SDSheriff ASTREA/helicopter also made water drops. SR-94 between Vista Sage and Rancho Miguel Roads will be closed for a few more hours and will reopen with one lane only through the night as crews mop up at the scene. Drive carefully and be mindful of first responders and fire equipment in the area.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, right, by Jeff Harrison

November 23, 2023 (Jamul) --  Mandatory evacuations have been ordered by CalFire due to the #SageFire. which started this afternoon near Highway 94 and Vista Sage in the Jamul/Spring Valley area has burned 30-35 acres and is spreading at a critical rate of speed, fueled by Santa Ana winds.  Highway 94 is being shut down between Steele Canyon and Lyons Valley Road.

Structures are threatened and vehicles are being escorted out to evacuate.  If you are evacuatiing from Jamul, use Otay Lake Rd., Proctor Valley ro Japatul Valley Rd.


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CAL TRANS PROVIDES UPDATE ON I-8 ROAD WORK FROM ALPINE TO PINE VALLEY

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.


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WOMAN, 21, ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF INFANT IN SANTEE

November 21, 2023 (Santee) -- A woman has been arrested in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a child in Santee.

On Monday, November 20 just before 6 p.m., a woman tried to remove a one-year-old child from a shopping cart in the 100 block of Town Center Parkway. The suspect was not successful, since the child was secured in the cart with a lap belt. She then took off on foot heading south toward Mission Gorge Road. Despite a thorough search of the area by Sheriff's Deputies and a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter, the suspect was not located.

Detectives from the Santee Sheriff's Station immediately began investigating the incident. On Tuesday, November 21 around 7:30 p.m., detectives arrested Isela Ortega, 21,  in the 400 block of Orsett Street in Chula Vista.


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ATTEMPTED INFANT KIDNAPPING IN SANTEE: SHERIFF SEEKS TIPS TO FIND FEMALE SUSPECT

 
East County News Service
 
November 21, 2023 (Santee) -- The Santee Sheriff's Station is investigating the attempted kidnapping of a child  on Monday, November 20 shortly before 6:00 p.m. in the 100 block of Town Center Parkwayin Santee. The parents of a one-year-old called 9-1-1 to report that a woman tried to remove their child from their shopping cart as they were walking to their car. The suspect attempted to take the child from the cart several times, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department.
 
However, the child was safely secured with a lap belt. The suspect fled the scene on foot when the parents called 9-1-1. The child was not hurt. Deputies from the Santee Sheriff's Station and a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter immediately responded to the scene. They searched the area for the suspect, but she was not located.

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REP. JACOBS CALLS FOR BILATERAL CEASEFIRE AS ISRAEL PLANS EXPANSION OF WAR ON HAMAS

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

Photo:  Rep. Sara Jacobs speaks on the House floor this week. Screenshot from video

November 20, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) - Rep. Sara Jacobs on Saturday criticized plans by Israel to expand the war against Hamas terrorists into southern Gaza, calling instead for a bilateral ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages.


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FIRE SPARKS PUBLIC CONCERNS IN JULIAN OVER SHORT-TERM RENTALS

 

“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.


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IS THE GOOSE COOKED? MOTHER GOOSE PARADE ORGANIZERS DUCK MEDIA CALLS AFTER EVENT CANCELLED FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR

Parade site claims event will return in 2024, but city manager says foundation is “defunct” ; tax records reveal financial troubles

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2023 (El Cajon) – For the fourth year in a row, there will be no Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon. An ECM investigation into the El Cajon Valley Mother Goose Parade Association reveals troubling findings, including financial losses, consulting fees paid out with no tangible results, the association's donation page taken down, and no apparent fundraising events. The parade association’s officers have refused  to respond to media questions.

The El Cajon Valley Mother Goose Parade Association website claims, “This beloved event shall be re-imagined as a new classic in 2024.”  If true, why wouldn't they respond to media inquiries to publicize ways that the public could support the parade?

The parade, a tradition since 1947, has long been billed as the largest parade of its type west of the Mississippi. It went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.  In 2022, the website announced cancellation of a live parade due to “unprecedented staffing, logistics and supply chain challenges” but promised that the annual tradition” will be back bigger and better than ever in 2023.” 

That didn’t happen, and the lack of transparency raises serious questions over whether there will be a parade in 2024, or ever again--unless the public steps forward to save the parade and provide a fairy-tale resolution.


