By Miriam Raftery

Updated Nov. 22, 2017 to include information on suicide prevention for firefighters through the Firefighters Behavioral Health Alliance.

November 6, 2017 (Pine Valley) – Local firefighters, heroic in battling flames and saving lives, today are grieving the tragic loss of one of their own.  Cal Fire Unit Chief and County Fire Chief Tony Mecham announced yesterday on Facebook, “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I notify you of the passing of Fire Captain Ryan Mitchell from Station 20. Ryan took his own life this morning at the Pine Valley Bridge shortly after completing his shift.”

Kalasho claims he’s being framed by beauty queens and taco shop owner suing him;

Kalasho’s wife admitted visiting friend In Cerritos, when the allegedly fake nude beauty queen photos were posted online from her friend’s home

By Miriam Raftery

November 6, 2017 (El Cajon) – Today, plaintiffs suing El Cajon Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho filed an anti-SLAPP motion asking that Kalasho’s countersuit against two beauty pageant contestants and a taco shop be dismissed as retaliatory and violating their First Amendment rights to speak to the press about their case.   

California’s anti-SLAPP statute prohibits public officials from filing what are known as SLAPP suits to retaliate against members of the public for exercising their free speech and right to petition the government for redress of grievances.  Kalasho’s countersuit took issue with plaintiffs talking to the media, specifically the Reader, about their case.

October 25, 2017 (Alpine) -- Alpine Inn Steakhouse (2225 Alpine Blvd., Alpine), the coziest steakhouse in East County is now reopened under new ownership -- and East County Dining Club will host our next event sizzling event there on Friday, November 10th. 

Join us for cocktails (cash bar) at 5:30 in the steakhouse bar and dinner at 6:30 in the private captain's-style dining room. Enjoy live music by Paul Nichols and Cindy Burnham, plus you can win prizes!  You don't have to be a dining club member -- all are welcome!

This event requires an RSVP by November 5 and pre-reserving your choice for entrée, 2 sides, and a dessert. See the delicious details below!

By James Kecskes, County of San Diego Communications Office

Updated Nov. 3, 2017: Animal Services had removed 127 cats as of Friday afternoon.

November 4, 2017 (Lakeside) - More than 100 cats are in the care of County Animal Services after they were relinquished by a resident in Lakeside Thursday. Sheriff’s deputies were conducting a welfare check on a person at the home and discovered the animals, then called Animal Services.

By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2017 (Washington D.C. )  -- George Papadopoulos, foreign policy advisor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, has pled guilty to criminal charges pertaining to his dealings with Russian foreign nationals. Two others,Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business associate  Rick Gates, have been arrested and indicted on felony charges, court documents unsealed on Monday reveal. 

The 12 counts include charges of conspiracy against the U.S., failing to register as foreign agents, making false statements to federal investigators, tax fraud, and laundering tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts for clients in the Ukraine,  including former Ukranian president Viktor Yanukovych, Associated Press reports. Yanukovych was a staunch ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

By Ken Stone

Originally published by Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Rebekah Basson, 25, was appointed to the La Mesa-Spring Valley school board in August. Photo by Ken Stone

November 1, 2017 (La Mesa) - La Mesa’s new school board member voted in Georgia’s November 2016 election despite later swearing that she had been a resident of the East County district for 1 1/2 years — going back to about January 2016.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  A Probation Officer administers a test that checks for alcohol on an offender.

November 1, 2017 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Probation Department will use a half-million dollar grant to keep high-risk DUI offenders from getting behind the wheel again.

Nationally, nearly one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders and 50 to 75 percent of convicted drivers continue to drive on a suspended license, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

By Paul Kruze

November 1, 2017 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon’s City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to ban feeding of the homeless in public places due to hepatitis concerns, fill a vacancy on its veterans’ commission, and approve a residential housing development. But the most contentious moments came during an impassioned plea from a citizen calling for Councilmember Ben Kalasho to resign, over objections of Kalasho, who sought to silence the resident from speaking out.

Update:  The fire has grown to over 800 acres and 450 homes are evacuated, however it is now 50% contained.

By Miriam Raftery

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alert Service

Photo credit: ECM news partner 10 News

October 27, 2017 (San Diego) – The #WildomarFire has charred 700 acres in the Wildomar  are of Cleveland National Forest, which is located near Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, just over the San Diego-Riverside County line.

Two hundred homes have been evacuated. The fire is currently 15 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Find details on evacuations here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5652/

Smoke from fires in Mexico including a large forest fire near Rosarito also continue to impact air quality in San Diego County, prompting the county's smoke advisory cautioning residents to avoid outdoor activities in areas with smoke.

Updated to include remarks from Kim Hamilton.

By Miriam Raftery

October 27, 2017 (Jamul) --The Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego has been granted a permanent license to serve alcohol by the state department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Administrative Law Judge Adam Berg.  The ruling came over the objections of Supervisor Dianne Jacob, the Sheriff, the Jamul-Dulzura School District, and numerous residents in rural Jamul. 

The decision makes permanent a temporary alcohol license granted when the casino opened approximately a year ago, but also mandates that the tribe continue its previously voluntary restriction to limit alcohol sales to the hours of 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m..  View the decision.

Smoke from fires in Mexico drifting into San Diego County

October 26, 2017 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego’s Air Pollution Control District (APCD) issued a smoke advisory Thursday, suggesting people should limit their outdoor activities if they smell smoke from the fires burning in Mexico. Portions of North County were also impacted by a brush fire in Riverside County.

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2017 (San Diego) -- East County Magazine picked up four more awards at the San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Awards dinner held on Tuesday night, bringing our total to 105 journalism awards over the past nine years.

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2017 (Santee) – The Santee City Council will hear proposals from two companies vying to build the city’s first multiplex movie theatre at today’s 7 p.m. meeting. In addition, the agenda includes  a hearing on adopting a mobility element that could include expansion of Mast Boulevard to Santee, as well as bike lanes and other items.

Source:  Caltrans

October 24, 2017 (San Diego) -- Caltrans has 15 fix-it-first projects in San Diego and Imperial counties that will benefit from the passage of the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act.  Almost half of those projects will began much sooner than expected due to the passage of SB 1, the state’s transportation agency announced today.  The list includes one East County project, fixing a dangerous curve on State Route 94 in Dulzura.  Another will impact commuters from East County, including a paving improvement project on a section of State Route 52.

East County News Service

October 23, 2017 (San Diego) - Open enrollment to get coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2018 begins on November 1st and ends December 15^th.  Many Americans aren’t getting this important information, since the Trump administration has taken the following steps to sabotage getting word out and discouraging people from signing up.