May 19, 2012 (La Mesa) –La Mesa Police and the San Diego County Sheriff’s helicopter are searching El Cajon Blvd. and Williamsburg and vicinity for a vandalism suspect armed with a knife.  The suspect is a white, unshaven male with brown hair, wearing a blue or gray T-shirt and shorts.

May 6, 2012 (La Mesa)—A transient who destroyed a room at the Motel 6 barricaded himself in a room late last night triggered a response from the La Mesa Police Department’s Special Response Team (SRT) and temporary evacuation of the motel. 

• Ramona wines beat French varieties in competition (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa Council deadlocked on PBID approval, will make decision in July (La Mesa Patch)   
• $1 billion hospital opens (Valley Roadrunner)
• DEA “accidentally” left forgotten suspect in holding cell for 5 days (UT San Diego)
• 6 La Mesa officers exonerated in fatal shooting of Andrew Yacko (La Mesa Patch)
• Lloyd Jr pleads guilty to manslaughter in Santee teen Carioscias’ death (Santee Patch)
• Lemon Grove School District cuts 30 jobs (UT San Diego)

• Voice of San Diego series:  Who is….

Bob Filner
Nathan Fletcher
Bonnie Dumanis
Carl DeMaio

• Other mayoral coverage:
• Filner releases pension plan (UT San Diego)
• Fletcher pledges to make cycling, transit a priority (Reader) 
• Fletcher-GOP feud still going strong: party sues candidate over $5,000 fundraiser (UT San Diego) 
• The Fletcher Flim-Flam (OB Rag) 
• The unfortunate trajectory of Carl DeMaio (Citybeat)
  

STATE

• San Diego takes water fight public (New York Times)
• UCAN reaches settlement to allow group to go on (UT San Diego)
• California rakes in healthcare grants (Saramento Bee)
• Environmentalists feeling burned by rush to build big solar projects (Los Angeles Times)
• Discovery of Indian artifacts complicates Genesis Solar project (Los Angeles Times)
• Calif. Public Utilities Commission: PG&E smart meter “opt out” fees suspended
• Diablo Canyon reactor gets some unwelcome guests  

(La Mesa)—Join us for a spirited evening at San Pasqual Winery, 8364 La Mesa Blvd. in historic downtown La Mesa on Sunday, April 29 from 4-7 p.m. to benefit East County Magazine!

• Radiation from Japan disaster found along California coast (ABC)
• If California taxpayers paid up, state’s deficit would disappear (Sacramento Bee)
• High-stakes vote nears in California water waters (KPBS)
• California deer population declines as habitat disappears (Sacramento Bee)

• La Mesa, El Cajon to get armored vehicle (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Program to help chronically homeless showing results (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Abandoned orchards must be monitored for pests (Sacramento Bee)
• 15-year-old Santana High School student injured in crash awakens from coma (Santee Patch)
• U.S. says beware of ads placed by drug smugglers (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• El Cajon City Council fills vacancy (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• La Mesa home prices trending up (La Mesa Today)
• Feds misled by SoCal Edison on San Onofre changes, group says (KPBS) 

April 7, 2012 (La Mesa) –The Oversight Board of the La Mesa Successor Agency will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 12 in the La Mesa Police Department Community Room, 8085 University Avenue in La Mesa. 

March 20, 2012 (La Mesa)—Two men are in custody following a high-speed pursuit that began at 5:32 this evening when the driver of a vehicle stolen in El Cajon attempted to elude a police officer near Fletcher Parkway and Nagel Drive.

Incident cost local restaurant money , highlights risk to ratepayers with medical needs

March 14, 2012 (La Mesa) – After ECM received a question from a reader about a power outage that began Friday night, March 2 and extended until Saturday morning, March 3, we contacted SDG&E.  SDG&E spokesperson Alison Zaragosa initially said that all  2800 customers left in the dark were notified via letters mailed February 14 of the planned outage to repair an underground cable.

But after La Mesa Patch ran a story about losses incurred by Riviera Steakhouse, whose owner said he was never informed of the outage, other community members came forward to say that they, too, did not receive notification.  So we called SDG&E again. 

“We did investigate and we did miss 200 to 300,” Zaragosa told ECM.

March 8, 2012 (La Mesa)--The City of La Mesa seeks  two veterans to serve on the newly reorganized Aging and Veterans Commission.

Applicants must live within La Mesa city limits and be either an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. armed forces, an active duty armed forces member serving in a civilian capacity, or a member of a veterans service organization based in La Mesa which is federally chartered and/or recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for claim representation.

March 5, 2012 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police warns the public to avoid the area of Mohawk and Williams streets, where a police helicopter is assisting in a search for a suspect armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.

Updated 5 p.m.

February 21, 2012 (La Mesa) - A 17-year-old boy was struck by a trolley in downtown La Mesa today after attempting to beat the trolley by running across the tracks.  La Mesa Patch reports the teen suffered "survivable" injuries and was conscious when rescued shortly after 11 a.m. today.