STORIES OF THE YEAR 2022

By Miriam Raftery

January 1, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – It’s been a tumultuous year, as our region emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic only to face new challenges: drought, the homelessness crisis, wildfires, monkeypox, inflation and rising gas prices, the fentanyl crisis, concerns over sexual predators, human trafficking, and federal dumping of asylum seekers in our region.

Elections swept new faces into office from city councils to county sheriff. Development issues raged, from Fanita Ranch in Santee to proposed high rises in La Mesa and a hotel/event center at Jamul Casino. National and international news sparked local protests and concerns, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the January 6 commission findings, and the Supreme Court’s overturning of abortion rights.  

Here are the top issues and stories we covered in 2022:

WATER

Drought

After four years of insufficient rainfall, the Metropolitan Water District declared a drought emergency for Southern California in mid-December. In June, the County Water Authority’s leader testified before Congress on dire conditions at the Colorado River, one of our region’s two major water sources. By year’s end, the state announced it would slash water allocations from Northern California, our other major water source, to just 5% of allocations sought, leading to the drought declaration and a plea for everyone to conserve our most precious resource.

Lake Morena contaminated drinking water

In January, Karen Pearlman reported for ECM on nitrate contamination that has left many Lake Morena residents without drinkable water since September 2019—our own version of the Flint, Michigan water crisis.  Though grants have been awarded, by year’s end the water remains contaminated—and likely to stay undrinkable until 2024. 

 

Loveland Reservoir drained

Sweetwater Water Authority was the Grinch who stole Christmas for local fishermen and recreational users of Loveland Reservoir, draining it down to dead pool status to save a pittance for the district’s water users. The district ignored concerns over the destruction of wildlife, habitat, and a water resource for firefighters, as well as an old  land swap agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to protect recreational access. ECM reporter Elijah McKee first reported on this in June, but the SWA ignored even its own mission statement in devastating this East County resource – all to benefit people in the South Bay area.

Border 32 Fire

The Border 32 fire scorched over 4,400 acres, forcing some 1,500 residents to evacuate. Three homes were lost, along with six outbuildings, three recreational vehicles, and a commercial building.  ECM had two reporters on the scene at different points as the firestorm spread rapidly, threatening Barrett Junction and Potrero residents. Nadin Abbott reported on explosive growth that closed State Route 94 and extreme fire conditions as nightfall came, with even Tecate threatened.

 

ECM reporter Josh Stotler was behind fire lines when flames jumped the highway and even rescued a crew of firefighters dropped in by a helicopter when fast-moving flames encroached.  ECM also kept you informed when evacuations were lifted, interviewed a young couple whose dreams were devastated by the fire, and reported on GoFundMe sites set up to help survivors rebuild their lives. More donations are needed, for any of you who would like to help. 

 

Willow Fire

The Willow Fire charred just 15 acres along the San Diego Riverbed in Santee, but it destroyed all the belongings of people living in a homeless camp. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices in our region, especially those often not heard elsewhere, ECM reporter Shiloh Ireland interviewed homeless people who had been burned out by the fire, including a gay homeless couple unable to find a shelter to take them in. Moved by their stories, he even held a clothing drive this holiday season for the homeless people who lost everything, in a spirit of giving to those most in need.

For local veterans afflicted by cancer or other medical ailments associated with exposure to toxins such as  Agent Orange in Vietnam or chemicals in burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, signing by President Biden of HR 3967, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, comes as good news. The bill will provide medical coverage for these veterans and has drawn praise from veterans groups. But while four of San Diego’s Congressional representatives voted in favor of the measure, Rep. Issa voted against the landmark legislation.

Vehicle miles traveled

In September, Supervisors approved controversial vehicle miles traveled guidelines for new development that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but could raise costs to build housing in areas far from transit.  Supervisor Anderson added an amendment pushing to expand transit in East County to make it easier to build homes in unincorporated areas.

Mileage tax

When SANDAG proposed a mileage tax that could have a negative financial impact on motorists who live in remote rural, mountain and desert areas, ECM interviewed Supervisor Jim Desmond on his concerns. SANDAG later announced plans to drop the mileage tax proposal, at least temporarily.  

