East County News Service

September 30, 2021 (San Diego) – The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is considering a proposal to tax drivers for every mile driven.  SANDAG leaders say the plan would help fund future transportation needs and encourage use of mass transit. But opponents say it unfairly penalizes motorists in areas such as East County, where many communities lack access to mass transit and drivers have no choice but to commute long distances to work, shop, or attend college.

East County News Service

August 21, 2021 (Borrego Springs) – The 55^th annual Borrego Days Desert Festival is slated to take place October 23 and 24 at Christmas Circle Community Park on Palm Canyon Drive in Borrego Springs. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.

East County News Service

September 28, 2021 (Sacrament) -- Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation yesterday to increase voter access and strengthen integrity in elections, including a bill to send all registered voters a vote-by-mail ballot.  Voters will have options to mail-in ballots, drop off ballots at designated locations, or still vote at polling places if they prefer.

By Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

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

Photo:  Maria Jimenez swabs her daughter, Glendy Perez, 7, for a COVID-19 test at Canal Alliance in San Rafael on Sept. 25, 2021.

September 27, 2021 (San Diego) - Sarah Voit likes to keep 10 to 15 rapid test kits on hand in case any of the residents of the Family Emergency Shelter Coalition in Hayward need to be tested for COVID-19. They’ve had some infection scares, and the antigen tests — which return results in minutes — have been crucial to curbing the virus in the family shelter.

By Erik Wiese, President, Wiese & Associates

September 26, 2021 (Santee) -- The city Councilmembers and staff of Santee should be congratulated on their historical opposition to allowing cannabis dispensaries to open up in our city. For years, they have maintained the health and safety of our citizens as their primary concerns.

By Miriam Raftery

September 26, 2021 (San Diego) – The 18^th annual San Diego Restaurant Week starts today and runs through October 3.  This year, the 90 participating restaurants include six in East County. La Mesa’s emergence as a dining destination is evidenced in its five options: Antica Trattoria, Farmer’s Table, Oyster & Pearl Bar, Pioneer BBQ, and Smokey & the Brisket.  Lemon Grove’s Giardino Neighborhood Cucina is also included. All have outdoor dining options.

By Liz Alper

Photo via @prepzone on Twitter

September 24, 2021 (Anaheim) - When Helix High School junior tight end Quincy Herron took the bus up to Aneheim to face Servite High School tonight, he had no idea what would be waiting for him in Orange County.

Source:  Lemon Grove Lions Club

September 24, 2021 (Lemon Grove) --  Lemon Grove Lions Club today presented the San Diego Center for The Blind a check for $2,000. 

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

Photo:  Rep. Sara Jacobs speaks on the House floor this week. Screenshot from video

September 24, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) - Rep. Sara Jacobs was the only member of the San Diego congressional delegation to cast a vote against the 2022 defense funding bill on Thursday, citing the end of the war in Afghanistan.

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2021 (El Cajon) – A nine-hour standoff has ended peacefully in rural East County.  The incident began shortly after 1:30 this morning when a woman called 9-11 to report that her husband had a gun and was threatening to hurt himself in front of their children at the family’s home in the 1400 block of Wilson Road in unincorporated El Cajon near Dehesa.

National survey by ResumeBuilder finds 63% of hiring managers prefer candidates who list vaccine status—and many reject unvaccinated applicants

Source:  ResumeBuilder.com

September 22, 2021 (Seattle, Wash.) – If you’re looking for a job, you may want to roll up your sleeve and get the “jab” first.  A nationwide survey of 1,250 conducted by  ResumeBuilder.com, a resource for professional resume templates, found that one-third of hiring manages will ignore resumes without a COVID-19 vaccine status – and 63% say they prefer candidates who list vaccine status on their resumes.  A growing number of companies are now requiring vaccines and/or giving first preference in hiring to those job-seekers who are fully vaccinated.

East County News Service

Photo via Make It Quietly on Tumblr

September 21, 2021 (Spring Valley) - For this year's Halloween show, the Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the Laurel and Hardy appreciation society, present "Halloscream Sapstravaganza."  The fun happens on Saturday, October 16 at 7 p.m. at Williams Hall at Trinity Presbytarian Church, 3902 Kenwood Drive, in Spring Valley.

By Henri Migala and Miriam Raftery

Photos courtesy of Ocotillo Wind Turbine Destruction on Facebook

September 20, 2021 (Ocotillo) – Residents in Ocotillo are voicing concerns after yet another wind turbine collapse at the Ocotillo Wind Energy facility. There were no injuries or damage to other structures when the 300-foot-tall turbine crashed to the desert floor at the trouble-prone facility on Thursday, September 16. But residents are raising serious questions over public safety at the site, which produces energy to SDG&E to power the San Diego region.

By Miriam Raftery

September 19, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes some thrilling and chilling October events, including Oktoberfests in La Mesa and El Cajon, the Festival of Sunflowers and Bathhouse Bazaar in Jacumba Hot Springs, an Autumn Jubilee in Santa Ysabel, the new El Cajon Foodie Fest, Dinner and Flamenco dancers in Lemon Grove, the Borrego Days parade and festival, the Lakeside River Park Conservancy’s Trail of Terror titled “Curse of the French Quarter,” Trick or Treat on Maine in Lakeside, spooky campouts at Lake Jennings, and Haunt Fest on Main in downtown El Cajon.