East County News  Service

July 3, 2023 (Santee) – A man armed with knives, a hatchet and dumbbell weights threatened to harm people including deputies inside the Walmart Store in Santee yesterday, prompting a seven-hour stand-ff with law enforcement.

The 22-year-old man entered the store on Town Center Parkway shortly after noon and climbed atop shelving in the sporting goods department.  “Store employees called the Sheriff's Department after the man armed himself with workout dumbbells and threatened to use them as weapons. The man also told employees he wanted deputies to shoot him,” says Lieutenant Christopher Galve with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The Walmart store was evacuated and closed down for several hours.The Sheriff's Special Enforcement Detail (SED/SWAT team) and Crisis Negotiations Team were called to assist.

“During negotiations, deputies determined the man was experiencing a mental health crisis,” Lt. Galve says. “The man refused to drop his weapons and refused to come down off the shelving. He told deputies several times to shoot him and walked toward them with the hatchet raised.”

By Miriam Raftery

July 1, 2023 (San Diego) – A man found unresponsive in his cell at San Diego County Central Jail on June 26 died two days later at UCSD Hospital. The Medical Examiner has found the cause of death was suicide by hanging.

East County News Service

July 1, 2023 (Pine Valley) —The beautiful mountain town of Pine Valley celebrates Pine Valley Days July 28^th and 29th. It includes a Friday night barbecue, a parade on Saturday and famliy-fun festivities afterwards in the park until after dark.

By Daniela Torres

June 30, 2023 (Washington D.C.) -- Representatives María Elvira Salazar of Florida and Veronica Escobar of Texas have proposed a bipartisan immigration bill, the Dignity Act, that will address issues like providing immigrants with a path to citizenship, while also strengthening border security.

Red tide toxins can also poison seafood and harm people, pets, fish and seabirds

By Miriam Raftery

Map, left:  Forecast for Saturday, July 1

June 29, 2023 (San Diego) – A red tide containing a toxic algae bloom that has sickened and killed hundreds of sea lions and dolphins off the California coast is forecast to reach San Diego’s beaches as early as tomorrow. By Saturday, July 1^st, the red tide will be impacting all San Diego beaches, with levels of the potent neurotoxin domoic acid at double the 500 nanograms per liter considered harmful.

That’s according to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, which issued a press advisory today with this forecasting tool.

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2023 (San Diego) – Over three-fourths of all adults arrested in San Diego  County tested positive for at least one drug, and more than half of those arrested were on meth. Those are the disturbing findings of a new report by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). The study also found high levels of mental health problems and homelessness among those arrested locally last year.

According to the report, CJ Bulletin: 2022 Adult Arrestee Drug Use in the San Diego Region. the positive rate of meth use in 2022 was 55% for female arrestees and 52% for males. The also found that 77% of males and 75% of females surveyed tested positive for at least one illicit substance, a drop from the 22-year high in 2021 for males but a sharp increase from the second-lowest rate in 2021 for females.

East County News Service

Update: The County Medical Examiner has determined that Paul Heimark died of natural causes from pneumonia.

June 29, 2023 (San Diego) – A 66-year-old San Diego man who was in the Sheriff’s custody on a parole violation died at 9:30 Monday night at Alvarado Hospital. Paul Arthur Heimark had medical issues identified by the Sheriff’s medical staff during his booking on June 16, so he was admitted directly to the hospital. He received treated at the hospital for 10 days before his death and was never housed at a detention facility. 

Source: Senator Brian Jones'  office

June 28, 2023 (Sacramento) – Today, California State Senate Majority Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) announced that his measure to protect human trafficking victims and make it easier to prosecute human trafficking perpetrators unanimously passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

“Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery,” said Jones. “The evil people who buy and sell humans for their own benefit must be convicted to prevent further trauma for all victims. This bill will help bring justice to human trafficking victims and prevent further exploitation of innocent people by putting perpetrators behind bars. Thank you to the members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee for understanding the importance of this issue and moving the bill forward.”

Fireworks caused over $25 million in property loss last year, fine for illegal use is up to $50,000

June 28, 2023 (San Diego) – Beginning at noon tomorrow, June 28, “Safe and Sane” Fireworks will go on sale in many communities across California and in Mexico.But in San Diego County, all consumer fireworks are illegal to own or use, except those in licensed professional fireworks shows. That includes sparklers,firecrackers, poppers and all others.

The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is reminding everyone to do their part to have a safe holiday and help prevent fires and injuries caused by fireworks.

As we gather to celebrate the Fourth of July, make sure your festivities are both enjoyable and safe. 

Since 2013, in the State of California, there have been over 20,000 acres burned with fireworks as the ignition source, causing $59.3 million in property loss, with $25.7 million of that total occurring in 2022 alone.

By Bart Ziegler, PhD

June 27, 2023 (San Diego) -- When announcing that the Biden administration has committed $26 million to search for sites to store the nation's nuclear waste, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm raised more questions than answers.

Story and photo Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra Janway,  at a 2009 rally with then-Supervisor Dianne Jacob in Santee, where Johnson and his wife were honored for their charitable foundation’s generous donations to local schools.

June 27, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – The parents of NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson’s wife, Chandra Janway, Johnson, were found dead today at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, along with Johnson’s 11-year old nephew.  Raised in El Cajon, Johnson has long been hailed as a hometown hero not only for his NASCAR wins, but also for the generosity of the foundation that he and his wife ran, donating millions of dollars to help children in need and benefit local schools.

Police investigators report that they believe Terry Janway shot and killed her husband, Jack Janway, and their grandson, Dalton, then killed herself.  

NASCAR issued this statement.  “We are saddened by the tragic deaths of members of Chandra Johnson’s family.  The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support and condolences during this difficult time to Chandra, Jimmie, and the entire Johnson and Janway families.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Parole officers visit a residence, by Scorpion, Creative Commons 4.0 license

Updated June 28, 2023 with statement from Mary Xjimenez from the Calif. Dept. of  Corrections and Rehabilitation.

June 27, 2023 (La Mesa) – Should a parole office be allowed in  La Mesa,  just a few hundred feet from elementary schools and a preschool, around the corner from breweries and cannabis dispensaries, also near a senior daycare center and other sensitive uses?

That’s exactly what the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is considering, according to a letter sent to the city dated April 25.

Kristina Khokhobashvili  with the CDCR told ECM that the site, if approved, would serve not only parolees from East County and Chula Vista, but also the parolees who have tracking devices –which includes sexual predators and potentially violent offenders.

Thus far, she said, the state has not signed a lease for the site at 8374-8376 Hercules Street, across the street from  Carl Burger Dodge and Journey Church, which plans to open an elementary school on its property next year. According to Khokhobashvili, the state is still researching locations.

Source: City of Santee

June 25, 2023 (Santee)-- The City of Santee has a new Community Center on the horizon. After several years and multiple community workshops, City Council meetings, and COVID delays; Santee’s future community center is starting to come to life.The architectural and environmental work is nearing completion for the new building, with construction anticipated to begin in 2025.