East County Congresswoman Sara Jacob sounded the alarm in January over a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine, traveling to Ukraine and meeting with officials from NATO and the European Union.  

 

On Feb. 24, Russia launched a   full-scale invasion of Ukraine  , chillingly striving to seize a nuclear power plant in what Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky called “a declaration of war against all of Europe.”

President Joe Biden announced tough sanctions against Russia, as did allied nations.  But Rep. Darrell Issa criticized Biden and NATO for not doing enough. Rep. Jacobs put the blame on Putin and called for help for refugees fleeing Russia’s onslaught. As sanctions ratcheted up and Europe funded arms for Ukraine, the ruble plunged in value, But Putin issued a nuclear threat. In Santee, Ukrainians held a vigil at the site of a planned Ukrainian church. 

 

In his State of the Union speech, Biden announced more support for Ukraine and our allies.  In March, Russia’s shelling of a nuclear plant ratcheted up fears of a nuclear crisis.  Biden called Putin a war criminal and approved anti-aircraft weapons for Ukraine. Here in San Diego, House of Ukraine launched a donation drive to help Ukraine.  ECM interviewed a Russian language professor at SDSU, who denounced Russia’s invasion and voiced concerns over Russian citizens arrested by Putin’s regime for protesting the attack. Our region soon readied to welcome Ukrainian refugees and seek federal aid.  El Cajon Police Dept. sent body armor and helmets to help the Ukrainian military. Astonishingly, what had once been predicted to be a crushing defeat of the Russian army soon became a rout of Russian forces from many key cities, under the courageous leadership of Zelensky. Evidence of war crimes emerged, and the war continues despite global condemnation.  

 

At year’s end, Congress approved more aid to Ukraine, including sending Patriot missiles to defend against Russia’s attack son power plants including nuclear facilities. Despite his earlier criticisms of the Biden administration for not doing enough to help Ukraine, Rep. Issa voted against this funding to help Ukraine, while San Diego’s other four Congressional members voted in favor. 

 

Local Bishop named Cardinal

Bishop Robert McElroy of the San Diego Catholic Diocese was named San Diego’s first cardinal in May. Inducted in June by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Cardinal McElroy also joins an elite list of candidates to become a future pope.

POLITICS

In Congressional races nationally, Republicans gained a slim majority in the House of Representatives, though Democrats kept control of the Senate. Locally, all five San Diego representatives retained their seats. 

 

New faces on some local councils and boards

East County’s closest election results were in La Mesa, where Laura Lothian hung onto her seat by just an 11 vote margin and Patricia Dillard won the seat vacated by Bill Baber’s retirement. Mayor Mark Arapostathis won reelection handily. In Lemon Grove, Alysson Snow won the seat formerly held by Jerry Jones, who retired, while Jennifer Mendoza won reelection on the oft-contentious board.  In Santee, incumbents ran unopposed, as did El Cajon Councilman Gary Kendrick, while El Cajon’s Mayor Bill Wells won reelection handily. 

 

Democrats swept the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District races, gaining a majority, while conservative Republicans ousted a trio of incumbents in the Lakeside Union School District.

Redistricting

2022 resulted in new district lines drawn for jurisdictions at the state, federal and local levels.  In East County, Arab-American residents raised objections over the redistricting plan adopted by the El Cajon City Council, which they contend divides their community. Concerns were also raised by Chaldeans over County Supervisor districts and in March, the nonprofit Chaldean Coalition filed a lawsuit against San Diego County, contending that splitting its representation among two districts violates state voting rights protections. The case remains pending. 

 

Lemon Grove controversies

Clashes on the Lemon Grove City Council led the majority to threaten censure and a restraining order against outspoken new Councilmember Liana LeBaron, Council ultimately tabled that resolution. LeBaron faced more woes when she was arrested following a domestic violence dispute, though a judge later lifted a restraining order obtained by LeBaron’s husband. LeBaron denied the assault allegations.

After the city of Lemon Grove failed to respond to records requests by both ECM and attorney Cory Briggs documenting its claims that LeBaron drove off city staff, Briggs filed a lawsuit against the city over its obstruction.

