East County News Service

April 11, 2018 (La Mesa) – The citizens group overseeing the spending of millions of dollars in taxpayer-approved bonds for new and improved patient care facilities at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa has issued its 2017 Annual Report to the Community.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

April 7, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) –  A horse trailer being towed by an F-250 truck overturned on the right side of westbound Interstate 8 shortly before noon today, about three miles west of Crestwood, according to Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway Patrol.

A witness told authorities she was following behind the trailer and saw it start to fishtail. The driver was unable to control the vehicle, which went off the roadway and overturned. The trailer separated from the truck and its top was sheered off. The witness reported numerous people exiting the overturned horse trailer.

By Miriam Raftery

April 7, 2018 (Lakeside) – “My life changed forever during the early morning hours on Memorial Day, May 30, 2017,” says Korren Knapp Grada.  That’s when she suffered horrific injuries after being struck by two hit-and-run vehicles in I-8 near the Lake Jennings exit in Lakeside. 

How she got there remains a mystery, though she believes she was drugged by a man and was seeking to escape harm when she scaled a fence onto the freeway.

She’s shared her story with East County Magazine in hopes that someone can shed light on what happened, perhaps recognizing strangers in photos taken on her cell phone the night before. She also hopes to thank a good Samaritan who stopped and saved her life. 

Most of all, she needs help with staggering medical bills for multiple surgeries needed to save her life and help her on her long road to healing; you can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/helpkorren.

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By Liz Alper

Photo via @Padres on Twitter

April 6, 2018 (Houston) - This weekend will probably be the most predictable weekend in Padres history.  ECM’s Sports department has been told that readers can probably get their Padres news from the Union-Tribune, but ECM also loves being first to report anything, so we’d rather you experience the slaughter first-hand as the Padres traveled to Houston to face the defending World Series champion Astros.  Luis Perdomo started tonight’s game one against Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros.

Source: Cuyamaca College

Photo: The Ornamental Horticulture nursery at the 2017 Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival.

April 6, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) -- Up to 5,000 visitors will converge on the Cuyamaca College campus when the annual Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival returns for its 25^th year on Saturday, April 28, as the college, The Water Conservation Garden and the Heritage of the Americas Museum present an array of family-friendly events featuring plant sales, craft vendors, wine tasting and more.

East County News Service

April 6, 2018 (La Mesa) - Lamplighters Community Theatre ends its historic 80^th season with fun for the whole family in a presentation of Peter and the Starcatcher. Tony-winning Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan).

East County News Service

April 5, 2018 (San Diego) -- Recently, California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control has requested that online services cease listing unlicensed dispensaries operating in violation of state cannabis regulations. Several prominent online dispensary finder services have chosen to ignore this guidance from state regulators and continue to list unlicensed dispensaries.  But others are pledging to fully comply with state regulations by steering customers only to licensed dispensaries.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Google Earth

April 4, 2018 (La Mesa) – Yesterday, La Mesa Police sent a community alert out warning motorists to avoid the area of Center Drive and Grossmont Boulevard near Grossmont Center shopping mall and Grossmont Medical Center, due to police “actively searching the area” for a man reportedly sighted openly carrying a gun.

By Greg Dunne                

April 4, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- Pigeons are the ultimate urban birds. At our parks, on top of our downtown skyscrapers, even at the beach we see them.

Pigeons and Doves seem to be everywhere in the County—but even though it’s ordinary to see them on a daily basis, there are some extraordinary facts about these birds that may surprise you.

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - With mosquito season near, County officials want your help to keep everyone safe from illnesses such as West Nile virus and Zika.

At a press conference on Tuesday, County Supervisor Greg Cox urged the public to follow the “prevent, protect, and report” mantra.

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2018 (San Diego) – Free press advocates and some anchors at Sinclair Broadcast Group are raising objections to Orwellian scripts that Sinclair is forcing its news anchors nationwide to read, including scripts denouncing “false news” that “national media outlets are publishing.”

East County News Service

April 4, 2018 (La Mesa) – The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host “It’s All About The Conversation,” a free program on advance care planning (ACP), from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 25. The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served. Advance RSVP is not necessary. Handouts will be available.

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - Social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter are taking steps to combat bots, or automated accounts that have been used to spread Russian propaganda, influence U.S. politics, spreading fake news stories as well as inflammatory posts intended to divide Americans on issues such as race relations and gun control.

Today is last day to submit a map for final consideration at next Council meetings

By Mike Allen

 April 4, 2018 (Santee) -- Like it or not, and all five council members absolutely do not, Santee is adopting a system of district elections in advance of this November.

 Starting in late January, the council has been holding public hearings and soliciting comments about how boundary lines dividing the city into four quadrants should be drawn.