Dear Voters,

November 2, 2010 (Lakeside) -- I'm Mark Hanson and I’m running in the 77th Assembly District to represent you as a fellow East County resident. I’ve spent my entire life serving the public – and hope to continue doing so in Sacramento.

I will fight for stronger fire protection for our region. As a Cedar Fire survivor, I know how important it is to have fire warning and protection. My nonprofit, Heartland Coalition, raised money to help fire victims rebuild their lives. Heartland also founded the Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts and East County Magazine to help keep people in East County protected and informed.

As a former educator twice named teacher of the year, I’ve taught at our local colleges and also served as an administrator of the Grossmont Union High School District back when it was among the best school districts in the state. I will work hard to restore our public schools to their former high achievement levels for our children.

November 1, 2010 (La Mesa)--The FBI and San Diego Sheriff’s Department announce the arrests of Christopher James Cuerden, age 26, and Caleb Gene Halcomb, age 20, as a result of the investigation into the robbery of the US Bank, located inside of the Vons grocery store at 3681 Avocado Boulevard in the unincorporated area of La Mesa on Friday, October 29, 2010.

November 1, 2010 (Rolando) – Halloween Night ended badly for two 18-year-old men, who were both seriously injured after crashing into a parked car in the 4500 block of Revillo Way in Rolando last night. The driver sustained an open fracture to his leg. The passenger sustained facial fractures and a broken hip.

As nonpartisan media, ECM does not endorse candidates.  Instead we provide info from a broad variety of sources--so you can make an informed decision.

November 1, 2010 (Alpine) - The Alpine Community Network has compiled links to articles about Alpine School Board candidates. Below is the Network's helpful information for Alpine voters.

November 1, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Kids and the young at heart had some Halloween fun last night at parties and trick-or-treat events throughout East County. Photos by Trever Richardson and Miriam Raftery.

2 Democrats won “open” primary to square off Nov. 3:  Teacher/legislator vs. retired superintendent

November 1, 2010 (San Diego) – When Republican Abel Maldonado held up the state budget and demanded fellow legislators approve an “open” primary ballot initiative as a condition for his vote, the GOP thought it would result in more Republicans winning high office in California, a heavily Democratic state.

But the new rule, which declared the top two vote-getters in June's primary winners regardless of parties, resulted in two Democrats, Tom Torlakson and Larry Aceves, squaring off in the state superintendent’s race (though Aceves has since changed his party registration to independent).

Tips to keep pets safe and secure on Halloween

October 31, 2010 (San Diego) -- Halloween is a fun and spooky time for “ghouls” and boys, but County animal officials want you to know that the event can be scary for your pets.

Your pet is not used to costumed characters approaching the door and yelling “trick or treat!” Your cat may become spooked and run, not to be seen for several days. Your dog, the guardian of the household, may lunge or bite the costumed creatures. This is never what is intended to happen during Halloween, but it is a reality faced every year.

Community grieves for officer who chose to work in one of San Diego's toughest neighborhoods

By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2010 (San Diego) – Community members are invited to a candlelight vigil to honor the memory of San Diego Police Officer Chris Wilson, who died in a gun battle on Wednesday night while trying to arrest an assault suspect. The event will be held on Monday November 1st at 6 p.m. in Skyview Park, 7222 Skyline Drive, next to the police station in the Southeast San Diego neighborhood where Wilson worked for 17 years.

Update October 31, 10:20 a.m. -- The SWAT action has ended and a second suspect was taken into custody half an hour ago, Sgt. Randy Levitt has informed East County Magazine. The suspect's name and details of the arrest have not yet been released.

Exclusive! View our video of the SWAT team arriving on scene.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Dennis Richardson

October 30, 2010 8:35 p.m.  (La Mesa) -- A stand-off continues tonight as police continue searching for a bank robbery suspect believed to be hiding in the Rolando neighborhood.  A second suspect, Davan Darden, 23, was arrested at 5:45 this evening.  The area remains evacuated, according to Officer Stafford, San Diego Police.

Two robbers conducted a takeover-style robbery at the California Coast Credit Union in the Vons Center on La Mesa Boulevard around 2 p.m., San Diego Police report, prompting a chase through San Diego, La Mesa and El Cajon.

October 30, 2010 (Lemon Grove) – The San Diego Medical Examiner’s office has identified Guy Edward Halac, 51, of Lemon Grove, as the victim of a fatal accident on October 26. Halac’s his Ninja motorcycle plunged over a ramp from State Route 125 at I-8 in La Mesa, landing on a roadway below.

Part of $50 million water infrastructure investment in East County

By Brian Lafferty

WARNING: If you have epilepsy or are prone to seizures, do not see this film, as it contains frequent strobe effects.

October 30, 2010 (San Diego)--After seeing Enter the Void, it became clear to me that the newest film by Gaspar Noe is shaping up to be a very divisive movie. It is not for those even remotely squeamish. People either love it or hate it. I went to the screening with three to five other critics and they thought they had seen one of, if not the, worst movies of the year. I felt I saw one of the year’s best.

Editor's note: Although UCSD is not in East County, since many East County students attend the university we are publishing this information for our readers.

October 30, 2010 (La Mesa) – Helix Water District’s Board of Directors has faced challenges amid an era of water shortages caused by drought and court decisions limiting our region’s water supplies from Northern California. Water rate hikes, budget cuts and development of new water sources for our region are all key issues the Board must contend with in the future.