East County News Service

Photo: Former Captain Marco Garmo, courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

December 2, 2022 (Rancho San Diego) – Waiel “Will” Anton, an associate of disgraced former Sheriff’s Captain M. Marco Garmo, has been sentenced to one year in prison for corruption after pleading guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice.

By Miriam Raftery 

December 1, 2022 (Rancho San Diego) -- Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station have arrested five men on suspicion of shoplifting from Kohl’s department store on Jamacha Road, gang allegations, and conspiracy to commit a crime. One suspect also faces illegal firearm charges.  

The Aztecs will host four tournaments, including the Mountain West Conference tournament

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 1, 2022 (San Diego) - San Diego State softball head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz has announced a 50-game schedule for the 2023 season, highlighted by four home tournaments, including the return of the Mountain West Conference tournament to San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

November 30, 2022 (La Mesa)  -- A $1,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest in the case of Cassidy Hopwood, an El Cajon teen who went missing in February. Her body was found March 13 behind a business in the 7900 block of El Cajon Blvd. in La Mesa, but she was not identified until November. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Governor’s office: The five biggest oil refiners — Chevron, Marathon, Phillips 66, PBF Energy and Valero — all rejected invites to the California Energy Commission’s hearing today on gas prices.

November 30, 2022 (San Diego) – Here’s some news to brighten your holiday season: the average price for regular self-serve gasoline in San Diego County has dropped below $5 a gallon, to $4.98.  That’s the lowest since early March -- 21.6 cents less than one week ago and 62.4 cents lower than one month ago, though still 31 cents over a year ago.

By Susan Taylor

Photo  Volunteer trail guide Nancy Stassinopoulis (right) and Susan Taylor (left)

November 29, 2022 (San Diego) -- On the Saturday after Thanksgiving with beautiful weather, the Guided Nature Walk at Mission Trails Regional Park wasn’t lacking for participants.  A park ranger and two volunteer trail guides led Girl Scouts and their leaders, a couple with a leashed dog, and a hiker originally from Portugal. All learned about native plants, birds, and the Kumeyaay people who once inhabited the area at San Diego’s own Mission Trails Regional Park. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder Effects Over 3 million People in the U.S.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

November 28, 2022 (San Diego) -- Feeling an onset of sadness? Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of mood disorder associated with seasonal changes. Commonly seen as depression arising during the winter months, it happens due to a disturbance in the circadian system of the body.

Source:  California Department of Justice

November 28, 2022 (Oakland) - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert warning Californians of scammers targeting the state’s middle-class tax refund. Californians eligible for this one-time refund will automatically receive a payment by January 2023 by direct deposit or on a debit card. Below, Attorney General Bonta provides tips to help Californians waiting for their tax refund protect themselves from scams. 

East County News Service

November 27, 2022 (Inaja) – Claudia White took this photo of the Inaja Memorial between Santa Ysabel and Julian, where she stopped to remember the 11 men who lost their lives battling the Inaja Fire on November 25, 1956.  She writes, “My husband, Dean White, was across the canyon on the same fire. He was affected by what they saw and heard for the rest of his life. He was especially saddened by the death of his friend Carlton Lingo.”

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 26, 2022 (San Diego) - Visiting Air Force snapped San Diego State's three-game winning streak and spoiled the Aztecs' Senior Night festivities with a 13-3 triumph on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.

East County News Service

November 25, 2022 (Julian) - Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures in Wynola, near the quaint mountain town of Julian, will host a Celebration of Light and more holiday fun each Friday and Saturday in December from 5 to 8 p.m. The celebration includes a walk-through light display with seven different lighted musical scenes to dazzle guests.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  CDC.gov

November 25, 2022 (San Marcos) - Students and staff at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) during this Fall Semester 2022 session, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) announced yesterday.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Robert Gehr: A homeless person sleeps in a tent on Main Street in downtown El Cajon.

November 24, 2022 (El Cajon) –  El Cajon’s grant application to purchase property to build a homeless shelter has been rejected by the County. According to El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell, County staff informed him that  the grant was rejected because “the City did not own the property that was being proposed for the shelter – in other words, the City did not own the property that the grant was intended to purchase.”

Mitchell, in an email sent to El Cajon’s Mayor and City Council, said he told County staff in a pre-grant question and answer session that the city intended to apply for a grant to buy land for a shelter.  “The response was that the city should still apply and explain how the site will be obtained,” he wrote.  “During their follow-p questions of the City’s grant application, they asked for an update and we indicated that an appraisal was on its way and that the formal offer was about to be made.”

The application was made through the County’s Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program, for which Supervisor Joel Anderson had urged East County cities including El Cajon to apply.

By Chris Pearson, Spring Valley

Image: CC via Bing

November 24, 2022 (Spring Valley) -- Republicans support guys with guns because they hide behind the 2^nd Amendment and cower before the NRA. They support criminals who are murdering our kids and neighbors. The GOP has gone soft on crime. That has to change.  We have an epidemic of gun crimes in the United States right now. It needs to stop.  We need solutions, not politics.  

Increased DUI patrols throughout holiday weekend

November 23, 2022 (San Diego) - Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year with millions of people hitting the road to get to their holiday destinations.