Communities

WELCOME, RURAL RESIDENTS!

Our Rural section covers most San Diego County's inland communities south of I-8  to the border including Alpine, Barrett Junction, Boulevard, Campo, Deerhorn Valley, Dehesa, Dulzura,  Jamul,  Japatul, Lake Morena, Otay,  Potrero, and Spring Valley. 


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WELCOME, MOUNTAIN DWELLERS!

Our Mountain Living section covers the mountain communities in San Diego's East County north of I-8 including Aguanga, Cuyamaca, Descanso, Guatay, Julian, Mount Laguna, Pine Valley, Ranchita, Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley and Warner Springs.


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WELCOME, DESERT DENIZENS!

Our deserts section covers the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Borrego Springs, Ocotillo, Ocotillo Wells and Jacumba.


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WELCOME, SANTEE & LAKESIDE RESIDENTS!


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Cajon Classic Cruise returns next week in El Cajon, hosted by Downtown Café

By Paul Levikow

September 3, 2025 (El Cajon) – East County car enthusiasts have cause for celebration, after the El Cajon City Council on Tuesday approved a two-month extension of the Cajon Cruise on Main Street and Prescott Promenade, this time hosted by Downtown Café.

The revived car show will rev up on Wednesday nights Sept. 10 through Oct. 22 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., featuring classic and show cars.

In prior years, the car show ran six months, from April through October. But this year, due to a funding shortfall, the event customarily hosted by the downtown merchants’ organization ran for only two months, from June 4-July 30.


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Building together: local trades connect at Rams Hill Golf Cottages

Meet-and-Greet
 
By Jennifer Sencion
 
September 2, 2025 (Borrego Springs) - On July 31, Borrego Community Builders, in partnership with Skyline Construction, hosted a Subcontractor Meet-and-Greet in Borrego Springs to connect local tradespeople with a landmark hospitality project. The gathering brought together electricians, plumbers, painters, construction crews, and other skilled trades from Borrego Springs and neighboring desert communities, providing a direct link to upcoming bid opportunities for the Rams Hill Golf Cottages project.

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Proposed Lakeside Sand Mine Owner Sues City of San Diego for Damages From Water Release at El Capitan Dam

 
91-year-old dam is too dangerous for city to keep reservoir filled, leading to massive water waste and now, damage claims downstream
 
By Karen Pearlman
 
Sept. 1, 2025 (Lakeside) – A lawsuit against the city of San Diego is highlighting safety and management concerns at the El Capitan Dam and Reservoir (photo, left, by Billy Ortiz).
 
The suit is also dredging up residents’ longstanding fight against sand mining in Lakeside’s picturesque El Monte Valley.
 
Even deeper, it shines a floodlight on failure to make the dam safe, which could not only protect public safety, but also prevent wasting billions of gallons of water that the city currently must release from this and other reservoirs to prevent disastrous dam breaks.
 
The old earthen dam is considered one of the most dangerous in the region because of concerns about water overflow, major flooding and catastrophic loss of life. It sits near the site of a proposed sand mining area in the El Monte Valley.

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Woman arrested for vandalizing Santee Post Office

East County News Service

August 31, 2025 (Santee) – A suspect accused of vandalizing the Santee Post Office on Mission Gorge Road last night was caught red-handed -- or rather, black-handed – early this morning. 

Brandy Thomas, 52, was found in possession of black spray paint cans and had paint on her hands, legs and clothing  when apprehended, according to Lieutenant Thomas Fletcher. 


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Homicide arrest in El Cajon

East County News Service

August 31, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police have arrested a suspect for a deadly stabbing that occurred at 5:30 p.m. last night in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 900 block of South Sunshine, El Cajon.

According to Lieutenant Eric Thornton, two men were in an altercation when one man stabbed the other, causing severe injury.  The victim, a 59-year-old El Cajon man, was transported to a hospital, where he died.