The city was at the losing end of another lawsuit, after a court ruled in favor of residents with major damage from sinkholes caused by a storm drain.  

 

Another long-standing issue had a brighter outcome, after citizens held a Citrus Fest to raise money to reopen the city’s recreation center.  After residents and the Council joined forces, the city approved a pilot program to open the rec center, but only on Saturdays, for now. 

 

Student loans

The Biden administration announced plans to forgive 10 to 20% of student loan debts.  Rep. Issa sharply criticized forgiving student loans – even though his company had over $151,000 in federal COVID-19 loans forgiven – shortly before the company closed down.  A federal appeals court later blocked the student loan forgiveness plan, pending Supreme Court review.

State of the Union

ECM covered President Biden’s State of the Union speech as he laid out his domestic agenda, and also covered the Republican response.

JANUARY 6 COMMISSION

With Donald Trump posed to run for president again, ECM closely watched and reported on the January 6 Commission investigations into the Jan. 6, 2022 Capitol attack and calls for accountability in a multi-part series:  1, 2,3, 4, 5.  The Commission presented evidence tying Trump to extremist militia groups whose leaders have since been convicted of violence at the Capitol, as well as evidence that the President watched the violence on TV and took no action to halt it, as well as testimony that his own Attorney General warned him that his stolen election claims were false.  

ECM also reported on the Dept. of Justice appointing a   special prosecutor  , the January 6 commission’s recommendation to the Justice Dept. that Trump and others be criminally prosecuted, and a separate investigation into classified documents found by the FBI at Trump’s Florida home.

IMMIGRATION

Hundreds of asylum seekers dumped at local transit stations over holidays

With extreme cold gripping much of the nation and shelters for asylum-seekers full, the federal government sent hundreds to San Diego County. Border Patrol agents dumped at least 880 asylum seekers off at transit stations, including 140 abandoned at the El Cajon Transit Center last weekend starting on Christmas Eve.Supervisor Anderson will introduce a proposal in January to provide aid for those stranded here, and to seek reimbursement through FEMA.

Most migrants remain in limbo as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on whether Title 42, a Trump-era policy barring most asylum seekers due to COVID-19, will be lifted or not. Meanwhile thousands have been preyed upon by criminals, killed or harmed while waiting in Mexico for a chance at a better life in America after fleeing violence in their homelands.

HOMELESSNESS CRISIS

County Supervisors declared homelessness a public health crisis in late September. But efforts to help the homeless began far earlier. In January, Supervisors eased zoning restrictions to make it easier to build homeless shelters. In February, they approved shallow subsidies to help prevent older adults from becoming homeless. In September, Supervisors approved rent subsidies to help prevent low-income seniors from losing their homes. Chairman Nathan Fletcher announced a plan for the county to also help local cities grappling with homelessness. But residents swiftly voiced opposition to each proposed homeless shelter site in East County.

El Cajon struggled to address problems including sanitation and crimes tied to a homeless camp just outside the city limit, on county land on Magnolia. The County eventually shut down the camp and put up East County’s first safe parking area for homeless in vehicles. The City applied for a county grant to build a homeless shelter, but the application was rejected because the city didn’t own the land and had asked for funds to buy a site for the much-needed shelter.

The County placed many homeless individuals in motels through a voucher program. But the City of El Cajon raised concerns over lack of notification and fugitives in the program. The city approved its first tiny homes project on a church site to shelter homeless women and children, as ECM’s Christianne McCormick reported. 

 

Supervisor Anderson hosted a forum on homelessness in El Cajon and another in Lakeside, also requesting a memorandum of understanding by the County to address homelessness along the San Diego River after the Willow Fire burned down an encampment. Another man was found dead in Santee’s riverbed along a trail with trauma to his body. Yet another man was found dead in a pond near a homeless camp in Lakeside, further highlighting the perils facing unsheltered homeless people here. 

 

At the state level, Governor Newsom signed Care Court legislation into law. When it rolls out in 2023, authorities will be able to mandate care for homeless people suffering severe mental impairment from mental illness or drug addiction. State Senator Brian Jones and a bipartisan group of legislators announced other new laws enacted to address the homelessness crisis. 

 

Everyone agrees that our region has a shortage of affordable housing. But how and where to build more affordable homes has been a source of contention—and sometimes, court intervention.

