October 2, 2012 (Pine Valley) – An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale struck at 1:28 a.m., jolting some East County residents awake.  The quake was centered 22 miles east of Pine Valley and 10 miles northwest of Ocotillo.

“Kind of unnerving,” said videographer Paul Kruze, a Rancho San Diego resident.  The USGS classifies the quake as "moderate" which can include light damage.

Many people are not aware that while major quakes have been rare in our region in recent times, historically many major quakes have occurred. 

Update 6 p.m.: The suspect has been identified as Paul Carl Tomasini. He is being charged with murder, the Sheriff's office reports this evening.

October 1, 2012 (Santee)—A man with stab wounds is being questioned by Sheriff’s homicide detectives in connection with the death of a woman found deceased in a home in the 10500 block of Strathmore Drive in Santee last night.

“There is a troubling and growing pattern of abuse and excessive use of force committed by Border Patrol agents; our community demands to know what led to such a brutal act by that plainclothes agent.” – Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee U.S. Mexico Border Program

October 1, 2012 (Chula Vista)—Family members  and human rights advocates seek answers  from authorities following the bizarre shooting death of Valeria Tachiquin-Alvarado, 32, mother of five young children, by a Border Patrol officer in plainclothes.  A candlelight vigil for the victim is planned tonight at 6 p.m.

Witness accounts vary sharply from the initial report released by authorities.  The San Diego Medical Examiner has ruled the death a homicide.

By Miriam Raftery

September 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A 27-year-old Coronado man collapsed and died yesterday on the return hike from Three Sisters Falls.  According to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office, the man was hiking with three friends on the trail in the Descanso/Julian area when he collapsed.

“It was a hot day and the falls apparently were dried up,” the Medical Examiner’s website reports.  Temperatures were in the 80s, with an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service in effect.

By Miriam Raftery

September 30, 2012 (El Cajon)—Councilman Tony Ambrose was appointed in March to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Jillian Hanson-Cox.  Now he’s running for re-election, one of seven candidates vying for three seats.  After serving more than 20 years on the city’s Planning Commission and previously chairing the East County Economic Development Council, he brings experience along with some new ideas to the Council position.  A Republican, like the other incumbent Council members, Ambrose shares some values with his colleagues—but differs on some key issues. 

In an exclusive interview with ECM, Ambrose shares his detailed vision for improving the economy and quality of life in El Cajon.

September 29, 2012 (La Mesa)—A man waiting at a bus stop in the 5200 block of Baltimore Drive in La Mesa reported that he was robbed at knife point at 6:05 this morning.  The victim told police that a gold-four door sedan pulled up by the bus stop. A man with a goatee got out and held a knife to the victim’s side while a woman grabbed the victim’s backpack.

September 29, 2012 (San Diego) -- Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States with more than 46 million Americans having doctor‐diagnosed arthritis (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2009). As joint pain is an extremely prevalent condition that many Americans face daily, new advances in technology for the delivery of image-guided injections are available.

Dr. Benjamin DuBois, a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon at Grossmont Orthopaedic Group in La Mesa, answers our questions about the causes of joint pain and the treatment options.

By Rebecca J. Williamson

September 29, 2012 (Santee) -- Founded in 2006 the Pickwick Players Community Theater has some Santee ties: namely Cameron and Alisa Williams—who are also teachers at Carlton Oaks School in Santee.

Teachers by day, at night Cameron is an artistic director and Alisa is the group’s choreographer; you can throw in weekends and summer breaks as well to those nights.

September 29, 2012 (Lakeside)—Sergeant Craig Johnson has been released from Scripps Mercy Hospital and is recovering at home with his family, Sheriff Gore reported today. Johnson, along with Deputy Ari Perez, were shot by a child abuse suspect with a high-powered rifle. Perez remains hospitalized following surgery. 

September 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal-Fire reports that a 4-acre grass fire off Matthew Court in Ramona has been halted, with no damage to structures. In addition,  the Skyline Fire in Jamul has been stopped at a quarter of an acre west of Lyons Valley Road and Mountain Valley Road.

September 27, 2012 (La Mesa) – A resident sleeping in an apartment at 5300 Marengo Avenue was awakened this afternoon by smoke. Seeing flames coming from her stove, she tried to douse the fire with water, which caused the fire to spread. She then evacuated the apartment, which suffered $50,000 in damages to the structure and contents.

By Billy Ortiz, Lakeside Historical Society Member

Photos by Billy Ortiz and Lakeside Historical Society

September 26, 2012 (Lakeside) – Founded back in 1907, the Lakeside Auto Speedway is considered the first purpose-built auto racing facility in the United States. When completed, the Lakeside Auto Speedway transformed the nascent motor sports movement by moving races off dangerous public roads and horse race tracks.

September 28, 2012 (San Diego) – You don’t know where you’ll be when the next wildfire or other major emergency hits San Diego County. But this week’s destructive Shockey Fire is our latest reminder that emergencies do happen here.

Starting today, you can download SD Emergency to your iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet to get critical emergency information wherever you are. The app is designed to keep residents and their families informed and safe throughout events likely to affect the region, such as wildfires, or potential threats, such as damaging earthquakes or terrorist events.

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2012 (El Cajon ) – It was the hottest party in town last night at the El Cajon Brewing Company, where a “Beer Bash Benefit” was held to raise funds for East County Magazine’s wildfire reporting and to encourage the public to sign up for ECM's free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts.

The event raised nearly $3,500, including a generous $2,500 donation from the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians.  Charlie Brown, director of Community Relations for Viejas, and Chief Don Butz of Viejas Fire were on hand to make the presentation. 

September 27, 2012 (Ocotillo)– The public is invited to a funeral procession mourning the loss of the Ocotillo Desert in Imperial County on Saturday, September 29. Organizers of the funeral procession note that the Bureau of  Land Management (BLM) was established to protect and preserve precious public lands. The BLM’s stated mission is to sustain the health of public lands for current and future generations by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.