The suspect, Steven Matthews, 29, of La Mesa was found on scene and arrested.


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Lemon Grove Sheriff’s Substation holds ribbon cutting and grand reopening after flood damage

By Paul Levikow

Photo, left:  Sheriff Kelly Martinez cuts ribbon on renovated Lemon Grove substation

August 28, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez and Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow presided over a ribbon cutting and grand reopening of the Lemon Grove Sheriff’s Substation Thursday, 19 months after it was devastated by torrential rain.

On Jan. 22, 2024, the San Diego area recorded 2.73 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. Martinez’s team assessed the damage around the county in Sheriff’s jurisdiction to ensure that deputies could continue to provide the services that were needed and respond to flood victims, conduct evacuations and other emergency responses.

“By far, the worst damage was here in Lemon Grove. And I’m so grateful for the tenacity and resilience of my team,” Martinez said. “There was a lot going on to get this station back reopened. This really epitomizes who the Sheriff’s Office is. We serve our community and we do it very well.”


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Drug toxicity caused death of woman in Las Colinas Detention Facility

East County News Service

August 29, 2025 (Santee) – The San Diego County Medical has completed an autopsy on Callen Lines, 31, who was found unresponsive in her cell at Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee on May 12 at 7:25 p.m. After emergency efforts by paramedics and Santee Fire Dept. personnel, she was pronounced dead at a local hospital a short time later.


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Rollback of "Roadless Rule" to allow logging and road construction in National Forests draws opposition from tribes and ecologists

 

Trump administration opens 21-day public comment period Aug. 29-Sept. 19

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Cedar Creek Falls, one of the most scenic hiking destinations  in San Diego's East County, is in a roadless portion of Cleveland National Forest. 

August 29, 2025 (San Diego) -- The Trump administration announced it is seeking public comment on its proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule and the environmental impacts it would cause.

The Roadless Rule prohibits road construction and logging on 58.5 million acres of wild areas in national forests in order to protect habitats and ecosystems. Rescinding this rule will allow road construction and timber harvesting on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, including 71,000 designated roadless acres of Cleveland National Forest including scenic areas in San Diego’s East County.


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Santee approves warehouse distribution center at drive-in-theater site, despite community opposition

 By Mike Allen

Image, left:  Aerial rendering of planned new warehouse site

August 29, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee traded a defunct drive-in theater/swap meet for an industrial distribution center with 42 dock bays and the promise of 185 jobs following approvals from the City Council this week.

The fact that the 13.5 acre site at 10990 North Woodside Avenue has been vacant for more than a year made no difference to the dozens of people who showed up to City Hall to oppose the massive warehouse, which developers said will be a “state of the art facility with all the bells and whistles.”


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Supervisors Anderson, Aguirre Supporting Cease-and-Desist Order to Expand Sewage Treatment from Tijuana River

East County News Services
 
Aug. 28, 2025 (San Diego County) -- San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Joel Anderson (photo, left) are praising the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board for approving a cease-and-desist order that will expand treatment capacity at the International Boundary and Water Commission's South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
 
The order authorizes the plant to treat an additional 10 million gallons per day, increasing 25 million gallons to 35 million gallons, a major step toward reducing untreated sewage flows through the Tijuana River Valley.
 
Aguirre, who represents District 1, is Chair Pro Tem; Anderson oversees District 2.
 
"South Bay families have been forced to live with toxic pollution for years now," Sups. Aguirre and Anderson wrote in a joint statement.
 
"This cease-and-desist order is an urgently needed step to protect public health and finally bring some relief to South Bay residents. We want to thank the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board (SDRWQCB) for approving the cease-and-desist order to expand treatment capacity at the International Boundary and Water Commission's South Bay plant. This is an important step forward."

