By Jacob Pamus

Photos via Wikimedia Commons

July 14, 2023 (Hollywood, CA) – The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike in Hollywood since May 2nd, meaning that all writing for film and television has halted. Now on July 13th,  after the Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has failed to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP),  they have decided to join the strike with the WGA. This means that along with all writing, all acting in Hollywood has halted as well.

By Jacob Pamus

July 14, 2023 (Washington D.C.) – Two weeks after the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s executive order granting sweeping forgiveness of student loan debts, Biden and the Department of Education today announced a new, more tailored plan to forgive $39 billion in student debt.

By Ken Stone,Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  La Mesa Councilman Jack Shu wore an orange shirt emblematic of the gun-safety movement. Image via Facebook

July 12, 2023 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa City Council on Tuesday night advanced a draft ordinance requiring residents to keep firearms locked away or disabled with a trigger lock unless carried by — or near — an authorized user in the home.

By Miriam Raftery

July 12, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – The  Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) outbreak in livestock that began in San Diego County in May has now spread to encompass six California counties.  One county in Texas also had a single confirmed case on a property that’s been released from quarantine.

Species affected locally includes primarily equine species such as horses, though two local sites have had cattle infected and one San Diego location has had clinically infected rhinoceros.

By Miriam Raftery

July 6, 2023 –Our East County Dining Club is back!  East  County Magazine invites you to join us on Thursday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m. for a fundraiser where you can savor the flavors of southern Italy at AnniVenti La Trattoria,  a delightful new restaurant at 8099 Broadway in Lemon Grove. RSVP early to save space!

15% of all food and drinks plus 100% of raffle tickets will benefit East County Media to support East County Magazine, nonprofit award-winning community news coverage, and East Coundy Wildfire & Emergency Alerts.

For just $35 per person, (excluding tax and tip), the 4-course feast will include:

Appetizers served family-style (pistachio burrata, calamari, and charcuterie)

Pasta entrée options:

-- Spaghetti Vongole (clams, white wine garlic sauce, pesto and pistachio)

-- Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe (chicken pasta in creamy pepper sauce)

-- Busiata Normanna(eggplant, tomato, basil, mint, ricotta)

-- Pappardelle al Ragu (slowly braised beef pasta)                  

Caesar salad

Desert:  Tiramisu,Limoincello, or Cannoli

The restaurant also has a full wine list as well as beer and creative cocktails.

Win prizes! We will also have a raffle with prizes including a gift card to AnniVenti, gift certificates for other local merchants, gift baskets, jewelry, flowers, books, and more! Thanks to our prize sponsors so far: Anniventi La Tratorria,  Mastiff Kitchen, Jasmine Creek Florist,  Elevated Coffee, Mario's Family Clothing Center,  Stephanie Klein at Roots Real Estate, Lemon Grove Antique Mall, El Pollo Grill, Maxwell's House of Books, Mary Ann Chanthala at ASKMary4RealEstate brokered by ΓEA⅃, Moutain Gypsy, Jean's Dance Studio, Busy Bee Garden Co-op, Flowers by Elsa, and more.  

RSVP BY JULY 17: Please email editor@eastcountymagazine.org and include your name, the number of people in your party, and the subject line  “RSP for AnniVenti.” To reserve space for the July 20 event. (Late RSVPs may be accepted on a limited basis, based on availability.) We expect this to be a popular event to welcome Lemon Grove’s newest fine dining restaurant!

By Miriam Raftery

Update: The victim has been identified as Richard Taylor, 68, of Lakeside.

July 11, 2023 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside father died at the scene of a solo-vehicle three-wheel motorcycle crash last night that injured his 2-year-old son, a passenger.

By Mike Allen

July 10, 2023 (Santee) -- Already paying some of the highest water bills in the nation, customers of Padre Dam Municipal Water District as well as 22 other agencies could see their rates increase even more if two North County water districts secede from the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA).

Both the Fallbrook Public Utilities District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District have been trying to leave the CWA because they say the costs for the purchased water is too high, and they can get it cheaper by joining the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County.

An independent government agency, the Local Agency Formation Commission of San Diego County, better known as LAFCO, will determine the outcome of this issue, and scheduled to take a vote today.

Story and Photos by Josh Stotler

July 9, 2023 (Potrero) -- At 2:49 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to 25850 Potrero Park Dr. for reports of a vegetation fire. Arriving units radioed that the fire was 3-5 acres in heavy fuel with a potential to spread to 50-100 acres. 

