Updated January 17 with comments from Councilmember Lothian and clarification that the Council has been meeting virtually since the pandemic began and voted to extend virtual meetings.

By Eugenie Budnik

January 14, 2022 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa City Council held its first meeting of the new year on Tuesday. Mayor Mark Arapostathis opened with his State of the City speech, calling the city “strong.” 

Later the Council addressed some contentious issues, including replacing its SANDAG representative and extending virtual meetings amid the latest COVID surge.  With Council and staff in chambers, newly elected Councilmember Laura Lothian openly defied the state’s mask mandate.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Collier Park, City of La Mesa

January 11, 2022 (La Mesa) – The City of La Mesa plans to remove 21 Eucalyptus trees this week at Collier Park, the city’s oldest park, located at Palm and Pasadena. 

By Karen Pearlman

December 31, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Ron Brady was the founder of a high profile construction company, but it was the practice of philanthropy over the course of many decades that helped him develop some of his closest community ties.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Brady took over his father's business, the lath and plastering contracting firm E.F. Brady that started in 1946, and turned it into a successful construction business known as the Brady Companies. The Brady companies were instrumental in developing much of San Diego County, Los Angeles County and parts of Northern California. The companies specialize in drywall, plaster and lath that are geared toward major commercial projects.

Over the course of his lifetime, he and his wife, Mary Alice, gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to different organizations, from Sharp Grossmont Hospital to the East County YMCA to the Boys and Girls Clubs of East County.

By Miriam Raftery

Image:  final Congressional districts in San Diego County. Courtesy Citizens Redistricting Commission

December 21, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Yesterday, California’s independent citizen redistricting commission unanimously approved the state’s new Congressional district maps, which will be certified December 27.  Today, two of East County’s Congressional members, Democrat Sara Jacobs and Republican Darrell Issa, announced plans to seek reelection in their new and solidly safe districts.

Updated to include comments from Councilmember Laura Lothian.

By Miriam Raftery

December 12, 2021 (La Mesa) – On May 30^th last year, racial justice protests in La Mesa were fueled in part by a viral video of a white police officer’s treatment of a young black man, Amaurie Johnson, at a trolley stop as well as by the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a Minneapolis police officer.

Johnson was initially charged with assaulting an officer and resisting arrest, but charges were dropped after police body camera footage and a viral video failed to substantiate the officer’s allegation. Video showed the Officer Matt Dages grabbing Johnson’s shirt and pushing him into a seated position and Johnson putting up a hand in response, briefly brushing his fingers against the officer.

Protests turned violent after dark, including the burning down of two banks and a historic building, actions that terrorized many La Mesa residents. 

Dages was fired by the city and criminally charged with falsifying a police report; charges against Johnson were dropped.

But now a jury has found OfficerDages not guilty.  In addition, Ricky Bernard Cooper, who pleaded guilty to lighting papers on fire inside Chase Bank which burned to the ground  as well as to looting businesses, was sentenced to probation after serving just 100 days in jail.

By Kathy Carpenter 

Celebrate “50 Days of Fiesta” with special menu and more now through Dec. 24  

East County News Service

November 27, 2021 (La Mesa) – Diane Powers’ Casa de Pico Mexican restaurant is celebrating 50 years of delicious and festive fun starting November 4 through December 24 in La Mesa’s Grossmont Center.  

Opened in 1971, Casa de Pico was Powers’ first restaurant and originally located within San Diego’s Old Town State Park. With the vision of recreating the beautiful Mexican bazaars she had long-admired, Powers leased the site of the rundown and boarded up Casa de Pico Motel from the state and began a legendary transformation of the space to create Bazaar del Mundo, a colorful shopping and dining experience, including Casa de Pico.

Source:  City of La Mesa

November 15, 2021 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Police Department is the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) that will prioritize the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.

East County News Service

November 13, 2021 (La Mesa) -- This weekend, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department teamed up with its law enforcement and community partners to help get unwanted weapons off our streets through a Guns for Gift Cards event in East County.

Update November 2, 2021:  The final, official results give Lothian the win with 4,474 votes, or 38.43% of the vote, a comfortable margin of nearly 2,000 votes. Out of 39, 346 registered voters, 11,686 cast votes. Afghsan too, 21.67%, Dillard 20.36%, Stieringer 10.95%, Brand 6.84%, and Louden 1.76%.

By Miriam Raftery

November 3, 2021 (La Mesa) – Realtor Laura Lothian appears poised to win the La Mesa City Council special election.  Preliminary results posted by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters show Lothian with 39.18% of the vote in the six-candidate race, more than double the vote tally of the next highest candidate.

With 2,000 votes yet to be tallied, Lothian has a lead of 1,451 votes over Patricia Dillard, who has 20.85% of the votes.

East County News Service 

October 29, 2021 (La Mesa) - Wine Works in La Mesa invites you to Hall-o-Ween on Saturday, October 30th. Come in costume for a 7 p.m. costume contest and get $2 off a glass of wine or $5 off bottles.  You can also enjoy live music by Blame Betty and food from Birria Madrical.

Wine Works is located at 8167 Center Street, La Mesa, CA 91942.

By Miriam Raftery

October 26, 2021 (La Mesa) – A body found on a dark, dead-end road in Bonita has been identified as Kimberly Gutierrez, 22, of La Mesa.  An autopsy found that she died of gunshot wounds.

According to Lieutenant Thomas Seiver, evidence at the scene indicated she was killed at the site, not dumped there. Her death was ruled a homicide.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left by Jake Rose: Chase Bank in flames

October 21, 2021 (La Mesa) – Ricky Bernard Cooper, 34, has pleaded guilty to setting an arson fire that burned down Chase Bank in downtown La Mesa during a riot on May 30, 2020.  Cooper also pleaded guilty to a burglary count for looting at the La Mesa Springs Shopping Center. His sentencing is slated for next month.

Review By Kathy Carpenter

October 18, 2021 (La Mesa) - Is There a Perfect Crime? Lamplighters in La Mesa presents the classic "Dial M For Murder." The play is based on a 1954 movie starring Ray Millank and Grace Kelly, directed by Hitchcock--a thriller perfect for this time of year. Written by Frederick Knott, directed by Calvin Manson, the play combines to bring us a story with both plot and delicious characters--a detailed plot for murder. Will the would-be killer get away with it? 

The plot centers around a tennis star who married a wealthy socialite for her money. He can no longer play tennis and discovers his wife has cheated on him. Now he plans to murder her for her fortune. He concocts quite the plot. The man his wife cheated with is a writer, but her husband's imagination makes them equals.