East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo: CalTrans crew fixing dips on State Route 52 eastbound

September 8, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- If you're on the road tonight or this weekend, there are several road closures you should avoid including State Route 125, State Route 52, State Route 67, and Interstate 5.

Tonight, all northbound lanes of State Route 125 is closed in the Navajo Road area due to an officer-involved shooting, the Sheriff's office advises. No deputies were injured and there are no outstanding suspects.

Planned highway closures include:

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2017 (Santee) – A 17-year-old has been arrested for allegedly flashing women on a trail at Walker Preserve in Santee.

Volunteers will give City parks extra TLC  

East County News Service

September 8, 2017 (Lemon Grove) -- “I Love a Clean San Diego” and the City of Lemon Grove are co-sponsoring the Lemon Grove Park Beautification and Clean-Up Event at Lemon Grove Park on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Join in the fun and participate in your choice of park beautification activities from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Event registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section! Type in “Sports” as your donation!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories!

Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity?  Comment on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

Cover photo: Monte Vista's Jahmon McClendon scored five rushing touchdowns in the first half.

September 8, 2017 (Spring Valley) - For this season week’s edition of Friday Night Lights, ECM was back in Spring Valley, but this week, we were at the other Spring Valley high school.  Just like in the Revolutionary War, Patriots were going up against Monarchs as Patrick Henry took on Monte Vista.  The Patriots are off to a rocky start this season, starting 0-2.  The Monarchs, meanwhile, sported an even 1-1 record coming into tonight.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 8, 2017 (San Diego) - he County of San Diego is taking to TV, radio and even freeway billboards to remind the public that the Zika virus is still a threat here — especially to pregnant women, couples thinking about pregnancy, travelers, their families and neighbors.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos:  Hurricane damage in the Caribbean, courtesy of Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

September 7, 2017 (San Diego) – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has issued a report on devastating wrought by Hurricane Irma, a powerful category 5 hurricane that smashed into multiple Caribbean islands and is now on track to hit Florida this weekend. Evacuations are ordered in every Florida county.  The storm could also veer north after Florida toward Georgia and the Carolinas.

East County News Service

September 7, 2017 (La Mesa) - La Mesa Historical Society presents its 12th Annual Home Tour on Saturday November 4th, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The La Mesa Historical Society is proud to showcase six amazing homes in the rural suburban neighborhood of La Mesa Highlands.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

September 6, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A 77-year-old San Diego woman parking her vehicle in Lemon Grove inexplicably drove through a window at a Nail salon, coming to rest 40 feet inside.

The vehicle struck a reception desk, partially pinning an employee against a wall.  The employee complained of arm pain and said she would seek medical attention. The driver complained of pain and was tended to by paramedics, who transported her to a hospital for evaluation.

SDG&E discount, combined with state & federal incentives, makes EVs more affordable for teachers, firefighters, police officers, Sheriff’s deputies, lifeguards and EMTs

Source:  SDG&E

September 6, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced a new giving initiative today to provide instant rebates to K-12 teachers and first responders (police, fire, Sheriff’s deputies, lifeguards and emergency medical technicians) for the purchase or lease of a new electric vehicle (EV). Under the Champions for Clean Air: SDG&E EV Rebate Program, those professionals who live and work in communities served by SDG&E in San Diego and southern Orange counties are eligible for $1,000 discounts.

September 6, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• No San Diego companies selected for border wall contracts (NBC 7)
• Hurricane Harvey shows need for flood insurance (10 News)
• Turmoil engulfs Somali charter school in City Heights (Voice of San Diego)
• Alpine looking into its park needs (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• La Mesa woman collecting socks for hurricane victims (SDUT)
• Call it the Anti-Drought: Water Officials Hope to Drive Up Water Usage (Voice of SD)
• Desal Plant Is Producing Less Water Than Promised (Voice of San Diego)
• El Cajon councilman's beauty pageant ran for three years without nonprofit status (SDUT)
• Chased out of Arkansas as a child, Shirley Weber won’t back down in California Capitol (Cal Matters)
• Far-right activists and protesters clash at San Diego’s Chicano Park (LA Times)
• Santee working toward climate action plan (SDUT)

STATE

• Sending in the troops: California National Guard sent to the fire lines (Sacramento Bee)
• New California law to expand protection for immigrants (KNSD-7)
• What Were the Russians Burning In San Francisco? (NPR)
• After decades of pushing bachelor’s degrees, U.S. needs more tradespeople (PBS Newshour)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2017 (San Diego) -- After the Trump administration announced repeal of DACA,  the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, thousands of people have taken to the streets in cities across the nation to rally in support of protecting the dreamers, young people brought to the U.S. as children by undocumented parents.  Those young people now face deportation under President Trump’s executive order, unless Congress takes action within six months to protect them.

East County News Service

September 6, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - On the heels of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma is now wreaking havoc in the Caribbean and is heading toward the U.S. mainland.

Irma is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, with wind speeds of 185 miles per hour. It slammed into the U.S. Virgin Islands as a category 5 hurricane, and is also soon expected to ravage Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory and other Caribbean islands.

East County News Service

September 5, 2017 (Poway) – The Sheriff seeks public help to locate three suspects in a white van who reportedly tried to kidnap two boys, ages 9 and 12.

According to the boys, the van pulled up next to them as they were walking along Martincoit Road on Thursday, August 21^st.  A front passenger wearing a black ski mask tried to grab the 12-year-old through an open window and ordered him to “Get in the car.”

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section! Type “Sports” on the donation line!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories!

Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity?  Comment on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

September 5, 2017 (La Mesa) - Amidst all the high school football, Helix High field hockey is ready to start a new season.  Tonight, they faced the Centurions of University City High in La Jolla in their first matchup of the season.

Changes to cost California retirement savers $1.2 billion

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service, California

September 5, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Just days before Labor Day, the Trump administration announced two policies that consumer advocates say hurt the average worker and favor Wall Street and big business.

On Wednesday, the Labor Department announced it is delaying by 18 months’ enforcement of key parts of the Obama-era Fiduciary Rule, which requires financial advisers to put clients' interests above their own when recommending investments.