By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2024 (Ramona) – A phone call to the Sheriff’s communications center yesterday around 1:40 p.m. reported an individual armed with a firearm outside  Ramona High School. The incident prompted a lockdown of the high school and other nearby schools while deputies from Ramona and Poway stations searched the campus.

The call appears to have been a false report or “swatting” incident to provoke a law enforcement response. Nothing suspicious was found.

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)—A cluster of rabbit deaths in the past week in the Jamul-Dulzura areas has residents and wildlife officials concerned. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking anyone who finds a dead or dying wild rabbit to immediately report it online at Wildlife Mortality Reporting (ca.gov), or phone 916-358-2790.

A state wildlife official told East County Magazine that Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (HDV2) is a likely possible reason for the deaths, though Tularemia, a tick-born disease also known as Rabbit Fever, is another possibility. A third option suspected locally is a parasite infection, which can migrate to the brain.

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2024 (La Mesa) – Stolen mail, an illegal semi-automatic ghost gun, live and spent ammunition were among the items found in the vehicle of a suspect apprehended April 20 after a pursuit.

La Mesa Police officers responded to a call reporting a man pointing a gun at a female victim at the Jack in the Box restaurant on Jackson Drive in La Mesa shortly before midnight.  The officers spotted a vehicle leaving the scene that matched a description of the suspect’s vehicle.

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2024 (Washington D.C)  – The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act (H.R.6443) authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), passed the House of Representatives on April 10.

H.R.6443 incorporates 172 acres of land in San Diego’s East County region into the Jamul Indian Village Reservation, placing the land into tribal trust and preserving it for generations to come. This area also includes a 100-year-old church (photo, left, by Miriam Raftery) and cemetery where their tribal lineage has rested for generations.

The acreage is currently owned by the Jamul Indian Village and includes residential land for homes and council buildings, an ancestral cemetery, and the tribe’s only road for transportation.

If approved by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, this would be a dramatic expansion of Jamul’s tribal lands, since the existing reservation has only six acres,  most of which is occupied by the tribe’s casino and a hotel under construction.

April 24, 2024 (Lemon Grove) -- The Lemon Grove Recreation Center will be hosting the 4th annual 3-on-3 Trevon Harris basketball tournament on June 8, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 3131 School Lane. Basketballers must be ages 10 to 16 to participate in the tournament. 

There is no entry fee and players may register onsite at the event beginning at 8:15 a.m.  The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. with tip-off. This is a free event that will bode a March Madness bracket style basketball competition, free music/entertainment, and free food.

By Miriam  Raftery

April 24, 2024 (El Cajon)—The Cajon Valley Union School District’s board of trustees voted during a special meeting April 22 to appoint Emily “Lily” Schworm to fill the vacancy on the board left by the resignation of Jo Alegria.

A bilingual education teacher, Schworm previously ran for El Cajon City Council in 2012. In an interview then with East County Magazine, Schworm said she has taught in the Cajon Valley, La Mesa-Spring Valley and South Bay school districts before choosing to homeschool her children..

In her application for the position, she describes herself as an "extremely invested parent and an experience teacher" who has resided in El Cajon most of her life.

She has also been an active volunteer with Foothills Christian Church including mentoring at-risk youths, after-school groups and more.

East County News Service

April 24, 2024 (Santee) – Heartland Coin Club invites you to discover a fascinating world of coins and currency at the club’s bi-annual coin show on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   There will be something for everyone, from seasoned collectors to curious beginners, at the Cunnane Social Center at Guardian Angels Catholic Church,  9310 Dalehurst Rd. in SanteeEnjoy a fun-filled day with your family and friends as you explore:

• a wide array of collectible U.S. and foreign coins, antique coins, and currency from trusted dealers.

• rare and interesting coins, including early American coins, Buffalo nickels, Seated Liberty quarters, and more.

• modern U.S. coins, commemorative coins, and error coins.

• ancient coins and foreign currency from countries that no longer exist.

• tokens, medals, and other collectibles.

• free coin appraisals by over 20 expert dealers and club members with 44 tables and thousands of rare coins, medals, and paper currency.

• fun activities and free coin collecting items for kids in our Young Numismatists Area.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Housing and  Urban Development

Photo: Flooding during San Diego County's January 2024 severe storms

April 23, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) final rule in the Federal Register to help communities prepare for and reduce flood damage. This rule aims to protect communities from flood risk, heavy storms, increased frequency of severe weather events and disasters, changes in development patterns, and erosion.  

The new rules apply in areas designated as 100-year floodplains, such as portions of San Diego County that experienced severe flooding in January, prompting disaster declarations at the local, state and federal levels.

By Isabel Dominguez, Outreach Coordinator at CSA San Diego

April 21, 2024 (San Diego) -- Imagine you are in search of affordable housing for yourself, and you come across a home that happens to check all of your boxes. You love the neighborhood, it’s in your price range, and has the perfect amount of room for you. As you become certain about this decision, the housing provider refuses to negotiate and tells you that it is no longer available despite it still being listed. 

The Fair Housing Act protects various classes of individuals from facing discrimination from a housing provider. This act prevents landlords and real estate companies from being discriminatory towards a person’s race, color, national origin, familial status, sex, religion, or disability. It protects them in all aspects of housing whether it be renting, buying, seeking housing assistance, or getting a mortgage.

By Bransen P. Harper

Miriam Raftery contributed to this story

Photos via Wikipedia: Former President Donald J. Trump; likely prosecution witnesses Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, and Karen McDougal, an ex-Playboy model

April 20, 2024 (New York, NY) – Twelve jurors and six alternates have been selected in the federal criminal case against Donald J. Trump in Manhattan, the New York Times reports. Opening arguments by the prosecution and Trump's lawyers are slated to begin Monday in the case, which accuses the former President and presumptive Republican nominee of funneling hush money payments through his lawyer to prevent negative information from surfacing during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Ahead of this first-ever criminal trial  of a former president, which has no clear historical precedent in the U.S., here are the essentials to know.

East County News Service

April 18, 2024 (Spring Valley) – Reyvon English, 18, has been booked into San Diego County Jail for rape,  kidnapping, and other sexual assault-related charges. He allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old female student in a restroom at Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley on April 11 around 4 p.m