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WILDFIRE IN LAKE MORENA

Update 8:55 p.m. - the fire is at 47 acres and 50% contained per Cleveland National Forest on X.

Update 7 p.m. --Old Highway 80 has reopened.

Update 4 p.m.--Boulder Oaks Campground is being evacuated as a precaution.

Update 2:12 p.m.--Eastbound I-8 exit at Kitchen Creek is closed, per CHP site. The fire is now 43 acres and 5% contained, per Cleveland National Forest.

Update 11:53 p.m.  CHP is closing down Old Highway 80 between Kitchen Creek and Buckman Springs Road.

June 30, 2024 (Lake Morena) -- The #Kitchen Fire reported 15 minutes ago has grown to 25 acres, with no containment. The fire startedon Kitchen Creek Road near Old Highway 80 in Campo's Lake Morena community.

Cal Fire is assisting Cleveland National Forest on this wildland fire. For more information on the #kitchenfire follow the Cleveland National Forest and watch for updates at https://www.eastcountymagazine.org. Air and ground resources have been dispatched.


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SANTEE COUNCIL PUTS SALES TAX INCREASE ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

By Mike Allen

June 30, 2024 (Santee) -- The Santee City Council has unanimously approved an initiative to raise the sales tax charged within the city by a half cent for improved fire protection, including two new stations and firefighters.

The measure, which would increase the tax on items sold in the city from 7.75 to 8.25 percent, will expire in 15 years if passed by a a simple majority of Santee voters in November. Called the Santee Emergency Safety Protection Ordinance, the initiative was championed by the Santee Firefighters Association, which collected some 3,800 valid signatures from city residents to qualify for the ballot.

The Council voted this week to place it on the ballot and forego a detailed report on how the funds would be spent.


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SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER SWAT STANDOFF IN POWAY

East County News Service

File photo: SWAT team, courtesy of San Diego County Sheriff

June 30, 2024 (Poway) –Travis Bradley Miller, 34,is in custody following a six-hour SWAT standoff at his home in the 13000 block of York Avenue in Poway

His roommate called 9-1-1 around 1:30 p.m. yesterday o report that Miller attacked him with a box cutter.The roommate had abrasions during the altercation with the suspect. 


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SUPREME COURT RULING ALLOWS SWEEPS OF CAMPS, CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESSNESS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Homeless encampment later swept in unincorporated area, via County of San Diego

June 29, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme Court, by a 6-3 majority, has ruled that homeless people can be arrested for sleeping in a public place, regardless of whether or not shelter space is available. The decision also allows local governments to authorize ticketing, fines, and arrest of homeless people who violate anti-camping regulations,  even if they have no place safe to go.

Locally, the decision has sparked condemnation from advocates for homeless people, who argue that compassionate treatment and affordable housing are the solutions needed, but has also drawn praise from some city and county leaders aiming to clear homeless camps from parks, streets, sidewalks and other public places.


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WHAT’S IN THE COUNTY BUDGET FOR EAST COUNTY?

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County Supervisors this week approved a balanced budget of $8.5 billion for fiscal year 2024-2025. Among the East County capital projects funded are:

  • Ramona Fire Station 80 - $250,000
  • Ramona Sheriff's Substation - $5,000,000
  • Stowe Trail - $4,400,000
  • Sycamore Canyon Trails - $3,600,000
  • Lindo Lake Improvements - $4,000,000
  • East County Archery Park - $150,000
  • Keeping Lake Hodges, Lake Sutherland, and El Capitan Reservoirs Open = $59,000
  • $65.5 million for resurfacing 101 miles in unincorporated areas, including sections of Tavern Road and Japatul Road in Alpine. Report roads that need repairs here.

Supervisor Joel Anderson says, “Our balanced County budget is a huge win for District 2 residents and our shared top priorities of strong public and fire safety, attainable housing, improving homelessness and mental health, and supporting economic development.”


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ECM EDITOR WINS THREE JOURNALISM AWARDS

East County News Service

June 29, 2024 (San Diego) – East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery received three awards in the San Diego Society for Professional Journalists’ journalism contest.  The awards recognized Raftery’s investigative report into the Mother Goose Parade’s demise, a profile on “backcountry warrior” Donna Tisdale, and an analysis/timeline of evidence in Espionage Act charges against former President Donald Trump.  The wins bring ECM's total journalism awards to 146 since ouri inception 16 years ago.Individually, Raftery has won hundreds of awards in her journalism career spanning four decade.

