By Miriam Raftery

Photo: California Attorney General Rob Bonta

September 27, 2022 (El Cajon) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a warning letter to El Cajon’s Mayor and City Council on Sept. 23 demanding that the city rescind warning notices sent to hotels housing homeless individuals under the County of San Diego’s voucher program. Bonta letters calls the County’s program “unquestionably legal” and claims the city’s notices constitute unlawful discrimination under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination based on income source.

Last week, the city of El Cajon sent warning notices to seven of the eight hotels/motels participating in the County of San Diego’s voucher program to temporarily house homeless people. The city warned that the motels were violating a city law that limits hotels to a maximum 25% of capacity for homeless people in the voucher program. The city notified the hotels that they would be fined up to $1,000 a day if they did not comply.

The city noticed an increase in drug dealing and drug use around the motels, then learned that the County had placed homeless people from across the region into the motels through the voucher program.

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2022 (La Mesa) - A fire at Spring Hills Apartments, 4341 Spring Street in La Mesa, last night has displaced around 30 residents due to fire or water damage. Fortunately, due to a swift and strong responses by firefighters, most of the building was saved from burning.

By Ken Stone

Originally published in Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Sheriff’s candidate John Hemmerling won’t take a public stand on Proposition 1 regarding abortion rights. Photo by Ken Stone

September 27, 2022 (Ramona) - The San Diego County Republican Party and the state GOP agree: Voters should reject Proposition 1, which would make abortion a constitutional right in California.

By Elijah McKee

September 26, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — “I’ve always felt that if you want to make a difference, you need to get involved,” said Jennifer Mendoza, a Lemon Grove City Councilmember currently serving her second four-year term. “You don’t just sit back and complain, and wait for other people to do things the way you want them to do it — you need to get involved.”

Mendoza, who has announced her bid for re-election, is one of five candidates vying for seats on the Lemon Grove City Council this election year. She officially qualified for the ballot last month, and according to her she has been endorsed by the Mayors of Lemon Grove, Chula Vista and San Diego, as well as her own representatives, Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs. 

East County News Service

September 25, 2022 (La Mesa) – A man jumped to his death this afternoon off of State Route 125 onto Interstate 8 east in La Mesa, the California Highway Patrol reports.

By Christianne McCormick

September 25, 2022 (El Cajon) -- The Alley Cat Art Walk was held on Friday, September 16, in El Cajon’s Arts District and featured many artists who represented East County in all its diversity.  

By Elijah McKee

September 20, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — “Five years or 15 years is not enough time to keep the deed on these to stay affordable,” said Alysson Snow as she laid out her vision for housing developments in Lemon Grove. “I’m looking for things that are at least 50 years. That they can’t do anything with it that’s not affordable until the expiration of those 50 years.” 

Snow leads a newly founded legal clinic through the University of San Diego (USD) called the Housing Rights Project — and she is also one of five candidates vying for open seats on the Lemon Grove City Council this election year. 

She officially qualified for the ballot last month, and has been endorsed by the Spring Valley Democratic Club, the San Diego County Democrats, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former San Diego Councilwoman Barbara Bry, as well as several current school board members and city councilmembers. 

By Elijah McKee

September 20, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — “The squeakier wheel gets the oil, right? If you come out and say ‘Hey, this is what we need,’ and you’re persistent, things start to change, remarked ” Jessica “Jessyka” Heredia about virtual access to city meetings. She personally live-streams Lemon Grove City Council meetings on Facebook, while calling for an investment in an official video record.

In an interview with East County Magazine, Heredia reflected, “I get lots of views so I know it’s something that should be done and could be done. And I believe it will be done as a result of me coming and doing that. I’m going to continue to advocate for that regardless of whether I’m elected or not.” 

Heredia officially qualified for the ballot last month, and is now one of five candidates vying for seats on the Lemon Grove City Council this election year. She runs a business in El Cajon that has been in East County for 24 years, sat on the City's Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and the Business Improvement District, and runs the Lemon Grove Support Local social media pages. 

