By Miriam Raftery

June 24, 2019 (La Mesa) – Grossmont Center shopping mall today announced that it will host a weekly farmer’s starting July 24th. From 2 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday, visitors can enjoy fresh produce straight from the farm and support local San Diego farmers. 

East County News Service

June 23, 2019 (Sacramento) --- Starting July 1st, California’s tax on gasoline will rise to over 60 cents per gallon, up from 55.2 cents currently, as a result of legislation signed by former Governor Jerry Brown.  That will make the state’s gas tax the highest in the U.S., so you may want to fill your tank before the end of June.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – The city of San Diego ranked second worst in the nation for rent hikes on  a one-bedroom apartment in 2018, at 17% with an average rent of $2,300, according to Rent.com. By contrast, the national average rent increase nationwide was 2.69% and California averaged a 4.48% increase in rents on one bedroom apartments during the same time period.

Rents are also skyrocketing in East County, where some communities had double digit rent hikes from March 2018 through March 2019 for 1 BR units:

Lemon Grove +15.66%

La Mesa +10.63%

El Cajon + 5.04%

Santee, by contrast, had only a modest 1.25% increase.

Spring Valley, the only unincorporated community in San Diego County with enough inventory to provide statistically valid data, had a 9.6% increase.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2019 (San Diego) – Short-term rentals through Airbnb and similar services have provided lucrative side incomes for some residential property owners. But vacation rentals have also caused complaints from neighbors, including concerns over wild parties that in some cases also caused serious damage to the hosts’ properties as well as resulting in theft, drug use, and violent crimes including fatal shootings. 

By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2019 (Potrero) – A camper from Washington state staying at a San Diego County campground in Potrero after returning from Mexico died yesterday after being run over by a runaway vehicle.

East County News Service

June 20, 2019 (Sacramento) --  Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an apology through executive order on behalf of California to Native American people for the many instances of violence, mistreatment and neglect inflicted upon California Native Americans throughout the state’s history.

Summer lunch sites are free to children struggling with hunger

Source:  Feeding San Diego

June 19, 2019 (San Diego) - This summer, Feeding San Diego will host 26 distribution sites for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a critical part of its summer hunger-relief programs. This program provides critical support throughout the summer months to ensure children are getting the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

By Chris Jennewein

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the home of a suspected undocumented immigrant. Courtesy ICE

June 18, 2019 (San Diego's East County) - President Trump tweeted Monday night that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers will begin deporting millions of undocumented immigrants next week.

The cryptic tweet at 9:20 p.m. California time did not elaborate further, and the White House did not provide clarification on Tuesday morning.

East County News Service

June 17, 2019 (San Diego) – The San Diego Press Club will present “We're All Interviewers Here: Why Asking Better Questions Will Get You Better Answers In All Professions,” a program on interviewing techniques with Dean Nelson, founder and director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 19, at the San Diego Downtown Central Library, Neil Morgan Auditorium, 330 Park Blvd., San Diego. The public is invited to attend.

By Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2019 (La Mesa) – Why can’t the La Mesa Village Association produce a federal tax ID number required of all organizations? Why has it never filed either a tax return or an application for tax exempt status with the state Franchise Tax Board?

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Julian Rodriguez 

June 14, 2019 (In-Ko-Pah) – Native Americans running from the Fort Yuma Indian reservation in Arizona to the Sycuan reservation in San Diego’s East County, a 150 mile journey, sought  to draw attention to the plight of missing and murdered sovereign Native American women. On Friday morning, they wound up saving the lives of two women whose vehicle plunged off of I-8 east  into a rugged canyon.

By Miriam Raftery 

June 13, 2019 (El Cajon) -- At its June 11th meeting, the El Cajon City Council received a presentation from Hasan Ikhrata, Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Association of Governments (SANDAG) about the new vision being formulated by the regional planning agency. After Mr. Ikhrata presented SANDAG’s “Five Big Moves” presentation, the City Council unanimously voted to support Mayor Bill Wells, sending a letter to SANDAG spelling out El Cajon’s position on the TransNet future spending.  

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by James Kecskes

June 12, 2019 (San Diego) - The County’s most vulnerable residents are the focus of a new recommended budget formally presented to the County Board of Supervisors Monday. The $6.21 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 invests $112 million in new spending for residents struggling to get by in our region.

East County News Service

June 12, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- An excessive heat warning remains in effect through today. The heat wave which prompted an excessive heat wave on Tuesday brought record-breaking temperatures across East County. So how hot was it?