By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

By Mike Atkinson

December 8, 2023 (La Mesa) - As a Texas BBQ aficionado, I've been anxious to try the newly-opened Papalo Sonoran-Style BBQ in La Mesa Village. Chef Drew Bent has a legendary pedigree, most recently the founding chef behind San Diego's Michelin-recognized Lola 55 modern taqueria. 

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2023 (Ramona) – Angel Jauregui, 35, of  Ramona has been identified as the victim of a deadly shooting that occurred on December 5th. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call around 11:24 p.m. reporting gunshots and found Jauregui  at the intersection of State Route 78 and Haverford Road in Ramona.

Adryana Quezada led the Aztecs with 18 points and nine rebounds

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 7, 2023 (San Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball team (6-4) knocked off San Diego (3-6) 67-63 inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion Thursday evening.

By David R. Shorey, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies

Photo courtesy USDOJ

December 7, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- There's no denying the urgency of addressing the opioid and fentanyl epidemic, which has claimed the lives of countless Americans. In the shadows of this crisis, another equally destructive menace is still lurking: methamphetamine abuse. We must continue to recognize that the methamphetamine crisis is very much alive, and we can't allow our focus on opioids to divert our attention from this problem that continues to claim lives and ruin communities.

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

December 6, 2023 (San Diego) - San Diego County public health officials are raising awareness of a disease known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever following the death of a San Diego resident who traveled to the Baja California region before becoming ill.  

WATCH FULL VIDEO HERE

By Jessyka Heredia

An earlier version of this artile mistakenly reported the Council voted 5-0. The vote was 4-1with LeBaron voting no.

December 6, 2023 (Lemon Grove) —Yesterday the Lemon Grove City Council unanimously voted to move forward with installing all new playground structures at Lemon Grove Park, thanks to the Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program. This non-competitive grant program provides funding to local government agencies to support the rehabilitation, creation and improvement of local parks and to address deficiencies in neighborhoods lacking access to outdoor recreation facilities. Lemon Grove currently only has two parks with playground equipment and a recreation center that lost all funding over 12 years ago.

By Miriam Raftery

December 5, 2023 (La Mesa) --  A representative from District Attorney Summer Stephan's office and the La Mesa Police Dept. invite community members to a hate crimes forum with Q&A session on Dec.14 at 5:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Police Dept., 8085  University Ave., La Mesa.

The forum comes on the heels of anti-Semitic flyers repeatedly disseminated in La Mesa and the nearby San Diego communities of Del Cerro,  San Carlos and Allied Gardens in recent months, among other neighborhoods targeted. Some flyers blamed Jews for 9-11 attacks, among other false claims.

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

December 3, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) - Indicted Republican George Santos’ brief career in the House of Representatives came to an end Friday, when fellow lawmakers voted to expel the New Yorker over criminal corruption charges and accusations of misspending campaign money.

By Jacob Pamus

December 1, 2023 (La Mesa)-- Amanda Fagan is an accomplished 19-year-old musician who has written many songs during the past six years.  She lives in La Mesa with her parents and younger sister.  During a two-week stretch at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she wrote a 23-song musical in just two weeks. A New York musical producer was so impressed that he contracted with Amanda to produce the musical.  Amanda Fagan’s band will be performing at La Mesa’s Holiday in the Village on December 2 and  at Balboa Park’s December Nights on December 1.

By Anita Lightfoot, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by Suzanne Bartole

December 1, 2023 (San Diego) - It’s been a little over a year since the Safe Parking site opened below the State Route 67 overpass on North Magnolia Ave. in East County. The space had previously grown into a large encampment where drug use was common and trash spilled into the street.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 1, 2023 (San Diego) - A year after coming up one win shy of advancing to the 2023 Women’s College World Series, San Diego State softball head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz has announced a 46-game schedule for the 2024 season.

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2023 (Campo, CA)—Austin Nathaniel Spirz, a 26-year-old Campo father of three, died at the scene of a crash on Nov.23 at 5:28 p.m. on Sheridan Road near Custer Road in Campo. Spirz was on his way home on his Kawasaki motorcycle, with his life’s partner and children  following close behind him, when a Jeep Wrangler crossed over the center lines and struck  his motorcycle.

“I don’t know how to live life without him,” Aubree Pinkston, his partner of 10 years, told ECM news partner 10 News.

Pinkston and the couple’s children drove up to find Austin Spirz dead at the scene. “His body had to be identified by his father and mother-in-law ,Brandie Pinkston,” Debi Gonzalez at the Backcountry Trading Post told ECM in an email. “The Spirz family has suffered great losses, because their other son, Josh, was also killed this year in an accident. This tragedy has hit our community hard.”

Michelle Sweetman has set up a GoFundMe site to help the victim’s family.  A MealTrain site has also been established to provide meals for the Spirz household.

East County News Service

Photos provided by:Shiloh Ireland 

November 30, 2023 (Lakeside)  --Two people were injured after a fight ended in a shooting and stabbing in Lakeside on Saturday, November 25. 

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., deputies from the Lakeside Sheriff's substation responded to reports of a shooting in the 12000 block of Woodside Avenue.

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 29, 2023 (San Diego) - Increasing cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, have County health officials recommending that people get vaccinated, particularly those most at risk of becoming seriously ill.