East County News Service

October 17, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes HauntFest on Main in El Cajon, a Julian melodrama, Borrego Days Desert Festival, the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, pumpkin patches filled with festive fall activities, a haunted amusement park, spooky camp overs, safe trick or treating options for children, and a haunted train ride.

Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions including a presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life by Pickwick Players in Santee, the Mother Goose Parade in downtown El Cajon, and Tony Orlando in concert at Sycuan.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

Source: Santee Fire Department

October 16, 2018 (Santee) -- An original art work honoring the sacrifice of first responders on September 11,2001 will make Santee its home for the next three months.

The 3-by-4-foot oil painting portrays a New York firefighter with is head in his hands standing below a tattered American flag with the iconic wreckage of the Twin Towers in the background.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!  Type “Sports” on the donation line!

Check out our sports section for more sports stories!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and in-game updates!

By Liz Alper

Videos courtesy goaztecs.com

For videos of Ryan Pope and Troy Cassidy's portion of the press conference, click "read more" and scroll down.

October 16, 2018 (San Diego) - After barely eeking out a victory over Air Force on Saturday, SDSU football head coach Rocky Long, senior offensive lineman Ryan Pope and junior linebacker Troy Cassidy sat down with the media today.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo: CAL FIRE Forester Eric Just demonstrates how he clips and dries vegetation to check for fuel moisture content.

 October 16, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - San Diego County area fire chiefs are preparing for a potentially dangerous peak fire season due to historically dry fuel conditions. Residents are reminded to take all precautions and be ready to evacuate if needed.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo, from left to right:  Steve Babbit, Rebecca McRae, Jerry Lecko, Charda Fontenot

October 16, 2018 (La Mesa) - Political civility ruled when four candidates for three open positions on the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board appeared at a community forum put on by the La Mesa First United Methodist Church in downtown La Mesa. Appearing at the event were Steve Babbit, Jerry Lecko, Chardá Fontenot, and Rebecca McRae. Declared candidates Megan Epperson, Brianna Garza, and Matthew Austin Sablove, although invited, were not present at the forum.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!  Type in “Sports” as your donation!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live in-game coverage and updates!

Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity?  Comment on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Check out our sports section for more sports stories!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

October 15, 2018 (Spring Valley) - In our first water polo match of the new school year, ECM Sports caught a glimpse of the Mount Miguel boys as they hosted the Castle Park Trojans in a non-conference matchup.  The Matadors, to put it nicely, are struggling at 1-10 overall and 0-7 in league play.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

Photo:  A new rule from the California Public Utilities Commission will require more inspections of gas distribution systems in order to reduce leaks. (Wikimedia Commons)

October 15, 2018 (San Francisco) - The state's gas utility companies are going to have to spend about $300 million over the next three years to find, fix and prevent leaks of methane gas in their distribution systems – the result of a decision made by the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday.

Review by Kathy Carpenter

Photos courtesy Eva Anderson

October 15, 2018, (City Heights) – Questa, the chronicles of an American family, is a celebration of director Spencer John Powell's ancestors from the beautiful little village of Questa, New Mexico. Alex Haley once said, "In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, bridge to our future."  Powell celebrates his family with this dance tribute, performed by Visionary Dance Theatre  in 13 amazing contemporary dance numbers. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos, top row--Challengers Kamaal Martin and Teresa Rosiak, bottom row--incumbent Councilmembers Jennifer Mendoza and Jerry Jones.

October 14, 2018 (Lemon Grove) – With Lemon Grove facing a budget deficit and 78% of its general fund spent on public safety, the City Council faces tough choices. Should the city consider the drastic step of disincorporating and reverting back to county control? Or can the city be saved through revitalization by bringing in new businesses, or by raising taxes? Proposals for the latter failed to win passage with the current Council majority, leaving the city faced with dipping into its reserves in the next fiscal year if the finances don’t improve.  

Those are among the issues addressed in our interviews with all four candidates, as well as concerns over crime, marijuana dispensaries, street repairs and more.The candidates are  incumbent Councilmembers Jennifer Mendoza and Jerry Jones, as well as challengers Teresa Rosiak, a medical credentialing specialist and former Chamber of Commerce president, and Kamaal  Martin, an educator with state and county governmental experience.

Hear our interviews aired on KNSJ radio by clicking the audio links below this story, and scroll down to read highlights from each interview.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!  Type “Sports” on the donation line!

Check out our sports section for more sports stories!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and in-game updates!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

October 13, 2018 (San Diego) - The last time we saw Aztecs men’s soccer, they took a tough 2-1 loss from Washington last Sunday.  Tonight they’re back in action looking for a better result against 7-4 UCLA.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!  Type in “Sports” as your donation!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live in-game coverage and updates!

Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity?  Comment on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Check out our sports section for more sports stories!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

October 13, 2018 (El Cajon) - It happens every year; the Cougars make their way up the hill from Campo Road to Hillsdale Road for a battle to claim the street that unites them both.  Week eight of ECM Friday Night Lights brings you the midseason East County classic, the Battle for the Jamacha Trophy.  It’s been a year since Thomas Fishburne led the Cougars to victory on Norse turf to keep Steele Canyon the owners of Jamacha Road.  He’s at Southwestern College now.  Can the Cougars still defend their stretch of pavement without him?

By Miriam Raftery

October 13, 2018 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Judge David Gill on Friday approved the release of Alvin Quarles, a sexual predator dubbed “bolder than most” to a residence at 43050 Desert Ranch Road in Jacumba Hot Springs. The Department of State Hospitals had proposed Quarles’ release to the site on or before November 30^th.

East County News Service

October 12, 2018 (San Diego)-- A storm is forecast to bring rain across our county tonight through Saturday night.  Rainfall will be heaviest over the mountains with thunderstorms predicted.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo, left, by Paul Kruze

October 12, 2018 (Lakeside) -- Members of San Diego County’s Planning and Development staff bravely faced some 500 irate Lakeside residents at a recent loud and often rowdy standing room only meeting at the Lakeside Community Center over a proposed sand mine project at the El Monte Valley.

The meeting came on the heels of a controversial draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) released by the County on the possible environmental effects the sand mine project might have directly on the Lakeside community and on the adjacent cities of Santee and El Cajon.

The County has solicited its draft report for public review and comment from August 30th through October 29th. (The report and other documents related to the project can be accessed here.)

October 11, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Here's what customers might pay if they leave SDG&E for a community choice alternative (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Unfinished cross-border tunnel found at Jacumba (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Therefore Be It Resolved: San Diego must accept public comments before issuing proclamations, judge rules (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Superior Ready Mix dusts Allied Gardens (San Diego Reader)
• For third time, San Diego County is accused of accessing private records to defend lawsuit San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• With bill signings, Gov. Brown makes his final mark on California education (EdSource)
• The invisible children of California (Capitol Weekly)
• How Kavanaugh’s addition to the Supreme Court could affect California –(San Francisco Chronicle)

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