East County News Service

May 15, 2023 (Sacramento) – Senate Bill 31, a measure by  Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) which aimed to “compassionately clear homeless camps” according to Jones, has failed to win passage in the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Lemon Grove Lions Club celebrates eighth anniversary with night under the stars at their Salsa y Salsa Fiesta

May 15, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- The Lemon Grove Lions Club is pleased to announce its upcoming Salsa y Salsa Fiesta, which will take place on Saturday, June 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 3205 Olive Street in Lemon Grove. The event will celebrate the Lions Club's 8th anniversary and raise funds for local service projects. Tickets are available for $35, and attendees can expect an evening of fun and entertainment, including a no host bar, raffles, silent auction, salsa contest, DJ, and a performance by the Fabulous Five Dancers-SD Forever Lions Club. The event will be catered by Big Boz Taco Cart, ensuring that attendees will enjoy delicious food throughout the evening. 

East County News Service

May 15, 2023 (San Diego) – On August 15, a special election will be held to fill the District 4 seat vacated by Nathan Fletcher, whose resignation takes effect today.  If no candidate takes a majority of votes  in the Aug. 15 primary, then a special general election will be held Nov. 7.

Fletcher announced his resignation March 29 following a lawsuit filed by a Metropolitan Transit System employee alleging sexual assault and harassment.  He resigned from  MTS on April 4 but  has been on medical leave from his supervisorial position since announcing his intent to resign and has said he was undergoing treatment for PTSD and alcohol abuse. Fellow board members called on his to resign earlier, but he did not do so.

By Don Harrison, San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Jerome the Giraffe places a cone at a high level during world robotics competition in Houston, Texas.  Photos via Patribots

May 15, 2023 (Houston) - The judges at the FIRST World Robotics Competition held April 19-22 in Houston, Texas, were mighty impressed with the looks of “Jerome the Giraffe,” a San Diego robot manufactured at Patrick Henry High School. The usual nickname for Patrick Henry teams is the “Patriots” but the robotics club made a slight change in the name. Their team is the “Patribots.”

East County News Service

May 15, 2023 (La Mesa) - Members of the Letitia Coxe Shelby Chapter, NSDAR held their annual tea in Santee on April 14th, 2023. The tea was held in honor of their Revolutionary War patriots. The Daughters of the American Revolution is a women’s service organization dedicated to community service, preserving history, educating children, as well as honoring and supporting all who serve and have served this great nation.

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

May 15, 2023 (San Diego) -- Craig Nelson makes a convincing argument that Franklin Delano Roosevelt not only saved America from the Great Depression, but was also responsible for the U.S. winning World War II in his new novel V is for Victory, which will be released May 23.

Most scholars agree that industry was the deciding factor in the war, but Nelson, who wrote bestselling books, Pearl Harbor and Rocket Men, scrutinizes the idea with an expert’s eye. FDR’s administration created an explosive expansion of industry, national infrastructure, and government-business cooperation. Using FDR’s phenomenal managerial talent, he overwhelmed our enemies with weapons, despite jealousies, back-fighting and lack of communication between America’s Army, Navy and private enterprise.

Nelson reminds the reader that FDR took office to overcome unemployment, poverty, and starvation. Unsure how to act, he tried lots of programs. Fortunately, many worked. Reading the book, pages fly by. I could imagine a narrator of an old news reportage in the 1940s, spouting facts in quick succession. To give an idea of his writing style, here is an excerpt:

Aztecs slip into tie for second in the MW with one week remaining in regular season

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

May 14, 2023 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Air Force outscored visiting San Diego State 10-1 over the final four innings on Sunday en route to a 16-10 victory in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Falcon Field.

By Shiloh Ireland

May 13, 2023 (Lakeside) - Lakeside Rodeo, which is Lakeside's largest event of the year along with the parade, was Thursday through Sunday, April 27^th. - April  30^th. And the annual Lakeside Western Days Parade rolled out on April 29th^. and it too was a fun-packed venue and family event.

ECM was at Texas Roadhouse Restaurant in El Cajon and spoke with and photographed the 2023 Rodeo Lakeside Queens, Emily Cullins, Miss Rodeo Lakeside and Junior Miss Rodeo, Stella Erb, who were greeting guests and signing autographs. They were at the rodeo and signed autographs and rode in the parade.

UPDATE: The owner states that the property has not sold, however ECM has confirmed that it is in escrow. Read more:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/santee-drive-sale-sparks-outcry-property-escrow-city-confirms

 

By Mike Allen

May 6, 2023 (Santee) - The Santee Drive-In, which opened in 1958 and one of the last open-air drive-ins left in the county, is in escrow to a Los Angeles-based development firm, North Palisades Partners.

Source:  Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Laura

May 12, 2023 (Los Angeles) - Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced that an insurance company offering home warranties will refund Californians deceived by a misleading mailer sent to hundreds of thousands of consumers. An investigation by the California Department of Insurance found that Response Indemnity Company of California worked with an unlicensed marketing company that mailed a “final notice” to consumers falsely warning that their home warranty was expiring. Because of the Department’s action, Response Indemnity will allow consumers to cancel the home warranty and receive a refund if the consumer purchased the warranty because of the mailer.

East County News Service

May 10, 2023 (Sacramento) - The California Tribal Business Alliance (CTBA) joined other tribal leaders at the California State Assembly to support the first annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Week from May 1 to May 5.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego(link is external), a member of the San Diego Online News Association

May 10, 2023 (San Diego) - Violent crimes in San Diego County rose by2% in the first half of 2022 to the highest level in 10 years, but property crime continued to trend down, SANDAG reported on Thursday.

May 13 fundraiser will feature a binational little league game, skills training, DJ, dinner and more at Jamul Little League fields

East County News Service

May 9, 2023 (Jamul) - Not long ago, Jamul Little League was losing players in part because of its deteriorating facilities. The community – led by the Jamul Dulzura School District, Jamul Little League, and local businesses – rallied. Funds were raised and all 6 fields were recently renovated ahead of this season, where 150 little leaguers play ball. 

By Yusef Miller

May 7, 2023 (San Diego) - Sex Trafficking is an insidious crime, which is found throughout our county, consuming our women and girls mostly, but men and boys are also vulnerable. Sex trafficking, a form of sexual exploitation that uses force, fraud or coercion to trap a person into a seemingly endless state of abuse and terror.  It is not consensual, though it may appear to be on the surface; for survival sake.