East County News Service

December 9, 2023 (La Mesa) - In partnership with the FBI San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association and the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation’s Senior Center Coalition will host a series of one-hour elder fraud information sessions for seniors, caregivers and neighbors. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Skye Pinon, via ECM news partner 10 News

December 9, 2023 (La Mesa) – Skye Pinon says it was the “scariest moment of my entire life” when she realized that her 15-year-old son,  Max, who has autism, was missing.  Max went for a walk around 3 p.m. shortly before Thanksgiving wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, with no wallet or cell phone.

Skye Pinon and her husband spent an hour searching on their own, then called La Mesa Police, according to her post on a La Mesa community forum. Within minutes, officers took a report, had a helicopter in the air broadcasting Max’s description, called in a volunteer canine search and rescue team, and launched a social media post that was soon widely shared.  

“It only took minutes for the amazing people of this community to begin responding and I immediately began getting calls, texts, and social media messages from people asking how they could help,” Pinon says.

By Michael Howard

December 8, 2023 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa City Council voted on Nov.28 to join 15 San Diego County cities and agencies in installing 20 automated license plate readers (ALPR) in high traffic areas throughout the city at a cost of $124,500 for a two-year period. 

The vote passed 4-1, with Vice Mayor Laura Lothian casting the only dissenting vote.

By Jacob Pamus

December 1, 2023 (La Mesa)-- Amanda Fagan is an accomplished 19-year-old musician who has written many songs during the past six years.  She lives in La Mesa with her parents and younger sister.  During a two-week stretch at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she wrote a 23-song musical in just two weeks. A New York musical producer was so impressed that he contracted with Amanda to produce the musical.  Amanda Fagan’s band will be performing at La Mesa’s Holiday in the Village on December 2 and  at Balboa Park’s December Nights on December 1.

By Michael Howard

Photo: Council Salary Adjustment Citizen Panel member Aaron Landua acknowledges his fellow panel members at the October 24 La Mesa City Council meeting

November 29, 2023(La Mesa) -- After 18 years without getting a pay raise, the La Mesa City Council members voted to give themselves a hefty 90% pay increase at their regularly scheduled November 14 meeting.

The ordinance passed unanimously and will amend section 2.04.010 of the La Mesa Municipal Code to increase each city council member’s salary from $1,000 per month to $1,900 per month.  The move also increases the mayor’s compensation by an additional $1,900, reflecting the dual role a mayor plays as both council member and mayor, bringing the mayor’s total monthly salary to $3,800 a month, or a 135% increase.

The increase doesn’t take effect until after the November 2024 elections, which means current pay rates remain the same until then.

East County News Service

November 11, 2023 (La Mesa) -- With the holidays quickly approaching, the 8^th annual La Mesa Holiday in the Village will once again be ringing in holiday cheer for everyone near and far on Saturday, December 2 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. The free, festive fun will include live music, cozy fires, craft vendors, carnival games, food, holiday 360 photo booth, the grand return of “selfies with Santa” and a kids’ area bigger than Santa’s Toy Shop.  

Update: The missing child has been found,  La Mesa Police Dept. advises.

East County News Service

View South Africa video

View Zulu Nyala video

September 7, 2023  (La Mesa) –Tickets are now on sale for our “Taste of Africa” event!  The festivities will be Sunday, October 8 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center in the Arbor Room (4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941).

Join us for a fun-filled evening including tastes of African cuisine from local African restaurants and caterers, African dancers and drummers, DJ and dancing, speakers including wildlife conservation leader Coe Lewis of NSEFU and Assembly member Akilah Weber, Africa videos Community Champion awards, raffle, live and silent auction.

The grand prizes are six-night photo safari packages for two at Zulu Nyala - a fabulous private wildlife preserve in South Africa! Other live auction prizes include a larimar bracelet, wine basket, hand-crafted ukelele with African theme, camping gear, and more.

Our raffle and silent auction is huge with many gift certificates and gift baskets from local restaurants, stores, wineries and other vendors, as well as hand-crafted African items and more.

Suggested attire:  African themed (animal print fabric, traditional African, safari wear, or tropical)

Get tickets now! We are nearly sold out.  Questions? Call 619-698-7617

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Carol Kim, general manager,  San Diego Building and Constructionj Trades, thanks La Mesa for adopting a PLA

September 28, 2023 (La Mesa)—By a unanimous bipartisan 5-0 vote, the La Mesa Cit Council last night voted to become the first city in San Diego County to adopt a Project Labor Agreement with the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council and associated craft unions. The PLA would apply to public construction  projects in  La Mesa with a construction value of at least $1 million.

Councilmember Colin Parent proposed approval of the PLA agreement drafted by staff after negotiations with the unions. “We’re making sure we’ll be delivering projects on time and on budget, so taxpayers get the kind of infrastructure they deserve,” said Parent, who also thanked staff and workers who showed up to testify for “standing up for your families, for each other and for working people.”

By Miriam Raftery

September 23, 2023 (La  Mesa) –On Sept. 25, the La Mesa City Council will consider a staff recommendation to adopt a draft Project Labor Agreement with the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council and associated craft unions. The PLA would apply to public projects in  La Mesa with a construction value of at least $1 million.

PLAs are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements negotiated between construction unions and construction contractors that establish terms and conditions of employment for construction projects.

According to the U.S.Dept. of Labor’s PLA Resource Guide, PLAs are an effective tool to ensure timely completion of projects at or under budget,  provide employers with a reliable source of highly skilled workers,increase diversity and support equitable workforce development, and improve worker health and safety on the job.

Opponents of project labor agreements have argued that PLAs may increase cost by mandating union wages and restricting competition, are unfair to nonunion contractors and nonunion workers, and hinder use of employer training programs that are not union apprenticeships.

By Miriam Raftery

September 13, 2023 (La Mesa) – At last night’s La Mesa City Council meeting, Councilman Jack Shu proposed replacing the city’s restrictive beekeeping ordinance with a more expanded ordinance patterned after the county of San Diego to enable backyard beekeeping.

By Ken Stone,Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney (right) succeeded Walt Vasquez (center) and Matt Nicholass in July 2021. Photo via Twitter

September 3, 2023 (La Mesa) - The announcement came Monday in Facebook.

By Miriam Raftery

September 1, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Undercover officers with the San Diego Regional Auto Theft Task Force infiltrated organized auto theft rings locally, says CHP Captain Charles Leonard. Through a sting operation at a storefront in East County, suspects were caught on video selling stolen vehicles, guns, ammunition and narcotic drugs to undercover detectives.

On August 31, the task force announced that Operation Sunrise has resulted in recovery of stolen vehicles worth an estimated $3.3 million.  Fifty suspects have been indicted on crimes including auto theft, identity theft, illegal firearms possession and selling drugs.  Officers also seized  narcotics and 14 firearms, including several untraceable and illegal ghost guns.

La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney, who serves as the task force's Executive Chair, said cracking down on auto thefts is important because stolen cars are often used to commit other crimes, 10 News reports.

Source:  City of La Mesa

August 31, 2023 (La Mesa) - On August 26, 2023, the La Mesa Police Department held a DUI Checkpoint in the 4900 block of Spring Street. During the checkpoint, which lasted from 7:00 p.m. until 12:30 a.m., 752 vehicles were contacted. Two drivers were arrested for driving under the influence (suspected alcohol and/or drugs) and nine drivers were evaluated for impairment in the secondary screening.