Cal Fire suspends burn permits

by Miriam Raftery | April 27, 2026 8:12 pm

Source:  Cal Fire

Following another wet winter that produced significant vegetation growth across the region, rising temperatures, low humidity, and seasonal winds are rapidly curing grasses and light fuels. These conditions are increasing wildfire risk across San Diego County, prompting Cal Fire to suspend all residential outdoor burn permits within the State Responsibility Area. This suspension takes effect at 8:00am on May 1st, 2026, and suspends all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris such as branches and leaves. (more…)[1]

Endnotes:
  1. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/cal-fire-suspends-burn-permits-2/#more-124174

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/cal-fire-suspends-burn-permits-2/

New high voltage Golden Pacific Powerlink proposed in East County: SDG&E hosts virtual meetings May 12 and 14

by Miriam Raftery | April 27, 2026 7:11 pm

Hear our interview with SDG&E’s project manager on the

proposed route

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – The state wants SDG&E to build Golden Pacific Powerlink[1], a new 500 kilovolt high-voltage line. The project would run from Imperial County through San Diego’s East County and North County, including Anza Borrego Desert State Park, then head northeast near Santa Ysabel and Warner Sprigns and into Riverside and Orange Counties. SDG&E will host two virtual open houses on May 12 and 14 at 12 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. both days. Sign up to attend[2].

ECM’s editor interviewed Erica Martin, SDG&E’s project director, for our show on KNSJ.

Read highlights below, or click the audio link below this article to hear the full interview. (more…)[3]

Endnotes:
  1. Golden Pacific Powerlink: https://goldenpacificpowerlink.com/
  2. Sign up to attend: https://goldenpacificpowerlink.com/connecting-with-communities#OH
  3. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/new-high-voltage-golden-pacific-powerlink-proposed-in-east-county-sdge-hosts-virtual-meetings-may-12-and-14/#more-124166

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/new-high-voltage-golden-pacific-powerlink-proposed-in-east-county-sdge-hosts-virtual-meetings-may-12-and-14/

Health and Science Highlights

by Miriam Raftery | April 26, 2026 9:28 pm

April 26, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) –Top health/science stories include the CDC blocking a report on COVID vaccines, the federal government reclassifying marijuana, flu vaccines no longer mandated for U.S. troops, and gas-powered AI centers emitting more greenhouse gases than many nations.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. (more…)[6]

Endnotes:
  1. CDC blocks publication of report showing COVID vaccine efficacy: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cdc-blocks-publication-report-showing-covid-vaccine-efficacy
  2. DOJ Moves to Reclassify Marijuana as Less Dangerous : https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/justice-department-medical-marijuana-rescheduling
  3. Flu vaccine no longer mandated for US troops, Hegseth says: https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-flu-vaccine-mandate-us-military-ce6069bf42de217092f9ca3154764593
  4. New Gas-Powered Data Centers Could Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Entire Nations: https://www.wired.com/story/new-gas-powered-data-centers-could-emit-more-greenhouse-gases-than-entire-nations/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_3edf0ba8-5349-4b06-ac26-e3dc1233b0a5_popular4-2
  5. She was fired after questioning her company’s contracts with ICE : https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/nx-s1-5786915/ice-immigration-enforcement-data-thomson-reuters
  6. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/124130-2/#more-124130

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/124130-2/

Lemon Grove man charged with murder

by Miriam Raftery | April 26, 2026 6:54 pm

 

East County News Service

April 25, 2026 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove resident Eric Nunez, 33, has been arrested on April 23 and charged with murder. The victim, whose identity has not yet been released, died of injuries after being shot in the 2100 block of Eldora Street in Lemon Grove on April 23 shortly after 4 a.m. (more…)[1]

Endnotes:
  1. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/lemon-grove-man-charged-with-murder/#more-124127

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/lemon-grove-man-charged-with-murder/

Two dead after collision in Julian

by Miriam Raftery | April 25, 2026 6:50 pm

 

East County News Service

April 25, 2026 (Julian) – Two people who died in an April 4 collision in Julian have been identified as Jesus Canales Lopez, 66, and Maria Del Carmen Contreras Albino, 48.

Two pickup trucks collided on westbound State Route 78, just west of Mastros Trailer Park in Julian around 2:49 p.m.  Both vehicles overturned multiple times. (more…)[1]

Endnotes:
  1. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/two-dead-after-collision-in-julian/#more-124125

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/two-dead-after-collision-in-julian/

Millions in “Inflation Relief” need to be collected by April 30

by Karen Pearlman | April 23, 2026 11:08 pm

East County News Service

April 23, 2026 (San Diego County) — The office of Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson[1] of District 39 in the state of California has sent out a reminder to San Diego County residents about their Middle Class Tax Refund, and an April 30 deadline for the spending of that money.

Possibly for thousands of San Diegans, their Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) debit cards[2] are officially one week away from use. Weber’s office reminds residents that any remaining balances on the state-issued cards will expire at the end of the month, with the funds pt back into California’s General Fund.

The MCTR program began in 2022 when California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature struck a $9.5 billion deal to provide “inflation relief.” Unlike previous stimulus efforts, the MCTR was tiered specifically to favor the middle and lower-income brackets, with payments ranging from $200 to $1,050 depending on income, filing status and the presence of dependents.

While the program was largely a success — state data shows that nearly 89 percent of the cards in San Diego County have been activated — the “unactivated” or “partially used” minority represents a significant sum of money.

