Wood-smoked BBQ fired up night in annual town tradition featuring slow-cooked beef, beer garden, live Western music, cash prize darwing, vendor booth, kids' activities and more

By Valerie Watts

August 9, 2017 (Descanso) --Ready for a nostalgic mountain community bash on Labor Day weekend?  Our Lady of Light Catholic Church in Descanso invites you to their 80th annual deep pit barbecue. 

This family-friendly event will be held the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, September 3, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 9163 Riverside Drive.

The menu features their famous hand-wrapped deep pit barbecue beef, mountain ranch beans, handcrafted slaw and western rolls.  It doesn't stop there-- they also offer home made apple pie, "drinks galore" and more.

East County News Service

August 8, 2017 (Alpine) -- The quarterly potluck meeting of the Alpine Historical Society will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 20^th at the Alpine Woman’s Club, 2156 Alpine Blvd. The speaker, Rochelle Lynn Gaudette, will discuss new the exhibit titled Coast to Cactus in Southern California and the accompanying book Coast to Cactus: The Canyoneer Trail Guide to San Diego Outdoors. If you have ever been curious about the geology, ecology and biodiversity of San Diego County this is a great opportunity to learn from an expert.

By Miriam Raftery

August 8, 2017 (Pine Valley) – Effective today, the Pine Valley Fire Protection District has dissolved and has joined the San Diego County Fire Authority (SDCFA).  The Pine Valley district has served this mountain community and surrounding areas for over 70 years.

Captain Garmo speaks out on community outreach, police brutality and immigration

 

By Kendra Sitton

August 7, 2017 (Rancho San Diego) -- Cities across San Diego celebrated the National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, Aug. 1st. The Rancho San Diego Command hosted an event in the Target parking lot, where community members and police officers grilled hot dogs and visited booths. The National Night Out Against Crime is part of the wider public outreach strategy utilized by the RSD Command.

“We’re really involved in community policing. We take a lot of pride in doing a lot of outreach through faith-based and through community groups,” said Captain Marco Garmo. “Community outreach is so, so important. It’s just as important as putting bad guys in jail. They hold equal ground. We have to put resources towards it.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 7, 2017 (La Mesa) — Scammers claiming to be from the “La Mesa Energy Control Board” have been calling La Mesa residents to solicit information and money, according to a post on the La Mesa Next Door forum.

Review by Kathy Carpenter

Associate Reviewer sdtheatrereviews.com and Freelance Writer, Splash Magazine

August 7, 2017 (Casa De Oro) - Young Actors Theatre took on Legally Blonde to show that beyond fun and fluff, the real message is for young women in today's society to stay positive, believe in yourself, dig deep and stay strong. For the rest of us, not everything is as it first appears. Look beneath the blonde to find what's important.

By Miriam Raftery

August 7, 2017 (Jamul) – A 51-year-old man from San Diego has died after an accident last night in Jamul. According to the California Highway Patrol, the 2008 Acura MDX driven by the man on Skyline Truck Trail east of Lawson Valley Road drifted off the road and struck a dirt embankment.

By Miriam Raftery

August 6, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – KNSJ Radio, 89.1 FM Descanso, has been knocked off the air by lightning hitting the transmitter during last week’s monsoonal storm. Funds are needed to help the station get back on the air.

By Miriam Raftery

August 5, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Fundraising sites have been established at GoFundMe for two families devastated by last week’s crash of a big rig truck that lost control and struck multiple vehicles.

East County News Service

August 4, 2017 (La Mesa) -- Caltrans maintenance crews will close the connector ramps from westbound Interstate 8 (I-8) to northbound and southbound State Route 125 (SR-125) Saturday at 10 p.m. until 10 a.m. Sunday for bridge joint repair work. 

East County News Service

August 4, 2017 (Deerhorn Valley) – The Deerhorn Valley Antler, in an email to its  Jamul-area residents, states that a resident has stepped forward to assemble a legal team hoping challenge the distribution of Sunrise Powerlink mitigation grants.  Deerhorn Valley Antler editor Kim Hamilton writes, "They now have the basic [original] documents along with additional ones that have recently surfaced.  This team is experienced in previous lawsuits vs. Sempra and the recent Porter Ranch gas leak.”

By Miriam Raftery

Scene photos credit:  Lynn Spicer

Photo: Kristina Andarus, 6, of Santee suffered a spinal injury in the crash. Her mother, Aneta Andarus, has asked for prayers.

August 3, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The two people killed yesterday after a big-rig lost control on State Route 125 were a mother and daughter from Ramona:  Nancy Jeanette Bauerlein, 57,  and Jennifer Campbell, 29. Campbell leaves behind a husband and two children.  Bauerlein had a husband, five children and 10 grandchildren.

The crash has also left 6-year-old Kristina Andarus of Santee with severe spinal injuries.  She has undergone surgery but may be left paralyzed, her mother told 10 News. Her mother, Aneta Andarus, an Iraqi immigrant and owner of Threading by Aneta in Clairemont, has asked for prayers.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

 A father's anguish: Richard Olango Abuka shared memories of his late son, a refugee whose American dream ended in gunfire by an El Cajon police officer.  Photo, left by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson.

August 3, 2017 (El Cajon) -- At a march to celebrate what would have been Alfred Olango’s 39^th year of life, his father, Richard Olango Abuka, recalled one of his favorite memories; his son’s 13^th birthday, “celebrating coming here” one month after they arrived in America.

Three days of traditional dance, food, and Native American crafts Sept. 1-3

East County News Service

August 3, 2017 (Lakeside) – The Barona Band of Mission Indians proudly invites the San Diego community to celebrate Native American heritage at the 47^th Annual Barona Powwow on Labor Day Weekend. The three-day cultural celebration kicks off on Friday, September 1 with Gourd Dancing at 6 p.m. and an awe-inspiring Grand Entry of dancers in colorful regalia at 7 p.m. The Barona Powwow continues on both Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m., for an unforgettable weekend-long experience. Admission and parking are free.

By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2017 (La Mesa) – Thieves who entered a La Mesa home through a dog door attacked two small dogs with pepper spray. The intruders ransacked the home, stealing jewelry from a bedroom.

Jake Hutchison told 10 News that his wife came home to the family residence near Bancroft Drive and discovered orange marks on the fur of their Chihuahua Terrier mix dogs, along with the disarray.