By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Savaii Seau and his wife, Megan, on their wedding day, courtesy of the Seau family

Updated 8:30 with information on Seau's wife, Megan, the passenger in his vehicle.

February 2, 2022 (Lakeside) –  Savaii Seau, the brother of former Chargers' linebaker Junior Seau, has died of injuries sustained when the 2005 Audi A6 he was driving crossed the center line on Los Coches Road in Lakeside yesterday and struck a Helix Water District dump truck head on.

His wife, Megan, was a passenger in Seau's vehicle and remains hospitalized in stable condition, a family member told ECM.

East County News Service

January 27, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Queen Nation is the West Coast's longest-running authentic re-creation of a vintage Queen concert. The show consists of four musicians who all sing and perform in character and in period costumes while playing live note-for-note renditions of classic Queen songs. The group will perform this Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the Magnolia Theatre in El Cajon.

Story and photos by Henri Migala

January 10, 2022 (El Cajon) -- It seems that everywhere you look in East County, there is another culinary delight to discover. If you favor the flavors of the Far East, you must visit Busy B Thai Café, 330 Magnolia Ave, in El Cajon.

I spent my childhood growing up in Bangkok, Thailand, when my family was stationed there in the ‘60s, so I have a long-standing appreciation for Thai food and culture.

Visiting Busy B Thai Café is like slipping into a small piece of Bangkok, right in the middle of El Cajon. This charming and cozy restaurant is decorated with images and artifacts reflecting both the rich culture and religion of Thailand.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

December 27, 2021 (El Cajon) - A small jet crashed tonight on the intersection of Pepper Drive and North Mollison Avenue in El Cajon around 7:15 p.m.

The plane crashed onto the street.  No injuries have been reported, but SDG&E reports that 632 customers have lost power due to two downed power lines.

By Elijah McKee

December 21, 2021 (El Cajon) — The El Cajon City Council tackled several County-level issues at its recent meeting on December 14.  

First, City Manager Graham Mitchell spoke about a rare opportunity to temporarily over-staff the police department with 10 new officers drawn laterally from other nearby agencies, in an effort to save the city money over the next three years. 

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, as many as 160 San Diego police officers may be facing termination in light of the city’s vaccine mandate. Meanwhile, El Cajon does not currently have such a mandate.

By Elijah McKee

Photo, left: Rebecca Branstetter, East County Homeless Task Force, testifies to El Cajon City Council

December 18, 2021 (El Cajon) — The El Cajon City Council addressed several agenda items at its last meeting that had potential to either help or hurt those in the homeless community who rely on cars or RVs. 

According to the East County Homeless Task Force (ECHTF), the Cajon Valley Union and Grossmont Union High School Districts serve a known homeless population of over 550 families, at least 30 of which are unsheltered and sometimes living in vehicles. 

However, after lengthy discussion, the two pressing items — a Safe Parking Program proposal and a zoning code update on RVs — were pushed off to a future meeting so that City staff could look at them in greater detail. Many who spoke at the meeting hoped to see clear actionable steps and less policy mazes on these issues, but the City Council sought to strike a balance. 

By Miriam Raftery

December 16, 2021 (El Cajon) – Sheriff’s deputies deployed a spike strip on Interstate 8 East in El Cajon Tuesday night to help stop a suspected carjacker who forced an Amazon driver out of a delivery truck in Kearny Mesa. The driver drove a short distance on the shredded tires before he was surrounded by officers and arrested in the parking lot at Shadow Mountain Church on Greenfield Drive in El Cajon around10 p.m.

East County News Service

December 13, 2021 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police are investigating a suspicious death after Sharp Grossmont Hospital reported a 29-year-old man with a single gunshot wound admitted by family members last night around 8:15 p.m. The man died of his injury upon arrival at the hospital.  

“At this time, it is believed the incident originated on the 500 block of Jeffree Street in the City of El Cajon,” says Sergeant James Juns with El Cajon Police. 

Story and photos by Elijah McKee

December 8, 2021 (El Cajon) — “Our community is under threat again. This time, it's right here in the United States,” said Vince Kattoula, a Chaldean activist, at the Keep East County United rally and press conference on Tuesday.

By Henri Migala

December 4, 2021 (El Cajon) – Within a couple of blocks in downtown El Cajon, you’ll find an array of new boutiques, a salon, galleries, gift stores, a pastry shop and a coffee shop – all brand new.

For your holiday shopping needs, consider supporting our local economy and these new small businesses, many offering unique goods from around the world reflecting the owners’ multicultural backgrounds. 

This is part 2 in our series on new local retailers in East County.

Story and photos by Elijah McKee

Photo, left: Mayor Bill Wells lights menorah in El Cajon

December 1, 2021 (El Cajon) — Even the most thought-out plans can be derailed by a last-minute change, especially when a leader falls ill. This wasn’t true for the Chabad of East County on Sunday, though, as they pulled off their first night of Hanukkah event at the El Cajon Civic Center without a hitch, despite the absence of Rabbi Rafi Andrusier and his wife Chaya, who tested positive for COVID-19 the day before. 

They are both vaccinated, have mild cases, and will be back to normal soon — but instead of floundering in the unexpected changeup, a team of ten Chabad volunteers filled the void right away to execute the plans with the Rabbi’s virtual support. The event drew a large crowd two years ago but was skipped last year due to the pandemic — so it was all the more important for everyone to hold the tradition this year.

East County News Service

November 24, 2021 (El Cajon) - The nonprofit Campaign One At A Time is (OAAT) hosting a fundraiser for a 5-year-old cancer patient, Maximiliano Jacobs from El Cajon, to help fulfill his dream of going on a dream trip to Disney World with his family. 

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2021 (El Cajon) — On February 26, 24-year-old Jaylin Moore was sleeping in his apartment when he was fatally shot through a bedroom window. Shortly after 4 a.m. Following an eight-month investigation, Lt. Keith MacArthur announced today that El Cajon Police Homicide Detectives have arrested two suspects for murder.

By Miriam Raftery

November 13, 2021 (El Cajon) – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-53) stopped by downtown El Cajon on Wednesday to speak about how passage of the infrastructure bill could impact our region. In a tour coordinated with the East County Chamber of Commerce, Jacobs also met with local business owners to hear about their needs as the economy emerges from pandemic.

“We here in San Diego are well placed to receive a lot of funding from this bill,” Jacobs said in a press conference outside of Rob’s Brewpoint, a new coffee shop opened during the pandemic.

Through formula funding, California is expected to receive $44 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which President Joe Biden plans to sign into law on Monday. San Diego will likely get 8 percent of that for roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects, Jacobs said. “There’s also a competitive grant program,” she added, noting that the Secretary of Transportation will have discretion on how those grants will be disseminated.