May 28, 2024 (Santee) -- This week,  John Olsen interviews Miriam Raftery, editor of the East County Magazine. She shares the range of information that our online news source provides (both existing and upcoming), how you can subscribe, and how you can support our community journalism and wildfire alerts.

Listen to the podcast at these links:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1508560/15109333-miriam-raftery-and-how-the-east-county-magazine-serves-our-communities

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0cxFKYwg6b0b1eSwcPHelR

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miriam-raftery-and-how-the-east-county-magazine/id1541783400?i=1000656693561

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Miriam Raftery:  Left, Bill Walton at La Mesa's centennial in 2012; right, Walton at La Mesa Boys & Girls Club in 2014

May 27, 2024 (La Mesa)—NBA Hall of Famer and former Helix High School superstar  Bill Walton, 71, died this morning surrounded by his family after a prolonged battle with cancer. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Walton later became an award-winning sportscaster. But he also won hearts and minds in the La Mesa community through his philanthropic efforts, including raising millions of dollars to build the Bill Walton Gymnasium at the Boys & Girls Club in La Mesa, where he was mentored in his youth.

NBA Commission Adam Silver issued a statement recalling Walton as “truly one of a kind. As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position. His unique all-around skills made him a dominant force at UCLA and led to an NBA regular-season and Finals MVP, two NBA championships and a spot on the NBA’s 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Teams.”  As a broadcaster, Walton overcame lifelong stuttering to deliver “insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans,” said Silver.

He added,  “What I will remember most about him was his zest for life.  He was a regular presence at league events—always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth.” Silver said that he envied Walton’s “boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.”

Born November 5, 1952,  Walton developed an early love for sports.  As a boy, he watched the San Diego Chargers play at Sunset Park near Lake Murray.  “I saw all those guys and I dreamed,” he said in a speech at a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club gymnasium that now bears his name.

Update May 28, 2024 -- The deceased have been identified as 82-year-old David Soulner and his wife, 79-year-old Claire Soulner. According to the Sheriff's Department, David Soulner fatally shot his wife, then shot and killed himself.

By Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2024 (Santee) – The San Diego Sheriff’s department is investigating the deaths of two elderly adults found dead with apparent head trauma yesterday morning at their home in Lantern Crest, an upscale senior living facility on Lantern Crest Way.

Deputies responded to a call at 11:25 a.m. yesterday reporting the deaths of an elderly man and woman. Identifies of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of family members.

“Sheriff's Homicide investigators are working to gather more information to determine the circumstances of these deaths. There are no outstanding suspects and no danger to the community,” says Lieutenant Michael Krugh, who adds the an investigation is ongoing.

“The geographic shifts in populations of people experiencing homelessness to East and South County communities demonstrates the effect of the City of San Diego camping ban.”—Paul Downey, CEO, Serving Seniors

By Miriam Raftery

May 24, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)—The 2024 Point-in-Time Homeless Count reveals some significant changes for East County. East County’s total homeless population dropped by 28% overall from  January 2023 to January 2024, from 1,703 to 1,232.  That’s in sharp contrast to the county overall, which had  the number of homeless people increase by 3% to a total of 10,605,

However, some East County communities had sharp rises, notably in communities closest to San Diego, which recently enacted a ban on encampments:

• La Mesa’s total homelessness rose 86%, with a 47.2% rise in unsheltered;
• Lemon Grove’s unsheltered homeless numbers rose 85%

The sharp spikes in La Mesa and Lemon Grove may be due to  the city of San Diego’s ban on homeless encampments, suggests Paul Downey, Chief Executive Officer of Serving Seniors, a nonprofit helping low-income adults age 60 and up.

By Miriam Raftery

May 24, 2024 (Alpine)—By a unanimous vote and without discussion, the Sweetwater Authority board of directors approved restoring the floating fishing dock at Loveland Reservoir in Alpine. Audience members applauded after the votes were cast.

The dock was severely damaged in a January 2023 storm, shortly after the reservoir was drained to dead pool status, an action which left the fishing float on dry land and which also killed off fish, much to the dismay of residents and visitors.

Russell Walsh, who has long advocated for restoration of floating fishing dock, said the vote reflects “a travesty being corrected by persistent citizens and hopefully increasingly willing Sweetwater Directors and upper management.”

By Mike Allen

Photos courtesy of Santee Fire Department

May 23, 2024 (Santee)-- A fire that sent large plumes of smoke across East County yesterday was caused when workers at the Advanced Water Purification (AWP) project in Santee were joining together two large pieces of plastic pipe.

