East County News Service

Photo: Chairman Bo Mazzetti, courtesy of the Rincon band of  Luiseño Indians 

May 15, 2025 (Valley Center, CA) –Bo Mazzetti, Chairman of the Rincon band of Luiseño Indians for over 16 years, passed away on May 1 at age 77 after battling cancer.  A leading voice for Native Americans statewide over several decades, he was a founding member and President of the Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, also serving on the statewide Tribal Chairman’s Association.

"Mr. Mazzetti was a driving force behind the establishment of the CTCA and uniting a majority of Northern, Central, and Southern California indigenous tribal members and their Indian reservations into a unified voice," according to the SCTCA website.

The SCTCA site quotes Mazzetti's words:  As my father taught me, it is our responsibility to pave the pathway for future generations and to pursue a path that younger tribal leaders can follow, like our tribal elders did for us."

He  held numerous other influential positions during his lifetime of service, including in federal, state and local government as well as tribal offices.

East County News Service

Update May 15:  The deceased has been identified as Callen Lines.

May 14, 2025 (Santee) – A 31-year-old woman died in a hospital on May 12, one day after she was arrested for vehicle theft and resisting arrest.

According to Lt. Juan Marquez with the San Diego County Sheriff’s department, sergeants at the Las Colinas and Reentry Facility in Santee found the woman unresponsive in her cell at 7:25 p.m. on May 12 while performing routine supervisor checks.

The sergeants began CPR, activated 9-1-1and requested help from the facility’s medical staff.

Emergency medical personnel from American Medical Response (AMR) Ambulance #5 and the Santee Fire Department assumed lifesaving measures upon their arrival. AMR Ambulance transported the woman to a local hospital. Despite their efforts, the woman was pronounced deceased at the hospital at about 8:15 p.m.

East County News Service

May 12, 2025 (La Mesa) – A collision between a motorcycle and an SUV Saturday night proved deadly for a 22-year-old La Mesa man.  

He  was riding a 2017 Ducati motorcycle northbound on Avocado Blvd. just south of Explorer Road in La Mesa with a female passenger, 20, from El Cajon  just after 8 p.m. when a 2019 Ford Explorer driven by a La Mesa man, 40, tried to make a turn from southbound Avocado onto Explorer Road, causing a head-on crash, according to the CHP.

Residents launch petition to keep lake open

By Karen Pearlman

Photo, left, by Miriam Raftery:  Lake Murray

May 12, 2025 (San Diego) – Lake Murray is one of several local reservoirs that may see their hours of operation get slashed starting next year because of budget issues in the city of San Diego.

To cover the city’s $258 million deficit in its budget, the San Diego City Council is considering reducing the hours of both Lake Murray and Miramar Lake from seven days a week to just two – Saturday and Sunday.

Other outlying bodies of water overseen by the city of San Diego, including the El Capitan Reservoir, Lake Sutherland and Barrett Lake, are also slated for reductions in hours.

By Miriam Raftery

File photo: Bessmon "Ben" and Jessica Kalasho

May 11, 2025 (San Diego) – A last-minute effort by former El Cajon Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, to postpone their 8-day jail sentence has been rejected by Superior Court Judge Wendy Behan. The Kalashos have been ordered to surrender on June 9^th to begin serving their sentence, which was imposed for criminal contempt of court.

The action stems from a 2017 civil lawsuit against the Kalashos, who were accused of using false social media aliases, fake polls, and altered photos to defame plaintiffs including a beauty pageant queen, a taco shop owner, and attorney Lina Charry.  Kalasho resigned from the El Cajon City Council immediately after a settlement was announced with most plaintiffs in that case, amid calls by the public for Kalasho to resign.

Charry refused to settle her case and secured a hefty judgement against the Kalashos, who repeatedly failed to show up and provide financial records to enable Charry to collect the money for her judgement. The court charged and convicted the Kalashos with criminal contempt of court and issued bench warrants for their arrest in May 2023.

Rabies is nearly always fatal without treatment

Image Credit: PhotoSpin

Source: San Diego County News Service

May 10, 2025 (Escondido) -- County public health officials are looking for people who may have come in contact with a wild bat found at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondidio on Wednesday, May 7 at 10:45 a.m. that later tested positive for rabies.    

The bat was found at the base of the public elevator in the African Loop near the hot air ballon ride. There is only one public elevator in the park.

Public broadcasting leaders denounce action, call executive order illegal

By G. A. McNeeley 

M. Raftery contributed to this report

May 10, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a nonprofit organization that oversees the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), is firing back at President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for both of these media outlets, according to ABC News. 

NPR and PBS provide a broad range of programming, from independent news reporting to arts coverage and popular children’s programming such as Sesame Street. Locally, federal defunding of public broadcasting would also impact KPBS TV and radio, which reaches audiences countywide.

"Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens," the executive order claims , despite the fact that independent polls and fact-checkers have found NPR and PBS to be among the most trusted and reliable news outlets in the U.S. "The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding," the President's order continues.

The executive order also halts indirect funding to PBS and NPR,  prohibiting local public radio and television stations from using taxpayer dollars to support the organizations and federal agencies to terminate any direct or indirect funding to NPR and PBS. 

By Alexander J. Schorr

Photos courtesy of CalFire

Image: Side-by-side demonstration shows how unprepared structure  surrounded by bark on left was rapidly engulfed in flames, unlike structure on right, with hardscaping

May 7, 2025 (Spring Valley) -- On May 6,  The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety partnered for a live burn demonstration at the County Fire Training Center on Campo Rd. in Spring Valley.

The event showcased a live fire presentation demonstration showing the effectiveness of mitigating wildfire damage for a prepared home compared to a home built from typical materials. Attendees observed burns in real time as experts highlighted ignition materials used, fire movement, and effective mitigation techniques.

This showed how small, proactive steps can significantly influence a home’s survival during a wildfire. Central to the demonstration was Zone 0—a five-foot perimeter around the home kept clear of flammable materials to prevent ignition from wind-driven embers.

East County News Service

May 7, 2025 (San Diego)—The Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego (RJCSD) and Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance (MoGo) invite you to attend a Community Town Hall centered on the ongoing inhumane treatment of people detained in the San Diego County Jails. The event will be held on Thursday, May 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at theChristian Fellowship Congregational Church UCC, 1601 Kelton Rd., San Diego 92114.

The organizations will provide an update on a class action lawsuit initiated by the San Francisco law firm Rosen Bien Galvan and Grunfeld on behalf of 14 families who have relatives in San Diego County jails. Their presentation will include a discussion of recent developments in San Diego jails and what work has been done to improve the conditions of inmates.

By Miriam Raftery

May 5, 2025 (El Cajon) – The initial round of 60 signatures to recall El Cajon Councilmember Phil Ortiz have been validated, City Clerk Angela Cortez confirms. The organizers, Latinos en Accion, now must publish their intent in a local newspaper and have 120 days to gather signatures from 20% of the 11,320 registered voters in District 4 in order to put the recall measure on the ballot.

Increasing the controversy, recall opponent Amy Reichert is slamming recall leader Mairene Branham for comments Branham posted as mair3n3 on an Instagram reel showing video of a press conference held by conservatives who oppose “sanctuary cities” and/or oppose the recall effort.

Branham posted, “Still is and will be better when all of the people in this video die off.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo,left: Heartland Fire Station 8 in  El Cajon, where two of the three hidden cameras were discovered.Heartland Fire & Rescue also provides fire services for La Mesa and Lemon Grove.

May 3, 2025 (El Cajon)—The city of El Cajon will hold an emergency closed-door meeting Monday over an anticipated lawsuit against the city over three hidden cameras found in two fire stations, including two cameras in the private dressing and sleeping areas for women first-responders.

A complaint filed against the city of El Cajon and American Medical Response (AMR) on behalf of four female first responders on March 20 by attorney Dan Gilleon claims that “one or more of its employees had used concealed cameras to secretly videotape, film, photograph, and record by electronic means the complainants and other victims, in states of full and partial undress, while inside their bunk rooms....”

Source: City of El Cajon

May 1, 2025 (El Cajon) -- Calling all pickleball players! Five new pickle ball courts are coming to Wells Park this summer.

The pickleball complex will feature LED court lighting, seating for spectators, shade sails, a drinking fountain with water bottle filler, new landscaping and more.

A portion of the Wells Center will be renovated to create a welcome area and pro-shop for all your pickleball needs.

Source: San Diego County

April 30, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Diego County Animal Services today announced the launch of the Pet Health Express, a new mobile veterinary unit designed to bring affordable pet care directly to unincorporated communities across the region.

"Pet Health Express represents our commitment to breaking down barriers to veterinary care," said Vaughn Maurice, Director of San Diego County Animal Services. "By meeting pet owners where they are, we’re helping ensure healthier pets, safer neighborhoods, and more compassionate communities."

The Pet Health Express will offer a full range of low-cost services, including spay/neuter services, vaccinations and microchipping. See details below.

April 30, 2025 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating the suspects responsible for the murder of 22-year-old Navy Sailor Corneilius Donte Brown, which happened four years ago.

Governor Gavin Newsom recently pledged an additional $50,000 reward from the State of California for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Brown’s murderer. In addition to $9,000 from  Brown’s family, $5,000 from NCIS, and $1,000 from San Diego Crime Stoppers, this brings the total reward to $65,000.

On April 24, 2021, at approximately 12:26 a.m., the La Mesa Police Department received several 9-1-1 calls of gunshots heard in the area of 4300 Echo Court, in La Mesa. Officers arrived within minutes and located a gunshot victim (later identified as Brown) inside his residence. He was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.