Read the winning entries, all entered in the Daily Reporting and Writing category:

Second place, investigative/enterprise story:  Is the goose cooked? Mother Goose Parade organizer duck media calls after event cancelled for fourth straight year

Second place, profile:  End of an era: `Backcountry Warrior’ Donna Tisdale retires after final battle

Third place, politics/election story:  Trump indicted under Espionage Act for risking national security, sharing defense secrets and hiding evidence from grand jury


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POLICE SEEK IDENTITY OF PEDESTRIAN KILLED BY VEHICLE IN EL CAJON

East County News Service
 
June 28, 2024 (El Cajon) – Police are seeking help to identify a man estimated at 50 to 60 years old who was struck and killed by a white Toyota Tacoma last night in El Cajon.
 
El Cajon Police officers and paramedics responded to a call reporting a pedestrian struck by a vehicle at 300 W. Chase last night around 10:52 p.m.. First responders determined that the unidentified pedestrian had died at the scene; he was not transported by medical personnel.

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EXPERTS SHARE TIPS ON FIRE INSURANCE CHANGES, NEW “ZONE ZERO” REQUIREMENTS IN HIGH-FIRE RISK AREAS

By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo: Cal-Fire/San Diego County Fire Authority Captain Thomas Shoots
 
June 27, 2024 (Jamul) – Soaring and often inaccessible fire insurance rates, new defensible space mandates for the five feet closest to structures, and how to form fire-wise communities were among the hot topics discussed at the Jamul-Dulzura Fire Safe Council meeting on June 11. Speakers Sharon Smith, outreach analyst with the Calif. Dept. of Insurance, and Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Captain Thomas Shoots provided insights including:

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MYLAR BALLOONS BELIEVED CAUSE OF JAMACHA FIRE

Balloons found on and under powerlines

Story & Photos by Josh Stotler

June 26, 2024 (Rancho San Diego) -- Many factors can cause a fire. As temperatures begin to climb and vegetation dries out, the risk of wildfire is all too real to rural San Diegans. A recent vegetation fire was reported along Jamacha Blvd. and Campo Rd. just outside Rancho San Diego on Wednesday, June 19.

The fire was dispatched as a small vegetation fire in medium to heavy fuels with a moderate rate of spread. San Miguel fire was first on scene and confirmed an active brush fire. Units from neighboring agencies including Cal Fire and air support from San Diego Sheriff's ASTREA and Romona Air Attack base were dispatched to the scene. 

As ground crews battled the flames the investigative division of Cal-Fire was focusing on the cause of the fire.


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CLOSURES AT THREE LOCAL LAKES PREVENTED

By Miriam Raftery
 
June 25, 2024 (San Diego) – Following an outcry by rural residents and Supervisor Joel Anderson, the City of San Diego has revised its budget to eliminate proposed temporary closures of the reservoir at El Capitan in Lakeside, Lake Sutherland in Ramona, and Lake Hodges in Escondido.
 
In a post on the Friends of the San Diego Lakes Facebook page today, Supervisor Anderson states, “WE DID IT! WE STOPPED THE CLOSURES of EL CAP, SUTHERLAND AND HODGES IN 2025. LOTSA PEOPLE TO THANK FOR THIS.”
 
Though located in the County unincorporated areas, the reservoirs are owned by the city of San Diego. 

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DEL MAR BRUSH FIRE: 2500 EVACUATED, FAIRGROUNDS OPENED AS TEMPORARY EVACUATION CENTER

Update: Evacuation orders have been lifted but certain areas remain closed to vehicle traffic.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts 

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

June 25, 2024 (Del Mar) -- A fire in Del Mar has burned 19 acres, resulting in mandatory evacuations for 2500 people, though firefighters have halted the fire's forward spread. Evacuees are being directed to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, where the San Diego County Fair is underway.

If you are going to the Fair, be aware that traffic and air quality have also been negatively impacted. Del Mar Heights and Carmel Valley Rd. exits are both closed due to the fire. Air quality is impacted as far east as Poway.


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LA MESA OVERALL CRIME RATES REMAIN THE SAME, WHILE VIOLENT CRIME DROPS

By Michael Howard
 
Photos courtesy: City of La Mesa. Left: La Mesa Police Department Chief of Police Ray Sweeney address the La Mesa City Council on May 28, 2024. 
 
