Nadin Abbott

LYONS VALLEY AREA FIRE DESTROYS A HOME

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Jonathan Goetz also contributed to this report

Photo courtesy of Cal Fire

August 11, 2021 (Lawson Valley-East County) - A fire broke out on Tuesday, August 10, around 6 p.m. that destroyed a home on Lyons Creek Lane just east of Jamul.

According to a tweet sent out by Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire they arrived at the scene of a fully involved structure fire that spread to the surrounding vegetation.  The forward rate of spread of the vegetation fire was stopped at one acre. The fire was off Lyons Creek Lane in the community of Lawson Valley.  It was known as the #LyonsFire.

The firefighters stopped the spread by using water and retardant drops using airplanes and helicopters in approximately 40 minutes.

East County Magazine Wildfire & Emergency Alerts broke the story (Twitter: @eastcountyalert) thanks to Nadin Abbott, who issued live updates to our twitter followers. Prompt coverage on fires in Jamul can save lives as many areas have only one way in/out.

No humans or animals were injured. The cause of the fire was not disclosed at this time. 

If you have photos, details, or an eyewitness account on this or any local emergency please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org

Thanks to the Grossmont Healthcare District and San Diego Regional Fire Foundation for their generous sponsorship of our East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts!


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EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE WINS 11 AWARDS FROM SAN DIEGO PRESS CLUB

 

East County News Service

October 29, 2014 (San Diego's East County)-East County Magazine picked up 11 more awards in San Diego Press Club’s 2014 Excellence in Journalism awards on October 28th, bringing our total to 80 journalism awards since our launch in 2008.

This year’s awards including winners in the following categories: breaking news, environment, general news, investigative reporting, political/government, public service/consumer advocacy, criminal justice, health and medicine, radio special reporting and radio feature categories.

To read and hear our award-winning reports, click "read more" and scroll down.


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ECM WINS 10 SPJ AWARDS FOR ONLINE NEWS AND RADIO SHOW

 

East County News Service

July 9, 2014 (San Diego) –East County Magazine picked up 10 journalism awards tonight in the Society of Professional Journalists San Diego contest, including four first place awards and for the third year in a row, the James Julian Memorial Award for community reporting.  

ECM picked up two awards for reports aired on KNSJ radio, as well as honors for online reporting. This brings ECM’s total awards to 69 since our launch in 2008.

“This is public service journalism at its finest—identify the problem for readers and track the changes. It worked in this case. Bravo,” commented a judge for the James Julian award, which includes a $100 cash prize for our story titled Why is County Veterans Service Department ignoring rural East County vets?  By Miriam Raftery.  After the report aired, Supervisor Dianne Jacob introduced a measure later adopted to bring veterans’ services to county libraries in rural locations.


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AB 2325 TO ESTABLISH LANGUAGE ACCESS TO MEDICAL PATIENTS

By Nadin Abbott

June 9, 2014 (San Diego) Imagine if you will, going to the doctor and not understanding what your doctor is telling you. Worst, imagine if you will, an EMS crew taking you to the Emergency Room, a life or death situation, and again you are not being able to understand what language the EMS crew, or later the hospital, is speaking.


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CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES SPEAK AT REPUBLICAN/TEA PARTY EVENT IN LAKESIDE

 

By Nadin Abbott

May 19, 2012 (Lakeside)—The East County Cailfornia Republican Assembly  and the Lakeside Tea Party sponsored a joint event tonight at the Veterans for Foreign Wars post in Lakeside. The event had three Congressional candidates for three different districts, the 50th, 52nd, and 53rd.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MOON SHOT

 

April 18, 2014 (San Diego) – Nadin Abbott took this moon shot during the lunar eclipse visible from San Diego this week, as earth’s shadow moved across the face of the moon.


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EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE WINS 11 AWARDS FROM SAN DIEGO PRESS CLUB

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) –Nine East County Magazine team members combined to win 11 awards in the 40th annual “Excellence in Journalism Awards” presented by San Diego Press Club on October 29.  ECM has won a total of 58 journalism awards since our launch in September 2008.

Our winning news entries dealt primarily with compelling public health and safety issues(wildfires and industrial-scale energy projects), though we also picked up awards for photography, feature-writing and commentary.

Congratulations to our winners!  In alphabetical order, they are:  Nadin Abbott, Parke Ewing, Paul Kruze, Brian Lafferty, Ron Logan, Jim Pelley, Miriam Raftery, Sierra Robinson, and Darin Sefcik.


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UPDATE ON EMERGENCY SHELTERS

 

By Nadin Abbott

October 3, 2013 (San Diego) As we noted in an earlier article, we approached the County about a disturbing trend we found of shelters not being open after they were announced as shelters during emergencies:

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/13952

After presenting our concerns to the Supervisors, we followed through with the County and did a public records request for correspondence or other records regarding the shelters found closed.