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San Diego Trolley improvements coming to East County Orange line

Riders should plan for weekend delays during construction through early 2028

By Paul Levikow

August 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Wednesday announced details of the San Diego Trolley Orange Line Improvement Project, or Rail Ready, on the stretch of tracks from San Diego to El Cajon. The $151 million improvement project will modernize the Orange Line between the 32nd and Commercial Street Station in San Diego to the El Cajon Transit Center on S. Marshall Avenue.

Riders will experience weekend service disruptions about once a month over the next two-and-a-half years, according to MTS officials, but they will have access to bus shuttles between those stations at no extra charge.


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La Mesa Community Services name changed to Parks and Recreation

Source:  City of La Mesa

August 27, 2025 (La Mesa) - The City of La Mesa announces that the Community Services Department has officially changed its name to the Parks and Recreation Department. The change clarifies the department’s role and highlights its focus on managing local parks, facilities, as well as offering a diverse range of recreational programs. From youth sports to senior fitness, summer camps to community events – the Parks and Recreation Department believes in the power of play to connect people, create memories, and improve the lives of our residents.


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Clothing Swap Coming to La Mesa Sept. 6

East County News Services
 
Aug. 26, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Local environmental-focused nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego is hosting a clothing swap at the La Mesa Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 6.
 
The event allows community members the opportunity to trade gently-used clothes, accessories and shoes for those donated by others for the swap.
 

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Firefighters rescue workers trapped on roof of burning T.J. Maxx building under construction in La Mesa

Story and photos by Josh Stotler

 

August 25, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Just before 3:30 p.m. , a structure fire broke out in the under-construction building slated to house  T. J. Maxx and an Ulta beauty store on the former site of the Toys “R” Us at 8800 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.

As the first engines arrived, thick, black smoke and flames could be seen coming from the roof of the structure with stranded construction workers shouting and waving for help.

An employee of a nearby business claimed she “heard a loud explosion” before the fire broke out.


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270 firearms turned in at La Mesa gun safety event

Source: San Diego County Sheriff

August 24, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Last weekend, the San Diego County Sheriff’s department teamed up with local law enforcement agencies to help get unwanted weapons off our streets through a Gun Safety Event in La Mesa.


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Photo of the week: Santee Fire Department's new brush rig

Photo and story by Patrick Ward
 
August 24, 2025 (Santee) - The Santee Fire Department this week held a push-in ceremony with its new home-type 3 brush engine, a symbol of the department’s commitment to safety and efficiency. The brush rig is designed to handle any emergency with precision and speed.
 
The cost of the apparatus was $627,000, with a generous grant of $407,000 from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation and the San Diego River Conservancy, to help assure the safety of the Santee Community and the broader San Diego County region.

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The Palms Restaurant and Banquet Hall Granted New Permit to Stay Open in Downtown El Cajon

By Paul Levikow

August 19, 2025 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon Planning commission voted unanimously Tuesday to grant a new Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to The Palms Restaurant and Banquet Hall on Main Street downtown, avoiding imminent closure on Oct. 1.

The business will still be required to operate mainly as a restaurant under the new CUP, with up to 10 private events allowed per month. Alcohol sales and live entertainment are allowed as they were under the previous permit. The business proposes to operate from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Sunday, but the restaurant is not proposed to open until 6 p.m. New owners of The Palms say they are planning renovations both inside and outside of the business.

“We’re serious. We acquired this business because we see a vision,” new owner Jeff Mansour said. “We believe in it and we’re going to do what we say we’re going to do.”


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Stylish fundraising

The fashion show enriches lives of disabled students from St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center

 

By Heidi Hope

Photos by Heidi Hope and Miriam Raftery

August 7, 2025 (San Diego) –  Haute with Heart, a fashion show themed “London Calling,”  evoked English fancy style while supporting students with disabilities and pivotal programs at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, an El Cajon-based nonprofit. 

Presented at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in San Diego on August 2, Haute with Heart brought a day of free-flowing champagne, an enjoyable luncheon, live music, live and silent auctions, and the London-themed fashion show. All proceeds from the show will go towards expanding the center and supporting its students  as they keep striving to achieve their greatest potential.


