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

Photo:  Diane Harkey (left) with a supporter at Golden Hall in downtown San Diego. Photo by Chris Stone

June 6, 2018 (San Diego) - In a race Democrats are eager to win to increase their strength in Washington, Republican Diane Harkey grabbed the lead Tuesday evening in the battle to replace retiring Rep. Darrell Issa, but a Democrat appears bound to challenge her in the November runoff.

By Miriam Raftery

June 6, 2018 (Cleveland National Forest)—Nathalie Reed, a 20-year-old woman from Lemon Grove, died last night on at Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest.

Reed was hiking with a friend when her friend saw that she had become dehydrated and hypothermic. Reed fell into bushes and a bystander called 911, the Medical Examiner's report states.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call for help from Cal-Fire at 5:49 p.m. . Medical personnel along with deputies and a Sheriff’s helicopter arrived to find the victim was deceased, Sg. Chris Galve reports.

Update June 8, 2018 11 a.m. -- Cause of the fire has been determined to be a campfire on private land. The fire is now 85% contained.

Update June 7, 2018 10 a.m. -- Cal Fire reports the fire is holding at 265 acres and is now 30% contained. 

Update 4:30 p.m.: The fire is now 265 acres and 5% contaiued with forward spread stop. Evacuations have been lifted but a soft closure remains at La Posta Rd., Cal Fire reports.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Mark Siegmund, who called 911 to report the fire.

June 6, 2018 (Campo) – Cal Fire reports a fire called the #RecycleFire has burned 150 acres in Campo, prompting evacuation warnings for residents on North Campo Truck Trail.  The blaze is 0% contained.

The fire has caused closure of La Posta Road at State Route 94. The fire was reported at 10:24 a.m. in the 31000 block of highway 94.

By Miriam Raftery

June 6, 2018 (San Diego) – California voters, by strong margins, approved four ballot initiatives on yesterday’s ballot, with only Prop 70 failing to win passage.

Update June 6, 2018 -- With 100% of precicnts counted and only late mail-in and provisionals remaining, Munoz is up with 56.73% over Lund with 43.07%.

By Miriam Raftery and Jonathan Goetz; photo by Jonathan Goetz

June 5, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Incumbent County Board of Education member Alicia Munoz has fended off a challenge by East County Chamber of Commerce president and community college instructor Eric Lund.  Munoz, who had heavy backing from the American Federation of Teachers, has 57.46% of the vote over Lund's 42.34%, with 20% of precincts reported.

"It's been a good learning experience. This is my first time running and I'll be more prepared next time," Lund told East County Magazine.

 By Miriam Raftery

Jonathan Goetz contributed to this report.

 June 6, 2018 (San Diego) – District Attorney Summer Stephans and Sheriff Bill Gore looks likely to win reelection. 

With 15.3% of votes counted, she has over two-thirds of the votes at 64.53%.  Challenger Genevieve Jones-Wright, a progressive Democrat, has only 35.32% of the vote.

Sheriff Gore has 57.2% of the vote vs. Dave Myers, a Democratic Challenger from within Gore's own department, who has 42.6%. 

Update June 6, 2018 -- Across both San Diego and Riverside County, with 100% of precincts tallied but not late mail-in or provisional ballots, according to the Califiornia Secretary of State the results are:  Randy Voepel 44.5%,  James Elia 31.3%, and Larry Wilske 24.2%.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Jonathan Goetz, who also contributed to this report

June 5, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- In the 71st Assembly district held by  Republican Randy Voepel, with 15.3% of precincts counted, Voepel is on top in San Diego County with 44.13% but Democratic challenger James Elia is in second with 32.2% of the vote among the roughly 34,000 ballots tallied so far. 

Republican challenger Larry Wilske, a retired Navy Seal, had attacked Voepel with accusation of stolen valor, claiming Voepel inflated his military record.

In conservative Riverside County, which has a small percentage of voters, Wilske is actually ahead of the incumbent. Among Riverside's roughly 3,000 votes counted thus far, Wilske has 35.26%, followed by  Elia at 33.17%, and Voepel at just 31.57%. Voepel has strongest name recognition in East County, where he formerly served as mayor of Santee.

