East County News Service

December 26, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Lemon Grove resident Nancy Annette Lisa Benson, 32, died Dec. 18 in a collision on Interstate 8 East in El Cajon.

East County News Service

December 26, 2022 (Lakeside) – Scott Lagace snapped these photographs of a Bald Eagle, our national bird, over the holiday weekend at Lake Jennings in Lakeside. Though no longer federally endangered, Bald Eagles are still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act as well as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They remain rare in San Diego County, however, where there are only a handful of nesting pairs, making such a sighting a special thrill.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  U.S. Capitol, cc by SA

December 24, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on Friday passed a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides record military spending and sends emergency aid to Ukraine, hours before a midnight shutdown deadline.

By Assemblymember Marie Waldron

December 24, 2022 (Sacramento) - Holiday celebrations began in the State Capitol in1869. Though the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington DC is well-known, many may not be aware that a similar ceremony continues to take place each December in Sacramento at our State Capitol.

Past Governors decorated the Capitol with wreaths and their offices with trees, but in 1931 the tree was moved from the Governor’s office to the Rotunda and later to a spot near the Lt. Governor’s office, where it remained until 1984. Concerns about fire safety resulted in the tree being moved outside, where it has remained ever since. Despite a brief hiatus as a `Holiday Tree’ under former Governor Gray Davis, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who succeeded Davis, decided the tree was indeed a `Christmas Tree,’ and so it remains.

On December 1st, Governor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel Newsom hosted the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the State Capitol’s West Steps. This year’s tree is a 65-foot white fir donated by the U.S. Forest Service from Camino California, which is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in El Dorado County. 

East County News Service

December 23, 2022 (San Diego) -- An incarcerated person has used a lifesaving medication available in the common housing areas of all county jails to assist another incarcerated person in medical distress. This is the eighth time an incarcerated individual has administered Naloxone since the San Diego County Sheriff's Department made the nasal spray accessible to the incarcerated population at county jails in June 2022. 

East County News Service

Photo via Ryan Casey Aguinaldo on Wikipedia

December 22, 2022 (San Diego) - After spending the majority of his career in San Diego, Wil Myers is headed to Cincinnati.

Sophia Ramos and Abby Prohaska led the Aztecs with 11 points

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 21, 2022 (West Palm Beach, Fla.) - Behind a strong first quarter, Georgia beat San Diego State 63-44 on Tuesday morning, in the Aztecs final game of the West Palm Beach Invitational. Sophia Ramos and Abby Prohaska led the Aztecs in the scoring column with 11 points, Ramos also dished out four assists and had four steals on the day.

December 21, 2022 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Covid Year Two: Deaths More than Doubled in Lakeside, and Went Down Virtually Everywhere Else (Voice of San Diego)
• Nathan Fletcher Stepping Down as Supervisor Chair (Voice of San Diego)
• Is SANDAG’s majority changing? Not so fast. (SD Rostra)
• Upgrade costs for Carlsbad desalination plant will be passed along to San Diego ratepayers  (KPBS)
• Blood bank puts out urgent call for donations; supplies 'dangerously' low  (KPBS)
• Russians find asylum lifeline to US, but at a high price (KPBS)
• Balboa Park needs nearly half a billion dollars to be brought up to modern standards (KPBS)
• Mail-in ballots constitute 90% of San Diego County's certified election results  (KPBS)
• San Diego City launches Regional Cyber Lab to bolster local cybersecurity  (KPBS)

STATE

• Southern California home prices dip in November (Los Angeles Times)
• $24 billion projected budget deficit may test California’s resolve to grow safety net amid recession (KPBS)
• Magnitude 6.4 earthquake shakes parts of northern California  (AP)
• Newsom slams Republicans for blocking immigration reform on visit to Mexican border (Los Angeles Times)
• So long, California: Major county votes to study secession (KPBS)

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

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  two young men seeking asylum rest on cots while waiting to begin their journey to their sponsors. Photo by Chris Stone

December 21, 2022 (San Diego) - San Diego’s nationally influential migrant shelter crossed a milestone in November when its staff aided the 100,000th person seeking asylum locally.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 20, 2022 (San Diego) - San Diego State wrapped up its non-conference schedule Tuesday with a 62-46 triumph over UC San Diego at Viejas Arena.

East County News Service

December 20, 2022 (San Diego) – The 6th Annual Shane Harris Community Christmas Day Breakfast & Gift Giveaway will take place on Christmas Day from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at 6125 Imperial Ave. in San Diego. San Diego's only Christmas Day gathering for foster families, unsheltered youths and struggling families will feature thousands of wrapped gifts for kids, bikes, electronic devices and 16 tons of snow!

Families countywide can register and volunteers can sign up at

shaneharrischristmasbreakfast.org/. Donations can also be made at this link.

"The Justice Department must apply the same standard of law to Donald Trump as they would to any citizen," said Rep. Adam Schiff, a committee member. "That's what Attorney General Garland promised to do. And the country will hold the department to it."

By Brett Wilkins, staff writer, Common Dreams

View full hearing: Click image at left

Reprinted under a Creative Commons license from Common Dreams

Read executive summary from Jan. 6 committee's report on the Capitol attack 

December 19, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - The congressional committee probing the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on Monday concluded its proceedings by unanimously voting to recommend that Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department investigate former President Donald Trump and some of his associates for four crimes in connection with the deadly insurrection.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: dry conditions at Lake Mendocino, via Calif. Dept. of Water Resources

December 19, 2022 (San Diego) -- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has declared a Regional Drought Emergency for all of Southern California amid a fourth year of drought. MWD is calling on local water agencies to immediately reduce their use of all imported water supplies. This call could become mandatory if drought conditions persist in the coming months.

By Miriam Raftery

December 18, 2022 (Spring Valley) – The San Diego Sheriff’s department seeks public help to find Mario Sandoval, 32, who aimed a handgun at his wife and threatened to kill her.