March 10, 2023  (San Diego) -- 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

• El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells announces bid for Congress, setting up fight with incumbent Sara Jacobs
• County officials may build small houses for the homeless in Santee. Local leaders are not on board. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Cops willing to jump to El Cajon will get a significantly larger bonus, part of a broader effort to expand law enforcement (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SDG&E Says $16M in Funds Will Help Struggling Customers With Energy Bills (NBC San Diego)
• Pine Valley businesses benefit from surge in tourists visiting snow (10 News)
• Student at Granite Hills HS arrested after attacking teacher (10 News)
• Settlement reached in Tijuana sewage lawsuit (KPBS)
• Over the past year DOJ's Task Force Kleptocapture has been extremely busy (NPR via Boise State Public Radio)

STATE

• New storm could bring more peril to California rivers already hit by deadly flooding  (Los Angeles Times)
• California’s snow-stranded residents need food, plows, help (AP)
• California bill would eventually ban all tobacco sales (KPBS)
• California's solution to regulations around hazardous waste: send it across state lines  (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

December 4, 2022 (San Diego) -- 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

• Poison pill: San Diego County’s battle against fentanyl (NBC San Diego)
• San Diego Has the Highest Rate of Whooping Cough in California  (NBC San Diego)
• East County Company Pleads Guilty To Selling Fake COVID Cleaner (Patch)
• Threatened coastal railroad is San Diego’s only link to national military rail network. What if it shuts down? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Construction begins in Poway on statewide high-speed internet project (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• The veteran who helped disarm the gunman at gay club says he followed his instincts (NPR)
• Data: no exact link between homeless voucher use, crime increase (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego to Release 250 Million Gallons of Water From Hodges Reservoir Into Nearby River (NBC 7)
• Musgrove Heads to Antarctica Not Just to Set World Record, But to Benefit Challenged Athletes (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• Drying California lake to get $250M in US drought funding (KPBS)
• The shadow race is on to succeed Feinstein (Politico)
• Big tobacco tries to stop California flavored tobacco ban (KPBS)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

May 24, 2022 (San Diego) -- 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

• 20% of region’s homeless live in East County, data shows (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove residents would have an easier time building accessory units under proposal (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Media, legislators sound alarm on law enforcement radio encryption (North Coast Current)
• No boating or fishing at Lake Hodges while dam is repaired (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Two San Diego tribes receive grants to broaden high-speed internet access

STATE

• First possible Cailfornia monkeypox case reported in Sacramento County (10 News)
• CA Minimum Wage Pushed Up By Unprecedented Inflation Trigger (Patch)
• California could see mandatory water cuts amid drought (10 News)
• California's under-21 gun sales ban is unconstitutional, court says  (NPR)
• Toni Atkins vows to enshrine a woman’s right to choose in California (KPBS)
• Plot to Blow Up Democratic Headquarters Exposed California Extremists Hiding in Plain Sight

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Dear Readers:

Many hot news stories are on the horizon in the New Year. Help us cover the stories listed below and more! While other publishers are cutting East County coverage, we’re gearing up to grow our local news reporting in the public interest!  To make a year-end, tax deductible donation, click here. Donors who give $50 or more will receive our Beautiful East County calendar as thanks!

Here are the top 2022 issues we aim to cover, with your help:

November 24, 2021 (San Diego) -- 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

• El Cajon does about-face on redistricting maps process (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego judge dismisses lawsuit challenging state's school mask mandate (10 News)
• Sniffing Out COVID-19 at San Diego Ice Arena (NBC San Diego)
• San Diego City Council Eliminates Minimum Parking Requirements for Businesses (Times of San Diego)
• Staffing shortages challenging San Diego Fire-Rescue (KPBS)
• San Diego MTS determined to rehab ‘Impossible Railroad’ despite latest setback in the desert  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Residents applaud safety fixes on Mount Helix Drive (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• After record low, monarch butterflies return to California (AP News)
• California broadens access to Covid booster shots  (New York Times)
• Fearing a winter surge, California turbocharges its push for COVID booster shots  (Los Angeles Times)
• Here’s how many California kids have had a COVID vaccine, about a week into rollout  (Sacramento Bee)
• About 80 thieves ransack department store near San Francisco (10 News)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

September 30, 2021 (San Diego) -- 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