"We laid it all on the line, we've knocked on as many doors as we can and we look forward to the end of the night and we're confident we're going to November," Elia, an accountant, said tonight.

Backcountry hidden pleasures:   Our guide to unique lodging adventures in San Diego’s beautiful backcountry

By Miriam Raftery

May 31, 2018 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Jacumba means “healing waters” and once drew Kumeyaay Indians, who wintered at the warm springs.  Nowadays, visitors come for the reputed therapeutic benefits at the rejuvenated Jacumba Hot Springs Resort.

East County News Service

June 5, 2018 (Alpine) – Summer concerts at the Alpine Community Center Park return on select Friday nights starting at 6 p.m.  The park is located at 1830 Alpine Blvd. behind the library.

Presented by the Alpine Community Center and Alpine Library, the concerts provide live music for all ages.  Bring a picnic dinner or you can buy food from local vendors.

The summer concerts schedule is:

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Story by Liz Alper

Photo:  Helix alum DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was drafted 124th overall in the fourth round by the Minnesota Twins.  Photo via mlb.com

June 5, 2018 (Secaucus, N.J.) - On day one of the MLB Draft, the Padres surprisingly only chose one pitcher and devoted their other two picks to fielding.  Click the cut to see who they picked today in rounds 3-10, as well as where some East County kids are headed.

June 5, 2018 (San Diego) -- On election night, we all want to know who won what race and which proposition passed – and as soon as possible! But the June 5 gubernatorial primary election results may take a little while to come in. Here’s why.

• A high number of registered voters: San Diego County has over 1.69 million registered voters.
• 1,444 polling places across the county.
• More mail ballots than ever before were issued by the Registrar’s office, over 1.1 million.
  

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left, by Monica Zech:  This dog found a fur-ever home with a visitor during the opening of the new shelter.

June 5, 2018 (El Cajon) – After years of doggedly determined planning efforts, El Cajon’s new animal shelter had its grand opening on Sunday.  An estimated 1,000 people flocked to the event, which resulted in 18 pet adoptions.

“We had a gloriously exhausting day,” says Jill Jones, manager of the facility at 1373 North Marshall Avenue.  “We found forever homes for eight dogs, four cats, five kittens and one tortoise.” The latter was adopted by Dirk Epperson, the city’s public works director and his family.

June 5, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• As mental health subsides in older generation, what to do about their guns? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Breast cancer: Test means fewer women will need chemotherapy (BBC)
• Therapy Made From Patient's Immune System Shows Promise For Advanced Breast Cancer  (NPR)
• Government issues warning about pill pushed on the elderly (CNN)
• It's important to wear sunglasses even on cloudy days, ophthalmologists say (Jewish World Review)

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Need a little extra money? You'll soon be able to sell and rent your DNA (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• NASA’s new administrator says he’s talking to companies about taking over operations of the International Space Station (Washington Post)
• This start-up wants to turn your car into a vending machine (CNN)

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

East County News Service

June 4, 2018 (El Cajon) – A Lakeside couple is accused of attempted murder and felony criminal conspiracy after allegedly assaulting an El Cajon woman and trying to run over her boyfriend.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at East Madison Avenue and North First Street in El Cajon.  Several 911 calls reported a vehicle striking a pedestrian in what investigators found to be an intentional act.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  (Back Row, left to right) GHD board members Virginia Hall and Randy Lenac, Jan and Chuck Vermillion, GHD board member Michael Emerson, Shawn Kelley. (Front Row, left to right) Rick Doremus, Dee Davis, Ally Kellogg, GHD board member Bob Ayres and Gloria Chadwick.

June 4, 2018 (La Mesa) – The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in the East County region recently honored local volunteers with its 2018 Healthcare Heroes awards. Now in its 12th year, Healthcare Heroes is GHD’s annual awards program honoring volunteers helping to advance the delivery of quality health services in the East County region.