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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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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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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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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
Jan. 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson is looking for residents to help in the county's annual Point-in-Time Count, the one-day evaluation and counting of the region's population of those experiencing homelessness.
Every year, Anderson joins hundreds of residents and county employees in waking before the sun rises to take part in the snapshot of the county’s homeless population.
This year’s regional effort will take place from 4 to 8 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 29.
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Jan. 17, 2026 (Spring Valley) – Spring Valley resident Suzanne “Suzie” Chambers passed away surrounded by family members at her home on Jan. 2 at age 78, after a five-year battle with cancer.
Born Aug. 25, 1947 in Seattle, Wash., Chambers moved to San Diego in the 1970s with her first husband, Jim Garcia. She attended San Diego State University, then went on to build a life rooted in service, leadership and community.
She began her career with the Otay Water District in 1976 and later became the district’s first female executive and chief financial officer, retiring in 2000.
In 2013, Chambers and her daughters opened a Dream Dinners franchise in La Mesa, which they operated until 2025.
Her dedication to the community including volunteering at the Water Conservation Garden in Rancho San Diego, serving as a founding board member of the Rancho San Diego Friends of the Library and participating in the Over the Hill Gang Car Club. Her efforts helped build strong foundations for these organizations, enabling them to thrive.
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January 16, 2026 (Santee) – Bruce Clark Furze, 31, was arrested last night while trying to cross the international border pedestrian port of entry at San Ysidro. He is being charged with robbing the Chase Bank on Town Center Parkway in Santee on Monday, January 12, according to Sergeant Justin Crews with the San Diego County Sheriff’s criminal intelligence unit.
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By Karen Pearlman with additional reporting by Miriam Raftery
Jan. 14, 2026 (Warner Springs) -- Dozens of local residents and business owners visited the CAL Fire Station in Warner Springs on Jan. 12 to glean information from the United States Navy and several other federal groups as well as state and county water agencies about PFAS and their impact on the waterways in the region.
The U.S. Navy announced late last year that PFAS were detected in groundwater in Warner Springs, with contamination believed to be linked to a former landfill, wastewater treatment site and spray aeration field at the Navy’s Remote Training Site in Warner Springs,at 34567 State Route 79. The Navy most recently sampled the groundwater in 2024 and is now offering testing of wells for residents in approximately a one-mile radius near the site.
The site reportedly was used by the Navy as a Survival Invasion Resistance Escape School, using what they learned from Vietnam era prisoners of war. There, pilots are taught thow to survive if you crash or must eject, how to navigate, not be found, or if found how to resist interrogation.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are "forever chemicals" that have been found in water as far away as the Arctic Ocean and as near as the Sweetwater Reservoir locally, as well as in Warner Springs.
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La Mesa Chamber President and CEO Mary England said that ticket holders will be entertained by the professional gaming company Casino Knights. Attendees will receive gaming chips, enjoy an Italian dinner prepared by Chef Sergio Bellofatto (owner of Little Roma), savor desserts designed by Edible Arrangements of La Mesa, view silent auction items and try their luck at games of chance.
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Jan. 14, 2026 (San Diego County) -- The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved the appointment of Damon M. Brown as County Counsel.
Brown was chosen after the county launched a national recruitment, bringing broad and diverse experience at the national, state and local levels.
A trial attorney and policy executive with more than two decades of experience leading high-stakes litigation, regulatory enforcement and legal strategies across government and private practice, Brown will lead the Office of County Counsel, the department that manages the County’s civil law needs.
The office provides advisory and litigation support to the Supervisors, County departments and County officers, boards and commissions. It also represents the County in juvenile dependency matters and administers public liability claims.
The previous County Counsel for San Diego County was Claudia Silva, who served from 2022 until an departure in July 2025. David J. Smith was appointed Acting County Counsel after Silva left the position.
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Fundraisers launched to help owners and employees at both restaurants
By Miriam Raftery
Photos courtesy of Lakeside Fire and Heartland Fire & Rescue
Updated January 17 with information on Panda Machi fundraiser
January 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – A pair of two-alarm fires in the past 24 hours have heavily damaged two local restaurant, Panda Machi Sushi Bar & Chinese Cuisine on Alpine Boulevard in Alpine and the Junction Bar & Grill on Jamacha Road in El Cajon. No one was injured, but it’s unclear how long the restaurants will remain closed.
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January 12, 2026 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man, 55, died at the scene of an accident at 5:50 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10. The man, who was not identified, was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on El Monte Road at Omas Dirt Road in Lakeside when he veered off the roadway and struck a metal utility pole.
