East County News Service

May 10, 2025 (El Cajon)-- The family of David Gutierrez, 17, is asking for help to find him. A student at Grossmont High School, he was last seen at the school yesterday. He is 5 ft. 10 inches tall, white, and weighs about 150 pounds, with brown hair and eyes.  “He has a cursive `L’ shaved into his hair behind his right ear,” Felicia Gutierrez posted on social media.

He may have taken a bus or trolley, and could be in La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, downtown San Diego or a shopping mall if he left voluntarily. 

A report has been filed with El Cajon Police (report #25015121) and the family has given permission for the Grossmont Union High School District to send a community alert.

East County  Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

May 10, 2025 -- The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory in effect now through 9 p.m. for San Diego County’s valleys including the cities of El Cajon, Escondido,  La Mesa, Poway, San Marcos, and Santee.

Temperatures up to 97 degrees are forecast in valleys, with even hotter temperatures up to 107 degrees predicted in desert area such as Borrego Springs and Ocotillo Wells.

New Pope is viewed as a moderate

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of Vatican News Service

May 8, 2025 (San Diego)—In a historic move, the conclave of cardinals at the Vatican has chosen Chicago Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to be the 267^th Pope, the first American to lead the Catholic church worldwide. He will serve as Pope Leo XIV, succeeding the late Pope Francis.

“Peace be with you all,” the new Pope greeted the crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, where he spoke in both Italian and Spanish.

His appointment came as a surprise, since he was not among the top contenders named in media reports, leading to speculation that he may have emerged as a consensus, compromise candidate, chosen on the second day of the conclave.

East County News Service

May 7, 2025 (Lakeside) – A 24-year-old man from San Diego died in a solo-vehicle crash around 1:22 this morning.  He was driving west on I-8 near Old Highway 80 in Lakeside when for unknown reasons, he lost control and his vehicle plunged down an embankment.

“The BMW overturned down the embankment, crashed into a tree and came to rest on its roof, causing the driver to be trapped inside,” says Officer Jasmine Lopez with the California Highway Patrol. “The BMW caught fire, became fully engulfed, and the driver was unable to exit the vehicle.”

He was pronounced dead by medical personnel on scene.

After resigning from the Grossmont Union High School District in 2018, Jerry Hobbs found his way back seven years later. All it took was a law firm, a new investigation, a settlement and an entirely new position. 

Updated May 8, 2025 with comments from Hobbs sent to ECM.

by Jakob McWhinney for  Voice of San Diego

Photo by Alexander J. Schorr: Crowd holds protest signs at the April 24, 2025 GUHSD board meeting.

May 7, 2025 (El Cajon)--Seven years ago, Jerry Hobbs, a Grossmont Union High School District teacher, resigned after officials launched an investigation into allegations he’d engaged in misconduct.  

Years later, Hobbs was hired as a paralegal for a law firm that ended up doing work for the district. That work included conducting an investigation into Hobbs’ former boss, the person who launched an investigation into him. Hobbs worked on that investigation, which concluded he’d been a victim of retaliation. 

A settlement agreement he helped draft then cleared the way for his rehiring at Grossmont – and district officials wasted no time. They hired him the month after the agreement to serve in a lofty administrative role, even as the district’s deteriorating financial position led to job cuts. 

Now, in a leaked memo, the law firm at which he worked suggests he deceptively altered that settlement without their knowledge, adding potentially “illegal,” language.

Despite improvements in San Diego's air pollution overall, San Diego ranks worst in the U.S. for ozone pollution, per to a new report from the American Lung Association, making our region one of the most polluted areas in the U.S. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Los Angeles smog in 2006, before California's clean vehicle emissions laws dramatically cleaned up the air.  Image by David Iliff, CC license

May 4, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – House Republicans have pushed through three bills to repeal California’s Clean Air Act waivers, which have allowed our state to have stricter vehicle emission standards than the rest of the nation, resulting in dramatically cleaner air. 