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DNA provides new info on 1998 homicide victim found in El Cajon: police seek help to identify her

East County News Service

August 19, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police Department needs your help; DNA may hold the key to uncovering the identity of a woman lost to time—and justice.

On August 13, 1998, the body of an unidentified woman was found in the brush near the 1300 block of Avocado Ave in El Cajon, CA. The victim, believed to be a white or Hispanic female in her 30s, stood around 5’2” and weighed approximately 110 lbs. She had brown hair and signs of at least one prior pregnancy.

She wore a silver herringbone bracelet, black shoes, and a blue t-shirt that read: “Woodruff Warriors 20 Year Reunion 1971–1991.”

She is believed to be a victim of a homicide.


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Sheriff's Dept. holding guns for gift cards event

East County News Services

Aug. 18, 2025 (La Mesa) -- As part of a broad effort to get unwanted firearms off the street, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is holding a "Guns for Gift Cards" event in La Mesa.

The sheriff's department is partnering with the city of La Mesa for the event, set for 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 at the La Mesa Civic Center, and is offering $100 gift cards for handguns, rifles and shotguns, and $200 gift cards for assault weapons that are turned in.

Guns must be in working order and be placed, unloaded, in the trunk of the owners' vehicles. A deputy will provide instructions at the event. All weapons collected will be destroyed.

The gun safety event will also offer free gun cable locks while supplies last, and there will be no questions asked, according to the sheriff's department.


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Never Forget: 9/11 memorial walk in Lakeside

East County News Service

August 17, 2025 (Lakeside) – The Maine Avenue Revitalization Association in Lakeside will hold its sixth annual “Never Forget” memorial walk to commemorate the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.


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Our guide to the Ramona wine region

By Miriam Raftery

Overview

Nestled in the foothills of San Diego’s East County, The Ramona region is nationally recognized as an American Viticultural Region (AVA). You can savor wines at over 40 tasting rooms.  

Ramona is also home to a historic downtown district with shopping, galleries and restaurants, a western museum, a camel dairy, a paint ball range, colorful murals, restaurants , and live music including a theater with concerts. There are also annual events including rodeos, a country fair, hawk watch,  an art and wine festival, and a holiday wine trail to savor.

There are also several county parks in Ramona where you can enjoy hiking trails and scenic views. Ramona’s lodging options range from resorts with golf, tennis and spa facilities to rustic cabins and camping.  


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Mount Laguna Living History brings past alive August 30-31

East County News Service

August 16, 2025 (Mt. Laguna) – Enjoy a free tour to learn about indigenous people and settlers who have lived in the area at the Mount Laguna Living History event on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August  31.


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'Bring home the bacon' for rescued pigs

Story and photo by Karen Pearlman
 
Aug. 15, 2025 (Guatay) – Horses of Tir Na Nog is going hog wild with its latest event.
 
The nonprofit equine rescue group, which also rescues other animals, is hosting a fundraiser, “Wine for Swine,” to support its pig rescue efforts.
 
The Aug. 23 event (for those 21 and older) will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cork and Stem, a wine bar and flower shop in Hillcrest.

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Lemon Grove Mayor sues organizer of recall effort

Updated Aug. 21 with a statement from King.

By Karen Pearlman

August 14, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – After several months of rebuffs from the city of Lemon Grove, proponents of a recall effort to remove Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow from office have finally received the city’s OK to move forward on their petition.

Snow, meanwhile, has filed a lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court against the organizers of a recall effort, including main petitioner Kenneth King. The city of Lemon Grove’s election official Joel Pablo, the Lemon Grove City Clerk, is also named.

Snow, elected last November, is alleging that the group is fraudulent in its attempt to remove her from office. The lawsuit seeks to immediately halt the circulation of the petition that Snow claims fraudulently appends voters’ signatures to a previous Notice of Intention to Recall Petition, which Snow calls a “False NOI.”


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