Source:  City of El Cajon

December 27, 2022 (El Cajon) - Beginning January 1, 2023, the City of El Cajon will debut a new program designed to encourage clean neighborhoods and community pride.

East County News Service

December 26, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Lemon Grove resident Nancy Annette Lisa Benson, 32, died Dec. 18 in a collision on Interstate 8 East in El Cajon.

Source:  City of El Cajon

December 19, 2022 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon Veterans Coalition is seeking new members. The Veterans Coalition will open its application period from January 9, through February 10, 2023.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  skimming device recovered by La Mesa Police Department

December 14, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Skimming devices attached by thieves to ATM machines and credit card devices have stolen money from consumers in multiple East County locations. Some even have tiny hidden cameras stealing pin codes.

Lieutenant Katy Lynch with the La Mesa Police department confirms, “It’s definitely a trend.” LMPD has launched a campaign to educate merchants and the public on how to protect consumers and help nab thieves behind these schemes.

In La Mesa alone, 12 cases of skimming have been reported in the past year, with others in adjacent communities. “Many cases go unreported to law enforcement,” says Lt. Lynch. She urges anyone who is a victim of a skimming scam, or who believes they have spotted a skimmer, to immediately alert law enforcement. 

Showing a police report to banks or other financial institutions can help consumers recover money faster and also helps law enforcement catch the crooks, such as by identifying fingerprints or DNA on skimmers, and by asking businesses for surveillance videos. Businesses are encouraged to check their devices daily and report anything suspicious.

East County News Service

December 7, 2022 (El Cajon) - Last night, El Cajon Police officers and paramedics responded to 724 Fletcher Parkway to assist in a call of a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle. Police officers arrived and found a man unconscious in the roadway. The man was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The identity of the 89-year-old man is known.  However, his name is being withheld pending notification of family.

By Miriam Raftery

November 30, 2022 (La Mesa)  -- A $1,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest in the case of Cassidy Hopwood, an El Cajon teen who went missing in February. Her body was found March 13 behind a business in the 7900 block of El Cajon Blvd. in La Mesa, but she was not identified until November. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Robert Gehr: A homeless person sleeps in a tent on Main Street in downtown El Cajon.

November 24, 2022 (El Cajon) –  El Cajon’s grant application to purchase property to build a homeless shelter has been rejected by the County. According to El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell, County staff informed him that  the grant was rejected because “the City did not own the property that was being proposed for the shelter – in other words, the City did not own the property that the grant was intended to purchase.”

Mitchell, in an email sent to El Cajon’s Mayor and City Council, said he told County staff in a pre-grant question and answer session that the city intended to apply for a grant to buy land for a shelter.  “The response was that the city should still apply and explain how the site will be obtained,” he wrote.  “During their follow-p questions of the City’s grant application, they asked for an update and we indicated that an appraisal was on its way and that the formal offer was about to be made.”

The application was made through the County’s Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program, for which Supervisor Joel Anderson had urged East County cities including El Cajon to apply.

Source:  City of El Cajon

November 21, 2022 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon has been recognized as a Top Workplace in San Diego for 2022. The award comes solely from employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The survey measures organizational culture, empowerment of staff to meet customer needs, an environment of innovation, and employee engagement.

By Robert Gehr

November 15, 2022 (El Cajon) -- The driver of a white compact vehicle lost control early this morning around 6 a.m. while making a left turn from West Park Avenue onto southbound Magnolia Avenue. It crashed into a sign after jumping over the curb. Consequently the tall Knox House Museum sign was knocked down from its foundation and appeared to be broken into two pieces. 

East County News Service

November 10, 2022 (El Cajon) – Holiday Lights on Main Street will illuminate downtown El Cajon on Saturday, November 26.  Tree lighting is at 6 p.m., but activities to celebrate the season will take place from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Tiny homes at Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon

November 5, 2022 (San Diego) – The County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a proposal by Supervisors Joel Anderson and Nora Vargas to purchase sleeping cabins or other emergency shelter structures. The structures will be made available to community partners like churches and non-profits who want to step up and provide shelter options in their community.

East County News Service

November 2, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- During November and December, the Rock Church will host eight food distributions throughout the San Diego region, including El Cajon in East County.  The distributions are free and open to the community and will include frozen ground turkey, food, diaper and supplies distribution. Additionally, there will be 400 gallons of Hollandia milk distributed at the San Marcos location.

East County News Service

October 31, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Organizers of one of San Diego County's longest-running and most beloved holiday events have announced cancellation of the 2022 event, but pledge that the annual tradition will be back bigger and better than ever in 2023.

By Robin N. Kendall

Photo: Board President Tamara Otero, the only candidate who returned ECM’s questionnaire of five candidates running in three districts.

October 27, 2022 (El Cajon) -- This election year, voters in the Cajon Valley Union School District may or may not see candidates on the ballot for school board trustees, depending on which area they live in. Unlike school districts with “at large” trustees, this big district is divided into five areas, with a balanced number of residents in each area. Trustees represent the area they live in and serve terms of four years. To ensure stability, not all seats are up for reelection the same year. In the last election (2020), trustees for areas 4 and 5 were chosen.

By Yes on El Cajon Measure P (FPPC: 1453166)

October 22, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Measure P is an investment in El Cajon. It is an investment in decreasing homelessness, reducing 911 response times, increasing firefighter staffing, and beautifying parks and streets.