By Miriam Raftery

October 29, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Multiple candidates in the Grossmont Union High School District Board race have complained of mailers containing false or misleading information on candidates' party endorsements or affiliations.

Below is information on which parties have endorsed candidates in the race,  as well as which candidates have teachers' union backing and which seem to be running stealth campaigns--offering little or no information for voters.

East County News Service

November 3, 2016 (Lakeside) - Take the kids to breakfast with Santa Claus from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 3 at the Lakeside Community Center (9841 Vine Street).

For more sports stories, visit ECM's Sports section

Story and photos by Liz Alper

November 3, 2016 (San Diego) - The San Diego State Aztecs men’s basketball team kicked off its 2016 season with an exhibition game against UCSD tonight.

Update with comments from the Lincoln Club President and links to prior concerns raised about the PAC by the FPPC.

By Miriam Raftery

November 3, 2016 (La Mesa) — A hit piece mailer on La Mesa City Council Colin Parent has been sent by a shadowy political action group tied to his opponent.

The mailer deceptively states Parent moved to La Mesa only to run for Council and mentions he’s lived in Sacramento and San Diego.  It fails to mention his long and deep ties to East County.  Parent went to Fuerte Elementary School near Mt. Helix, had his first job on La Mesa Blvd. with the East County Development Council, grew up going to local La Mesa hang-outs such as the Aquarius roller rink, was active in Boy Scots and graduated from Valhalla High School in the Grossmont Union High School District before attending UC San Diego and later, getting a law degree in New York.

By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2016 (La Mesa) – Someone with access to confidential files at Helix Water District violated state law and district policy by anonymously mailing part of a board candidate’s personnel file to East County Magazine.

We will not violate privacy rules by publishing the contents.  However, we did speak with the candidate, Louis Tejeda, who gave permission for us to disclose the leaking of his confidential record: a notice of proposed disciplinary action sent 21 years ago, when he was an employee of the district.

By James Kecskes, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 2, 2016 (El Cajon)--County officials and community members broke ground on Gillespie Field Airport’s new Cajon Air Center on October 31st.

The groundbreaking kicked off the first phase of a multi-phase redevelopment project in unincorporated El Cajon.

On Wednesday, November 2, 2016, Caltrans requested an emergency road closure for bridge repairs to be done on the transition road from southbound I-805 to eastbound SR-52.

Beginning immediately, the transition from southbound I-805 to eastbound SR-52 is closed to allow Caltrans to conduct their work.  The transition road is expected to be re-opened tonight around 2000 hours.

November 4, 2016 - This week’s Destination East County include live music at La Mesa’s newest wine tasting room, a fall Planstravaganza, the Ramona Art and Wine Festival, and the opening of trout fishing season in Santee.

Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including a holiday open house at Summers Past Farms, a  Paint-a-Holic program in La Mesa,  a Veterans Day commemoration in El Cajon, the Casa de Oro Fall Festival,  the Mother Goose Parade, holiday concerts at Parkway Plaza and more.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  McCain Valley, site of the Tule Wind project slated to break ground soon

November 2, 2016 (Boulevard) – The State Lands Commission has approved a second phase of the controversial Tule Wind Project in McCain Valley.  Tule II will allow up to 24 wind turbines to be built after completion of Tule I, which will have 52 turbines, each hundreds of feet high.  Phase I is slated to break ground soon, with expected completion in September 2017.

November 2, 2016 (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

• Businessman donates $100,000 to El Cajon Valley High (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Father of man fatally shot by police establishes foundation for police reform (Los Angeles Times)
• Grossmont schools chief organizing campaign work for students, staff (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• In failing the homeless,  San Diego stands apart (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Toxic Plume Leads To Testing Of El Cajon Mobile Homes(KPBS)
• Raided by never charged, cannabis distributor seeks return of seized assets (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Resident says his tree-trimming case shows CPUC favors utilities (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• $47B Deal Could Help Qualcomm Move From Phones To Cars(KPBS)
• Educators getting trained to 'run, hide or fight'(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Refinancing La Mesa to save $9 million(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Ramona Unified School District Board:  Choose 2 (Ramon Sentinel)

STATE

• ‘Pot Prop’ 64: Clearing the haze on a complex measure (Orange County Register)
• Sexually transmitted diseases reach record high (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SeaWorld Marine Rescues Remain Higher Than Usual (KPBS)
• DMV uncovers fake ID ring on Craigslist(San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

Source: County News Service

November 1, 2016 (Lakeside) - A job training program at the East Mesa Detention and Re‐entry Facility is taking root at county parks. Trees and plants that were cultivated and grown at the jail's greenhouse will be planted at five parks all over the county this month—including Lakeside’s El Monte Park here in East County.

East County News Service

Jonathan Goetz and Miriam Raftery contributed to this report

November 1, 2016 (San Diego) – San Diego Superior Court Judge Janis Sammartino heard evidence October 26 in a case filed by the National Association of Colored Persons (NAAC) and seven protesters against the city of El Cajon, the Sheriff’s Department, and El Cajon Police.

East County News Service

November 1, 2016 (La Mesa) - Kidz Danz Kompany presents “1968” at the San Diego Performing Arts Center (4579 Mission Gorge Place, San Diego, CA, 92120) on November 11^th-12^th, 2016 at 7pm.

Featuring the diverse and multi-cultural Kidz Danz Kompany, this concert reflects on the year 1968 and how it in many ways parallels 2016. Presented will be new works titled “Mama Said”, an homage to the dedication of single motherhood and its struggles, and “KDK/1968/2016”, the definitive work of the evening. Both works are choreographed by Artistic Director Spencer John Powell. These works incorporate music from 1968 and 2016 with some song selections from years in between that complement each work. With costuming by Debbie Sloan of Fusionglass Company, her unique and Avant-garde designs provide a modern visual to the works.

For more sports stories, visit ECM's sports section

Story and photos by Liz Alper

Full quotes courtesy Jen Heisel

November 1, 2016 (San Diego) - With San Diego State men's basketball's first game on Thursday against UC San Diego, basketball head coach Steve Fisher joined football head coach Rocky Long, redshirt sophomore quarterback Christian Chapman and defensive end Dakota Turner for their weekly press conference.

East County News Service

November 1, 2016 (Cuyamaca) — Craig Maxwell snapped these dramatic images of spectacular skies and fall foliage in Cuyamaca, a gem in our backcountry region.