County works to add affordable housing

Seeking to address the affordable housing shortage, Supervisors in February approved 3-2 a plan to identify infill areas in unincorporated areas that could accommodate new homes. The County also forged a deal with the city of San Diego to build 10,000 affordable housing units on government-owned land. 

 

Fanita Ranch finagling 

Courts have increasingly blocked sprawl developments in rural areas due to concerns over wildfires and lack of adequate evacuation routes.  Such was the case in March, when a judge blocked the Fanita Ranch housing development in Santee due to fire danger and forced the City Council to rescind its prior approval. 

 

But the Council drew ire and cries of foul play from environmentalists when it removed from the ballot a measure that would have required that citizens have a vote on the Fanita Ranch project—then promptly approved a revised version of the Fanita Ranch project with improved fire safety.  Not surprisingly, four environmental groups promptly filed a lawsuit asking a court to block the project—again.

La Mesa high rise projects draw concerns

Building high-rise residential projects along transit lines is one way to meet state affordable housing mandates and lessen greenhouse gas emissions from commuters, as well as reducing fire dangers posed by sprawl developments in the backcountry. But in La Mesa, planners turned down a proposal for an eight-story housing project on the site of a former RV resort on Alvarado Rd. near I-8. But planners gave a thumbs up to a five-story apartment building on the site of the burned-down Randall Lamb building in La Mesa’s downtown village, sparking anger from some residents and nearby merchants who complained they had not been notified and voiced opposition based on lack of parking and impacts on the village’s historic character. The City Council is expected to take up those concerns at a future meeting.  

 

COVID-19

What a difference a year makes! We started 2022 with California’s Governor activating the national guard in January to help with COVID-19 testing as hospitals filled to capacity, nearly two years into the pandemic.

ECM reported on COVID relief programs to help Californians who fell behind on mortgage payments, FEMA funding funeral expenses of family members who died of COVID, San Diego county’s relief program for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by shutdowns,  as well as efforts by East County’s cities to help residents and businesses with programs ranging from help for renters and mortgage holders  in La Mesa to a gift card program in Lemon Grove to boost shopping at local businesses.  

ECM provide info on how to order free COVID tests and where to find vaccines just approved for young children. We also covered protests against mandates, including El Cajon officials who denied a mask mandate, and ending of the county mask mandate for vaccinated people in February. We reported when the county was placed back on the CDC’s list of high-risk communities in July, and when the new Paxlovid treatment helped President Biden recover quickly from a mild case of COVID.

Most startling, ECM reported on a new CDC study which found unvaccinated people over age 50 are 29 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than people who are vaccinated and boosted. 

 

Monkeypox

COVID wasn’t the only health challenge in 2022.  The first cases of monkeypox were confirmed in our county in June, leading the County of San Diego to declare a monkeypox emergency in early August. Thanks to the success of vaccines, the emergency was soon lifted.

Fentanyl crisis

Congressman Issa and Supervisor Jim Desmond hosted a roundtable on the fentanyl crisis in March, along with District Attorney Summer Stephan. More than 900 San Diego County residents died of opioid overdoses, and 800 of those were from fentanyl. Supervisors Joel Anderson and Nathan Fletcher teamed up to introduce a $100 million plan to tackle the opioid crisis with funds from a pharmaceutical industry settlement – a plan that was adopted unanimously in November. 

 

Polio

A resurgence of polio in New York prompted an ECM special investigation into whether water supplies in San Diego County were being tested for polio, as has been done for early detection of COVID-19. Disturbingly, ECM reporter  Henri Migala, who has worked with a medical team combatting polio overseas, learned that no polio testing was being done here, despite the success of testing water in nations where the scourge that has paralyzed legions of children still persists. 

 

Borrego Health scandal

In November, the state announced it was reimposing Medi-Cal payment suspensions on all Borrego Health clinics. The action followed a fraud investigation and raid by the FBI and U.S. Justice Department, as Nikki Symington reported for ECM. The loss of funding impacted patients at Borrego Health’s clinics across East County and beyond.