Santee Fire Chief Justin Matsushita said while workers were fusing two large pipes that are 42 inches in diameter, the plastic material, called HDPE, caught fire and quickly overwhelmed the workers, prompting their 911 call.

East County News Service

May 21, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- The County of San Diego’s free “2024 Summer Movies in the Park” season starts at 6 p.m., Friday, May 24 with an event and sunset showing of the Oscar-winning blockbuster “Barbie” at the Waterfront Park downtown.  The full season includes more than 100 movies at dozens of parks countywide, including many in East County.

To celebrate the opening, there will be a variety of features and free fun for kids and families, including music, games, bounce houses, themed crafts, and other free activities. Although the movie starts at dusk, about 15 minutes past sunset, a host of free activities are expected to begin at 6 p.m. Make sure to bring a chair and blankets to cozy up for a night under the stars.

The first  East County showing will be on June 8, with “The Little Mermaid” 8 at Sweetwater Place Park Spring Valley and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” at Dos Picos County Park in Ramona.

East County and inland San Diego locations for future movies now through August include Campo, El Cajon, Escondido, Flinn Springs, Julian, La Mesa, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, Pine Valley, Potrero, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Rolando, San Carlos, Skyline, and Spring Valley.

May 23, 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.

• Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, sued in groundbreaking monopoly lawsuit(CNN)
• Biden takes credit for Target grocery price cuts: ‘They’re answering the call’ (CNBC)
• Trump promised to scrap climate laws if US oil bosses donated $1bn – report (Guardian)
• Trump's social media account shares a campaign video with a headline about a 'unified Reich'  (AP)
• Fact-checking Trump’s lie that Biden tried to have him assassinated (CNN)
• Nikki Haley says she’ll vote for Trump (NPR)
• Will RFK Jr. qualify for June presidential debate? (ABC News)
• Biden defends 'strategic and targeted' China tariffs, seeking contrast with Trump  (The Hill)
• With Trump's trial underway, most Americans now believe he falsified records to hide hush money payment (Yahoo News)
• Trump vows to "NEVER" take away birth control — except he spent four years doing just that (Salon)
• VP Harris rips Trump over latest comments on states monitoring pregnant women (The Hill)
• Trump prosecutor Fani Willis and trial judge Scott McAfee win their elections in Georgia (CNN)
• Hillary Clinton slams anti-Israel protests on college campuses, says students have been fed propaganda (Times of Israel)

WORLD

• What we know so far about the helicopter crash that killed Iran’s president and others (AP)
• The impact of recognising a Palestinian state  (BBC)
• Slovakia’s populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt(AP)
• Israel orders more evacuations as Rafah fighting intensifies  (BBC)
• Over 100 Wildfires Burn in Mexico Amid Heat Wave  (Time.com)
• Thousands of Canadians forced to evacuate as massive wildfire burns  (CBS)
• Hundreds flee Ukraine border area after Russia attack (BBC)
• Strong earthquake strikes near Mexico-Guatemala border (Reuters)
• Afghanistan floods devastate villages, killing 315 (Reuters)
• Gunmen kidnap more than 100 in attack on villages in northwest Nigeria (Reuters)
• As Argentina inflation nears 300%, climb in prices slows a bit (Reuters)
• Japan complains about Chinese ambassador's comment relating to Taiwan  (Reuters)
• Jordan foils arms plot as kingdom caught in Iran-Israel shadow war (Reuters)

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

May 23, 2024 (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 round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• An entire California town (Campo) is for sale — again. This time for $6.6M (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• County supervisors ok funding for migrant transit center  (KPBS)
• Cheers! San Diego wineries continue to flourish despite nationwide decline in wine sales (10 News)
• With state transit funding frozen, MTS could face 'fiscal cliff' in summer 2025 (KPBS)
• Glue trap found in USPS collection box in Rancho San Diego (10 News)
•  They’re getting sick because of the cross-border sewage crisis. This committee aims to prove it. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• ‘Por Favor’ | Iconic La Mesa Village restaurant is for sale (CBS 8)
• Public school, religious instruction: Many San Diego County charter school students are also enrolling in religious programs  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California's median home price hits record high at $900,000, realtors association says (10 News)
• California lawmakers move to delay new health care worker minimum wage as budget deficit looms (Sacramento Bee)
• California lawmakers kill psychedelics legalization — and hundreds more bills. What was cut? (Sacramento Bee)
• California considering bill limiting self-checkout at grocery, drug stores (Cal Coast News)Bill that would tax Big Tech to help California media advances in Senate — barely (Sacramento Bee)
• California's $12 billion Medicaid experiment stretches the definition of health care (NPR)
• The single largest cut in Gavin Newsom’s new budget hits California health care providers (Cal Matters)

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