Governor Gavin Newsom has blasted the measures as both illegal and aimed at “making California smoggy again.” 

Since the Clean Air Act was passed under Republican Richard Nixon’s administration in 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted California over 100 waivers for its clean air and climate efforts.

Impacts include dismantling a DOJ unit, withdrawal of a Biden-era effort, and mass layoffs that were only partially reversed. 

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo: FDA lab tests seafood; public domain image via FDA

May 2, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) unit that oversees the criminal and civil enforcement of food and drug safety regulations is being disbanded by President Donald Trump’s Administration, according to three individuals who are familiar with the issue, Reuters reports. 

Meanwhile, The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is withdrawing a rule proposed back in August 2024 that aimed to help prevent food poisoning from poultry contaminated with salmonella, according to CBS News. The rollback increases the risk to public health, since the USDA has estimated that there are 125,000 salmonella infections from chicken and 43,000 salmonella infections from turkey every year, according to CBS News. San Diego County has had 184 cases of Salmonella so far this year, and 753 cases last year.

Also, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is bringing some of their recently fired employees back, according to KOCO News. Staffers were reportedly informed that about a third of the fired staff would be returning. 

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alert Service

Update May 2, 2025 -- The fire is 100% contained according to CalFire. One firefighter has suffered a minor injury, according to City News Service.

Update 4:30 p.m.--The fire has grown to around 50 acres and is burning at a slow rate. Per Cal Fire, crews are working in steep,rocky terrain but firefighters are making good progress. The fire is 5% contained.

May 1, 2025 (Julian, CA) – The #FelipeFire is burning along Highway 78 east of San Felipe Road and north o f Shelter Valley near Julian.  The fire is 15-20 acres and has shut down all lanes of State  Route 78 in both directions, per Cal Fire.

The fire has a moderate rate of spread with potential for extended attack, however no structures are threatened at this time, Watch Duty reports. Air attack has requested additional air tankers and incident command is asking for two more hand crews.

By Alexander J Schorr and Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Students, teachers, librarians, and community members rally outside GUHSD meeting April 24 in latest protest over layoffs.

April 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- A recall effort is underway seeking to oust four trustees on the Grossmont Union High School District Board:  Scott Eckert, Robert Shield, Gary Woods,PhD, and Jim Kelly. At the April 24 GUHSD board meeting at Grossmont High School, Andy Trimlett held up four notices of intent to recall the trustees, telling the four trustees,  “You  have refused to listen to your community, so we are launching a campaign to remove you from office.”   

The recall effort follows two months of protests over the board majority’s elimination of 61 positions, including 49 credentialed teachers, counselors, assistant principals, and 9 teacher librarians, as well as 12 support staffers. Despite the outcry, at the April 24 meeting, when trustee Chris Fite made a motion to rescind the controversial firings, none of the other four trustees would second the motion. The action intensifies growing mistrust between community members and the four conservative trustees, with each side accusing the other of disrespect.

View video of recall announcement. Recall organizers have setup a website and an Instagram page. Since the GUHSD has district elections, signatures must be obtained in each of the four districts to qualify a recall election for the ballot.

Photo, right: Andy Trimlett announces recall effort against four GUHSD trustees

View the appellate court ruling

By Miriam Raftery

File photo: St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon

April 30, 2025 (El Cajon) – The 4^th district Court of Appeals has ruled against the Chaldean Coalition over supervisorial redistricting. The lawsuit, Chaldean Coalition v. The County of San Diego Independent Redistricting Commission et al, filed in 2021 had argued that the Chaldean community was disenfranchised by the County’s supervisorial redistricting in East County.

By Karen Pearlman     

Photo,left: Bob Filner on Election Night 2012, when he won election as San Diego Mayor

(April 28, 2025) San Diego -- Bob Filner, who served as San Diego’s 35^th mayor and as Congressman representing San Diego and border regions in East County, died April 20. He was 82. 