June 23, 2024 (La Mesa, CA) – La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney reported mixed crime results in his first quarter 2024 crime report to the La Mesa City Council during the May 28 city council meeting.
 
“We had a slight dip in violent crime, property crime did go up a little bit, and then, the FBI total index is exactly the same as it was this time last year,” the chief reported to the council members.
 
By slight dip in violent crime, the chief was referring to a 17.5% decrease in 2024 first quarter homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults compared to the same time period last year.  In Q1 2023, the La Mesa Police Department responded to 57 crimes in this category, while in Q1 2024, they only responded to 47.

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CPUC REJECTS AT&T PLAN TO ELIMINATE LANDLINE REQUIREMENT

“If we didn’t have a copper landline we would’ve not known about the extremely serious fire.” - Steve Hogle
 
 
Photo: CC via Bing
 
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.
 
June 23, 2024 (Sacramento) -- California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Thursday rejected AT&T’s application to stop providing landlines and other services in areas where there is no other option.
 
Its 4-0 vote came after a judge determined the application by AT&T California was “fatally flawed.”

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CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT BLOCKS ANTI-TAX MEASURE FROM NOVEMBER BALLOT

 
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.
 
June 22, 2024 (Sacramento) -- The California Supreme Court sided with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders in the Legislature on the constitutionality of a sweeping anti-tax measure, ruling Thursday that it cannot go before voters in November.

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SANTEE TO BE FIRST CITY IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY WITH AN ELECTRIC WASTE COLLECTION TRUCK

East County News Service
 
June 22, 2024 (Santee) -- The City of Santee is proud to work with Waste Management to bring the 2024 Peterbuilt 520 Electric Side Loader Collection Truck into service. Santee will be the first city in San Diego County to use an electric vehicle in its waste collection services. 

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KOVAL TALKS SAFETY IN THINLY ATTENDED TOWN HALL, SKIPS SOME HEATED SANTEE ISSUES

By Mike Allen

June 21, 2024 (Santee) -- At the end of Santee Councilwoman Laura Koval’s District 3 town hall on June 18, she opened it up to questions, but there were no takers. Perhaps that’s a sign of satisfaction about the direction the all -Republican City Council has steered Santee over the past decade, or maybe it’s a lack of interest among residents.

She then tried to coax the assembly of about 30 people, mostly city staffers, and got this: “Tell us a fun Padres story.”

The former director of ticket sales for the Padres obliged, telling a story involving the team’s first World Series and the late Raiders defensive star Lyle Alzado. But she wasn’t challenged about any of the decisions she and her colleagues in the City Council have made in the past several years.


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COUNTY AND CITIES TRANSITION FLOOD RESIDENTS TO LONG-TERM HOUSING OPTIONS

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office
 
June 21, 2024 (San Diego) -- The Emergency Temporary Lodging Program to support those impacted by the January flooding ends today. The program is a cooperative effort between the County of San Diego, City of San Diego and other local cities and community partners to provide safe housing options to residents whose homes were damaged. With the end of the program, those residents will be moving back home or making other arrangements with their local housing authorities.

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HOME OF GUIDING HANDS OPENS PINE HOUSE, A NEW MEDICAL HOME FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Pine House will offer enhanced independence for clients with complex medical needs. 
 
East County News Service
 
June 21, 2024 (El Cajon) — Home of Guiding Hands, a nonprofit organization that provides quality support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is excited to announce the opening of their first medical home, Pine House. This revolutionary establishment marks a significant milestone in providing comprehensive care and fostering independence for their clients with complex medical needs. 

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EXTREME HEAT FORECAST FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK

East County News Service

June 20, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)  --The National Weather Service is warning of a prolonged heat wave starting Friday and extending to late next week. But before you think about going to the beach to cool off, be aware that potentially dangerous lightning storms and rip currents are forecast for coastal areas Saturday and Sunday. 

Temperatures could reach up to 114 degrees by this weekend in the low deserts and up to 105 degrees in the high deserts.   San Diego County valleys and mountains could reach 98 degrees.  The high heat poses risks of heat-related illness for people, pets and livestock without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.


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SHERIFF INVESTIGATING DEATH OF BABY LEFT IN CAR IN SANTEE

Update June 25, 2024 -- The victim has been identified as 2-month old Diana Sofia Aleman Roman. The preliminary investigation reveals she was left in the car around 3 p.m. and not found by a relative until around 12 midnight. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Sheriff's Child Abuse Unit at (858) 285-6222. After hours, call the Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at (858) 868-3200.
 
