East County News Service

February 6, 2025 (Lakeside) -- The Barona Oaks Raceway, LLC is inviting review and public comments on a preliminary grant application to the state of California's Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division. The park is requesting funds for ground operations and maintenance and infrastructure development at the Barona MX Motocross Facility at 1800 Wildcat Canyon Rd, Lakeside, CA 92040 (www.barona-mx.com).

Update: An earlier version of this article contained information added by our editor stating that the vote violated California's Brown Act. The City has disputed this and indicated that a public vote was held.  Our earlier report was based on a text from a Councilmember indicating that the vote was "anonymous" after ECM's editor asked whether the vote was unanimous. An anonymous vote during a public meeting would be illegal. Please see correction note below this article for  full details.

By Jessica Brodkin Webb

Miriam Raftery contributed to this report.

February 5, 2025 (Lemon Grove) –Lemon Grove’s City Council last night appointed Yadira Altamirano to fill the seat left vacant after Allyson Snow was elected as Mayor in 2024. She was previously appointed to finish City Council Member Matt Mendoza’s term from late 2019 through December 2020.

East County News Service

February 5, 2025 (El Cajon) – Sarhad Yawsip Jammo, the Bishop who led the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle for the western U.S. from 2002 until his retirement in 2016, has died at the age of 83. Born in Iraq and later based at St. Peter’s Chaldean Cathedral in El Cajon, Bishop Jammo was a noted scholar, author and religious leader who guided the diocese through turbulent times, including wars ravaging his homeland and terrorists targeting Chaldean Christians in Iraq.

By Michael Howard

February 3, 2025 (La Mesa, CA) - The La Mesa City Council, during its Tuesday January 28, 2025 meeting, voted unanimously to increase city fees by 24.7%.

"Some fee schedules are increasing higher than normal,” Assistant to the City Manager Lyn Dedmon admitted to the Council members when the increases were presented for their vote.

City “user fees,” which are the fees charged to the users of certain city provided services, are not meant to be a source of revenue, per the city’s policy.  Rather, the purpose of the fees are to recover the costs of providing the services that the city provides. 

City services range from building permits to city-owned community pool swim passes, along with countless other engineering, planning, public works, and community services in between.

According to a report commissioned by the city to study the fee schedule, La Mesa only recovered  59% of the cost it takes to provide its services in fiscal year 2023-2024. Total costs were $7,626,128, but the city collected only $4,469.581.

East County News Service

Update Feb. 4, 2025 -- Supervisor Joel Anderson has launched a petition to oppose Snavely's placement in Julian. You can sign his petition here.

February 1, 2025 (Julian, CA) – San Diego County Superior Court has ordered the conditional release of Gary Snavely, a sexually violent predator (SVP) at 3452 Wynola Road in Julian.  The public can submit comments from Feb. 3 through Feb. 16; hearing set for March 7.

Snavely was convicted of molesting two girls ages 8 and 9 in Orange County back in 1987. In 1996 he was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender in San Diego County and went back to prison.  After his release, he was placed in Jacumba in 2008 but after he abused his psychotropic medication and lied to his supervising staff he went back to Coalinga state hospital, though he was not accused of committing new crimes. Violations included failing to remain appropriately clothed at all times on his property while in public view, and failing to report any and all instances of sexual thoughts and fantasies involving sexual deviance to treatment staff.

East County News Service

January 31, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A Black History Empowerment Celebration will be held on February 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lemon Grove Academy Middle School, 7866 Lincoln St. in Lemon Grove.  Festivities will include spoken word, drumming African dancers, music artists, soul food vendors, food trucks and more.

The event is sponsored by Thrive Lemon Grove, F.A.C.E. Lemon Grove School District, and House Gone  Wild International.

Program assists local businesses with grants for property improvements

Source:  City of La Mesa

January 31, 2025 (La Mesa) - The City of La Mesa is launching the La Mesa Façade and Property Improvement Grant program for a fourth consecutive year. This program aims to bolster local businesses by providing grant funds for up to $25,000 for exterior façade improvements such as new awnings, signage, painting, lighting, and landscaping.

By Miriam Raftery

View video of full Council hearing (Immigration agenda item begins at 37 minutes.)

January 29, 2025 – Emotions ran high during yesterday’s El Cajon City Council meeting, where a packed chamber heard testimony from 88 members of the public over a proposed over immigration enforcement resolution, followed by a heated Council debate that divided the all-Republican members during a hearing that ran over five hours.

The measure introduced by Mayor Wells, a revision from a version heard two weeks ago, aims to authorize El Cajon police to comply with federal immigration enforcement officials within the limits of state law and the Constitution for the purpose of removing violent criminals.

