East County Roundup: local and statewide news
March 6, 2026 (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
- San Diego gas prices surge amid Middle East tensions (Times of San Diego)
- Lithium-ion battery fire at SDSU leaves at least one student injured (Times of San Diego)
- ICE in San Diego is monitoring activists through Operation Road Flare (Daylight San Diego)
- Tijuana businesses reopen, yet residents remain cautious following cartel attacks (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Joe Musgrove completes another step on path to recovery from 2024 surgery (Times of San Diego)
- CBP’s Request for All San Diego County Parcel Data Raises Questions Among Officials (Newschunks)
- ICE agents deny US Senator, San Diego County supervisors access to Otay Mesa immigrant detention center (KPBS)
- .Federal agents detain immigration court observers in downtown San Diego (KPBS)
- County launches aging dashboard as senior population grows (KPBS)
- He saw an abandoned trailer. Then, he uncovered a surveillance network on California’s border (KPBS)
STATE
- California’s next insurance commissioner will have ‘brutal’ balancing act (Cal Matters)
- 8 dead in Tahoe avalanche; victims include moms of Sugar Bowl youth team skiers (Sacramento Bee)
- Bernie Sanders kicks off billionaires tax campaign with choice words for the ‘oligarchs’ (Politico)
- Billionaires Spielberg, Zuckerberg eyeing East Coast, stirring concerns about California’s wealth-tax proposal (Los Angeles Times)
- Canadian snowbirds are still unhappy with Trump. And Palm Springs is feeling the chill (Los Angeles Times)
- Frustrated families sue the state to stop antisemitism in California schools (EdSource)
- Senators decry surge in deaths at ICE detention facilities, citing poor medical care (Los Angeles Times)
- Part of California’s Highway 1 shut down due to rockslides and debris (San Francisco Chronicle)
For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.
San Diego gas prices surge amid Middle East tensions (Times of San Diego)
San Diego County drivers are feeling the pinch at the pump as the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline jumped 10.4 cents Friday to $4.998, its highest level since June 3, 2024...The average is now 32 cents higher than one week ago, 47.1 cents above last month, and 25.8 cents more than a year ago.
Lithium-ion battery fire at SDSU leaves at least one student injured (Times of San Diego)
At least one student was treated for unspecified injuries after a lithium-ion battery from a scooter ignited a fire inside a dormitory at San Diego State University late Tuesday night.
ICE in San Diego is monitoring activists through Operation Road Flare (Daylight San Diego)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego is monitoring activists who document the agency's activities, court records revealed.
Tijuana businesses reopen, yet residents remain cautious following cartel attacks (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Businesses across the city reopened Monday following arson fires set Sunday in reaction to the death of "El Mencho.”
Joe Musgrove completes another step on path to recovery from 2024 surgery (Times of San Diego)
First he was Java Joe, then No-No Joe, but on Wednesday afternoon he was Comeback Joe. Padres starting pitcher and Grossmont High alum Joe Musgrove returned to the mound for the first time since tearing his UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024.
CBP’s Request for All San Diego County Parcel Data Raises Questions Among Officials (Newschunks)
On Wednesday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made a notable request for comprehensive data on all parcels across San Diego County, encompassing details about property ownership. This request has caught the attention of local government officials and residents alike, prompting discussions about its implications and the need for transparency.
KPBS - Friday’s inspection by county officials was supposed to be the first of its kind in California. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said she will sue the Trump administration over the denied access.
.Federal agents detain immigration court observers in downtown San Diego (KPBS)
Four activists were briefly detained and issued citations for loitering. They say it is a ratcheting up of intimidation by the Trump administration.
County launches aging dashboard as senior population grows (KPBS)
San Diego County officials launched a new Aging Dashboard as the region’s population of adults 60 and older is projected to top 824,000 by 2029.
He saw an abandoned trailer. Then, he uncovered a surveillance network on California’s border (KPBS)
...as many as 40 [trailers] are feeding information into Trump administration databases as the Democratic-led state chafes over the federal government’s massive deportation program.
STATE
California’s next insurance commissioner will have ‘brutal’ balancing act (Cal Matters)
In November, Californians will vote for “the second-hardest job in the state behind the governor.”... The next insurance commissioner will have to balance availability with affordability.
8 dead in Tahoe avalanche; victims include moms of Sugar Bowl youth team skiers (Sacramento Bee)
Eight of the nine people reported missing after a massive avalanche roughly the size of a football field struck a guided backcountry ski group near Lake Tahoe were confirmed dead Wednesday, Nevada County authorities said, making the incident one of the deadliest U.S. avalanches in decades. The ninth person was presumed to have died.
Bernie Sanders kicks off billionaires tax campaign with choice words for the ‘oligarchs’ (Politico)
Populist Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday formally kicked off the campaign to place a billionaires tax on the November ballot, framing the proposal as something larger than a debate about economic and tax policy as he appeared at a storied Los Angeles venue.
Billionaires Spielberg, Zuckerberg eyeing East Coast, stirring concerns about California’s wealth-tax proposal (Los Angeles Times)
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg moved to New York and Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is considering Florida property amid a proposed 5% wealth tax on California billionaires’ assets. The union-backed measure seeks to raise $100 billion for healthcare but faces opposition from those who say it will drive wealthy residents away.
Canadian snowbirds are still unhappy with Trump. And Palm Springs is feeling the chill (Los Angeles Times)
Palm Springs relies heavily on Canadian tourists, who are declining to travel to the U.S. or shortening their stays because of Trump. The number of Canadian visitors to California plummeted more than 18% in 2025 compared with the year prior.
Frustrated families sue the state to stop antisemitism in California schools (EdSource)
Disappointed that lawsuits and complaints against school districts haven’t forced change, a national Jewish nonprofit law organization is suing the California Department of Education and state officials for their failure to stem antisemitism in California schools.
Senators decry surge in deaths at ICE detention facilities, citing poor medical care (Los Angeles Times)
At Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities across the country, detainees go without medicine for serious health conditions, endure miscarriages while shackled and are dying in record numbers, a group of U.S. senators said.
Part of California’s Highway 1 shut down due to rockslides and debris (San Francisco Chronicle)
Caltrans shut down Highway 1 from Ragged Point to Big Sur, a roughly 45-mile stretch along California’s Central Coast, due to rockslides and debris in the roadway at multiple locations, the agency said Monday evening.