East County News Service
 
June 19, 2024 (Santee) -- The Sheriff's Child Abuse Unit is investigating the death of a two-month-old baby in Santee who was left in a hot car.

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JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE EAST COUNTY SITES

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez and Shane Harris, President of the People's Associate of Justice Advocates, raise Juneteenth flag

June 19, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – In honor of Juneteenth, a federal and county holiday, events and recognitions have been held across our region.

Juneteenth flags were raised in the cities of Lemon Grove and Chula Vista, at the Sweetwater Union School District,and other venues, while La Mesa hosted a Junetenth and Friends celebration.

On June19,1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free—over two years after President Abraham Lincoln had signed the emancipation proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates this official end to slavery in the U.S.


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DR. WILMA WOOTEN RETIRES FROM THE COUNTY

 
Video by James Kecskes
 
June 18, 2024 (San Diego) -- San Diego County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Wilma Wooten, is retiring after 23 years of service, the last 17 as the County’s lead doctor and public face of numerous media stories, none larger than the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
 
During her career, Dr. Wooten has prioritized the prevention and control of infectious disease, protection from environmental hazards and promoted injury prevention. She has reinforced healthy choices and lifestyles, emergency preparedness and has fought to eliminate health disparities in traditionally underserved communities.

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REWARD OFFERED FOR INFO LEADING TO ARREST OF SUSPECT IN LEMON GROVE HOMICIDE

 
Source: San Di

ego County Sheriff
 
Photo: Daniel Ethridge is a Black man standing 5’9” tall and weighing 165 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
 
June 18, 2024 (Lemon Grove) -- A $6,000 reward is now being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a man suspected in a homicide in Lemon Grove.
 
On March 18, 2023, around 10:00 p.m., deputies from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation responded to a report of a shooting in the 2800 block of Lemon Grove Avenue. While searching the area, deputies found 39-year-old Gregory Moore unconscious in a car at the intersection of Lemon Grove Avenue and San Miguel Avenue. He was later pronounced dead.
 
Sheriff's Homicide Investigators identified 34-year-old Daniel Ethridge as a suspect. He has an active arrest warrant for homicide and is believed to be associated with a local street gang. 

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BIDEN ANNOUNCES ACTION TO PROTECT MANY IMMIGRANT SPOUSES OF CITIZENS FROM DEPORTATION, ALONG WITH THEIR CHILDREN

Plan also makes it easier for DACA recipients and immigrant college graduates to obtain work visas

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Immigrant rights march, via Wikimedia

June 18,2024 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden today announced executive actions to protect a half million undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation, if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years. An estimated 50,000 children under 21 with a U.S. citizen parent will also be protected from deportation. 

Until now, undocumented spouses and children of citizens had to leave the U.S. to apply for permanent residency, a process that often separated families for years. A similar parole in place program is already used to protect undocumented families of military members.

The new, broader parole-in-place program will allow parents and children to stay in the U.S. for three years while they apply for permanent residency.  All applicants will be vetted by the Department of Homeland Security to assure the applicant does not pose a threat to public safety or national security.

Reuters reports that the majority of those set to benefit from the order are Mexicans, many of them in California.

In addition, Biden announced a program to make it easier for Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and undocumented college graduates to obtain work visas/green cards if they have been offered a job related to their degree.


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CALIFORNIA PUSHES INSURERS TO COVER MORE HOMES IN SPECIFIC AREAS

California can’t legally require insurers to write either residential or commercial property policies. But the state expects insurers to comply with the options unveiled Wednesday in part because they get something they want in return: catastrophe modeling.
 

By Levi Sumagaysay, Cal Matters
 
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.
 
Photo: Firefighters battling a fire in Valley Center, one of the zip codes designated as "high-fire-risk," where officials would encourage more policies to be written, 2010 file photo
 
June 18, 2024 (Sacramento) -- California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara unveiled Wednesday an effort to force insurers to resume writing policies in high-fire-risk areas — part of an overall plan to address the state’s insurance crisis
 
It consists of three different ways insurers can meet minimum requirements for writing policies in areas deemed “high risk” or “very high risk” by the department, which aligns with Cal Fire’s identification of hazard zones. Insurance Department regulators said this hybrid approach takes into account the state’s complex geography as well as the different risk levels that big and small insurers can afford to assume. Lara said this should help homeowners who have lost coverage or been forced to turn to the last-resort FAIR Plan.
 