He was ejected off the motorcycle, striking a wooden fence post.
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Jan. 10, 2026 (Alpine) -- A 38-year-old horse that went down and could not get back up in Alpine has been rescued by the San Diego Humane Society’s Emergency Response Team.
The nonprofit's ERT successfully completed a technical rescue today (Jan. 10) for the Palomino horse named Jasmine -- also affectionately known as "Jazzy."
The SDHS ERT technical rescue team was dispatched around 8 a.m. after reports that Jasmine (see photo at left, courtesy San Diego Humane Society) had gone down sometime late last night or early this morning, and was unable to get back up on her own. Because of her advanced age along with the duration of time she had been down, specialized equipment and expertise were required to safely assist her back to her feet.
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Jan. 9, 2026 (San Diego County) -- San Diego public advocate Shane Harris has introduced a new ordinance to fully repeal paid parking in Balboa Park and restore free public parking.
To support this effort, Harris has launched this online petition to demonstrate broad public support for making Balboa Park parking free again.
Harris has also called a press conference for Monday, Jan. 12 at Balboa Park that will include supporters from around San Diego County, including El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and Jim Kiddrick, president and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Starting this past Monday, Jan. 5, the park’s century-long tradition of free access for vehicles came to an end.
Harris argues that the system is not just a financial burden but "a logistical disaster that punishes the very people the park was built to serve."
The parking charges in Balboa Park were not approved by city voters in a general election. Instead, they were enacted through a series of votes by the San Diego City Council.
Because this was an administrative decision by the council rather than a ballot measure, Harris's petition is specifically designed to pressure the council to reverse its own vote.
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Jan. 9, 2026 (San Diego County) -- Detra Williams has been appointed as San Diego County's next Chief Deputy of Tax Collection, succeeding Chief Deputy David Baker, who has retired.
Williams was appointed to the position effective Jan. 6. County Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Cohen announced the appointment on Jan. 6.
Williams has worked for the County of San Diego for nearly 35 years. She spent more than 20 years in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office and held leadership roles in the District Attorney’s Office and other County departments.
In October, the County Board of Supervisors had selected Williams and three other finalists, including Cohen and Baker, as candidates to fill the role of Treasurer-Tax Collector during a public hearing.
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January 8, 2026 (Santee) – It’s been 25 years since 15-year-old Andrew “Andy” Williams shot and killed two students and injured 13 other people at Santana High School in Santee. He was sentence to 50 years to life in prison. But due to a new state law allowing juvenile offenders with life sentences to petition for resentencing, a Superior Court judge has granted a request from Williams’ attorney for a resentencing hearing that is expected to lead to his release, potentially with two years’ probation, over the objections of District Attorney Summer Stephan, who plans to appeal the ruling.
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Two legendary acts of the 1970s get the tribute treatment in back-to-back performances. Photo courtesy Stayin' Alive Tribute
Jan. 7, 2026 (El Cajon) -- Get ready to get up and boogie, San Diego.
Two of the most iconic musical acts of the disco era are being celebrated this winter at The Magnolia, with tribute shows honoring both the Bee Gees and ABBA taking the stage in late January and early February.
"STAYIN' ALIVE: One Night of the Bee Gees" will kick things off at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, followed by "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10. Both shows look to transport audiences back to the golden age of disco and pop music from the 1970s.
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Evening event at new IGNITE Academy campus (see photo, left, showing students from the academy) will support automotive career training for local youth
East County News Service
Jan. 7, 2026 (Santee) -- The San Diego Automotive Museum will host its first Garage Night from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the recently opened IGNITE Academy campus, 8630 Argent St. in Santee.
The evening event will invite the community to experience an evening of food, drinks and vintage automobiles while supporting the Museum's workforce development initiative.
Attendees will have the chance to tour the academy campus, view vehicles owned and maintained by program participants, and learn about student achievements since the program's launch.
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January 5, 2026 (El Cajon) — Susana Gascon, 39, was crossing Mollison Street in El Cajon on December 6 when she was struck by a sedan. Paramedics transported her to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where she died on December 28.
“This tragic incident resulted in a severe brain injury and multiple bone fractures,” her sister, Alicia Gascon, wrote on a GoFundMe page to help the family. “Susana was an incredibly dedicated single mother of three young children. She adored and lived for her children.”
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January 5, 2026 (La Mesa) – An unidentified male pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 8 east in La Mesa, west of Jackson Drive. California Highway Patrol Officers responding to a call found him lying in the roadway at 1:20 a.m. on New Year’s morning.
