Update: Evacuation orders have been lifted but certain areas remain closed to vehicle traffic.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts 

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

June 25, 2024 (Del Mar) -- A fire in Del Mar has burned 19 acres, resulting in mandatory evacuations for 2500 people, though firefighters have halted the fire's forward spread. Evacuees are being directed to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, where the San Diego County Fair is underway.

If you are going to the Fair, be aware that traffic and air quality have also been negatively impacted. Del Mar Heights and Carmel Valley Rd. exits are both closed due to the fire. Air quality is impacted as far east as Poway.

By Mike Allen

June 21, 2024 (Santee) -- At the end of Santee Councilwoman Laura Koval’s District 3 town hall on June 18, she opened it up to questions, but there were no takers. Perhaps that’s a sign of satisfaction about the direction the all -Republican City Council has steered Santee over the past decade, or maybe it’s a lack of interest among residents.

She then tried to coax the assembly of about 30 people, mostly city staffers, and got this: “Tell us a fun Padres story.”

The former director of ticket sales for the Padres obliged, telling a story involving the team’s first World Series and the late Raiders defensive star Lyle Alzado. But she wasn’t challenged about any of the decisions she and her colleagues in the City Council have made in the past several years.

East County News Service

June 20, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)  --The National Weather Service is warning of a prolonged heat wave starting Friday and extending to late next week. But before you think about going to the beach to cool off, be aware that potentially dangerous lightning storms and rip currents are forecast for coastal areas Saturday and Sunday. 

Temperatures could reach up to 114 degrees by this weekend in the low deserts and up to 105 degrees in the high deserts.   San Diego County valleys and mountains could reach 98 degrees.  The high heat poses risks of heat-related illness for people, pets and livestock without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez and Shane Harris, President of the People's Associate of Justice Advocates, raise Juneteenth flag

June 19, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – In honor of Juneteenth, a federal and county holiday, events and recognitions have been held across our region.

Juneteenth flags were raised in the cities of Lemon Grove and Chula Vista, at the Sweetwater Union School District,and other venues, while La Mesa hosted a Junetenth and Friends celebration.

On June19,1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free—over two years after President Abraham Lincoln had signed the emancipation proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates this official end to slavery in the U.S.

June 19, 2024 (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.

• Retailers are finally cutting prices. Will it last? (Washington Post)
• Senate Republicans block Democratic bill to protect IVF nationwide (NBC)
• Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on rapid-fire rifle bump stocks, reopening political fight (AP)
• CNN rules for first US presidential debate: no props, muted microphones (Reuters)
• A water war is looming between Mexico and the US. Neither side will win (CNN)
• Migrant arrests drop at US-Mexico border as Biden asylum ban rolls out (Reuters)
• Biden says he won’t pardon Hunter Biden or commute his sentence in first public remarks after guilty verdict  (CNN)
• Violent crime is down and the US murder rate is plunging, FBI statistics show (CNN)
• Epoch Times Executive Accused of Laundering $67 Million (New York Times)
• Trump ally Bannon ordered to report to prison for defying Jan. 6 probe (Reuters)
• Congressional stock trading law has unintended, but profitable consequence (NPR)
• FAA investigates another midair incident with a Boeing 737 Max  (NPR)

WORLD

• Tens of millions facing hunger and water shortages as extreme drought and floods sweep southern Africa (CNN)  
• UN Security Council approves US proposal for permanent ceasefire in Gaza  (CNN)
• Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah, forcing people to flee again (Reuters)
• Israel rescues four hostages in Gaza; Hamas says 210 Palestinians killed in Israeli assault (Reuters)
• Russia co-opts far-right politicians in Europe with cash, officials say (AP)
• The far right made big gains in European elections. What’s next, and why does it matter? (AP)
• A year of elections in democracies around the world is revealing deep dissatisfaction among voters (AP)
• G7 agrees $50bn loan for Ukraine from Russian assets (BBC)
• Mexico City's metro still unsafe for women despite its women-only cars (NPR)
• Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon (AP)
• US Navy faces its most intense combat since World War II against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels (AP)

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

East County News Service

June 19, 2024 (Santee) –Celebrating diversity and honoring LGBTQ+ residents, the Santee Pride Walk will beheld on Saturday,June 22 from10 a.m.to 4 p.m.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. with a rally at the Santee United Methodist Church,8964 Magnolia, followed by speakers at 11 a.m.and the walk stepping out at noon.