Insurance companies would have these three options:

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NEW PEST POSES THREAT TO WINE INDUSTRY: SPOTTED LANTERNFLY EGG MASSES INTERCEPTED IN CALIFORNIA

By Miriam Raftery
 
June 17, 2024 (Sacramento) – The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is bringing attention to the discovery of 41 Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) egg masses on a shipment of artwork from New York and destined for Sonoma County. 
 
“The invasive pest has the potential to affect the entire winegrape industry,” a press release from CAWG states.
 
The egg masses were intercepted at the Truckee Border Protection Station in late March, the first-ever finding of SLF egg masses in California. If other SLF egg masses have arrived in California undetected, they may produce adults in the coming weeks, with peak populations expected in late summer or early fall.  

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FEDERAL LAWSUIT ALLEGES EAST COUNTY HOMELESS SWEEPS VIOLATE CONSTITUTION

A federal lawsuit filed earlier this week accuses the county, multiple cities and two state agencies of sweeping East County homeless camps without proper notice, taking unsheltered residents’ property and forcing them to move elsewhere without offering other options.
 

 
Editorial note: This image was created by Miriam Raftery. It was not created by Voice of San Diego.
 
June 16, 2024 (San Diego) -- A federal lawsuit filed this week accuses the county, multiple cities and two state agencies of sweeping East County homeless camps without proper notice, taking unsheltered residents’ property and forcing them to move elsewhere without offering other options.
 
The proposed class action filed by nonprofit Hope for the Homeless Lakeside and 16 homeless plaintiffs urges the U.S. District Court to order the county, cities of Santee and San Diego, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol to halt these practices and create safe places for unhoused residents to sleep and store their belongings.

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SITE MANAGERS NEEDED FOR IN-PERSON VOTING LOCATIONS

 
June 16, 2024 (San Diego) -- The Registrar of Voters is seeking temporary site managers to operate in-person voting locations for the November presidential general election. Site managers earn $20 per hour.
 
Site managers will be required to lead poll workers while representing the Registrar of Voters in a professional, nonpartisan manner. The Registrar is seeking people who are team players, exhibit strong leadership skills and display flexibility, patience, and the highest level of integrity at all times. Previous management and/or poll worker experience desired.

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GUSTY WINDS FUEL FIRE IN IN-KO-PAH

East County Wildfire & Emergengy Alerts

June 16, 2024 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- A brush fire in the In-Ko-Pah area has burned 30 acres at the boundary of Jacumba and Ocotillo, near the San Diego and Imperial County lines this afternoon. The #Inkopah5Fire is 20 percent contained and forward spread has been halted, per Cal Fire. On westbound I-8 just east of In-Ko-Pah, one lane is closed due to the fire.

Ben Schultz, owner of the Desert View Tower roadside landmark and Boulder Park on In-Ko-Pah, both on the National Registry of Historic Places, says he was told to evacuate after the fire started close to his home and businesses on In-Ko-Pah Road, but stayed trying to roundup his dogs and cats.

“High winds still making the fire out here seem rather scary,” he posted. Schultz said an RV brought to In-Ko-Pah Towing caught fire, igniting dry brush between I-8 and In-Ko-Pah Road.


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CALIFORNIA DAMS NEED REPAIRS, BUT NEWSOM AND LEGISLATORS BATTLE OVER GRANTS TO FIX THEM

 
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.
 
Photo: More than 100 years old, San Diego’s Lake Hodges Dam is one of 42 dams where the state has restricted storage because of safety concerns. Repairs began in 2022 and the dam is expected to be replaced by 2034. Photo by John Gastaldo for CalMatters
 
June 16, 2024 (Sacramento) -- Several dozen dams throughout California could store up to 107 billion more gallons of water if they underwent repairs to fix safety problems. But facing a staggering state deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting funding for a dam repair grant program in half this year, while state legislators want the $50 million restored.  
 
California has an aging network of nearly 1,540 dams — large and small, earthen and concrete — that help store vital water supplies. For 42 of these dams, state officials have restricted the amount of water that can be stored behind them because safety deficiencies would raise the risk to people downstream from earthquakes, storms or other problems. 

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