By Miriam Raftery

January 5, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – Casey Tschida, 32, has been arrested by Portland, Oregon police for the murder of Jennifer Rene Krajnak on January 3. 

“Ms. Krajank and Tschida were acquaintances and were at a bar in Lemon Grove prior to the murder,” Lt. Glenn Giannantonio with the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit said.  “The two left the bar at separate times and Tschida approved Ms. Krajnak as she was walking home. Tschida shot her once in the head and left her lying in the street.”

Sheriff’s patrol deputies found her, still alive, beside the road at 7600 Pacific Avenue near Olive in Lemon Grove, but she died a short time later at a local hospital.  

December 26, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – On Christmas night at 7:12 pm., a La Mesa woman was driving south in the 1600 block of Glencoe Drive in Lemon Grove with her 10-year-old son.  As she passed a white two-door coupe, she heard a loud pop, followed by her passenger side window shattering. 

Fearing for the safety of her son and herself, she continued driving until she located a San Diego Police officer in the city of San Diego.  Deputies from the San Diego Sheriff Department were then contacted and sent to the scene.

December 12, 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/REGIONAL

• Arson frightens Rancho San Diego family (U-T San Diego)
• The fall of the Union-Tribune (Media Matters)
• Tree-trimming, electric contactors pay $370 million for 2007 wildfires U-T San Diego)
• APNewsBreak: Dispute over records at [San Onofre] nuclear plant  (U-T San Diego)
• Prop R leaves Ramona schools with no plan B (U-T San Diego)
• Congressman Darrell Issa’s home burglarized (KUSI)
• Natural medical school is latest development in growing trend (U-T San Diego)
• Lemon Grove city hours revamped (U-T San Diego)
• El Cajon Boulevard changes precursor to revitalization regionwide (U-T San Diego)
• La Mesa man’s 459 pound tuna biggest of all time? (U-T San Diego)
• Planning group listens to residents, votes against evacuation lighting (Ramona Patch)

STATE

• New UC logo a no go with students and alumni (Los Angeles Times)
• Renewed call for probe of Wildlife Services (Sacramento Bee)
• Senator Gaines introduces bill to repeal fire tax (Lakeside News)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

November 20, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – Sheriff’s detectives in Lemon Grove have arrested Wyatt Kirk Bradley, 24, of San Diego for a brutal attack on an elderly couple assaulted on November 14 in broad daylight at 2:05 p.m.  The couple was collecting cardboard to make ends meet behind a strip mall in the 7000 block of Broadway in Lemon Grove.

According to Sgt. G. Hampton, the suspect approached the couple and after a short conversation with the woman, attacked and beat both victims, knocking them to the ground numerous times.  He also tried to steal their vehicle but it would not start.

By Miriam Raftery

November 8, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – The election of Racquel Vasquez and reelection of George Gastil restores a Democratic majority to the Lemon Grove City Council.   Vasquez won 29.30% of the votes cast, followed by  Gastil with 23.01%.

“Racquel is a breath of fresh air,” said Gastil, who called the election of Vasquez, an African-American woman, “historic. She is the first person who is not white to be elected to the Council—and she comes in first place, which is a testament to her involvement in the community.”

October 22, 2012 (Lemon Grove)--Sheriff’s deputies responded to a radio call of a possible carjacking in Lemon Grove at 3:30 a.m. A taxi driver had been flagged down earlier by two men at 12th Street and Imperial Avenue in San Diego, then drove them to Lemon Grove on Highway 94 and stopped at North Avenue and Olive Street.

“One of the subjects allegedly hit the driver on the head with the butt of a black semi-automatic handgun,” said Sergeant Luis Chavezz with the Sheriff’s office. “The driver and the subject wrestled over the gun as the other subject allegedly began hitting the driver with his fist. The driver was able to exit the taxi and fell on the street. One of the subjects alledgedly kicked the driver on the head and then got back inside the taxi.”

