Hear our interviews with 4 candidates in the race on their immigration views

By Miriam Raftery

May 30, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – A campaign mailer sent by 50^th Congressional candidate Josh Butner, a Republican-turned-Democrat, to voters contained false smears against his opponent, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.  KPBS reports that Butner’s mailer distorted Campa-Najjar’s stances on immigration, falsely claiming he’s defended Trump’s Muslim ban.

It also has a photo taken before Donald Trump’s presidency, when Campa-Najjar says was working with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to falsely position Campa-Najjar as a Trump supporter when in fact, he has been a vocal opponent of a wide range of Trump’s policies.

East County News Service

Photo:  Creative commons photo by Youli on Wikipedia

May 29, 2018 (Sacramento) -- The California State Assembly today unanimously passed a bill authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego)  to help prevent future deadly wildfires caused when trees dry up into kindling after being killed by beetles that have become a scourge of the Southern California countryside.

Alpine-Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce

Who knew Alpine had a castle?

May 29, 2019 (Alpine) -- Guests were treated like royalty May 23 at the Alpine Castle! The first of the “It’s After 5 Somewhere” mixers by the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce was delightfully medieval with all the modern amenities at the palatial home in the Alpine foothills.

By Miriam Raftery

May 29, 2018 (Sacramento) – By a 24-11 vote, the California State Senate today passed Senate Bill 894, a bill to help wildfire survivors who were underinsured rebuild their lives after devastating disasters.  Republicans opposed the bill, while all Democrats (except one) voted in support.

East County News Service

May 29, 2018 (La Mesa) - The Foothills Art Association invites everyone to enjoy “Art in the Park” an art show and sale at MacArthur Park in La Mesa on Sunday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.   Many local artists will be displaying and selling their artwork during a festive day in La Mesa’s newest community park. See the art, listen to the music, bring a picnic lunch, and enjoy a family day at MacArthur Park.  

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna 

May 28, 2018 (San Diego) -- This Memorial Day Weekend brought cool temperatures in Southern California.  with many areas experiencing light precipitation. What makes this unusual is the fact we had several brush fires throughout southern California. This is very strong evidence we are looking at another significant wildfire season this summer.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Update 8:45 p.m.:   Heartland Fire and Rescue indicates the fire started in palm trees at the Lemon Grove Trolley station and spread along trolley tracks, briefly threatening about 20 homes.  The fire damaged power lines and railroad ties for the trolley, so the trolley remains shut down. There was also minor damage to eaves of some homes and a fence. Cause of the fire is under investigation by the Sheriff's Bomb and Arson squad.

Heartland Fire & Rescue units from Lemon Grove and La Mesa responded, with assistance from San Diego Fire, San Miguel Fire, and Cal Fire/SDSO to swiftly stop the blaze.

May 27, 2018 (Lemon Grove) -- A brush fire in Lemon Grove has charred about two acres, but Heartland firefighters have halted the forward spread.

The fire was reported in palm trees shortly after 5 p.m. in the 1500 block of San Altos Place. It jumped Imperial Avenue and according to CBS 8, briefly threatened structures on Angelus Avenue.

Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

Photo:  Cuyamaca College commencement speaker Joel Spencer

May 27, 2018 (El Cajon) -- A continuing focus on student success and a streamlined process for university transfer are yielding record numbers for Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, where a highest-ever 2,500 graduates will receive more than 5,500 degrees and certificates on June 6 and 7.

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

By Bobbi Zane

Photos courtesy of La Casa del Zorro and Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2018 (Borrego Springs) -- Luxury starts the minute you step into the lobby of La Casa del Zorro Desert Resort and Spa, where you’ll hear a cheerful “May I help you?” to begin your stay at this sumptuous resort, located in the heart of the beautiful and historic Anza Borrego Desert in San Diego County.

By Miriam Raftery

 May 27, 2018 (Lakeside) – The Sheriff seeks public help to locate Robert Tate Allen, 45.  He is wanted for stabbing another man last night around 10:10 p.m. during an argument in the 9600 block of Winter Gardens Blvd. in Lakeside.

 According to Sergeant John Delocht, the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim’s arm, severing an artery. The victim stumbled into a neighbor’s residence for help. Deputies quickly arrived and applied life-saving measures. The victim was taken to a hospital where he is in serious but stable condition.

 Allen is a bald-headed white man around 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds. He drives a black four-door sedan and is known to frequent East County. He is considered armed and dangerous.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Judge Gary Kreep and challengers Matt Brower, Tim Nader, Steve Miller and Victor Manel Torres

May 26, 2018 (San Diego) – Four candidates are running against San Diego Superior Court Judge Gary Kreep, who committed 29 acts of judicial misconduct. He was censured by the State Commission on Judicial Performance, which found that Judge Kreep showed a lack of judicial temperament and ran his courtroom in a manner suggesting bias, including making derogatory comments about women attorneys, minorities, and people with cases before him. He came within one vote of being removed as a judge. Kreep obtained his law degree at the University of San Diego and worked as chief executive officer and general counsel of the nonprofit United States Justice Foundation before being elected in2012.

The four challengers are Deputy District Attorney Matt Brower, Deputy Attorney General Tim Nader, who has also served as Mayor of Chula Vista and past president of Southwest Community College, former federal prosecutor Steve Miller, and civil rights lawyer Victor Manuel Torres.

Two of these candidates reached out to conduct interviews on our radio show on KNSJ. You can listen to our interviews here:

Matt Brower: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/hear-our-interview-matt-brower-candida...

Tim Nader:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/hear-our-interview-judicial-candidate-...

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 25, 2018 (San Diego) - In a local emergency, people who don’t speak English or Spanish may not understand urgent information put out by government agencies and media. This is a challenge faced by public health departments and local emergency managers throughout the country, but San Diego County is trying out a solution by partnering with a broad network of trusted community organizations.

By Miriam Raftery

May 25, 2018 (Campo)—A grandmother and a second bystander came to the aid of a school bus driver confronted by a man armed with a knife, while an older student helped youngsters escape out a back exit.

The bus was heading to Campo Elementary School around 8:30 a.m. when Matthew Barker, 37, of Campo boarded the bus near Jeb Stuart road. The driver told him to leave, but instead advanced toward students until the driver blocked his way.

By Miriam Raftery

May 25, 2018 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, candidate for the 50^th Congressional district currently held by Rep. D. Duncan Hunter, sat down for an  interview with East County Magazine’s show on KNSJ radio. In his interview, he spoke about both conservative values and a need for compassion in addressing a broad range of issues, as well as how his experience heading up the city of El Cajon has prepared him for serving in Congress, if elected.

Hear the full interview by clicking the audio link and scroll down for highlights.

Asked why he decided to run, Wells says, “It really started with elected officials across the region worried about the Congressman being under criminal investigation.”  Both Wells and Hunter are conservative Republicans. 

To Wells, the race is primarily about character and integrity. In a thoughtful and in-depth interview, he also discussed some areas where his views differ, such as budget cutting priorities and restraint with nuclear weapons, as well as some initiatives of his own in healthcare and treatment of the mentally ill.

By James Kecskes, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 25, 2018 (San Diego) - Having air-conditioned Cool Zones where seniors and others can congregate to beat the heat not only reduces their individual energy costs, but can protect their health.

The Cool Zones program was started by Supervisor Dianne Jacob in 2001. The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency Aging & Independence Services partners with SDG&E to provide a network of Cool Zone sites for seniors and people with disabilities to escape extreme heat during the summer.

To locate a Cool Zone, call 1-800-339-4661, or visit www.CoolZones.org.