Story and photos by Shiloh Ireland

View video from County News Service

December 31 2023 (Lakeside) – County Parks and Recreation held a grand opening of the $16.9 million Dianne Jacob Equestrian Park on December 12 in Lakeside. Several hundred people attended, with Jacob as the guest of honor.

Jacob served 28 years as District 2 County Supervisor and is an avid equestrian. Her dream of a premier facility was unveiled to an enthusiastic crowd and local officials. Jacob was an advocate for many park projects during her tenure of 28 years in public office.

The excitement was obvious in Jacob’s demeanor as she cut the long red ribbon to open the beautiful facility. “This is awesome...It’s one-of-a-kind and it’s going to bring in events from all over the state of California,” said Jacob. “This is going to put Lakeside on the map.”

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

December 31, 2023 (Sacramento)--People on Medicare who want to see a therapist often wait up to six months for an appointment, but relief is on the way.

Starting Jan. 1, licensed marriage and family therapists will be able to accept Medicare insurance.

By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—It’s been a turbulent year, from the resignation of a supervisor to a tropical storm slamming our region, from environmental impacts of a drained reservoir to a migrant crisis at the border, from homelessness challenges facing local cities to financial challenges shutting down a popular parade, to name just a few of the top local stories. National and international news stories also sent shock waves across our region, from a former president and current candidate indicted on criminal charges to the Israeli-Hamas war igniting anguish and protests.

Our reporting team has worked hard to bring you in-depth coverage on the most important stories of the year affecting residents across East County.

Here are the top news stories and issues that we covered in 2023.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via WTVT pool video: Donald Santini is led into a Tampa courtroom before pleading guilty in the 1984 slaying of Cynthia “Cindy” Ruth Wood.

December 28, 2023 (Lake Morena, CA) – A Florida judge has sentenced Donald Santini to 50 years in prison, with 15 years parole, after he pleaded guilty to the 1984 strangulation murder of Cynthia Wood, the mother of three young children, the Tampa Bay Times reported in November. A fugitive for 40 years, Santini 65, lived under the alias  Wellman Simmonds in Campo’s Lake Morena community and even held public office. He served on the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group and as president of the Lake Morena Views Mutual Water Company.

His arrest in June by federal marshals for the murder of a Florida woman decades ago since shockwaves through the Lake Morena Community, as ECM reported.

By Miriam Raftery

December 31, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – As the year draws to a close, we honor the memories and legacies of local leaders and luminaries who passed away in 2023—gone but never forgotten.

This year's list of leaders lost includes several prominent elected officials, leaders in business and philanthropy, a tribal chairwoman, a Holocaust survivor, an SDSU professor, a BMX champion athlete, a sports team owner, a well-known community volunteer, an author and radio host, a former fire chief, and a popular musician.

Below are highlights of their remarkable accomplishments, listed in chronological order of their passing,  with links to full obituaries.

December 27,2023 (East County) -- The San Diego Blood Bank will hold blood drives in January in Lemon Grove and Santee:

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

Photo:  a U.S. passport. Photo via Pixabay

December 26, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) - Legislation by Rep. Darrell Issa to modernize the U.S. passport system and eliminate backlogs is moving forward in Congress.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all across East County

Not a creature was stirring, from Borrego to El Monte.

The stockings were hung by the chimneys with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

East County News Service

December 22, 2023 (San Diego)—The Neighborhood Market Association (NMA) held a press conference on Dec. 18 outside the Emerald Convenience Store in La Mesa to announce that it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in a series of armed robberies.

“A dangerous gang of gun-wielding criminals is terrorizing local small businesses in a series of armed `take-over’ style robberies at more than a dozen locations in the city and county of San Diego. Police have expressed concerns that these violent robberies could cause serious injury or death to innocent store employees,” a press release from the NMA states.

Last week, at least 13 convenience stores across  San Diego County were robbed; new surveillance video shows thieves yanking out cash registers and fleeing with the cash.