Nursing home reforms

Emmy Award-winning journalist JW August authored a shocking investigative report into “zombie” nursing homes – chain operators buying up California nursing homes despite dismal records elsewhere with woefully inadequate oversight.  In September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a contentious nursing home licensing reform bill.

Abortion and birth control access

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade and granted states the right to restrict or outlaw abortion, protests erupted in San Diego and East County, and ECM was on hand to cover the protestors’ concerns. ECM editor Miriam Raftery also interviewed two East County women’s rights activists who recalled what it was like to help women seeking abortions before and after the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion. 

California lawmakers put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to protect abortion rights. Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure in November. Governor Newsom also signed other measures into law to protect reproductive rights, including a major measure authored by East County Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a medical doctor. But these rights remain at risk, since the new Republican controlled Congress has pledged to introduce a nationwide ban on abortion.

Local Congresswoman Sara Jacobs cosponsored a bill to protect women’s rights to contraception, or birth control, which the ruling had also put at risk. She later presided over the session when the House approved her bill (with Rep. Issa voting no). It was signed into law by President Biden, who also took additional steps to protect abortion access where possible, within the limits of the Supreme Court decision. 

ENVIRONMENT 

Several environmental issues topped the news locally this year.

Newland Sierra preserved

The battle to protect nearly 2,000 acres in San Diego’s NortheastCounty from development is over. Two years after voters approved ballot Measure B to block construction of the controversial Newland Sierra housing project previously approved by San Diego’s Board of Supervisors, one of the project’s leading opponents,   Golden Door spa, has acquired the property to preserve it   as open space and wildlife habitat for generations to come. 

 

Cottonwood sand mine

Astonishingly, a draft Environmental Impact Report on the controversial proposed Cottonwood Sand Mine concluded that aesthetics, or views, would be the only impact that could not be mitigated, drawing community ire.  The site is adjacent and upstream from a national wildlife refuge along the Sweetwater River, also close to homes, schoolsand businesses.  “We believe the Project DEIR is a flawed document that does not adequately analyze the significant impacts of the Project to the people, wildlife, water, air, and roads of the community,” Elizabeth Urquhart told ECM. “The DEIR does not propose adequate mitigation or alternatives to address those impacts.”

Beach pollution warnings

Pollution is on the rise at area beaches, due largely to pollutants from Mexico as well as storm runoff. After an ECM reader had a dog sickened and nearly killed by pollutants at a dog beach locally, ECM asked the county to alert the public when a dog beach becomes contaminated. The County did just that, in alerts such as this one, for example. Troublingly, pollution that once affected mainly South Bay beaches such as Imperial Beach have now spread as far north as La Jolla and even Carlsbad. Sobefore you head to a beach with your family or your dog, be sure to check the county’s new resource for beachgoers at http://www.sdbeachinfo.com/. 

 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Scanners blocked

For editors and reporters, access to the police scanner is a critical — and immediate — news source when covering breaking news, be it a massive fire raging through a community or rescue workers trying find a missing child.That access is gone in our region due to a new state law banning transmission of private data.  As a result,,dozens of law enforcement agencies, including the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and East County’s police agencies have fully encrypted all communications—preventing even emergency alert service operators from accessing police and Sheriff scanner traffic for real-time updates on major incidents that put public safety at risk.  ECM has raised objections and even met with a Sheriff’s official, but so far, the scanner transmissions remain blocked.  

County approves access for farmers, ranchers during disasters

Tragic stories emerged during past local wildfires of livestock that perished not from flames, but from lack of food, water, or medical care. Farmers can also lose crops due to lack of irrigation. That’s led some farmers and ranchers to risk their lives and not evacuate, knowing that they would not be allowed back in to care for their animals or crops. So in September, Supervisors approved issuing agricultural passes to allow a farmer or rancher limited access to care for livestock or crops during wildfires or other emergencies, once emergency responders deem conditions safe.

ECONOMY

Gas prices

Gas prices soared far more than the rate of inflation, fueled in part by Russia’s interruption of natural gas supplies in Europe, but seemingly also by oil companies’ greed.  Oil and gas refiners arrogantly refused to show up at a California Energy Commission hearing in November on whether price gouging had occurred, prompting the Governor to convene a special legislative session in December to address the issue. Journalist JW August first raised questions over gas price gouging in March, in an article published in ECM and Times of San Diego. 

