By Miriam Raftery

January 3, 2019 (Jamul) – Two young people were killed in a collision with a sport utility vehicle (SUV) that occurred around 11:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, December 31^st Campo Road (Highway 94) near Lyons Valley Road in Jamul, one mile north of the Jamul Casino.

Yannis Alekos Floros, 21, was driving east on the highway approaching the intersection when he lost control and spun sideways into oncoming traffic. The passenger side of the vehicle collided with the front end of a westbound SUV.  Floros was transported to a trauma center where despite aggressive resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead a short time later, on January 1, 2019, the County Medical Examiner’s office reports.

Tabia Watson, 20, was found unresponsive in the passenger seat of Floros’ vehicle; despite life saving measures, she died at the scene.

East County News Service

January 2, 2019 (Santee) – San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO), a Santee-based political action committee promoting Second Amendment rights, has announced it recently filed an amicus curaie brief, a Latin phrase meaning “friend of the court,” in a Hawaii case that ruled in favor of the right to openly carry firearms in public.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

January 1, 2019 (Spring Valley) – A collapsed culvert caused a sinkhole to open in the Sweetwater Lodge trailer park on Jamacha Road yesterday.   Two residents of a nearby mobile home were evacuated to temporary lodging arranged by the park owner.

Source: El Cajon Police

December 29, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The Christmas and New Year’s holidays are ways to spend time with family and friends ringing in another year, but also a time when people can make poor choices that put themselves and others at risk on the road.

CAL FIRE/County Fire Authority moves out of JCFPD fire station, returns to former office in Julian.

New JCFPD board puts Chief Van Bibber back in charge; radio service also restored for volunteer firefighters.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

VIDEO of December 13 JCFPD Board Meeting

December 28, 2018 (Julian)--The knockdown, drag-out fight between CAL FIRE and the San Diego County Fire Authority versus the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (JCFPD) went another round last week when County Supervisors voted to hold a special election in Julian this spring.

Julian citizens gathered enough signatures to put the fate of the JCFPD to a direct special election vote on Mar. 19, 2019. But Supervisors’ decision to confirm the people’s right to vote on saving the county’s last volunteer fire district from a county takeover has done little to heal the smarting.

Cal OSHA was called out on Nov. 30 to Julian Fire Station 56 to enforce an order by County Fire Authority Chief Jeremi Roesler requiring that all JCFPD firefighter Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) be inspected and inventoried. He unilaterally directed that all firefighter “turnouts” or PPE gloves, jackets, helmets – be inspected and inventoried for official reasons unknown to him. Each set of PPE or “turnouts” is worth about $4,000 dollars.

Instead of notifying the JCFPD or volunteer firefighters beforehand of the inspection, the search was conducted unannounced and numerous pieces of gear were removed from service. The Sheriff was notified when firefighters’ personal property was allegedly taken.

Insiders say Kalashos may still be subject to criminal prosecution over alleged fraudulent mortgage filings

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

December 25, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The fraud and harassment case against El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, tacked in a different direction on Friday, December 14th when litigants faced San Diego Superior Court Kenneth J. Medel and announced that they reached an agreement to attempt to resolve the case through mediation.

By Mike Allen

December 23, 2018 (Santee) -- Based on future cost projections that involve multiple agencies and variable prices such as power and labor, the Advanced Water Purification Program still makes sense and is worth pursuing, staffers from Padre Dam Municipal Water District told its board this week.

By Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Two storms are forecast to bring strong winds up to 60 mph, chilly temperatures and rain to our region starting Tuesday, Christmas morning, through Friday. Light snow may fall above 5,000 feet, with up to two inches of snow potentially bringing a whtie Christmas atop Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain, our region’s highest peaks.

East County News Service

December 21, 2018 (Dulzura) -- A head-on collision in Dulzura killed two drivers last night around 9:50 p.m. on State Route 94 east of Barrett Smith Road.

A woman was driving a 2007 Ford Fusion eastbound, reportedly at a high rate of speed, when her vehicle crossed the center line and collided with a 2004 Honda Accord driven by a man, 35.  

By Miriam Raftery

December 20, 2018 (Lemon Grove)—The driver of a green Kia utility vehicle has been arrested for suspected driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs after striking a power pole at 6:47 a.m. at 1750 Madera Street near Massachusetts Avenue in Lemon Grove.

Broken wires resulted in loss of power at San Altos Elementary School. The outage is expected to last until this afternoon.The school has planned a minimum day.

Update December 20, 2018:  The State has sent a letter to La Mesa's city manager advising that it has dropped plans for a parole office at this location, at this time, but will seek an alternative site elsewhere in East County.

By Susan Nichols, President, Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association (GMIA)

December 19, 2018 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association (GMIA), along with the greater community, continues to gather information to oppose the leasing of a building by the Department of Corrections for a Parole Operations Center amidst of their residential community. GMIA and the greater community have sought help from elected state officials, who are aware of the community plea to stop the parole office but have yet to provide substantive action.

Source: City of El Cajon

December 19, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon has been awarded $4.8 million in grant funding from Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration. The grants will fund a number of improvements along two busy El Cajon roads—Jamacha Road (which turns into North Second Street) and Madison Avenue. The grant awards aim to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety at these two locations in El Cajon, which has had a high rate of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in recent years.

East County News Service

December 18, 2018 (Spring Valley) – A clerk at the Arco convenience store in the 9000 block of Campo Road assaulted a deputy who responded to a call reporting that the clerk was threatening customers with a knife. The caller reported that the clerk appeared to be under the influence of a drug and chased a customer with a knife.

By Paul Kruz, Contributing Editor

December 14, 2018 (El Cajon) -- Residents of El Cajon and the County of San Diego will have to wait awhile longer before the community's theater, shuttered for over a decade, will reopen for performances.

While performing an evaluation of the HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning) system at the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC), experts have determined that the system will require complete replacement rather than an overall. Further investigation has found more age-related problems with the roof of the 1,140 seat theater.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Students from Meridian Elementary arriving at East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon are surprised and delighted to see a playground that they envisioned has come to life at the center, funded by Allstate through the company’s Good Starts Young program.

December 14, 2018 (El Cajon)  --  Fourth grade students in Mrs. Lee’s class at Meridian Elementary were asked how they would like to improve their community. The children dreamed up the idea of a playground for families at the East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon, which helps homeless people transition off the streets, then created the design.  But they had no idea that Allstate Insurance had provided funding through its Good Starts Young program to make the playground become a reality.