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PUBLIC URGES CPUC TO MAKE UTILITIES, NOT RATEPAYERS, PAY FOR MISTAKES AT SAN ONOFRE

 

 

By Nadin Abbott

Photos Tom Abbott

October 2, 2012 (San Diego) — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held two meetings on October 2 at the Bahr Shrine Auditorium in Kearny Mesa. The first session had about 50 members of the public attending, ratepayers who came from all over Southern California, including San Diego’s East County.

The common theme from residents, expressed well by Carol Jahnkow from Encinitas, was, “Why should rate payers pay for Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas and Electric’s (SDG&E) mistakes?”


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WHAT HAPPENS TO KIDS WHO END UP IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM?

 

 

By Nadin Abbott

Part three in a three-part series (Read part one and part two)

August 29, 2013 (Santee) – During the recent forum on child safety held in Santee, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Weinreb and Lisa J. Sawin, Department of Probation Director, spoke on what happens when a child enters the juvenile justice system.


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KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE: A PARENTS GUIDE TO BULLYING

 

 

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Nadin and Tom Abbott

Part two in a three-part series (Read Part One and Part Three)

August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Dana Stevens, Executive Director of the Communities against Substance Abuse (CASA), presented a PowerPoint presentation on bullying for parents last week during a forum on child safety in Santee.  East County Magazine has also recently spoken with other bullying experts to get tips on keeping kids safe. 


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OFFICIALS OFFER PARENTS ADVICE ON CHILD SAFETY DURING FORUM IN SANTEE

 

 

By Nadin Abbott

Part one in a three-part series (Read Part Two and Part Three)

August 27, 2013 (Santee) — Experts offered parents tips on how to keep kids safe in today’s modern world, including advice on free software to monitor children’s online activities.

State Senator Joel Anderson and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis came to the forum at West Hills High School to meet residents in Santee last week. The forum presented a panel of specialists in child safety issues, as well as a question and answer session.


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I-805 FREEWAY TO SHUT DOWN SUNDAY

 

By Nadin Abbott

August 14, 2013 (San Diego) — This weekend, getting to South Bay might prove a little tricky.

The I-805 will be closed in both directions from 3 p.m. on August 18, to 5 a.m. on August 19 between Route 54 and Route 905.

This is to allow for construction and expansion of the 805, including access to a future Transit Center.

Drivers are advised to use I-5 or Toll Road 125, which will be free for the duration.


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"DREAMERS" DENOUNCE MILITARIZATION OF THE BORDER

 

By Nadin Abbott

August 1, 2013 (San Diego) – Dreamers, children of immigrants led by Carolina Valdivia of the San Diego Dream Team, held a press conference just outside San Diego Sheriff’s Department central booking on July 29.

The Dreamers contend that Border Patrol used force to break-up a peaceful demonstration at Friendship Park on the U.S.-Mexico border.  They provided media with a video showing Border Patrol, U.S. Customs enforcement, trolley security personnel, and private contractors holding back a noisy crowd of demonstrators on July 28.


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COMIC-CON FAR MORE THAN COSTUMES AND BIG HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTIONS

 

 

 

By Nadin Abbott 

Photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott   

July 23, 2013 (San Diego) – There is more to Comic-Con than Game of Thrones or cool costumes. Yes, there are plenty of incredible costumes. We promise to show you that aspect of the Convention later in the article with the Steam Punk reunion that happened on Saturday. That said, Comic-Con also has a strong educational aspect to it.


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HISTORIC LODGE AT SHRINE CAMP, SIERRA CLUB’S FOSTER LODGE CABIN AMONG 108 BUILDINGS DESTROYED IN CHARIOT FIRE

 

ECM reporters allowed inside evacuation area to assess damage

 

By Nadin Abbott; photos by Nadin and Tom Abbott

 

July 9, 2013 (Mt. Laguna)— For owners of property on Mount Laguna, the past 24-hours have been heart-wrenching.  The Chariot Fire has reportedly destroyed 108 structures along Sunrise Highway, including the Al Bahr Shrine Camp and one lost at the Sierra Club Guymon Lodge. The blaze has scorched over 7,055 acres and is now 40 percent contained. Highway 79 is open but Sunrise Highway remains closed from 79 to I-8.

Peering through thick smoke late yesterday at the Shrine Camp site (photo, left), we saw a husk of burnt metal and the charred remains of other structures.  We later learned that losses included the 87-year-old lodge and a dozen or more cabins.


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SAN DIEGO STATE AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS CAMPUSES

 

By Nadin Abbott

May 30, 2013 (San Diego)-- Back in November the Daily Aztec reported San Diego State University  to be the seventh most dangerous college campus in the U.S. The Daily Aztec quoted the Business Insider, which stated, “SDSU experiences approximately 27 violent incidents per year.” In 2011 these included were five rapes, three robberies and five aggravated assaults.

ECM asked campus police some questions; Captain Lamine Secka responded in detail.

