March 25, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove Academy joined local efforts to educate students and parents of the dangers of drugs and alcohol in East County by hosting its first Underage Drinking Forum on Thursday. The event, which took place on March 21, featured a complimentary pizza dinner, a presentation by a local drug and alcohol expert, as well as a separate break-out session for youth.

Retired narcotics officer and Executive Director of The Proactive Network Against Substance Abuse, Phil Hubbs, educated a group of nearly 40 parents about current drug and alcohol trends. He also showed parents a display of various household items such as hand sanitizer, whipped cream canisters and keyboard cleaner that kids use to get drunk or high.

March 3, 2013 (Lemon Grove) -- Live power lines are down in the 2500 block of Massachusetts Avenue in Lemon Grove after a vehicle struck a pole, Incident Page Network reports tonight.  SDG&E is reportedly en route; avoid this area.

January 26, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – The next "History Alive" lecture, sponsored by the Lemon Grove Historical Society, on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove, will feature Alexander D. Bevil discussing "Angels at 7 o'clock," his illustrated story of pioneering women aviators who made history between World War I and the 1930s when aviation was in its infancy. 

"Faced with gender bias, ridicule and sometimes outright sabotage, these 'First Ladies of Flight' had a single-minded determination to fly," said Bevil, who has been a California State Parks historian since 1998 and is the current president of the Congress of History of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

By Miriam Raftery

January 3, 2013 (Lemon Grove) –Jennifer Rene Krajnak, 30, has died shortly after Sheriff’s deputies on patrol found her lying beside the road bleeding from a severe head injury at 2:00 this morning. She was discovered in the 7600 block of Pacific Avenue near Olive Street and died about a half hour later after being transported to a hospital.

“There was a shell casing found at the crime scene,” confirmed Lieutenant Glenn Giannantonio, who said it is not certain if the casing was related to this incident.  Channel 7 News reports officials said she may have suffered multple gunshot wounds.  Krajnak had filed a restraining order alleging domestic abuse in 2010 against a former boyfriend, but later vacated the order after he claimed self defense. Authorities have indicated he is not a suspect, 7 News reports.

The death comes just days after someone shot through the window of a vehicle driven by a woman with her 10-year-old  son on December 26 on Glencoe Street in Lemon Grove, about two miles away.  ECM has left word with Sheriff Homicide investigators to find out if the incidents could possibly be related.  The victim in that case reported being passed by a white two-door coupe moments before the shot was fired.

December 19, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Mayor Filner calls San Diego Summit in response to Sandy Hook shooting (San Diego Free Press)
• Lemon Grove supports assault weapon ban (U-T San Diego)
• As Loans Come Due, District Asks Ramona Teachers to Sacrifice (Voice of San Diego)
• The $900 million question re: San Diego’s crumbling infrastructure (U-T San Diego)
• Grossmont Students Witness Courtroom Assault By Defendant on Attorney (La Mesa Patch)
• Disgraced U.S. Rep Cunningham released to halfway house (U-T San Diego)
• UC San Diego Researchers Create A 'Designer' Cancer Drug With Algae (KPBS)
• La Mesa party of the century will be pricey, exclusive affair on Jan. 12 (La Mesa Patch)
• Think You Can Fix Local Government? Apply To Be Part of County Grand Jury (La Mesa Patch)
• Gun dealer near Murray Manor School: ‘My heart weighs very heavy’ for town (La Mesa Patch)
• Couple appeals $700 water bills, calls usage claim ‘physically impossible’  ( Ramona Patch) 
• Evaluating Homelessness, as Far as the Eye Can See and Count (Voice of San Diego)
• Who should pay for SDG&E wildfires? (U-T San Diego)
• After just a year, Gingham may be selling (La Mesa Today)

STATE

• Federal appeals court OKs lower payments to Medi-Cal providers (Sacramento Bee)
• Doctors Livid About Medi-Cal Pay Cut  (KPBS)
• San Diego desalinization impact on Calif.  (SFGate )
• California health officials sound alarm over hookah smoking (Reuters)
• UC Suspends Use of Controversial New Logo (KPBS)
• The UC system’s modesty problem (U-T San Diego)
• California wins a round in electricity battle with JPMorgan Chase (Sacramento Bee)
• California state employees involved in bribery, theft, auditor reports (Sacramento Bee)
• Calif. mall on lockdown after shots were fired U-T San Diego)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

November 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Julian Union School District and Lemon Grove School District are among six California school districts and a community organization that have collectively won nearly $336,000 in U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grants.