 

County Supervisors called for a suspension of the state gas tax. Instead, the Legislature approved checks for vehicle owners ranging from $200 to over $1,000.  Here’s when to expect yours. 

 

Fortunately, gas prices have been steadily falling in our region, and by December had fallen to far below the March peak pricing. Meanwhile legislative leaders announced plans for a windfall profits tax on oil companies, as well as early release of lower-cost winter blends. 

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/gas-prices-drop-sharply-governor-takes-action-oil-companies-refuse-testify-state-hearing-price

Inflation and climate change bill signed

President Joe Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August, calling it “one of the most significant laws in our history.” He added, “With this law, the American people wonand the special interests lost.” The bill cuts prescription drug costs for Medicare and has healthcare savings for many others, provides tax breaks and rebates for households and companies investing in clean energy, funds IRS collections from tax dodgers and levies new taxes on some corporations, also aiming to sharply reduce the federal deficit. It includes the nation’s largest-ever investment in clean energy to attain 2/3 of the Paris Climate Change Accord goals in ten years.The bill also allows Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug costs and cap costs on drugs such as insulin, also extending expiring health care subsidies.

The measure, which is projected to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion this year, passed without a single Republican vote. 

 

DEVELOPMENT

Casa de Oro makeover

In September, the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group approved the Pre-final Campo Road Corrido Revitalization Specific Plan to amatically reconfigure the area in Spring Valley’s Casa de Oro business district. ECM’s Henri Migala first reported on this ambitious proposal back in April, when the County held a community meeting to get input and ideas.  The Revitalization Plan includes the possibility of forming a “business improvement district” in the corridor, reconfiguring the roadway to include a roundabout, bringing in mixed use buildings with businesses and residential, enhancing arts and culture with murals and more, changes in parking, bicycle paths, events, a tree-lined median and more. 

 

Jamul Casino Hotel & Event Center

The Jamul Indian Village aims to expand its Jamul Casino to include a 16-story hotel, event center, multi-purpose/bingo hall, and a six-story parking structure. But the draft Tribal Environmental Impact Report drew strong opposition from the Jamul-Dulzura Community Planning Group, which blasted the report as “extraordinarily incomplete and premature.” Planners and community members voiced concerns over noise, traffic on already-congested State Route 94, and impacts on wildlife in the adjacent Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve and the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area nearby. 

 

Santee to get a hotel, but not a library

Santee’s grand plan to turn part of Trolley Square into an arts and entertainment district took a step forward in February, when the City Council approved the sale of a parcel for a four-story, 89-room hotel. The site was once planned as a new library, but the Council nixed that two years earlier, deciding the site was best suited for a hotel aimed at regional tourists, including the out-of-town baseball teams competing at nearby Sportsplex USA.

CRIME AND POLICING

New Sheriff

There’s a new Sheriff in town. Bill Gore retired in February after a dozen years as San Diego County Sheriff. After interim leadership, the post was filled in November by the election of Kelly Martinez, the first woman to head up the Sheriff’s department for America’s sixth largest county.

Jail deaths

Martinez faces key challenges – and the biggest is the soaring number of deaths in county detention facilities. On the same date that Sheriff Gore retired, the state auditor issued a scathing report calling on the state Legislature to take action to reduce local jail deaths – the highest rate of any major county in California. Two weeks later, a class action lawsuit was filed against the county urging improvements to “dangerous” and “deadly” conditions in the jails. 

 

Assemblymember Akilah Weber introduced the Saving Lives in Custody Act. It passed the Legislature, but was inexplicably vetoed by the Governor.

The Sheriff’s Department did roll out many changes  aimed at reducing jail deaths. That included introducing NARCAN to prevent overdoses in locations available to inmates and by year’s end, this had saved lives.  

 

Police oversight and transparency

Advocates for more oversight of officer-involved shootings scored two victories this year. The Sheriff approved allowing members of the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board to have access to scenes where fatal deputy-involved shootings occurred. In addition, local law enforcement agencies forged an agreement to assure that no agency will investigate shootings involving its own officers in the future. 