Our first question, actually coming from my years as a student, was what is the campus doing to improve lighting?


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FIRE AT CTC TOWING IN LAKESIDE KNOCKED DOWN BY A MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE

By Nadin Abbott

February 28, 2013 (Flinn Springs)--CTC Towing at 15275 Olde Highway 80 suffered a fire of unknown origin on Tuesday. The fire started before 1 p.m., according to the Lakeside Fire Protection District, and drew a multiagency response, including both San Diego City Fire Department HAZMAT and County HAZMAT.


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LOCAL UNIONS HELP 500 FAMILIES HAVE CHRISTMAS DINNER AND TOYS FOR THEIR CHILDREN

By Nadin Abbott

December 18, 2012 (San Diego)-- it was raining and it was cold this morning at Qualcomm Stadium, as union members prepared to give 500 families the  fixings for a Christmas Dinner and toys for their children.

One of the recipients was Veronica, who did not share her last name. She is a member of the ATU, local 1309. She drives  transit buses for a living. We just talked for a second. But the problem Veronica has, like many other low income families in San Diego, is that she does not get enough hours to make ends meet. She is a mother of several children.


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REPUBLICANS KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE, BUT DEMOCRATS SEE SOME GAINS

By Nadin Abbott

November 7, 2012 (San Diego)—While Democrats failed to retake control of the United States House of Representatives, right now seats by party are at Republican 232, and Democratic at 191, with 12 seats still not decided. Among those not decided is San Diego’s own 52nd District contest between Scott Peters (D) and Congressman Brian Bilbray (R), where Peters now leads by a narrow margin.


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ECM EARNS 11 AWARDS AT SAN DIEGO PRESS CLUB CEREMONY

8 of 11 awards recognize ECM's in-depth coverage of energy issues in our region

By Miriam Raftery

October 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Continuing our proud tradition, East County Magazine was once again among the top recipients of honors at tonight’s San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards.  All entries were in the Daily Newspapers and Websites category, going up against the major print newspapers and online news sites in our region.

The majority of the honors recognized ECM's in-depth coverage of the impacts of major energy projects, including industrial wind turbines, on local rural, mountain and desert communities. ECM editor Miriam Raftery won nine awards, including a first place award in general news for Silence of the Lambs: U.S. Government authorizes killing of endangered bighorns in path of wind project.   Raftery and ECM intern Mia Myklebust shared an additional first place award in the public service/consumer advocacy category for Jacumba: A town surrounded. That story focused on the impacts of major energy projects on a small rural community.

Scroll down to see our full list of winners and read the winning entries.


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LEGAL PROFESSIONALS CALL ON VOTERS TO SAY NO TO UNQUALIFIED JUDGES, OPPOSE JIM MILLER'S CANDIDACY

By Nadin Abbott

October 22, 2012 (San Diego)—At a press conference called by active and retired members of the legal profession, prominent legal experts urged voters to reject Superior Court candidate Jim Miller. The County Bar Association found Miller “lacking qualifications.” Miller had previously been removed for cause as a Judge Pro Tempore and two weeks ago, had his endorsement by the Lincoln Club revoked.

The Honorable Howard Wiener, a retired judge, told media that “this press conference is to highlight the importance of a judicial election and the need to cast an informed vote.”


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MIRAMAR AIR SHOW TAKES TO THE SKIES THIS WEEKEND

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

October 11, 2012 (Miramar Marine Corp Air Station)—This weekend’s air show at Miramar is the largest show in the continental United States, according to Lt. Col. Farnan. Visitors to the base can expect to see “more civilian and military aircraft in one place” than anywhere else.


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ECM WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS TO BE HONORED AT 2012 SAN DIEGO PRESS CLUB AWARDS

September 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – For the fifth year in a row, East County Magazine reporters and photographers will be taking home awards in the San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards.  Nadin Abbott, Tom Abbott, Jim  Pelley, Ryan Schuler, and ECM editor Miriam Raftery are all winners in the 2012 competition.

The winning categories—and just how many awards ECM has won – will be announced on October 23 at the San Diego Hall of Champions.


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SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY DENIES QUAIL BRUSH POWER PLANT

By Nadin Abbott

September 24, 2012 (San Diego)--The mood was tense as people from multiple walks of life and political views filed into San Diego City Chambers. Among them was Republican Santee Councilman Jack Dale and Democrat David Secor, candidate for U.S. Congress for the 50th district. Both Dale and Secor came to oppose the Quail Brush gas-fired power plant.

So did Massada Disenhouse, activist for the Sierra Club and Martha Sullivan, a former California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) employee, and many others.


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BRUSH FIRE BURNING IN MEXICO

 

By Nadin Abbott and Miriam Raftery

Photo by Dan Ortiz

June 19, 2012 (Tecate) – A wildfire is burning south of the border, with smoke visible in the U.S.


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