October 4, 2012 (East County, San Diego) -- Heartland Fire & Rescue will be hosting three Fire Open House events on Saturday, October 13, 2012 in Lemon Grove, El Cajon and La Mesa. 

This is an opportunity to receive free safety tools and important lessons for you and your children.

The Lemon Grove Historical Society's popular series, "History Alive," will continue on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House, 3205 Olive, Civic Center Park, with "A Fireside Chat with Sally Rae Harris," a woman whose bucolic childhood in Lemon Grove begs the question, "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?"

September 6, 2012 (Lemon Grove)--Council Member George Gastil and City Council candidate Racquel Vasquez will host a weekly meet and greet at the Lemon Grove Starbucks, 7801 Broadway, starting Saturday, September 8 at 9 a.m.

Each one-hour event will provide residents with the opportunity to meet the two San Diego Democratic Party endorsed candidates, ask questions about their individual campaign platforms, and enjoy a free cup of coffee.

August 17, 2012 (Lemon Grove)--Mary England, Council Member in the City of Lemon Grove, announced this week that she will not seek reelection and is retiring from Lemon Grove public office.

August 9, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove, whose jointly managed fire departments make up Heartland Fire & Rescue, have selected Rick Sitta as its new Fire Chief. Sitta replaces Chief Mike Scott, who retired on July 27, 2012.

July 25, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – If you bought a Mega Millions California Lottery ticket at a gas station in Lemon Grove, you may be the lucky winner of over half a million dollars.

The winning ticket matched five of six winning numbers in Tuesday’s draw (5, 9, 38, 46 and 51) but did not match the Mega number 5.  The Lemon Grove ticket is worth $587,468, Lottery officials announced today.

• Radioactive bluefin tuna caught off coast of California (10 News)
• A special Memorial Day delivery for La Mesa (La Mesa Today)
• Soccer unites refugee and immigrant kids (UT San Diego)
• Fletcher campaign receives over $56,000 from donors outside of state (Reader)
• Portion of Interstate 8 dedicated to fallen agent  Robert W. Rosas (Backcountry Messenger)
• New library, updated school for Lemon Grove (UT San Diego)

• CA Senate passes bill prohibiting schools and employers from asking for Facebook passwords (Sacramento Bee)
• California Democrats bid for 2/3 control of state Senate (Sacramento Bee)
• Mentally ill inmates on the rise (Sacramento Bee) 

• Ramona wines beat French varieties in competition (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa Council deadlocked on PBID approval, will make decision in July (La Mesa Patch)   
• $1 billion hospital opens (Valley Roadrunner)
• DEA “accidentally” left forgotten suspect in holding cell for 5 days (UT San Diego)
• 6 La Mesa officers exonerated in fatal shooting of Andrew Yacko (La Mesa Patch)
• Lloyd Jr pleads guilty to manslaughter in Santee teen Carioscias’ death (Santee Patch)
• Lemon Grove School District cuts 30 jobs (UT San Diego)

• Voice of San Diego series:  Who is….

Bob Filner
Nathan Fletcher
Bonnie Dumanis
Carl DeMaio

• Other mayoral coverage:
• Filner releases pension plan (UT San Diego)
• Fletcher pledges to make cycling, transit a priority (Reader) 
• Fletcher-GOP feud still going strong: party sues candidate over $5,000 fundraiser (UT San Diego) 
• The Fletcher Flim-Flam (OB Rag) 
• The unfortunate trajectory of Carl DeMaio (Citybeat)
  

STATE

• San Diego takes water fight public (New York Times)
• UCAN reaches settlement to allow group to go on (UT San Diego)
• California rakes in healthcare grants (Saramento Bee)
• Environmentalists feeling burned by rush to build big solar projects (Los Angeles Times)
• Discovery of Indian artifacts complicates Genesis Solar project (Los Angeles Times)
• Calif. Public Utilities Commission: PG&E smart meter “opt out” fees suspended
• Diablo Canyon reactor gets some unwelcome guests