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PASSAGES: HOWARD WAYNE, FORMER SAN DIEGO ASSEMBLYMEMBER

 
November 16, 2023 (San Diego) -- The Honorable Howard Wayne (former Assemblyman, AD-78) died Thursday, Nov. 2 on his 75th birthday at Scripps Green Hospital after lapsing into a coma, his wife Mary Lundberg announced Saturday.
 
Wayne served in the state Assembly for three terms, from 1996 to 2002, and thereafter returned to his job as an assistant state attorney general focusing on consumer fraud. After retirement, he continued in public service and was a member of the San Diego County Grand Jury when he took ill.
 
A “celebration of life” for the late former Assemblyman Howard Wayne (D-San Diego) has been scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 18, at Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa, according to his wife Mary Lundberg.

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EL CAJON APPROVES PLAN TO SHELTER DOGS FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Councilman Gary Kendrick with his late dog, Ocho.

November 15, 2023 (El Cajon)—By a unanimous vote,  El Cajon City Council members approved allocating $30,000 for the Humane Society to provide shelter for dogs belonging to homeless people for up to 30 days, providing the person enters a program for the homeless. The individual can choose any homeless program, in El Cajon or elsewhere, to help them get off the streets.  The measure also funds up to $2,000 in veterinary care per pet.

“It’s removing one more barrier to getting people off the street,” says Councilman Gary Kendrick, who introduced the measure, noting that local homeless shelters won’t accept pets.  “A lot are saying, `I don’t want to lose my dog, so I won’t go into a program.”

The homeless person can retrieve their dog from the Humane Society after they complete a program in 30 days, or sooner if they choose.  “They can leave the program and get their dog bag at any time,” assures Kendrick, a dog owner.


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EXPERTS SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP PLAN TO ARREST CRITICS, “TERMINATE” CONSTUTITIONAL PROTECTIONS AND SEEK AUTOCRATIC RULE

By Miriam Raftery

November 11, 2023 (Washington D.C.) –A growing chorus of voices on both the left and right are speaking out to warn of threats to U.S. democracy if former president Donald Trump wins election in 2024.  The warnings come after increasingly vitriolic statements by Trump threatening to arrest political critics, eliminate free press rights, eliminate independence of the Justice Dept. and FBI, order the military to suppress peaceful demonstrations, and support  "termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution." 

The conservative Lincoln Club warns that America is in a “fight for democracy,”  stating in a newly released ad, “The fate of your country, your family and your freedom are on the line” in the 2024 election. “We’re not liberals. We’re not progressives. We’re former Republicans who put country over party. We’re Americans who know that unless we stop Trump, he will end this democracy we cherish.”

 Among those starring in anti-Trump Lincoln Club ads is Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). 

In an interview on Univision last week, Trump said, ““If I happen to be president, and I see somebody who is doing well and beating me very badly, I’ll say, ‘go down and indict them." 


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RECOGNIZING FAKE NEWS NOW A REQUIRED SUBJECT IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS

A new law requires K-12 schools to add media literacy to curriculum for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies. Among the lessons will be recognizing fake news.

By Carolyn Jones, Cal Matters

Photo:  St. HOPE Public School 7 Elementary in Sacramento used some of its stimulus funds to buy laptops for students. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

 November 15,2023 (Sacramento, CA) -- Pushing back against the surge of misinformation online, California will now require all K-12 students to learn media literacy skills — such as recognizing fake news and thinking critically about what they encounter on the internet. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom last month signed Assembly Bill 873, which requires the state to add media literacy to curriculum frameworks for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies, rolling out gradually beginning next year. Instead of a stand-alone class, the topic will be woven into existing classes and lessons throughout the school year.


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SANTEE COUNCIL GIVES OK TO UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

By Mike Allen

November 15, 2023 (Santee) -- A small congregation of Ukrainian American Catholics will make Santee their new home, once the church they have long planned is built in about a year.

The parish, St. John the Baptizer, which now holds its services in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, purchased a lot at Carlton Oaks Drive and Pike Street in 2018.

On Nov. 8 the Santee City Council unanimously approved an application for a conditional use permit for the gold-domed church and connecting meeting hall to the applicants, technically a part of the Ukrainian Church of Chicago.


