Update 6:40 p.m.  The Border Fire has been halted at 120 acres, Cal Fire's Nich Schuler said.  Firefighters will remain on scene through the night mopping up hot spots.

Update 2:40 p.m. Forward spread has been stopped, Nick Schuler of Cal-Fire reports.  He added that Cal-Fire was incorrect in its earlier report; after further mapping officials have concluded that the fire did not cross the border.
September 19, 2010 (San Diego) – 1:15 p.m. -- A fire that began this morning in Mexico has now crossed over into the U.S.

“It is still very active and we are sending five engines into Mexico south of Boulevard due to the continued threat,” Cal-Fire battalion chief Nick Schuler told East County Magazine. Winds are now blowing to the north, he added.

September 16, 2010 (Poway) – Poway Community Association invites the public to dress up in old-fashioned or Western wear and head ‘em on out to Old-Fashioned Poway Days this weekend, where activities include a parade, picnic, battle of the bands/dance, a trail ride (bring your own horse!) and the Poway Days Festival.

September 19, 2010 (Poway) – A Poway woman, 50, was killed today while riding her bicycle in Carlsbad, the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office reports.

September 20, 2010 (La Mesa) – Firefighters from La Mesa and San Diego Fire departments swiftly halted a brush fire that began at Connecticut Avenue and Delaware Avenue in La Mesa this afternoon, spreading onto a hillside at Del Cerro Boulevard and Elaine Way. The two-acre fire was extinguished with no homes damaged and no injuries.

September 20, 2010 (Lakeside) – A San Diego Sheriff’’s deputy shot a 100-pound dog that reportedly charged at him, growling with teeth bared. The shooting occurred on a driveway of a residence across the street from Lakeview Elementary School at 7:40 a.m., about an hour before classes began.

September 18, 2010 (San Diego) – A male driver looking for a party was stabbed near San Diego State University shortly after 3 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Dennis Richardson

September 18, 2010 (Spring Valley) 8 p.m. – A team of approximately 90 firefighters saved dozens of homes that were threatened by a fast-moving brush fire burning in flashy fuels in Spring Valley this afternoon. One home suffered an estimated $60,000 in damage after an ember blew onto a tinder-dry wood shake roof.

About 150 people were evacuated from the Lamplighter Village mobilehome park and additional evacuations were ordered for residents of the Carriage Hills neighborhood, where flames burned to within 30 yards of some homes.

Update 3:25 p.m.  Aircraft have been released and firefighters remain on hand mopping up hotspots at the scene of the fire, which is now contained.

September 18, 2010 (Spring Valley) 2:10 p.m. - The Jamacha Fire is now 50 acres and forward spread is halted, Chief August Ghio of San Miguel Fire confirms.  The fire is under joing command of Cal-Fire, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and San Miguel Fire.

Anxious residents poured into the streets to watch the fire at the Lamplighter Village mobile home park, where flames encroached just behind the complex. Smoke is visible from throughout East County and an evacuation center has been set up at Skyline Church.

September 18, 2010 (Bonita) – The community of Bonita invites the public to its annual “Wild West” Bonitafest on Saturday, September 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crafts, games, exhibitors and food are all part of the festivities at the event, which celebrates the heritage and spirit of Bonita and the Sweetwater Valley.

September 18, 2010 (Alpine) -- The Alpine Women’s Club hosts its sixth annual Christmas Home Tour on Sunday, December 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The  Club seeks three distinguished homes with owners who love to decorate for the holidays and who would enjoy sharing their decorating talents with the residents of Alpine.

September 17, 2010 (Lakeside)—Lakeside Fire Department invites the public to its annual open house on Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 14008 Highway 8 business. The event includes station tours, a fun jump, fire apparatus displays, and vehicle rescue demonstrations.
 

By Emily Anderson
 

September 16, 2010 (San Diego) – Voters across the county are gearing up to face local, statewide and Congressional elections Nov. 2nd. Many issues relevant to San Diego County will be on the ballot, including Proposition 27, which, if passed, would eliminate the bipartisan citizens commission in charge of drawing state district lines.

By Brian Lafferty

September 17, 2010 (San Diego)--The Town opens with Ben Affleck and his crew robbing a bank. The action here is standard but one shot stands out. Rebecca Hall, playing a Bank Manager, is forced to open the safe. She shakes as she tries several times to get the correct combination. She’s under pressure because the cops are on their way and because she has a gun to her head. She finally manages to get it open. This looked promising; Affleck, who also directed and co-wrote, shows a knack for directing suspense despite the otherwise ordinary robbery.