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San Diego Humane Society shares how to start the new year on the right paw. Photo courtesy SDHS
East County News Service
Jan. 5, 2026 (San Diego County) — Behavior challenges left unaddressed can become the reason dog owners surrender their pet to a shelter like the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services.
With January being National Train Your Dog Month, the San Diego Humane Society is looking to help pet families and their dogs thrive with proper training methods.
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January 3, 2026 (Lakeside) - Scott Lagace Photography sent in in this beautiful image of a Great Blue Heron at Lake Jennings in Lakeside.
The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron native to North America, with height up to 54 inches and a wingspan of 66 to 79 inches—a maximum of more than seven and a half feet.
While its primary diet is fish, this large heron also eats amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and even small mammals.
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January 1, 2026 (El Cajon) -- Saps at Sea, the San Diego Laurel and Hardy fan organization, will present February Valentine's Fun on Saturday, February 7 from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 4:30) at First Lutheran Church, 867 South Lincoln Avenue in El Cajon.
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Photo by Miriam Raftery: View of waves crashing against window at the Marine Room
January 1, 2026 (El Cajon) -- St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC), a nonprofit organization in El Cajon dedicated to educating and empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will host its 13th annual Tea by the Sea event on Saturday, January 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the elegant Marine Room in La Jolla (2000 Spindrift Drive).
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December 31, 2025 (Crest) – The Crest Fire Safe Council and Crest Community Association are honoring Kandhy Franklin for her decades of dedication, leadership, and commitment to making the community safer, stronger, and more connected.
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December 31, 2025 (Julian) – An online fundraiser at GoFundMe has been set up to help Oscar Cruz Acencio, a U.S. Marine, and his family. On November 30, the family was traveling on San Felipe Road near Julian when a Tacoma truck crossed the center line and hit their vehicle head-on, killing their 8-year-old daughter, Arya. Acencio, his wife, and their two other children, ages 4 and 5, were all hospitalized with serious injuries.
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Dec. 30, 2025 (Lakeside) – Looking to reclaim local classrooms from a rising tide of student misconduct, the Lakeside Union School District Board of Trustees earlier this month passed a sweeping resolution aimed at curbing bullying, “death notes” and chronic defiance.
Lakeside Union School Board member Andrew Hayes championed the policy, adopted Dec. 11, and said that it marks a significant shift toward “firm and enforced” disciplinary standards.
Hayes said the changes are long in coming, as educators across the country have been grappling with a post-pandemic behavioral crisis which has left far too many teachers feeling vulnerable, and at the same time seeing parents demanding a return to order.
The push for the new framework was spearheaded by Hayes, who cited a disturbing trend of “bullying, aggression, and any act that endangers the safety of others.” The resolution specifically highlights the emergence of “death notes” as a point of concern, a chilling example of the increased severity of behavioral infractions facing local staff.
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Dec. 30, 2025 (Pine Valley) -- A motorhome accident on the Pine Valley bridge has shut down one lane of I-8 east and knocked down 80 feet of guardrail, per the California Highway Patrol. Westbound lanes remain open.
Motorists traveling east are advised to take an alternative route by exiting I-8 onto State Route 79 north through Descanso, then turn east (right) onto Pine Valley Road.
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Updated Dec. 31 with comments from the Warner Spring Community Sponsor Group chair and a local winery representative, plus a statement from the Vista Irrigation District.
December 27, 2025 (Warner Springs) -- The U.S. Navy has announced that PFAS, known as “forever chemicals”have been detected in groundwater in Warner Springs. The contamination is believed to be linked to a former landfill, wastewater treatment site and spray aeration field at the Navy’s Remote Training Site in Warner Springs.
The Navy is offering to test well water on private properties nearby and will hold a public meeting on January 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cal Fire Station, 31049 State Route 79 in Warner Springs.
The tests will be conducted from January 13 through 20th, with additional times available on request.
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East County News Service.
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
Fundraisers launched to help owners and employees at both restaurants
East County News Service
East County News Service
East County News Service
By Miriam Raftery
Two legendary acts of the 1970s get the tribute treatment in back-to-back performances. Photo courtesy Stayin' Alive Tribute
Evening event at new IGNITE Academy campus (see photo, left, showing students from the academy) will support automotive career training for local youth
East County News Service
East County News Service
San Diego Humane Society shares how to start the new year on the right paw. Photo courtesy SDHS
East County News Service
East County News Service 
Photo by Miriam Raftery: View of waves crashing against window at the Marine Room
By Diana Griffin, Chair, Crest Firesafe Council
East County News Service
By Karen Pearlman
By Miriam Raftery
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