Three trustees have apparent conflicts of interest including ties to private schools and home schools

By Alexander J Schorr and Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Students, teachers, librarians, and community members rally outside GUHSD meeting April 24 in latest protest over layoffs.

April 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- A recall effort is underway seeking to oust four trustees on the Grossmont Union High School District Board:  Scott Eckert, Robert Shield, Gary Woods,PhD, and Jim Kelly. At the April 24 GUHSD board meeting at Grossmont High School, Andy Trimlett held up four notices of intent to recall the trustees, telling the four trustees,  “You  have refused to listen to your community, so we are launching a campaign to remove you from office.”   

The recall effort follows two months of protests over the board majority’s elimination of 61 positions, including 49 credentialed teachers, counselors, assistant principals, and 9 teacher librarians, as well as 12 support staffers. Despite the outcry, at the April 24 meeting, when trustee Chris Fite made a motion to rescind the controversial firings, none of the other four trustees would second the motion. The action intensifies growing mistrust between community members and the four conservative trustees, with each side accusing the other of disrespect.

View video of recall announcement. Recall organizers have setup a website and an Instagram page. Since the GUHSD has district elections, signatures must be obtained in each of the four districts to qualify a recall election for the ballot.

Photo, right: Andy Trimlett announces recall effort against four GUHSD trustees

April 30, 2025 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating the suspects responsible for the murder of 22-year-old Navy Sailor Corneilius Donte Brown, which happened four years ago.

Governor Gavin Newsom recently pledged an additional $50,000 reward from the State of California for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Brown’s murderer. In addition to $9,000 from  Brown’s family, $5,000 from NCIS, and $1,000 from San Diego Crime Stoppers, this brings the total reward to $65,000.

On April 24, 2021, at approximately 12:26 a.m., the La Mesa Police Department received several 9-1-1 calls of gunshots heard in the area of 4300 Echo Court, in La Mesa. Officers arrived within minutes and located a gunshot victim (later identified as Brown) inside his residence. He was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

East County News Service

April 28, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – You’re invited to celebrate the grand opening of Lemon Grove’s newest restaurant and catering company, Cali Mex Cocina and Catering located at 2605 Lemon Grove Ave.

At 3 p.m., Friday, May 2, the owners will be offering a 10% discount to all who attend their ribbon cutting celebration.

Husband-and-wife duo Neri and Sandra are excited to begin this journey in Lemon Grove. They have hopes in the future to add a second location.

The couple has a passion for cooking. Neri has been working in the industry for over 20 years and as an executive chef in three different restaurants for more than 10 years. His wife, Sandra specializes in aguas frescas and sauces.

By Miriam Raftery

April 26, 2025 (San Diego)-- Congressman Darrell Issa announced plans to hand out “Freedom Fries” at a McDonald’s in San Marcos on Thursday, April 24^th.

But after word got out that protesters planned to picket the event, 12 noon arrived—and Issa didn’t, until after protesters left.

By Karen Pearlman

April 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County  – The Anza-Borrego Desert in inland San Diego County is captivating with its beauty and expansiveness, humbling and powerful in its quietness. A landscape of extremes -- sun-scorched earth and hidden blooms, rugged canyons carved by time, and sudden spring wildflowers when the rain gods have been kind -- the desert has a raw quality that strips everything down to the essentials of light, shadow, stone and sky.

Our desert region includes Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, famous for its spring wildflowers and rugged terrain; the city of Borrego Springs, the nation’s first “Dark Sky” community and ideal for stargazing; Agua Caliente State Park, known for its thermal pools; Ocotillo Wells, a wildly popular draw for off-road vehicles; and Jacumba Hot Springs, a town that has reinvented itself and become a destination on its own merits.

By Mike Allen

April 25, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s City Council hired Gary Halbert, a former city manager for Chula Vista, as its interim city manager on the same day, April 23, that the prior city manager, Marlene Best, officially ended her nine-year tenure in a mutually agreed separation.

East County News Service

April 24, 2025 (El Cajon)—On May 3, the Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival returns at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College.  The event features plant sales nurtured by Cuyamaca College Nursery students as well as butterflies, live music, specialty garden-related vendors, food trucks, and family-friendly activities.

The festival coincides with the college’s Coyote Music Festival, with live bands in the amphitheater at the Garden.  In addition, Heritage of the Americas Museum next door will be hosting an arts and crafts fair.

By Alexander J. Schorr

Photo: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs speaks before a crowd of parents, teachers, community and union members about “stateof the union.”

April 23, 2025 (El Cajon) – In a live town hall meeting last night at Grossmont College’s Performing and Visual Arts Center, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-51) presented her own “State of the Union” address in which she warned that our nation is experiencing a “constitutional crisis.”  She spoke of numerous bills she has introduced seeking to push back against actions of the Trump administration.

 In addition, she fielded written questions from constituents over issues including budget cuts, mass firings, human rights violations, the looming constitutional crisis, and a potential recession on the horizon.

Ortiz defends actions as "only about public safety"

By Miriam Raftery

April 23, 2025 (El Cajon) – “You betrayed the large immigrant community here,” Mairene Branham told El Cajon Councilman Phil Ortiz at yesterday’s city council meeting, where she served him with a recall notice.

The recall effort was sparked by Ortiz’s vote on Feb. 11 in favor of a resolution that authorized the city’s police to cooperate with federal immigration officials in handing over undocumented immigrants who have been convicted, or accused, of a violent crime. The resolution passed narrowly on a 3-2 vote.

Ortiz represents District 4, a district with a majority of Latino voters, as well as many other immigrants.

East County News Service

April 19, 2025 (Ramona) – The Nashville Americana duo Goldpine, a husband and wife team, will perform at The Barn (344 Main St., Ramona) at 8 p.m., Friday, May 23.

The duo won the 2022 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest and has performed at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium and the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion.

Their music tells stories of live, love and purpose.

East County News Service

Photo snip of Jones with San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan (right) courtesy California State Republicans YouTube channel

April 16, 2025 (Sacramento, CA) -- In February, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 286, to close what he called a “dangerous loophole” in California’s Elderly Parole program that allows violent sex offenders and murderers as young as age 50 to be released early.

By Miriam Raftery

April 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – As a cooling trend continues, the National Weather Service predicts strong winds, rain, and snow for our mountain areas later this week.

There is a chance of rain countywide and mountain snow on Thursday, increasing on Friday, with possible rain in the mountains as late as Saturday morning.