April 20, 2011 (El Cajon) – A bullet fired by an El Cajon Police offer at a fleeing subject late last night passed through the man's wrist and lodged him his chest. 

Officers had responded to a call of several people on campus drinking and causing a disturbance at Johnson Elementary School at 500 East Madison Street around 11 p.m.  Two suspects fled and the officers were separated as they chased the suspects.

April 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- While beach denizens are contending with coastal fog, the sun is shining out here in East County--where it's just another day in paradise this time of year.  

We hope you'll enjoy our local photographers' images of springtime in East County!

Guitar Lessons: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion Into Business, By Bob Taylor, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2011, 230 pages.)

Book Review by Dennis Moore

April 8, 2011 (El Cajon)--Bob Taylor, co-founder and president of Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, California, has added a new title to his repertoire: author. in Guitar Lessons: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion Into Business, Taylor masterfully crafts a story in which the guitar becomes a metaphor for much more—sharing secrets for success in business and in life.

April 7, 2011 (Rancho San Diego)—Bring the family to visit with live native animals, join a guided nature hike, get free art and photography lessons, view a firetruck and more this Sunday, April 10.

Festivities to celebrate the 15th birthday of the San Diego National Wildlife Refugee will take place near the old steel bridge on Highway 94 at Singer Lane in Rancho San Diego from 1-5 p.m.
 

Schedule of events:

By Wanda B. Sekure
 

April 1, 2011 (El Cajon) -- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has declared El Cajon the safest city in America.

“Our underwriters found that El Cajon is ideally situated to minimize risks of a catastrophe,” said Commissioner Macon Wills. “Not only is El Cajon midway between the Rose Canyon and Elsinore earthquake fault lines, it also sits far enough north to avoid border violence, inland a good half-hour from the coast, and a full 53 miles away from the San Onofre nuclear power plant,” he noted, adding that the U.S. has recommended a 50-mile evacuation zone around Japan’s troubled reactors. “ If a nuke meltdown, tsunami or killer quake occurs,” Wills declared, “El Cajon is going to look like heaven.”

March 25, 2011 (El Cajon)--At the Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Center this week, the 2011 Ambassadors for El Cajon and Rancho San Diego were chosen.

Miss El Cajon for 2011 is Savana Kalfayan, 18, a Valhalla High School student. Miss Teen El Cajon is Katie Hudgins, 16, a student at Grossmont High School. Natalie Potesan, 20, a Grossmont College student, was crowned Miss Rancho San Diego 2011, while MacKenzie Manns, 14, a student at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace, was named Miss Teen Rancho San Diego.

20% of funds for developmentally disabled adults will be cut under the Governor’s budget

March 24, 2011 – Cash prizes totaling $10,000 will be given away to three winners in the 6th annual St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center Frog Race, which will be held April 16 during the Morning Glory Jazz Brunch at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center.

Early bird discounts end April 1st—and the organization, which helps developmentally disabled adults, is in urgent need of help.

March 22, 2011 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Superior Court has closed today due to a power outage caused by a short circuit in the electrical system. Phone service is also not working. 

Smoke detectors went off around 1:40 a.m. and firefighters found the electrical box smoldering, El Cajon spokesperson Monica Zech indicated. The incident also knocked out a backup power system for the courthouse.

March 8, 2011 (Rancho Jamul) – Rangers at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Rancho Jamul invite you to join in an easy to moderate “”Discover Wildflowers” hike with a U.S. Fish & Wildlife service ranger, featuring native plant experts from RECON Environmental Inc. The hike will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 9-10:30 a.m.

By Jeremy Los

February 12, 2011 (El Cajon)--On Monday, February 14, the El Cajon Citizen of the Year Committee will host its annual “Citizen of the Year” luncheon with the San Diego-East County Chamber of Commerce. This year, the committee will honor charitable auctioneer Steve Hamann as the El Cajon Citizen of the Year.

February 6, 2011 (San Diego) -- The second annual San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase series starts this month. With a total of 30 concerts taking place at twelve libraries across the county from February to June, the Acoustic Showcase series offers a variety of some of San Diego's best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers. These concerts are free to the community.

February 5, 2011 (El Cajon) – A 12-year-old child was seriously injured in an accident that occurred at 10:37 a.m. in the 1300 block of Melody Lane in El Cajon. Police seek witnesses who may have more information.

According to witness statements and evidence at the scene, the pedestrian, 12, darted from the sidewalk across the roadway and into oncoming traffic. The motorist was traveling eastbound on Melody and was unable to avoid hitting the child, who suffered serious injuries and was transported to Children’s Hospital.

Cross-dressing suspect accused of robbing banks in El Cajon and San Diego

February 4, 2011 (San Diego) -- San Diego Police Department Robbery Unit detectives, in cooperation with investigators from the El Cajon Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, have arrested Robert Dion Tyndall II for a series of bank robberies that began last summer in El Cajon.

January 28, 2011 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon City Council has extended the deadline for accepting applications for two appointments to the Gillespie Field Development Council. The filing period begins on January 26 and ends at 5:00 p.m. on February 14, 2011.

January 26, 2011 (El Cajon) – San Diego Sheriff’s deputies discovered a 93-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor living in “filth and squalor” in the 2000 block of Euclid Avenue in an unincorporated area of El Cajon. When deputies arrived yesterday, the veteran was holding a photograph of the ship on which he had served, the U.S.S. Vestal AR-4, which had been anchored next to the U.S.S. Arizona during the World War II attack.

Detectives arrested a live-in paid caretaker, Milagros Angeles, 62, for elder abuse.