• Residents of tiny town sue to stop 600-acre solar project: Opponents of the facility in Jacumba Hot Springs hire law firm that fought the Keystone XL pipeline. (Los Angeles Times)
• Insurance Companies Increasingly Drop Homes Throughout San Diego County As Fire Risks Rise (KPBS)
• Grossmont High students break the (dress) code (The Reader)
• Families who fled Afghanistan describe harrowing journey to escape Taliban (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Santee officials attack SANDAG’s transit-centered plan: ‘It’s a frickin slap in the face’ (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Chabad Of Poway Shooter Pleads Guilty To All 113 Federal Charges (KPBS)
• Anti-Vaxxer Turns Vaccine Advocate After Husband Dies From COVID-19 (NBC 7)
• Survey: Many SDPD officers say they would rather quit than comply with vaccine mandate (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Bob Baker, car dealership owner, philanthropist, dies at 89 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• El Cajon police identify sergeant, gunman he hit with vehicle and fatally shot (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California outlawed the all-white-male boardroom. That move is reshaping corporate America
• Not enough subs: California schools face severe teacher shortage (Cal Matters)
• With recall defeated, Newsom scores well in poll against 2022 rivals (Los Angeles Times)
• What just happened with single-family zoning in California? - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
• Newsom Marks California Vaccination Milestone: 80% With at Least One Dose Times of San Diego)
• Education Dept. opens investigations into 5 statewide bans on mask mandates (The Hill)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Our radio shows from January through March 2021 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show. Click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Interviews included Congresswoman Sara Jacobs on the Capitol insurrection and COVID, Erica Pinto, chair of Southern Calif. Indian Healthcare, attorney Scott Gottredson on PFAS lawsuits and contamination at military bases, author Roger Showley, author of San Diego Memories III: A Time of Change – The 1960s and 1970s, and Craig Unger, author of American Kompromat.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. (Note: Due to COVID-19 quarantines, some show dates aired reruns. Original shows are listed below.) Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

March 8 2021 (San Diego) -- 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 judge upholds restrictions on dining, gyms(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Helix Water District looks at rate changes to take effect in July (San  Diego Union-Tribune)
• Mayor Bill Wells says conservative voices have been purged from SANDAG (KUSI)
• Community power plan to begin in March (La Mesa Courier)
• San Diego Sheriff’s Dept. announces first inmate death due to COVID-19(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Man Behind Starbucks Barista Fundraiser Sued By San Diego 'Karen'(Patch)

State

• Newsom signs stimulus package that includes $600 payments to 5.7 million people in California(KTLA)
• Deal struck to reopen schools with $2 billion in incentives (Los Angeles Times)
• California waiving millions of dollars in state business fees in new COVID stimulus  (Sacramento Bee)
• California homegrown Coronavirus strain looks increasingly transmissible and dangerous (Los Angeles Times)
• State Eases Restrictions, Judge Grants Request to Resume Youth Sports (Times of San Diego)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

December 7, 2020 (San Diego) -- 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

• In a first, California considers allowing housing project on San Diego ecological reserve (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego Businesses Lose Court Bid to Resume Indoor Operations, Will Try Again (Times of San Diego)
• Surge in D’s and F’s in San Diego County schools raises questions: How to grade during pandemic (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• SDSU Considers Canceling Spring Break to Avoid COVID-19 Surge (NBC San Diego)
• Ravaged by fire, USS Bonhomme Richard bound for scrapyard, Navy says (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Paul Parker Returns to Lead County Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (County News Center)

STATE

• California will receive 327,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine by mid-December. Who gets them?  (Sacramento Bee)
• Biden Picks Xavier Becerra to Lead Health and Human Services (Xavier Becerra)
• CIF Delays Start, Cancels Fall Regional, State Championship Dates (Patch.com)
• California health chief says all school reopening is local (Politico)
• California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began (Los Angeles Times)
• Thousands of curfew breakers rally to reopen California (10 News)
• Conception boat fire: Captain charged over 34 deaths in California (BBC)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

June 25, 2020 (San Diego) -- 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

• Berkshire Hathaway Courts San Diego, Threatens SDG&E Monopoly (Voice of San Diego)
• Court tosses San Diego County climate plan, calls carbon-offset program ‘unlawful’ (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove looking at putting cannabis sales tax on November ballot (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Supervisor Fletcher again casts dissenting vote against seeking more state guidance on reopening planned events (KUSI)
• Sweetwater’s school board puts superintendent on leave after laying off 223 employees (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Large decreases in mountain lion deaths during coronavirus stay-at-home orders (10
• Man Drowns While Searching for Frogs with Son in Potrero (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• AB 2501 – COVID-19 Homeowner, Tenant, and Consumer Relief Law of 2020 (JD Supra)
• Gov. Newsom Declares Budget Emergency to Help California Respond to COVID-19 (NBC 7)
• As California Seeks Injunction on Gig Workers, Uber Says 158,000 Will Lose Jobs (Times of San Diego)
• California’s vacation industry is open for business. Proceed with caution (CalMatters)
• Disneyland Reopening Delayed Indefinitely (Patch)
• 5 Governors, 1 Message: 'Wear a Mask' (KQED)
• Superintendents, school boards attack ban on layoffs they suspect could be in state budget (Ed Source)
• State, federal officials take different paths trying to stop utilities from causing wildfires (San Diego Union-Tribune)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

