Story and photos by Branda Gorgies

The Steele Canyon High School governing board recently held a meeting to approve final decisions regarding salaries of the teachers.

The special meeting was on Monday at 3:45 p.m. in the school library. It was only about five minutes long, but the board members approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as well as the new salary schedules and extended curricular salaries. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- As autumn arrives and Halloween draws near, East County has a wealth of festivals and events coming up.  These include Julian’s Autumn Jubilee and an Heirloom Apple Festival, Oktoberfests in La Mesa and El Cajon, the Borrego Days Desert Festival,  Haunt Fest on Main in downtown El  Cajon, a Pumpkin Bash and Spooky Campover at Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine,and a Pumpkin Express train ride in Campo.

Plus there are live entertainment stars taking stage in East County, including comics Paula Poundstone and Randy Rainbow at The Magnolia, the rock artist  Sting at SDSU, and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells with his band in a benefit concert to help the homeless in El Cajon.

Scroll down for details on all of these events and more.

Story by Liz Alper

Photo via @padres on Twitter

September 20, 2023 (San Diego) - Blake Snell pitched an impressive seven innings with no hits last night and Xander Bogaerts hit the two-run jack for the win in the ninth.  The Padres looked for the sweep today with Chase Anderson on the mound for Colorado against Seth Lugo.

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2023 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and his all-star band will revisit pop and soul classics in a concert to benefit the East County Transitional Living Center, a facility which helps homeless individuals and families transition off the streets and transform their lives.

By Rebecca Person

photos By Pete Cerep

September15,2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Just when a recent crisis of hundreds of stranded undocumented people seemed to abate, local residents of San Diego County border town Jacumba Hot Springs are reporting new waves of migrants seen on foot emerging from the rugged desert here.

In recent weeks, the numbers and frequency of sightings have increased from occasional to now several groups are observed each week. The latest group on September 13 numbered 62 people who scurried over a remote desert trail and clustered in the shade of tamarisk trees beside Old Highway 80 in Jacumba.

Photos of the travelers reveal them to be mostly young men, possibly Asian, though a few women and children were seen. By contrast, most of the May migrants said they were from Haiti, Turkey, Brazil or Guatemala, according to residents who brought them water and survival supplies.

Those pictured in photos in this article were loaded into vans late in the day on  Sept. 13 to be transported to their next destination under the apparent supervision of Border Patrol, witnesses told  ECM.

By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 14, 2023 (San Diego) --The Tuberculosis Program in the Public Health Services (PHS) department, of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, in collaboration with San Diego State University (SDSU) and Aztec Shops are working closely to notify employees potentially exposed to tuberculosis (TB) on the SDSU campus, primarily at the Charles B. Bell Jr., Pavilion. Exposures to the general public, SDSU students and faculty, and to other employees are considered to be limited.

The dates of potential exposure are from Feb. 16, 2023 to June 22, 2023. Those known to have been potentially exposed have been directly notified and have been provided direction from health officials. People sick with TB may be sick for many months before they are diagnosed, and as such, exposure periods can be long.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air. The chance of infection is higher for people with prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB.

Book by Andrew Fitzgerald

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

September 14,2023 (San Diego)  -- In How Did I Get Here? Traveling the Road to Resilience, author Andrew Fitgerald shares his difficulties and determined resilience to overcome health issues. He also recounts how  he and his wife later struggled to settle in the United States. The second time they emigrated, they stayed. Then, after four miscarriages, they had a healthy boy. They live in San Diego County.

Fitzgerald begins his debut story being faced with death. His heart needed to be stopped and restarted. Doctors did this procedure twice before doing surgery on his heart to solve the problem. Over time, Fitzgerald reclaimed his strength and love of sports. 

He and his wife decided to move to the United States but initially had hardships and difficulties that drove them back to Ireland. They recommitted themselves and successfully relocated to the San Diego region, where they flourished in their second move. 

By Ashley Murray, Kansas Reflector CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Photo: CC by Bing

September 15, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) -- Health care representatives from across the United States are urging Congress to halt cuts to funding that helps hospitals care for uninsured or low-income patients who rely on Medicaid.

More than 250 hospitals and health systems appealed to House and Senate leadership in a letter Thursday asking the lawmakers to avert or delay a forthcoming $8 billion cut to “America’s health care safety net.”

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

Image: Scouturi/Adobe Stock via PNS

September 13, 2023 (San Diego) -- National Hispanic Heritage Month starts this Friday, and runs through Oct. 15. Dozens of events are planned up and down the Golden State to honor California's more than 15 million Hispanic residents, who make up more than 40% of the population.

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

Photo by Chris Stone, Times of San Diego

September 12, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) -- Rep. Darrell Issa said Tuesday he “fully supports” an impeachment inquiry, accusing President Biden and his family of a “culture of corruption that is crippling this presidency.”

The conservative Republican who represents east San Diego County said he looked forward to contributing to the inquiry.

This year’s rodeo provides more ways to enjoy the excitement than ever before, including big-screen video, VIP seating, and special activities just for kids

Story and photos courtesy of Poway Rodeo

September 11, 2023 (Poway) -- The Poway Rodeo returns for its 50^th year of bringing the very best in action-packed entertainment to its centrally located north San Diego location. This year’s rodeo promises more ways than ever before to enjoy all the excitement, with big-screen video projection, VIP seating opportunities, and special adventures for even the youngest cowpokes.

Visitors can choose from three performances: one on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m., and two on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. VIP ticketholders enjoy exclusive extras like preferred seating, excellent arena views, personal service, and included food and drinks.

By Miriam Raftery

September 11, 2023 (Lakeside) – The Maine Avenue Revitalization Association invites you to participate in the Lakeside 9-11 Memorial Walk.

The event tonight commemorates the deadly terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington D.C.