East County News Service

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.

East County News Service

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.

By Miriam Raftery

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.

East County News Service

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. 

East County News Service

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.

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).   

East County News Service

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.

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

Image via CHP on X

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.

Photos and story by Karen Pearlman

Dec. 22, 2025 (San Diego) — Across the street from the calm San Diego Bay but amid a rising tide of global concern, some of San Diego County’s top elected officials, law enforcement and multi-faith leaders gathered Monday at the County Administration Center to send a singular message: Hate has no sanctuary in San Diego.

Organized by San Diego County Assessor Jordan Marks (shown speaking in photo above right), Monday afternoon’s "Rally for Light," marked the eighth and final day of Hanukkah, and the hour-long event ended with a ceremonial lighting of a 6-foot hanukkiah (menorah) by local faith leaders, county employees and community members.

While the event celebrated the "Festival of Lights," the atmosphere was underscored by a somber urgency following a string of recent anti-Semitic attacks reaching from San Francisco to an outdoor celebration on Bondi Beach in Australia.

By Heidi Hope

December 21, 2025 (La Mesa) - JJang BBQ, a new all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant in La Mesa, delivers a traditional Korean eatery ambience from sizzling hot meats that you cook at the table to tangy sides and a colorful painting on the wall. I cooked and tasted three different meats, including pork belly (samgupsal), Bulgogi beef and boneless beef rib. Each has a mouthwatering Teriyaki flavor. I was overjoyed at the distinctively savory tastes and textures; some layers were soft, some were chewy. 

East County News Service

December 17, 2025 (El Cajon) -- San Diego Ballet brings “The Nutcracker”, a cherished holiday classic, to the Magnolia performing arts center in El Cajon with performances on Saturday, December 20 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. as well as Sunday,  December 21 at 12 p.m.

Community Unites to Reimagine Campo’s School Field

By David Shorey, Institute for Public Strategies

Photo:  Campo Elementary field (photo courtesy of Estrada Land Planning)

December 17, 2025 (Campo) -- In the Mountain Empire, where long bus rides, rugged terrain, and rising temperatures shape daily life, a new effort is underway to protect community health and strengthen resilience against extreme heat.

A partnership led by the Mountain Empire Unified School District (MEUSD), Institute for Public Strategies (IPS), San Diego Green Infrastructure Consortium, and Core Clarity is bringing residents together to redesign a 2.34-acre undeveloped field at Campo Elementary School. Today, this is an area where children play without shade, cooling, or protection during increasingly dangerous heatwaves.

By Alexander J. Schorr

December 15, 2025 (El Cajon) — The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) governing board voted unanimously to raise their own monthly salary of $534.04 to a proposed $2,000.00 each starting  in January 2026. While California law does allow for school boards to increase their trustees’ compensation annually by up to 5% based on the presenting monthly rate, as per the newest law AB 1390, the board trustees have gone above and beyond what is normally acceptable for a trustee's stipend.