Suspensions are temporary and in some cases, indefinite

By G. A. McNeeley 

August 29, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- Australia, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan have joined a growing list ofcountries that are suspending certain parcel shipments to the United States, following the implementation of new rules under President Donald Trump’s Administration that will end tariff exemptions, according to CNN. Dozens of countries suspended postal services to the United States, to take time to adjust to the new rules and account for increased expenses. 

The “de minimis” exemption, that previously allowed shipments of goods worth $800 or less to enter the U.S. duty free, was eliminated on Friday, August 29. 

Starting today, packages will be subject to fees relating to the tariff rates applying to their country of origin, making postage more expensive. Postal services will either have to cover the increased cost or pass it on to customers, according to The Guardian. 

 By Mike Allen

Image, left:  Aerial rendering of planned new warehouse site

August 29, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee traded a defunct drive-in theater/swap meet for an industrial distribution center with 42 dock bays and the promise of 185 jobs following approvals from the City Council this week.

The fact that the 13.5 acre site at 10990 North Woodside Avenue has been vacant for more than a year made no difference to the dozens of people who showed up to City Hall to oppose the massive warehouse, which developers said will be a “state of the art facility with all the bells and whistles.”

Source:  San Diego County Fire

August 28, 2025 (Kearny Mesa) — The San Diego County Fire Protection District has upgraded a lifesaving tool to their advanced life support (ALS) ambulances and its jointly operated county helicopters with the deployment of 35 new Zoll AutoPulse NXT Resuscitation Systems.

Riders should plan for weekend delays during construction through early 2028

By Paul Levikow

August 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Wednesday announced details of the San Diego Trolley Orange Line Improvement Project, or Rail Ready, on the stretch of tracks from San Diego to El Cajon. The $151 million improvement project will modernize the Orange Line between the 32nd and Commercial Street Station in San Diego to the El Cajon Transit Center on S. Marshall Avenue.

Riders will experience weekend service disruptions about once a month over the next two-and-a-half years, according to MTS officials, but they will have access to bus shuttles between those stations at no extra charge.

Source:  City of La Mesa

August 27, 2025 (La Mesa) - The City of La Mesa announces that the Community Services Department has officially changed its name to the Parks and Recreation Department. The change clarifies the department’s role and highlights its focus on managing local parks, facilities, as well as offering a diverse range of recreational programs. From youth sports to senior fitness, summer camps to community events – the Parks and Recreation Department believes in the power of play to connect people, create memories, and improve the lives of our residents.

By Casey Castillo, CEO, San Diego Food Bank

August 26, 2025 (San Diego) - When people think of hunger, they often imagine faraway places or extreme poverty. But hunger is a very real issue right here in San Diego County. It’s in our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces affecting families, seniors, military households, and children in every ZIP code.

This September, during Hunger Awareness Month, the San Diego Food Bank urges our community to look closer and recognize the hidden faces of hunger.

Story and photos by Josh Stotler

August 25, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Just before 3:30 p.m. , a structure fire broke out in the under-construction building slated to house  T. J. Maxx and an Ulta beauty store on the former site of the Toys “R” Us at 8800 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.

As the first engines arrived, thick, black smoke and flames could be seen coming from the roof of the structure with stranded construction workers shouting and waving for help.

An employee of a nearby business claimed she “heard a loud explosion” before the fire broke out.

Source: San Diego County Sheriff

August 24, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Last weekend, the San Diego County Sheriff’s department teamed up with local law enforcement agencies to help get unwanted weapons off our streets through a Gun Safety Event in La Mesa.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2025 (San Diego) – On Tuesday, Aug. 26, San Diego Supervisors will consider a proposal to revise the county’s reserve policy to allow use of some reserve funds to cover critical services being cut by the federal government. The plan, Item 23 on the agenda, is proposed by Supervisors Monica Montgomery-Steppe and Terra Lawson-Remer, but has drawn opposition from Supervisor Joel Anderson.

According to the agenda item overview, “The County now faces threats from deep cuts due to the passage of H.R. 1, or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—a law that hands massive tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations while slashing the critical services thousands of our residents rely on. In San Diego, the impacts are immediate and severe: over $300 million in new annual costs to the County, and significant cuts to food assistance, healthcare, and core social services that put local families, seniors, and veterans at risk.”

East County News Service

Photo from left to right: Jordan Z. Marks, San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC) and Andrew Potter, Executive Officer, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

August 21, 2025 (San Diego's East County) – Land in East County has never been worth so much.

According to Jordan Z. Marks, San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC), the recently completed 2025 tax roll assessment revealed the gross assessed value of taxable properties, including residential, commercial and industrial land, in the East County.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

August 20, 2025 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (District), which includes Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, is inviting community members to apply to serve in the position of Board Member of the Board of Trustees in Trustee Area 1, which comprises the cities and communities of Santee, Winter Gardens, and Lakeside. Once an individual is appointed to the position, they would serve until the next regularly scheduled Governing Board election in November 2026, and continue until their successor qualifies for office.

By Paul Levikow

August 19, 2025 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Planning commission voted unanimously Tuesday to grant a new Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to The Palms Restaurant and Banquet Hall on Main Street downtown, avoiding imminent closure on Oct. 1.

The business will still be required to operate mainly as a restaurant under the new CUP, with up to 10 private events allowed per month. Alcohol sales and live entertainment are allowed as they were under the previous permit. The business proposes to operate from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Sunday, but the restaurant is not proposed to open until 6 p.m. New owners of The Palms say they are planning renovations both inside and outside of the business.

“We’re serious. We acquired this business because we see a vision,” new owner Jeff Mansour said. “We believe in it and we’re going to do what we say we’re going to do.”