By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Daren Sefcik

March 9, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- You just never know what you might encounter on the trails in East County!  Photographer Daren Sefcek headed out to the Anza-Borrego Desert to take photos of wildflowers in bloom--and captured a close-up of this yellow-backed spiny lizard on the trail. 

February 18, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup covers top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s eastern regions, published in other media.

Top Roundup stories include:

• Cartels crumble in Tijuana
• City of San Diego needs 10 new fire stations, study says
• Lemon Grove trying to protect funds
• $2 billion in aid open to struggling homeowners
• San Diego County’s homeless numbers rise
• California parks must refocus to survive, study says
• La Mesa thrift store gives its profits back to community
• Group in honor of Amber Dubois gets new 4-footed member

December 30, 2010 (San Diego's East County)--With three disaster declarations in just one year (for earthquake, flooding, and the “bomb house”), it’s been a turbulent year in East County and San Diego’s inland regions.

Here’s a look back at some of the biggest stories of 2010—from Mother Nature rocking our region to political and economic upheavals. We’ve also had stories of inspiration and courage, some heart-wrenching tales, plus news items that range from wild to just plain wacky.

Here are our picks for the year’s top stories that impacted East County.

East County Roundup highlights stories of interest to East County, published in other media.

Development interests seek to make it easier to build housing projects in rural areas

Photo credit: https://precondo.ca/

September 18, 2010 (Spring Valley)  12:42 p.m. -- Homes on Via de la Terra are being evacuated due to a brush fire.  Heavy winds are blowing flames eastward, ECM has learned.  The fire is within 100 feet of structures in the area of Jamacha Blvd. and Lamplighter Village.  Watch for updates soon.

If you are not yet signed up to receive the FREE Viejas Wildfire & Emergency alerts via email, sign up at the top right side of our homepage. You can also follow ViejasAlerts on Twitter.com.

Update 11 p.m. - The Bomb Squad has blown up the device, a pipe bomb, which was thrown from a vehicle in a Fed Ex box with wires attached.

September 8, 2010 (Rolando) – Incident Page Network reports that a bomb squad and robot have been dispatched to examine a suspicious device in the 3900 block of Vista Grande in Rolando, near the College area. 

About 20 homes are being evacuated, officer Dino Delimitros with San Diego Police told East County Magazine at 9:25 p.m. Asked if the Bomb Squad has determined that the device in the street is an explosive, he replied, “They said it looks like it.” The device appears to be a pipe bomb, he added. 

July 9, 2010 (Alpine) – For years, the only “Bear” at Lions, Tigers and Bears, a facility in Alpine for rescued and abused big cats, was a miniature horse bearing that name. But now a black bear cub named “Liberty” has been brought to the facility by California Fish & Game Aget Kevin Brennan, who captured the yearling at a campground near Mt. Baldy in Angeles National Forest.