East County News Service

December 20, 2023 (Jamul)—"We’re shell-shocked!” CalFire San Diego posted on  Instagram. “A family who was missing their pet, ‘Mr. T’, for approximately one month, was ecstatic when staff from #CALFIRE San Diego found him while completing fuel reduction work near Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area.”  The preserve is located in Jamul.

East County News Service

December 20, 2023 (San Diego) – The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch starting tomorrow afternoon through Friday due to a major storm moving into San Diego County, with rain beginning tonight.

The storm is forecast to drop two to three inches of rain across mountains, valleys and coastal areas, with around an inch in the desert.  Runoff from the storm may bring flooding to urban and low-lying areas. Thunderstorms are also possible.

It likely won’t be a white Christmas locally, with the snow level at 6,000 feet or higher through Sunday.

By Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his budget proposal for the 2023-24 fiscal year during a press briefing at the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

December 19, 2023 (Sacramento) - Two seemingly diametrically opposed things were both true about California’s budget in 2023.

Story by Henri Migala

Photos by Henri Migala and Vince Kattoula

December 18, 2023 (Jamul) -- The largest cross in San Diego County was raised atop Rancho San Diego Hill, on 80 acres of private land, in Jamul on Friday, December 15.

The 36’ tall Chaldean cross, made possible by Samad (“Sam”) and Evone Attisha and their family, will serve as a symbolic memorial for persecuted Christians throughout Iraq and all of the Middle East.

"Over the last several decades, Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East have been persecuted simply because of their faith," said Samad Attisha, who established the project. "The Chaldean Cross serves as a symbolic memorial for those martyrs who were murdered because of their love for our Lord Jesus Christ. My family and I are blessed with the opportunity to have made this possible on behalf of the entire Chaldean Community."

By Rebecca Person

December 18, 2023 (Pine Valley) -- Postmaster Jessie Hoffman delights in seeing the Pine Valley branch of the U.S. Postal Service office decorated to fit the spirit of the holiday season. This year, volunteers lent a hand.

 “It was such a nice addition to have the community helping this year to have the town decorated.” she exclaims. “I came in on Monday to find the gingerbread men lining the sidewalk. Then, during the week others came to hang the snowflakes.”

She continues, “We love to make the office festive and welcoming to the community… This past year we had a seasonal tree up year-round. It is Pine Valley, after all, and having a pine tree in the lobby gives a special touch.  Each Christmas we try our best to go all out. My Clerk, Annette Ramirez, added a cardboard fireplace to our decorations to help make the office feel more welcoming.”

December 18, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Uncle Sam wants you to help stop insurers' bogus Medicare Advantage sales tactics  (NPR)
• After the Dobbs decision, birth rates are up in states with abortion ban states (NPR)
• Ahead of the holidays flu-like illnesses slightly increase  (KPBS)
• Uptick in mpox cases raises concerns in San Diego County  (KPBS)
• FDA expands cantaloupe recall after salmonella infections double in a week  (CBS 8)
• Mexico closes cantaloupe plant temporarily amid deadly salmonella outbreak (Reuters)
• Researchers return to Alzheimer's vaccines, buoyed by recent drug success (Reuters)
• In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt  (AP)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• IBM, EU and Disney pull ads from Elon Musk's X as concerns about antisemitism fuel backlash (AP)
• Judge says evidence shows Tesla and Elon Musk knew about flawed autopilot system  (NPR)
• Jury decides Google's Android app store benefits from anticompetitive barriers  (NPR)
• UC San Diego Climate change panel points to progress (KPBS)
• Companies say they're closing in on nuclear fusion as an energy source  (NPR)
• USDA's plant hardiness zone map shows half the country has shifted  (NPR)
• Forest Service plans carbon dioxide storage on federal lands 
• Consumer Reports is adapting its automobile testing to include EVs (NPR)

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