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PADRES OWNER AND COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPIST PETER SEIDLER DIES

By Miriam Raftery

November 14, 2023 (San Diego) – San Diego Padres chairman and owner Pete Seidler, beloved by fans for investing in star players and bringing the team to the National League Championship playoffs last year, died today at age 63.

Asked by a reporter last year about the Padres’ 2023 payroll, Seidler replied with a smile, ”I kind of like spending money. You can’t take it with you." 

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the family’s plan is for the Padres to remain in Seidler’s family for generations.

Padres CEO Erik Greupner stated in a press release that the Padres are mourning the loss of their “beloved” chairman, whom he recalled as a “kind and generous man” devoted to his family as well as for having a “heartfelt compassion for others, especially those less fortunate.  His impact on the city of San Diego and the baseball world will be felt for generations. His generous spirit is now firmly embedded in the fabric of the Padres.”


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SEVERE CANINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE AT SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY: ADOPTERS OR FOSTERS NEEDED FOR 100 DOGS

Dog owner surrender services on hold through Dec. 1 due to highly contagious disease

Source: San Diego Humane Society
 
November 13, 2023 (San Diego) -- San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is temporarily pausing owner surrenders of dogs, except in emergencies that threaten the health of the pet, due to occurrences of a respiratory disease called Streptococcus Equi subspecies Zooepidemicus (also known as Strep zoo) and a bacterial infection called Mycoplasma. The two in combination have led to more severe disease than what the shelter might see with just one of these pathogens.

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BORDER PATROL ARRESTS SEX OFFENDER, A FORMER POLICE OFFICER, FOR SMUGGLING PEOPLE IN CAMPO



By Miriam Raftery

November 12, 2023 (Campo, CA) – A former Los Angeles Police Department officer convicted of rape was arrested by Border Patrol agents on November 6 in Campo for human smuggling. The convicted felon was also in possession of a ghost gun.

A local resident reported seeing human smuggling near the border involving an older model SUV. A agent responded and found a vehicle matching the description. The driver told the agent that he was an LAPD lieutenant and presented what appeared to be an LAPD badge, according to a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Department’s San Diego sector.

The agent saw four people in the back seat of the SUV and conducted an immigration inspection. The individuals, three women and a man, told the agent that they had recently crossed the U.S./ Mexico border illegally. The agent placed the driver and passengers under arrest and transported them to a nearby Border Patrol station.


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RAIN FORECAST MIDWEEK, AS GUSTY WINDS CONTINUE

East County News  Service

November 12, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—Santa Ana Winds and dry conditions early this week will keep fire risk elevated. But rain is forecast later this week, along with strong winds.

Rainfall could begin as early as Wednesday, with heaviest rains Thursday and Saturday across San Diego County. There is potential for moderate to heavy rainfall in coastal and valley areas, that could cause urban roadway flooding and runoff. Minor flooding is also possible in desert areas.


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COUNTY MAKES HOME COOKING PROGRAM PERMANENT, EXPANDS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 9, 2023 (San Diego) - The Board of Supervisors voted to continue a temporary program set to expire in 2024 that supports home cooking as a small business. It also expanded the earning potential for its participants.   


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STEPPE WINNING SUPERVISOR SPECIAL ELECTION BY WIDE MARGIN

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of 10 News, an ECM news partner

November 8, 2023 (San Diego) – Monica Montgomery Steppe is poised to fill the vacancy in district 4 left by the resignation of Nathan Fletcher on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Steppe has 61% of the vote,  while her opponent, Amy Reichert, a private investigator who led efforts to block COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates, has 39%. Steppe, an attorney and San Diego city councilmember, stands to become the first black woman to serve as a San Diego supervisor.

Although the race is officially nonpartisan, her victory will also restore a 3-2 Democratic majority on the board of Supervisors, which has been split since Fletcher resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault by an MTS employee. Fletcher has denied guilt but faces a civil lawsuit.

On social media, Steppe posted, “As your Supervisor, I look forward to teaming up with you to tackle homelessness, promote holistic public safety, and invest in the county.”


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IS EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S ILLEGAL MIGRANT SURGE SUBSIDING?

