January 17, 2010 (Spring Valley) -- A two story house fire in Spring Valley triggered a two-alarm response Saturday afternoon, resulting in $100,000 of damage, according to a preliminary estimate. No injuries were reported. 

December 27, 2009 (Spring Valley) – The San Diego County Sheriff’s office has opened up a new storefront at 9736 Campo Road in the Casa de Oro neighborhood in Spring Valley. The purpose of the storefront is to “enhance the partnership between the community and the Sheriff’s Department,” according to a release issued by  Sheriff Bill Gore (photo, left).

December 22, 2009 (Spring Valley) – Two teenage girls were arrested for armed robbery at the Spring Valley Swap Meet on Saturday, December 19.

By Miriam Raftery

December 7, 2009 (Spring Valley) – “The banjo is America’s own instrument,” said Carolina Bridges, director of public relations at Deering Banjo. True, and Deering is America’s banjo company—the only U.S. maker that handcrafts its instruments using all American-made parts, Bridges said during a tour of Deering’s Spring Valley factory at the company’s holiday open house on Saturday. “It’s like a good cake—we make it all from scratch.”

Deering’s attention to quality has attracted top names in the music world—not only in bluegrass, jazz and country music, but also star performers in rock and roll. But it all started right here in East County 34 years ago, when Greg and Gail Deering began making banjos in their garage, stringing instruments on their porch and selling them to local music stores.

November 20, 2009 (Spring Valley) – The Sheriff’s Department has released the following information about a report of a man who tried to pick up a Spring Valley school girl and told her he had been watching her and her sisters. According to the police report, on November 18th around 8:53 a.m., the girl was walking to school near Apple Street and Paraiso Avenue when she was approached by a Hispanic male adult in a late model dark blue minivan.

Candidates for Attorney General and Insurance Commissioner Spoke at Festive Gathering

September 30, 2009 (Lemon Grove) – Dozens of people packed into the Por Favor Restaurant in Lemon Grove Friday night to celebrate the community’s newly formed Spring Valley-Lemon Grove Democratic Club. The new club hosted an impressive array of guest speakers, including two candidates for statewide offices: Attorney General and Insurance Comissioner. The group’s next meeting is slated for Thursday, October 1st. .

“Valley Grove is back,” Lemon Grove Councilman George Gastil proclaimed, referring to the area’s former Democratic Club, which disbanded several years ago. But victories by President Barack Obama and local Democratic candidates have revived a surge of interest in Democratic Clubs countywide, prompting Gastil to organize the new club.

July 1, 2009 (Lemon Grove) – Yesterday the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced that it is joining forces with Crime Stoppers to help identify and apprehend a group of men responsible for assaulting and severely beating Russell Hinton in Spring Valley on June 13th shortly after midnight.

March 27, 2009 (Spring Valley)--An eight-year-old boy was shot in the foot while sleeping in his bed at 4:34 this morning. Suspects knocked on the door at Villas at Casa De Oro Apartments (3860 Helix Street, Spring Valley)., then began firing into the apartment using a rifle and a handgun, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department. The boy was transported to Grossmont Hospital for treatment. His injury is not life-threatening. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle, however no description is available from law enforcement authorities.