October 24, 2014 (El Cajon)—El Cajon Police announce the arrest yesterday of Paul Julian Sosa III and Homero Viscarroa Palomino.  They are charged with murder, robbery and conspiracy in the death of John Francis, 38, who died of a gunshot wound on September 18.

By Miriam Raftery

Radio show hosted by Rebecca Williamson and Leon Thompson

October 21, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --This week’s Destination East County includes some spooky Halloween happenings, a picnic with parrots, and our very own Party with the Press benefit event, all this weekend right here in East County. 

Plus we’ll have previews of coming attractions, including a wine festival at a castle in Ramona and a hot chili cook-off in Lemon Grove.

So stay tuned for all of these events and much, much more, from East County Magazine!

Part IV in a series

By the East County Eaters

Week 4:  Downtown Café (El Cajon) and Anthony’s Seafood Grotto (La Mesa)

October 16, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) –In our fourth week of savoring great happy hours across our region, we stopped in at two establishments with deep roots in the community: Downtown Café, located in a historic brick that dates back to El  Cajon’s pioneer past, and Anthony’s Fish Grotto, a landmark restaurant serving up fresh seafood in La Mesa since 1946.

October 9, 2014 (El Cajon)—Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S.  Tuesday, a fire caused by unattended cooking displaced a family of five and caused $100,000 in damage to an apartment in El Cajon. It is considered a total loss.

October 6, 2014 (El Cajon)--The 3rd Annual HauntFest on Main Street will take place on Friday, October 24 from 5 to 10 p.m. in downtown El Cajon.  The annual family friendly event features live music on two stages by Mighty Untouchables, Fabulous Pelicans, and Ryan Hiller.

September 22, 2014 (El Cajon) – You’re invited to come and enjoy authentic German food, such as bratwurst, ox-on-the-spit,  potato pancakes, sauerkraut, red cabbage, pretzels, and Bavarian pastries—all at the German American Club’s annual Oktoberfest in El Cajon. The festivities take place on two weekends, September 26 through 28 and October 3^rd through 5th.  Of course, you’ll also find plenty of German beers, as well as entertainment by the Guggenbach-Buam, all the way from Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Story and photos by Robert Gehr

September 23, 2014 (El Cajon)--The city of El Cajon recently installed signs at the downtown waterscape asking the public to stop feeding the ducks which gather there. It seems that the bread, etc. is contributing to the ill health of this fragile ecosystem, resulting in excessive algae, and fecal matter, plus a variety of toxins and diseases - some of which are transmittable to humans and could potentially make a person very sick, especially children.

September 20, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - After 35 years, Jerry Fazio, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County Foundation, has announced his retirement.

State’s only community college district to net 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award

September 17, 2014 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Tuesday received the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award, a national honor recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Council also adopts fees for second-hand shops

By Janis Russell

September 10, 2014 (El Cajon)- At yesterday’s El Cajon City Council meeting,  many people expressed their views once again on the city’s proposed long-term lease of East County Performing Arts Center to Rock Church—with the majority present opposed to the deal.

CPUC holds public hearings Thursday, Sept. 18 in El Cajon on controversial utility rate change proposals

East County News Service

September 11,2014 (El Cajon) – Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter is warning consumers about deceptive claims made by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce regarding proposed changes in utility bills, including links to a utility-backed website debunked by media for its efforts to dupe the public into supporting anti-consumer measures.

The California Public Utilities Commission will hold two hearings  on the utility-backed proposed rate changes on September 18 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in El Cajon City Council chambers,200 Civic Center Way in El Cajon. The public is invited to attend and testify.

The Chamber sought to persuade members to testify in favor of proposed utility rate changes, suggesting they would save money for most. But those changes  would actually “raise energy costs for low and middle income customers, those who can least afford to pay more on their energy bill,” says Pete Hasapopoulos with the Sierra Club My Generation Campaign. In addition, he warns, “the proposed changes by utilities are unacceptable and threaten our energy efficiency and rooftop solar programs. As a result, they are deeply out of line with state and public priorities on energy and climate.”

September 7, 2014 (El Cajon)—Two people have been transported to the burn unit at the University of California San Diego Medical Center due to smoke inhalation and minor burns suffered in a bedroom fire early this morning.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Noori Barka speaks as slideshow depicts Iraqi Christian refugees forced to walk across the desert, fleeing their homeland to escape ISIS terrorists with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

September 4, 2014 (ElCajon)--Community members and religious leaders came together on August 27  in El Cajon at a fundraiser to help save Christians in Iraq who have fled their homes to escape the Islamic State imposed by ISIS terrorists.  ISIS is systematically massacring Christians and other minorities who refuse to convert to Islam.  The event, which was emceed by KCBQ radio host Mark Larson, raised over $588,000. 

Bishop Sharhad Jammo (photo, right) has pledged to personally  travel to the Middle East to deliver the donations, despite grave dangers in the region, where Christian religious leaders have been kidnapped, tortured and murder.

City rejected earlier proposal by citizens' group

Theater managers speak out, object to City's actions, CityBeat reports

By Miriam Raftery

September 3, 2014 (El Cajon) – Citizens Oversight Panels (COPS) is organizing a rally tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. outside the East County Performing Arts Center at 210 East Main Street in El Cajonon to protest a proposed partnership between the City of El Cajon and Rock Church to lease the theater. 

“We will be delivering a 30-plus page letter spelling out the legal case against the city should they go ahead with their plans to lease this public theater to the Rock Church, which is clearly unconstitutional,” says Ray Lutz, founder of COPS, on a Facebook page for the event. “Come and support the reopening of ECPAC as a performing arts and entertainment center and not as the new location for a mega church.”

By Tom Comeau

August 30, 2014 (El Cajon)--There's always been a steady assault by religious groups of all stripes, on the separation of church and state, but what El Cajon doesn't need is for the City Council to initiate such activity as in its proposed contract with the "Rock Church" (do they worship rocks?) for the utilization of the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) for religious purposes. The Council cannot dodge the issue of the church/state violation when it agrees to allow a church to utilize 'public property' for what is clearly religious purposes. Included in this agreement is the proposed erection of an additional building on 'public property' to serve the needs of this religious group, with the generous proviso that the building would revert to the city at the end of its use by the religious group.