 

 By Rebecca Person 

A bleak landscape is what  migrants face. Photo: R. Person 

 

November 6, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The abandoned youth center building in Jacumba Hot Springs, which has been pressed into service as a staging area for emergency supplies going to undocumented border crossers, is crowded with bags and bags of donated clothing, sorted and marked, ready for coming waves of new migrants into the area. While a lower number of migrants seems to be arriving, there is no reason to believe it won’t increase.


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AS DEATH TOLL MOUNTS IN ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT, SAN DIEGO’S CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES SPEAK OUT

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 5, 2023 (San Diego) – After the House of Representatives finally elected a new Speaker, Mike Johnson, the first action was a bipartisan resolution in support of  Israel’s war against Hamas, also condemning Iran for aiding Hamas and other terror groups.  The resolution passed 412-10, with all five of San Diego’s Congressional representatives voting in favor.

But the local members differ sharply on other aspects of the Israel-Hamas conflict, including whether aid to Israel should be linked to humanitarian aid for Gaza and support for Ukraine.


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COUNTY SUPERVISORS ASK PRESIDENT BIDEN TO ORDER FLAGS FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF FOR AMERICAN LIVES LOST IN HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL

East County News Service



November 4, 2023 (San Diego) – The San Diego County Board of Supervisors, by a unanimous 4-0 vote, has approved a resolution asking President Biden to order U.S. flags flown at half-staff in remembrance of American lives lost at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. The resolution, introduced by Supervisor Joel Anderson at the Oct. 24 board meeting, has resulted in the County sending a letter to the White House requesting the half-staff order.  


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DID YOU ‘FALL BACK’ TO STANDARD TIME SUNDAY FOR AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP?

 

by Chris Jennewein

Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association.

 

The historic Rotary International clock in Liberty Station. Photo by Chris Jennewein

November 5, 2023-- Daylight Saving Time for 2023 ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4, in California, with clocks resetting to 1 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.


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SANTEE GETTING DUAL CAR DEALERSHIP

By Mike Allen

Image,left: Rendering of planned auto dealership project

November 4, 2023 (Santee) -- A long-vacant, rock strewn lot on Mission Gorge Road just west of Magnolia Avenue is slated to become the Santee Auto Center, following approval of the project by the City Council last week.

The 13.1 acre site at 10335 Mission Gorge Road once housed Santee Elementary School, which opened in 1891 and closed in 2003 due to declining enrollment. Santee-based Cameron Brothers Construction Co. plans to convert the site into two dealerships, one of which is Chevrolet.

The center includes two warehouse buildings of more than 33,000 square feet, an auto body shop, and car wash. It will have six entrances and 688 parking spaces, mostly for inventory and customer service.


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HELP NEEDED TO IDENTIFY WOMAN HIT BY VEHICLE AND KILLED SEPT. 22 IN EL CAJON NEAR TROLLEY STOP ON CUYAMACA

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  forensic sketch artist P.J. Puterbaugh created this image of the unidentified accident victim

November 3, 2023 (El Cajon) - San Diego County Medical Examiner’s investigators are asking for the public’s help to identify a woman fatally hit by a car while crossing Cuyamaca Street north of Weld Boulevard in El Cajon late in the evening of September 22.


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FRAUD CHARGES FOR CHULA VISTA COUNCIL MEMBER AND HER BROTHER, AN EX AIDE TO STEPHAN WHITBURN

 

by Brooke Binkowski

 Times of San Diego

Andrea and Jesus Cardenas. Photos from Facebook and LinkedIn pages

November 3, 2023 (Chula Vista)-- Two well-known Democratic political players and siblings in South Bay — a Chula Vista City Council member and a former San Diego City Council member’s chief of staff — are facing fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering charges, the San Diego District Attorney’s office announced yesterday.


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SHERIFF SEARCHING FOR MISSING RAMONA WOMAN, 66

East County News Service

November 2, 2023 (Ramona) -- The San Diego Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit has been activated to help locate a missing person in Ramona. Shortly after 2:30 p.m. today, the Sheriff's Communications Center received a call from the family of 66-year-old Zita Swanson. They told a Sheriff's Dispatcher that Swanson had walked away from her home in the 700 block of G Street in Ramona. She has not returned home.

Swanson does not have any known access to vehicles. She is not believed to be carrying a cell phone or purse. She has a history of walking away from home.

 Swanson is a Hispanic woman standing about 5'5" tall and weighing around 174 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a Navy blue sweater and blue pants.


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