The rules for the final week are rigid.

While you can still spend the funds at any retailer or transfer the balance to a personal bank account via the Money Network portal, the window for administrative help has closed and the deadline to request a replacement for a lost or stolen card has already passed.

If you have the card, you have seven days of “purchasing power” left.  After April 30, the card becomes a useless piece of plastic.

How to claim your remaining balance

If you still have your card (look for the “Valid Thru 04/26” marking on the front), here is how to act before the deadline:

Check your balance by call the number on the back of your card or visit the Money Network[3] FAQ page.

You can log in to the Money Network portal and initiate a one-time transfer to your personal savings or checking account.

The card functions as a standard Visa debit card. It can be used for groceries, utility bills or gas.

For more details on the program’s history and rules, visit the Franchise Tax Board’s MCTR webpage here[4].

Endnotes:
  1. Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson: https://sd39.senate.ca.gov/
  2. Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) debit cards: https://mctrpayment.com/
  3. Money Network: https://www.moneynetwork.com/
  4. here: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/help/state-managed-programs/middle-class-tax-refund/index.html

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/millions-in-inflation-relief-need-to-be-collected-by-april-30/

Celebration of Olaf Wieghorst in downtown El Cajon on May 2

by Karen Pearlman | April 23, 2026 10:19 pm

East County News Service
 
April 23, 2026 (El Cajon) — The Olaf Wieghorst Museum is hosting a birthday remembrance next month, celebrating the life of its namesake artist widely regarded as the “Dean of Western Art.”
 
 
The museum is hosting “Olaf Wieghorst Day,” from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 2, and will offer a deep dive into the history of the artist who not only painted the frontier, but lived it as well.
 
 
The museum is located at 131 Rea Ave., in downtown El Cajon.
 
 
Born April 30, 1899 in Viborg, Denmark, Wieghorst arrived in the United States in 1918 with little more than a dream and a  love of horses.

(more…)[1]
Endnotes:
  1. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/celebration-of-olaf-wieghorst-in-downtown-el-cajon-on-may-2/#more-123857

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/celebration-of-olaf-wieghorst-in-downtown-el-cajon-on-may-2/

PASSAGES: Kevin Key, 54 photographer, historian, teacher

by Karen Pearlman | April 23, 2026 8:23 pm

By Karen Pearlman

April 23, 2026 (Salton Sea) — Kevin Connolly Key, a renowned professional photographer whose lens captured the stark beauty and environmental fragility of the Anza-Borrego Desert, Salton Sea and nearly all of San Diego County through the years, passed away on April 20, 2026. He was 54.

Known to friends and neighbors as “Kevin LiT!,” Key was a resident of Niland, California, living “off grid” at the Salton Sea, and was a cornerstone of the Bombay Beach artistic community.

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office, Key died of blunt force trauma at the Pine Valley Bridge on the morning of April 20.

Key was preceded in death by his father, Bill Key, and leaves behind his mother, Clare Key, a brother Kerry Key, sister-in-law Carolyn Keen, nephew Alexander, and many uncles, aunts and cousins.

(more…)[1]

Endnotes:
  1. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/passages-kevin-key-54-photographer-historian-teacher/#more-123852

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/passages-kevin-key-54-photographer-historian-teacher/

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber warns of ongoing threats to voting rights at East County Democratic Club meeting

by Karen Pearlman | April 22, 2026 9:03 pm

Story and photo by Paul Levikow

April 22, 2026 (Alpine) — California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber[1] recently delivered an assessment of the challenges facing the state’s electoral system, while urging vigilance and civic participation ahead of the 2026 elections.

About 30 attendees gathered at The Alpine Club[2] for the East County Democratic Club[3]’s April meeting to hear from the state’s chief elections official. Weber’s message carried urgency shaped by both personal history and her experience overseeing elections in the nation’s most populous state.

Weber, a former teacher, university professor and San Diego School Board of Education[4] member, recounted her initial reluctance to accept the role of Secretary of State when asked by Governor Gavin Newsom.

She was serving her fifth term as a member of the California State Assembly representing San Diego when the call came.

(more…)[5]

Endnotes:
  1. Dr. Shirley Weber: https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/about
  2. The Alpine Club: https://thealpineclub.org/
  3. East County Democratic Club: https://ecdcweb.net/
  4. San Diego School Board of Education: https://www.sdcoe.net/board-of-education
  5. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/secretary-of-state-dr-shirley-weber-warns-of-ongoing-threats-to-voting-rights-at-east-county-democratic-club-meeting/#more-123840

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/secretary-of-state-dr-shirley-weber-warns-of-ongoing-threats-to-voting-rights-at-east-county-democratic-club-meeting/

Villa Musica expanding to East County for 20th anniversary

by Karen Pearlman | April 22, 2026 5:59 pm

East County News Service
April 22, 2026 (El Cajon) — For two decades, the halls of Villa Musica[1]’s Sorrento Valley headquarters have been alive with a specific kind of beautiful chaos — the steady thumps on the drum, soaring scales of soprano singers and the first notes of student violinists.
Now with Villa Musica is celebrating its 20th anniversary, the nonprofit community music center is opening a second site, in El Cajon.

(more…)[2]

Endnotes:
  1. Villa Musica: https://villamusica.org/
  2. (more…): https://eastcountymagazine.org/villa-musica-expanding-to-east-county-for-20th-anniversary/#more-123837

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/villa-musica-expanding-to-east-county-for-20th-anniversary/

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