 

Trafficking

San Diego remains a hub of sex trafficking. In August, the FBI announced rescue of 17 human trafficking victims in our region, as part of a national operation. The House unanimously passed the Human Trafficking Prevention Act co-sponsored by Rep. Issa to require display of the National Human Trafficking Hotline information in restrooms at all U.S. ports of entry, airplanes, airports, trains, train stations, busses, and bus stations. NBC San Diego completed “Stolen," a shocking investigative series on local human trafficking, which will be presented Jan. 19, 2023 by the Lakeside Union School District.  

 

Skimmer scams

Skimming devices attached by thieves to ATM machines and credit card devices have stolen money from consumers in multiple East County locations. ECM editor Miriam Raftery spoke with La Mesa Police to learn what actions the LMPD is taking to help prevent these crimes, educate merchants, and help catch scammers.

Sex offender placements

East County residents are standing up against the dumping of sex offenders in their neighborhoods, as ECM reporters Henri Migala and Shiloh Ireland reported. Why were several sex offenders placed in one home in Lakeside? Residents rallied repeatedly and raised legal funds, and even El Cajon’s mayor turned out to show support for the community until ultimately the offenders were placed elsewhere.

After residents in communities such as Jacumba and Borrego Springs were repeatedly targeted for placement of sexually violent predators (SVPS) Senator Brian Jones introduced a bill to limit these worst of the worst from being concentrated in any one supervisorial district, but it failed to win passage.

Mother of 9 murdered

Among many crimes reported in 2022, some stand out as particularly shocking. Such was the killing of a Syrian refugee woman, the mother of nine children, in El Cajon.  Her husband was arrested on suspicion of murder. ECM editor Miriam Raftery reached out to License to Freedom, which provided counseling to the family members, and learned that family friends with seven children of their own had generously agreed to take in all nine of the slain woman’s children. 

 

La Mesa riot and arson accountability

The May, 2020 riot in La Mesa left three buildings burned to the ground. In 2022, a man was sentenced for participating in arson that destroyed the Randall Lamb historic building and a second arsonist was sentenced for burning down Chase Bank. ECM’s coverage of the riot included photos and video by Jake Rose showing arsonists inside the Randall Lamb structure.

The riot was precipitated in part by a white La Mesa Police officer who was fired for allegedly lying and falsifying a police report involving an altercation with a young black man that went viral. He was fired and criminally charged, and while a jury found him not guilty, in April 2022 a judge found the city was justified for firing Officer Matt Dages.

Tijuana violence

When Tijuana, Mexico exploded in a night of violence, arson fires and attacks on bystanders fueled by warring cartels, the city went into lockdown and the U.S. State Dept. issued a warning to travelers. ECM provided real-time coverage to alert our readers to these dangers. 

More jurisdictions move to legalize sales

Santee’s city council voted to legalize cannabis businesses, with strict regulations, in late July. In November, countywide voters approved a tax on cannabis in unincorporated areas, after Supervisors moved forward on legalization, leaving El Cajon as the only East County community that has remained staunchly opposed to legal cannabis.  Supervisor Joel Anderson has raised concerns, however, about the county’s proposed social equity program for cannabis business ownership in unincorporated areas, which would allow ownership by people previously incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes. Meanwhile in Lemon Grove, the legally permitted Wellgreens cannabis dispensary donated to help eliminate a quarter million dollars in medical debts for Californians.

Beagles rescued

ECM reporter Josh Stotler’s story, “  The beagles have landed  ,” tells a heartwarming tale of 108 beagles rescued from a breeder for laboratories in Virginia. The dogs arrived at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, greeted by San Diego Humane Society workers for health check-ups and ultimately, adoption into happy new homes.

Pigs abandoned in East County

Local residents squealed in outrage after someone dumped over 100 pet pigs on the Mesa Grande reservation near Santa Ysabel. Some were rescued, but others perished; the perpetrator remains unknown.

New help to reunited lost pets with owners

If you find a lost pet, you don’t have to find a veterinarian anymore to scan for a microchip, a process that can take time at night or on weekends when vets are closed. Now San Diego Sheriff’s stations have pet microchip scanners to help reunited furry friends with the owners more quickly.