But the action comes on the same day that the White House Press Secretary indicated that the Trump administration views all undocumented immigrants as “criminals” even though crossing the border itself is a misdemeanor on the first offense, not a felony or violent crime.

Sweeps by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun nationwide, picking up many immigrants with no criminal record—including an El Cajon man with no criminal record who was awaiting his asylum hearing when arrested  this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his home in front of his five-year-old daughter, Councilman Michelle Metschel revealed in an impassioned speech.

East County News Service

January 29, 2025 (Santee) – Bring your dog for fun times at Fido Fest, or adopt a furry companion from rescue groups.  The city of Santee event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive East in Santee.

Contests will be held for the biggest and smallest dogs, best costume, and best trick. There will also be “arfs” and crafts, demonstrations, off-leash areas, vendors and giveaways.

East County News Service

January 28, 2025 (Jamul) -- Robert Hobbs sent in these images of the Border 2 Fire, which burned over 6,500 acres after starting on Otay Mountain in San Diego County on Jan. 23.  These photos were taken Jan. 23 and 24 from Jamul.

By Brooke Binkowski, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Herman Smith, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept.

January 27, 2025 (Jacumba Hot Springs) - A man classified as a sexually violent predator — or SVP — will be conditionally released to a home in Jacumba Hot Springs, likely displacing another SVP who was placed in that same home two months ago.

Impact has left refugee aid groups locally and nationally in shock

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Pentagon:  Troops evacuating Afghans after fall of Kabul

January 26, 2025 (San Diego) – Following an executive order issued by Donald Trump to suspend refugee resettlement,  the Trump administration has cancelled all flights for over 10,000 refugees already approved to resettle in the United States. According to Associated Press. This includes over 1,660 Afghans who helped America’s military as well as relatives of active-duty U.S. military personnel, Reuters reports.

The impacts hit hard in San Diego County, which in recent years has resettled more refugees from around the world than any other county in the U.S. including refugees from Africa, Asia, war-torn Middle-Eastern countries such as Iraq and Syria, Ukraine and other European nations, Haitian refugees fleeing natural disasters, and many more.

“This executive order is a step backwards for America,” the International Rescue Committee states on its website, urging the Trump administration to reverse the order. 

The Trump administration has taken down entirely the State Department's page on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Source:  Downtown El Cajon

January 24, 2025 (El Cajon) - For the first time in 30 years, dogs are wagging their tails back into downtown El Cajon! Join the city on Saturday, January 25th for the End of Pawhibition, a celebration of this historic ordinance repeal. This all-day event will be filled with pawsitively delightful activities for you and your four-legged friends.

Update 12 p.m.:  Cal Fire has mapped the fire at 5,389 acres. It remains 10% contained. View laetst evacuation areas, whcih have expanded,  here:  https://app.watchduty.org/i/41110 

By Miriam Raftery

January 24, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The #Border2Fire has exploded overnight to 4,250 acres with 10% containment, Cal Fire reports this morning.  Per San Diego County Sheriff, #Border2Fire. An evacuation order has been issued for people who live in the red shaded areas as shown on the map at left as of early this morning. It means there is an immediate threat and you need to leave right now. An evacuation warning has also been issued for the areas in yellow.

Areas under evacuation notices include Dulzura, portions of Jamul, Lower Otay Reservoir, Otay Mt. Truck Trail, Campo Rd., the Elite Training Center and more. Otay Ranch Town Center and Olympian High School are under evacuation advisories.

Note: Evacuations orders and warnings may be updated frequently; for the most recent maps please see:

https://protect.genasys.com/fullscreenMap?  and

http://emergencymap.sandiegocounty.gov/index.html

Update 5:05 p.m.-- The #Border2Fire is now 248 acres and still 0% contained. Winds have shifted toward campgrounds with campers at Pio Pico told to evacuate and Thousand Trails campers receiving a warning to be prepared, per social media posts from campers at these sites.

update 4 p.m.-- The fire is now 148 acres per Watch Duty app and is large enough to be visible from space. (Photo, right, via NASA)

Update 3:45 p.m.-- The fire is now 50 acres and 0% contained, per Cal Fire.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo  by Barry Jantz: Border 2 Fire viewed from Jamul, with Jamul Casino in foreground.

January 23, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- The #Border2Fire that started within the hour on Otay Mountain is now 20 acres and burning at a "dangerous" rate of spread, per Watch Duty App. Cal Fire lists the size as 10 acres with potential for 200 acres.

The fire started near Otay Truck Trail in the Otay WIlderness area.  Infrastructure on the mountain is threatened, per Watch Duty App.