By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

April 4, 2025 (San Diego) - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) declared a citrus quarantine expansion in Valley Center on March 26, after detecting the fatal citrus tree disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in two citrus trees in residential neighborhoods in the Valley Center area during regular inspections.   

East County New Service

September 11, 2024 (Valley Center) – This morning,  State Senator Brian Jones (40-SD) joined with the Valley Center Fire Protection District for a September 11 remembrance ceremony commemorating the worst terrorism attack on U.S. soil.

“We gather 23 years later to remember the events that occurred on September 11, 2001 and to pay tribute to Firefighters, EMS, Police Officers, Military Personnel, and civilians who paid the ultimate sacrifice to save those who were trapped in the Twin Towers, and in the Pentagon after a cowardly act of terrorism against the United States of America,” says Jones.

We also remember the American and United Airlines Flight Crew Members and the passengers who perished on the hijacked flights that crashed into the Pentagon and into a rural field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.”

East County News Service

August 24, 2021 (Valley Center) – You’re invited to meet the new owner of Keys Creek Lavender Farm, Heidi Blanton and bid farewell to outgoing owner Alicia Wolff at an English High Tea class.  Dress up, don a hat and bring flat shoes to celebrate the joy of lavender at the high tea class on Saturday, September 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. outdoors under shady pepper trees.

East County News Service

Photo via @CALFIRESANDIEGO on Twitter

July 12, 2021 (Valley Center) - Cal Fire is at scene with cooperating agencies at a vegetation fire near San Gabriel Way east of Couser Canyon Road in Valley Center.

The fire has burned three acres, moving at a slow rate of spread with potential structure threat.

 

Sign up to receive East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts free via e-mail. You can also follow @EastCountyAlert on Twitter for text alerts on your mobile phone. We thank the Grossmont Healthcare District and the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation for their support of our alerts, helping to keep you safe and informed.

 

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

April 2, 2021 (Valley Center) – Pony rides are back at Bates Nut Farm,located at 15954 Woods Valley Road in Valley Center.  The rides are available on the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.:  April 3, May 1, June 5 and July 3.  

August 10, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – On Friday, August 7, East County Magazine took our “Newsmakers, Shakers and Newsmakers” community forum/webinar series virtual.  Thanks to the #FacebookJournalismProject for supporting our community news reporting and virtual events in the COVID-19 era.

Thanks to all of you who sent in questions via email and social media for Dr. William Tseng, one of San Diego’s top COVID-19 experts, who shared the latest facts on COVID-19 trends and what the medical community has learned since the pandemic beganWhy does San Diego have a lower death rate than the nation?  What are the facts and myths about this disease?  How accurate are tests?  How can you help save lives if you’ve survived COVID-19?  What will it take to end the pandemic and return life to normal in our region?  Listen in to hear Dr. Tseng's fascinating responses.

Robyn Herrick, community resiliency advisor with SDG&E, discussed their upcoming drive-through Wildfire Safety Fairs coming up in Alpine, Pine Valley and Valley Center. Get details here. 

Hear what you need to know to stay safe this fire season – and how you get free devices to help you stay in communication even while you’re evacuated.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Site of proposed master-planned deveopment that has sparked a firestorm of controversy

June 18, 2020 (Valley Center) -- The San Diego County Fire Authority and County staff have recommended that Supervisors deny the controversial Lilac Hills Ranch mixed-use development project in Valley Center due to concerns over fire safety and evacuation routes. County Supervisors will consider the recommended denial on Wednesday, June 24. Theh project has also drawn strong opposition over the years from community members.

Despite objections from fire authorities, however, the County Planning Commission voted 5-2 to overrule staff and ignore concerns over lack of safe evacuation routes.  Intead, the majority of commissioners recommended that Superivsors allow the developer to pay a $2 million fire protection fee with various escape clauses in order to proceed, with building the project with the homeowners' associatoin paying for annual brush clearing, as the developer has sought.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. and will be virtual due to COVID-19.

By Miriam Raftery

View proposal: click here

November 30, 2019 (Valley  Center) – SDG&E has submitted a notice of construction for a fire-hardening project in Valley Center. The public has until December 3 to submit any protest letters for the project, which is slated to begin construction on January 30, 2020.

The project would remove about 7 miles of an exiting powerline alignment (tie-in 6926) from the Rincon Substation to Valley Center Substation and leave existing distribution circuits in place.  About 6 miles of the tie-line would be installed underground in road right-of-way from Valley Center Substation to a cable pole on Pauma Heights Road. From there, another 3 miles of overhead line would be installed in a double-circuit overhead configuration on an existing powerline alignment from the Pauma Heights Road pole to the Rincon substation.

East County News Service

September 24, 2019 (Valley Center) – You’re invited to don your best costume for a Halloween contest and parade plus fun for the whole family at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center (15954 Woods Valley Rd.)  on Sunday, October 27.

By Miriam Raftery

July 31, 2019 (Valley Center) – My daughter and I savored a soothing summer’s eve at Keys Creek Lavender Farm in Valley Center, partaking of an outdoor high tea on a shaded patio--an idyllic way to relax and indulge in some scrumptious treats.

After rambling down winding country roads, we arrived to be greeted with a hand-washing station complete with a lavender sugar scrub that left our hands not only clean, but soft and smooth.  I recommend arriving early to take a stroll past lavender fields, albeit past the peak spring bloom season.  

Our guide to unique lodging and adventures in San Diego’s beautiful backcountry

By Miriam Raftery

June 13, 2018 (Valley Center) – Tucked into the largely rural Valley Center area of northeast San Diego County are two tribal-owned casino resorts on Native American reservations: Harrah’s Resort and Valley View Casino and Hotel.

October 25,  2016 (San Diego's  East  County)--  Measure B on the  countywide ballot was paid for by  a  developer.  Accretive Development wants voters to approve Lilac  Hills, a massive,  master-planned community the size of Del Mar in rural Valley Center. 

Why should voters in East County and elsewhere in San Diego care?  First, because taxpayers countywide could wind up footing part of the bill and second,  because if Measure B passes, developers of other controversial  projects could similarly seek to bypass state enviornmental review and the county plannning process.  That's why major environmental groups such as  Sierra Club, Save Our Forests and Ranchlands, and Cleveland Natoinal Forest Foundation are all opposed to the ballot proposition.

Hear our interview with Mark Jackson from the No on Measure B committee, originally aired on  our show on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.