A fierce advocate for civil rights, his decades-long career in public service was marked by notable accomplishments and controversy,culminating in his resignation from the mayor’s office amid a scandal of multiple allegations of sexual harassment. He later pled guilty to charges of false imprisonment and battery.

Yet throughout his life, he remained a passionate, sometimes combative, champion for the underdog and fierce advocate for civil rights.

Kennedy also moved to cut funding for various autism programs, and tasked discredited researcher with finding “link” between autism and vaccines 

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo, left: cc via Bing

April 27, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has pledged to find the “cause” of autism, while he and other members of the Trump Administration have reduced funding for autism research at the same time. 

He has also put a researcher in charge of finding the cause of autism. previously disciplined for practicing medicine without a license in a debunked autism study with unapproved treatments that caused harm to patients.

Kennedy, who’s also spread debunked claims about vaccines causing autism, has also suggested “compensating” American families with autism. 

Meanwhile, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is collecting private medical records from federal and commercial databases to give to Kennedy's effort to “study” autism, according to CBS News. 

By Miriam Raftery

April 26, 2025 (San Diego)-- Congressman Darrell Issa announced plans to hand out “Freedom Fries” at a McDonald’s in San Marcos on Thursday, April 24^th.

But after word got out that protesters planned to picket the event, 12 noon arrived—and Issa didn’t, until after protesters left.

Update:  Michelle Moden's body was found  Sunday, April 27,with her vehicle on Sequan Truck Trail,  says Officer Jared Grieshaber with California Highway Patrol.  Foul play is not suspected, he indicated, but anyone with information is asked to contact  CHP's Border Division Major Crimes Unit at 858-944-6300.

East County News Service

April 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The Alpine Sheriff’s station seeks public help to find Michelle E. Moden, 53. She was last seen on Sunday, April 20 leaving her home in the 6100 block of Dehesa Rd. in unincorporated El Cajon near Alpine.  She has a medical condition that requires medication and does not have her cell phone with her.

She was in a blue 2005 Chevrolet Silverado with Calif. license HVMETAL, silver wheels and a San Francisco Giants tow hitch cover.

April 24, 2025 (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 round-up stories include:

LOCAL 

• Her newborn baby died after a hospital refused to treat her, now she is suing for change (CBS 8)
• Updated state maps show San Diego County's areas at 'very high' risk for fires (10 News)
• Loved ones of El Cajon murder victim make appeal for information (10 News)
• San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson arrives in Mideast, launches airstrikes against Houthi rebels I(Times of San Diego)
• San Diego County loses $40M in funds just before new public health lab opens (Fox 5)
• Community rallies around (La Mesa) baseball coach diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (10 News)
• SDSU to Award Honorary Degree to Controversial Corner Store Figure (Voice of San Diego)
• Federal safety board lists Coronado Bridge as potentially at risk of 'catastrophic collapse' if hit by a vessel (CBS)
• CalTrans to invest $24 million in San Diego area infrastructure  (10 News)
• Supreme Court rules against San Diego-based marijuana dispensary in CBD suit (Reuters)
• 5 UC San Diego students have F-1 visas revoked, 6th student deported  (10 News)

STATE

• California economy now the world’s fourth-largest, overtaking Japan (Los Angeles Times)
• Peril And Rescues Spike Along Pacific Crest Trail In Wake Of Federal Cuts
• Sea lions are attacking people in the waters off California’s coast. Here’s why (CNN)
• A loophole in California law makes it hard to prosecute threats against schools. Will lawmakers close it? (Cal Matters)
• As the California.-Mexico land border tightens, focus turns to dangerous sea crossings (Mercury News)
• California's water reservoirs on track as winter storms may boost snowpack (KPBS )
• California needs $3.4 billion loan to cover Medi-Cal expenses (CBS)
• Dead fish stink up the Newsom-Trump truce on water (Politico)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.