May 27, 2020 (San Diego) -- 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 County Supervisors approve coronavirus stimulus package (Patch)
• Homeless Residents Around the County Confront Lack of Shelter, Resources (Voice of San Diego)
• San Diego County revives human relations commission in wake of racist incidents in Santee (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove Could Be Running on Fumes Within Two Years (Voice of San Diego)
• Choir Featuring Members of San Diego’s Homeless Community Shines on ‘America’s Got Talent’ (NBC 7)
• Anthony’s Fish Grotto Reverses Closure Due to Customer Support (La Mesa)
• San Diego Courts Grapple With Issues Over Resuming Jury Trials in COVID-19 Era (City News Service)
• Protests persist as distress deepens over economic crisis (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Several CA retailers closing due to coronavirus (Patch)
• California records second-deadliest single day ever; more than 2,000 new cases (San Jose Mercury News)
• California cracks down on rogue bars (CalMatters)
• Gym, motorcycle dealer, hair salon among 60 businesses charged with violating stay-at-home rules  (Los Angeles Times)
• California recommends testing all residents and staff at nursing homes (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Newsom greenlights testing for coronavirus at California pharmacies (San Francisco Chronicle)
• State Sen. Hueso introduces bill to address California’s digital divide (San Diego Union-Tribune)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine

December 26, 2019 (San Diego's East County) --As 2019 draws to a close, we look back at the top news stories and issues impacting San Diego’s East County region and residents, as well as the people making headline news-- for better and for worse.

Here are the top local stories across all news and features categories this year:

August 8, 2019 (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• East County woman loses hundreds in pet scam (10 News)
• Lemon Grove residents working on sales tax measure for city  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• As San Diego increases use of streetlight cameras, ACLU raises surveillance concerns (Los Angeles Times)
• Navy sailor acquitted in deadly East County love triangle trial (Patch)
• Can new homes on the edge of San Diego stop wildfires? (Desert Sun)
• Video: Female duo raids La Mesa house as owner watches on doorbell cam (10 News)
• San Diego Explained: An Earthquake Could Impact San Diego's Water Supply (Voice of San Diego)  
• 3 hurt, 2 killed in Leucadia cliff collapse: Sheriff (NBC 7)

STATE

• States sue Trump administration over fuel economy penalties (Associated Press)
• Calif.’s new law requiring candidates’ tax returns appears unconstitutional — or does it?  (San Francisco Chronicle)
• What is a ‘California Indian tribe’? How a proposed law unearthed a decades-old wound (Sacramento Bee)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

June 13, 2019 (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• East County residents concerned over future of transportation (NBC 7)
• SDG&E Says There’s A 100% Chance It’ll Start Or Contribute To A Major Wildfire (KPBS)
• American Bar Association Votes to Strip Thomas Jefferson Law School of Accreditation (Voice of San Diego)
• California’s vaccination rate slips as medical exemptions rise (Wired)
• KPBS Lawsuit Reveals Unanswered Citizen Complaints Against Sheriff’s Department (KPBS)
• Stop Dismissing Concerns About the Risks of New Homes in Wildfire Zones (Voice of San Diego)
• What is the Vaccination Rate at Your Child’s School in San Diego County?
• East County family searches for answers after bicycle crash (10 News)
• Massive Buddha statue carved into granite in East County (10 News)

STATE

• California’s high speed rail route took land from farmers. The money they are owed hasn’t arrived.  (Los Angeles Times)
• A civil rights hero focuses on a new fight at the Capitol: clean drinking water (Sacramento Bee)
• Utility companies in fire-weary California strategize for a long, hot summer (Los Angeles Times)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

February 14, 2019 (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Wild winds and torrential rains close schools, trigger rock slides and delay air traffic (San Diego Union Tribune)
• Costs for Pure Water Project Are Rising – by Billions (Voice of SD)
• Layout change for farmers market in La Mesa hits snag (SDUT)
• Trump administration waives environmental review to replace more San Diego border fencing (SDUT)
• Suspect reportedly opens fire into Hillcrest restaurant; 1 detained (KNSD)
• Hate crimes: several swastikas found in La Jolla and Pacific Beach (CBS 8)
• MTS Leaders Are Digging in on a 2020 Ballot Measure  (Voice of San Diego)
• Environment Report: County Penalized for Sewage Spill Into Local River (Voice of SD)
• San Diego Can’t Hit State Climate Goals Without Major Transportation Changes (Voice of SD)
• Social Media, Texts Have Fueled Numerous Instances of Teacher Misconduct (SDUT)
• San Diego proposal to wipe out parking requirements takes key step forward (SDUT)

STATE

• Gavin Newsom wants California to be its own nation-state in the Trump era (SF Chronicle)
• Getting Your Hands On California Campaign Finance Records Could Get Easier (Cal Public Radio)
• Senator Dodd proposes California wildfire warning center (Cal Matters)
• State government lobbying rose again last year. Who spent the most? (Sacramento Bee)
• All too often, California’s default mental institutions are now jails and prisons (Cal Matters)
• A ‘Water Tax’ Is Looking Increasingly Likely (Voice of SD)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.