Given the four-year term lengths for councilmembers in Lemon Grove, Jennifer Mendoza is the only current official whose seat could be challenged this year. However, Councilmember Jerry Jones decided to retire after nearly 20 years as a councilmember, creating an open seat and the possibility for two new faces to join the dais. 

For elections within San Diego County this year, every active registered voter will automatically be granted a mail ballot. They will begin being sent out on October 8, and early voting via ballot drop boxes will begin October 10. All in-person poll centers will be open from November 5 through Election Day on November 8. 

In the Lemon Grove field, Councilmember Mendoza has announced her bid for reelection and is the only incumbent in the race. The other four candidates include Heredia, as well as Blanca Brown, Stephanie Klein, and Alysson Snow.  East County Magazine sat down with all five women for in-depth interviews in order to learn more about them and their campaigns. Watch for profiles of all five candidates to be posted in our Communities section for Lemon Grove.

By Miriam Raftery

September 23, 2022 (El Cajon) Some people placed in El Cajon motels under the County of San Diego’s motel voucher program for the homeless had extensive criminal histories or were fugitives with arrest warrants, according to a statement issued by El Cajon Police Department. ECPD made the discovery after reviewing arrest records tied to the program.

“The number of criminal drug dealers and fugitives using the County’s motel voucher program is disturbing,” Police Chief Mike Moulton said. “Community safety is my primary concern and the El Cajon Police Department is more than willing to assist the County with better ways of vetting those utilizing their program, if that’s what’s needed.”

By Rhea Joshi, EarthTalk

Photo:  Heinz is working with Pulpex to prototype a food-grade bottle made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp that can be recycled and biodegrades if it is thrown away.

September 23, 2022 (San Diego) - Dear EarthTalk: What’s new in food packaging to make it more sustainable?

--E.C. Bern, NC

East County News Service

September 23, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- The San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce Announces Additional Endorsements for the 2022 General Election.

Below is the full list of local candidates now endorsed by the board of directors (*newly announced candidates are designated with an asterisk):

September 23, 2022 (Lakeside) – California Highway Patrol seeks witnesses to a hit-and-run accident last night on State Route 67 southbound near Woodside Avenue in Santee. The CHP also needs help to identify the male victim.

A CHP sergeant conducting an enforcement stop of a blue Nissan Altima on Interstate 8 west of Interstate 5 around 12:34 a.m. noticed front end damage from a recent crash.  Bas on information from the enforcement stop, CHP units found the victim on the shoulder of SR 67 around 12:44 a.m. 

He had sustained major injures consistent with being struck by a vehicle.  Medical aid was administered; however, the man was pronounced deceased on scene due to the extent injuries, says Officer Travis Garrow.

East County News Service

September 22, 2022 (San Diego) – Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1636, the Patient Protection Act, into law. The measure was authored by Assemblymember Akila Weber, M.D.. (D-San Diego) whose 79th Assembly district includes portions of East County.

“AB 1636 will preserve confidence in the medical profession by ensuring physicians convicted of sexual misconduct with a patient would automatically have their license revoked and cannot acquire or have it reinstated,” said Assemblymember Weber.

“The heinous behavior of abusing patients goes against everything physicians stand for and should not be tolerated. This legislation is essential to protect patients and the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship.”

Update July 31, 2024:  Rendon has withdrawn his lawsuit and issued a joint statement with Rodriguez-Kennedy, who is now cleared of all wrongdoing.  

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Oscar David Rendon alleges he was assaulted in August 2021. At the urging of a college professor, he reported the incident to San Diego police in March 2022, his lawsuit says. Image via Facebook

September 22, 2022 (San Diego) - A former San Diego City College student body president is accusing local Democratic Party leader Will Rodriguez-Kennedy of sexual assault and also named San Diego Councilman Stephen Whitburn as a defendant.