By Ricardo Cano, CALMatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Teachers unions rallied in Sacramento as the Assembly narrowly passed part of a package of charter school reforms. Photo for CALmatters by Ricardo Cano

May 23, 2019 (Sacramento) - Legislation that would give local school districts more control over charter-school authorizations narrowly passed the California State Assembly Wednesday in a dramatic vote that served as an initial litmus test for a package of consequential, union-backed charter regulation bills.

East County News Service

May 23, 2019 (San Diego) -- Indictments were unsealed this week in San Diego federal court charging 43 members of a methamphetamine distribution network tied to the Sinaloa Cartel with federal drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)’s Narcotics Task Force, San Diego Sheriff’s Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced in a joint press conference on Tuesday.

Update: We've added lots of great prizes! See list below.

You're invited to the East County Dining Club's next dining adventure at Buckboard’s Barbecue & Brew in El Cajon (975 Greenfield Drive) on Wednesday, May 29 at 6 p.m.  Everyone is welcome!

Buckboard’s is brand new to El Cajon, but they’ve been serving up amazing BBQ for 30 years in San Diego before moving to East County. The chef formerly worked as a top chef at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas, a Michelin-caliber restaurant. If you love barbecue, you’ll want to try out Buckboard’s! 

Buckboard’s is famous for their Santa Maria-style slow-cooked barbecue, with meat that is brined and marinated for five days before being cooked over the open flames. 

They also have a full range of craft beers as well as some good wines. 

RSVPs are required so the restaurant can be prepared with a feast for our hungry members and guests!

RSVP: editor@eastcountymagazine.org or call 619 698 7617.

By John Fox,  General Manager, Rez Radio 93.1 KPRI

May 23, 2019 (Fallbrook) - Just in time for the 50^th anniversary of Woodstock, an old school bus donated to North County FM station Rez Radio 91.3 by the Bonsall Unified School District is nearing completion of its custom paint job commissioned with students from the Art Department at Fallbrook High School.  As the school year draws to a close, an army of students led by graduating senior, Caiden Metts are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the 60’s hippie-themed work of art.  It’s quite a spectacle. 

The idea came about when Rez Radio changed its call letters early last year to the San Diego heritage call sign, KPRI – now standing for Kupa Pala Rez Indians.  That brought forward a number of people from the air staff of the original KPRI in San Diego when the station first tried free-form FM programming in 1967-68.  Much of that music is still a core element of Rez Radio’s programming. 

East County News Service

May 22, 2019 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove’s summer concert series opens June 27th and continues through August 22nd each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Berry Park (7071 Mt. Vernon St.)

The series kicks off with Mariachi Real de San Diego,followed by a season that will also include salsa, Cajun-zydeco, rock and roll, Motown, country music and more: 

May 22, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Trump to Democrats: No deals on infrastructure, drug prices until they drop investigations (USA Today)
• Protests across U.S. on abortion bans (Reuters)
• U.S. placed immigrant children with traffickers, report says (New York Times)
• Morehouse College grads are surprised by a billionaire's promise to pay off their student loans (CNN)
• Judge orders Trump accounting firm to hand over records to Congress (CNN)
• First Republican lawmaker says Trump engaged in impeachable conduct (Reuters)
• Where women call the shots (Washington Post)
• The Trump administration is scrubbing Obamacare from government sites (Wired.com)

WORLD

• Wildfires force nearly 5,000 Canadians out of their homes as firefighters continue to battle growing blazes (CNN)
• Austrian government collapses as far right leader caught in video sting (Reuters)
• Ford will cut 7,000 white-collar jobs worldwide (CNN)
• Japanese manufacturers brace for fallout — and losses — from ongoing U.S.-China trade war (Japan Times)

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

May 22, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• San Diego is disregarding fire risks to an astonishing degree (Voice of San Diego)
• Limited evacuation routes add urgency to S-67 widening (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Farmer’s Market future in jeopardy (La Mesa Courier)
• Report names eight San Diego County school districts where students of color achieve higher than predicted (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove working to help residents with traffic concerns (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Trump threatens to cut millions from fire departments in California after deadly wildfires (Sacramento Bee)
• California’s school accountability laws have quietly become defunct (Voice of San Diego)
• 5 Takeaways from Newsom’s proposed budget plan (Cal Matters)

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

By Ken Stone

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Network

Photo:  Former Rep. Duncan Lee Hunter chats with former constituents at Ramona Mainstage before his son’s town hall in March 2017. Photo by Chris Stone

May 22, 2019 (Ramona) - Rep. Duncan D. Hunter returns to the scene of a raucous 2017 town hall when he takes part Saturday in another Ramona Mainstage event.

But his office doesn’t call it a town hall.

Source: Steele Canyon High School

Photo:  Mary Rose Vadeboncoeur, courtesy of Steele Canyon High School

May 21, 2019 (Spring Valley) -- Mary Rose Vadeboncoeur, a senior with the Steele Canyon High School Drama Department, has received a Broadway San Diego Awards nomination as Best Actress for her role as Eponine in the SCHS spring production of Les Misérables. 

Source:  San Diego County American Legion Baseball

May 20, 2019 (San Diego) - San Diego County American Legion Baseball is comprised of the greater San Diego County and offers an abundance of High School talent. Historically, San Diego was once a prominent region for Legion Baseball. In the The American Legion World Series, San Diego teams were crowned National Champions in 1938, 1941 and 1954. For whatever reason in the 1980's, San Diego County American Legion Baseball disappeared.

By Miriam Raftery

May 20, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – This Memorial Day Weekend, events include the Santee Street Fair and Craft Beer Festival, a Living History program on Mount Laguna, the Julian Fiddle and Pickin’  contest, a hike across the Santa Ysabel Preserve, an a-capella concert by Chamber Bravura in La Mesa, and a Warrior Hike Challenge at El Capitan County Preserve in Lakeside.  On the last weekend of May, Kidz Danz Kompany presents Visions of Broadway and the Musica En La Plaza series opens in Escondido.

Plus we’ll have a preview of some joyful June events including La Mesa’s flag day parade, Lavender Days at Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs, night fishing at Santee Lakes, a Father’s Day pit barbecue in Santa Ysabel,  Fido Fest in Santee, the Anomar Arts Festival in Ramona, and some all summer long event series including outdoor concerts in La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon and Santee, classic cruises and movies in the park.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Matt Levin and Ben Christopher, CALmatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

May 19, 2019 (San Diego's East County) - Shock. Depression. Relief.

Those were just some of the reactions as the year’s most controversial state housing bill met its sudden demise. But very few people—supporters, opponents, and even the author himself—can claim to have seen this coming.

East County News Service

May 18, 2019 (Flinn Springs) – Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs invites you to come celebrate the fragrance and beauty of lavender at a Lavender Festival and Antique Fair on Saturday, June 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.