Additional resources were requested, bringing in more air support and ground crews to the scene. Structures were threatened and evacuation warnings were issued for grids 0852 and 0853, the Potrero valley.  Due to the unpredictable nature of the fire, the warnings were quickly upgraded to evacuation orders for those two grids.

By Miriam Raftery; Henri Migala contributed to this report

Photos by Henri Migala

July 9, 2023 (Rancho San Diego) -- A blue vehicle crashed into a power pole on  Steele Canyon Rd. near State Route 94 this morning. The power pole fell across the roadway and the vehicle caught fire, causing closure of Steele Canyon Rd. in both directions.

The crash caused a power outage affecting portions of Spring Valley,  Rancho San Diego and La Presa.

East County News Service

Photo and video by Robert Gehr

July 8, 2023 (El Cajon) – A two-vehicle crash knocked over a fire hydrant at the corner of Van Houton and Douglas in El Cajon this morning, spewing water across the roadways.  The vehicles involved were a white pickup truck and a dark Nissan car, according to ECM photographer Robert Gehr.

Dear Readers,

We are the only regional publication dedicated to reporting news that matters here in East County.  Please support our mid-year fundraising drive to help us keep you safe and informed. With several major wildfires already this season, the need for a real-time, online news source in East County is clear. Funds are also needed to sustain our community news reporting, which has won 142 journalism awards.  Give now.

In just the past few weeks, community donations have enabled us to report on many important stories, including:

• Brush fires in Campo, Jamul, Lakeside,  El Cajon and more
• A livestock virus prompting quarantines across East County
• A parole center proposed in La Mesa
• Supreme Court decisions impacting student loans, affirmative action, tribal adoptions, the LGBTQ community and businesses
• A fugitive murder suspect holding elected office in Campo
• Efforts to reopen Loveland Reservoir
• New laws impacting the homeless
• Candidates running for supervisor
• City Council meetings in Lemon Grove, El Cajon, La Mesa and Santee
• Budget priorities in  East County cities and the County
• Tribal members’ cross-country run for clean water
• The MTS bus strike
• Festivals and events, theater and restaurant reviews in East County
• Lamar Odom opening treatment centers in Lemon Grove and El Cajon
• Good works of local service clubs and nonprofits

Many of those were stories that we broke, as well as stories we covered in depth while other media focused on coastal and downtown issues.

We’re your community media – dedicated to telling the stories that matter here in East County! We reflect your interests—the public interests—not special interests.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo; Left, Cottonwood Golf Course pond, before it was drained; right, a sand mining operation

July 5, 2023 (Rancho San Diego) – The County of San Diego has issued a revised draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the proposed Cottonwood sand mine. View documents and details. 

The public has until August 14 at 4 p..m. to submit comments on the revised EIR.

Comments can be sent via email to Christopher.Jacobs@sdcounty.ca.gov.  The County will also hold an in-person public meeting regarding the Recirculated Draft EIR on July 25, 2023, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Hillsdale Middle School (1301 Brabham Street, El Cajon).

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2023 (Santee) – If you’re looking for a cool way to beat the heat, grab your beach towel and head on over to the city of Santee’s Aquatic Center at the Cameron Family YMCA (10123 Riverwalk Drive, Santee).

Their gigantic, twisting three-story water slide reopened today– just in time to make a splash on Independence day and beyond.

The huge, twisting water slide has been closed for three and a half years for repairs.

East County Congressional leaders split in views on the rulings

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Supreme Court website

July 3, 2023 (San Diego) – The Supreme Court on Friday issued two controversial decisions. By a 6-3 vote, the conservative majority found that President Joe Biden lacked authority to forgive student loans. The court also ruled that Christian web designer can refuse to create websites for same-sex couples, an action that eliminates civil rights protections enacted by many states for the LGTBQ community and potentially, other protected groups.

Those cases cap off a week in which justices earlier found affirmative action programs at universities to be unconstitutional, barring preference for racial minorities.

What do local representatives have to say about these decisions, and what might the long-term impacts be for students, the LGTBQ  community, businesses and minorities concerned about discriminatory state laws?

By Miriam Raftery

Mexican sewage has contaminated beaches from South Bay to North County in recent months

July 1, 2023 (San Diego)—Three San Diego Congressional members  have asked President Joe Biden to declare a federal state of  emergency over the Tijuana River sewage crisis that has prompted numerous closures of beaches across  San Diego County in recent months.