The funding is designed to help students understand the food they eat in school cafeterias often comes from local farms.  

By Miriam Raftery

November 13, 2012 (San Diego) – In Colorado and Washington, voters decided it's high time to legalize recreational marijuana use. But locally, voters in Lemon Grove, Imperial Beach and Solana Beach defeated initiatives that would have allowed medical marijuana dispensaries.

Labor scored a win in Escondido, where a charter city ballot proposition was defeated by a 47.29% to 42.71% margin. Meanwhile in In Santee, a bastion of conservatism, voters approved raising transient occupancy taxes for hotel guests and campers from 6% to 10%, a move expected to generate $239,000 in revenues.  

October 22, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – A week after receiving an endorsement from the Lemon Grove Firefighters, Local 2728, the San Diego Deputy Sherriff's Association has unanimously endorsed both Council Member George Gastil and City Council candidate Racquel Vasquez to fill the two open Lemon Grove City Council seats up for election this November 6.

Gastil is seeking his second term on the City Council, while Vasquez, who currently serves as a City of Lemon Grove Planning Commissioner, is seeking her first.

Update: Louis Lake has been located.

October 10, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – San Diego Sheriff’s Department seeks public help to find a 72-year-old missing man considered at risk.  Louis Lake Sr. was last seen by his daughter on October 9 at 1:30 p.m. in their resident in the 7000 block of Central Avenue in Lemon Grove.

Lake is black, 6 feet four inches tall and weighs 240 pounds with short black/gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, khaki pants and a brown shirt. He walks with a cane and often wears a baseball or cowboy hat.

October 5, 2012 (Spring Valley)—Last night around 10:35 p.m., Lemon Grove Deputies received a radio call reporting a strong arm robbery at the 7-11 store at 103 Worthington St. in Spring Valley. One suspect was a Hispanic male with a large build, shaved head, goatee, and multiple tattoos, wearing a white tank top and black shorts. The second suspect was a Hispanic female, average build, wearing a black tee-shirt and black spandex pants. Both suspects entered the store and selected one 18-pack of Miller light and one 18-pack of Bud light.

September 18, 2012 (Lemon Grove)  -- The Lemon Grove Historical Society is sponsoring a Big BBQ Party in Civic Center Park, 3200 Main Street, Lemon Grove on  September 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The event will feature West Texas Barbecue from Coop’s, music by Two Guys Will Move U, and demonstrations from Apollo Stables, face painting and much more.

By Helen Ofield, President Lemon Grove Historical Society

August 12, 2012 (Lemon Grove) –The driver of a BMW who struck a bicycle last night at 9:48 p.m. lost control of his car and rolled over several times near Central Avenue and Federal Boulevard in Lemon Grove.  He was partially ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Sergeant Herbert Taft with the Lemon Grove Sheriff’s substation.

August 4, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – The Sheriff’s Bomb and Arson Squad is investigating a fire tht was “incendiary in nature,” according to Heartland Fire.  The blaze began outside Mariscos Negro Durazo restaurant on Federal Boulevard near Broadway in Lemon Grove shortly before 3:15 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

June 17, 2012 (Lemon Grove)—It was a sweet victory for Lemon Grove Firefighters Saturday night, when driver Joe Lavigne climbed out of his smashed-up vehicle to claim his department’s trophy.  Lemon Grove entered two cars in the Firefighters’ Demolition Derby at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar—and both made it into the final round.

 View our video of the final round by clicking above.