By Miriam Raftery

December 31, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Lost but never forgotten, these are the prominent East County individuals who passed away in 2021, as well as two who died amid the pandemic in 2020 but were not memorialized until this year, when media was notified.

They came from all walks of life: journalists, educators, teachers, a priest, a tribal healer, a firefighter, a police officer, athletes, a musician, business leaders, students, philanthropists, an air ambulance crew, a veteran who survived the Pearl Harbor attack, and many more. Each left their own indelible mark on our region.

Click the name/title to view the full obituary for each of these local luminaries.

By Miriam Raftery

December 28, 2021 (San Diego) – If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms, you only have to isolate for five days instead of ten – but you should wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days when around other people if you are unvaccinated or haven’t had a booster shot. 

If you’ve had a booster shot in addition to the vaccine, you don’t have to quarantine at all if you don’t have symptoms, but should wear a mask for 10 days after exposure, when around others. 

If you do have symptoms, isolate until a negative test confirms that you don’t have COVID. Anyone exposed to COVID should get tested five days after exposure.

Those are the new guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which the state and county have announced they will follow.  The rules do not apply to healthcare workers, however.

By Miriam Raftery 

December 28, 2021 (San Diego) – The County Planning Commission will host a special meeting on January 7 at 9 a.m. to hear an update on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as well as 13 items that Supervisors directed staff to evaluate related to transportation impacts of future development projects. Below are details in a letter sent to stakeholders from the County’s Planning and Development Services Department.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

December 27, 2021 (El Cajon) - A small jet crashed tonight on the intersection of Pepper Drive and North Mollison Avenue in El Cajon around 7:15 p.m.

The plane crashed onto the street.  No injuries have been reported, but SDG&E reports that 632 customers have lost power due to two downed power lines.

By Miriam Raftery

December 26, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Heavy snowfall is forecast Monday, along with wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour in San Diego’s mountain areas.  Snow is forecast to blanket local mountain communities including Pine Valley and Julian. Above 4,500 feet, four to eight inches of snow are forecast, with up to 16 inches above 6,500 feet at the highest peaks in San Bernadino and Riverside counties. 

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

December 23, 2021 (San Diego) – The National Weather Service warns of flash flooding possible tonight and Friday due to heavy rains, with 3-6 inches forecast for mountains and coastal slopes, 2-3 inches in valleys and coastal cities, and 0.5 to 1.5 inches in desert areas. Snow is forecast as low as 4,500 feet, with high winds also predicted. 

Urban and street flooding are possible, as well as flooding at low water crossings, normally dry washes and flood channels.  In recently burned areas, mud and debris flows are also possible. Some streets in Mission Valley are being closed down late today in anticipation of the San Diego River flooding its banks.

By Miriam Raftery (a parody based on the poem by Clement Clark Moore)

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through East County

Not a creature was stirring, from Borrego to El Monte.

Hiking boots were hung by chimneys with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

From Barona to Ramona, Jacumba to Jamul

East County residents this 2021 Yule

Celebrate the season with favorite dishes

And send Santa Claus these holiday wishes:

By Roger Coppock and Miriam Raftery

Photo:  the James Webb Space Telescope, the premier space science observatory of the next decade, is targeted for launch Dec. 25 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Courtesy of NASA/Chris Gunn

December 22, 2021 (San Diego) -- Look out Santa! Steer your sleigh carefully.  The new Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space science telescope, is scheduled to launch this Saturday, Christmas morning at 4:20 a.m. California time.

By Miriam Raftery

December 21, 2021 (San Diego) – If you’re traveling this week, be sure to allow extra time and drive with caution. Heavy rain is forecast for Thursday night and Friday, Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service predicts. Cool weather and lighter showers are expected to continue through the holiday weekend into next week.

By Miriam Raftery

December 20, 2021 (El Cajon) – In his State of the City address on December 14, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells declared the City is in “excellent condition” despite challenges posed by the pandemic and more.

By Miriam Raftery

December 19, 2021 (Lakeside) – Sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of a vehicle burglary in the 12100 block of State Route 67 in Lakeside yesterday afternoon made a grim discovery. While searching the area, deputies looked into a nearby travel trailer and found a body with signs of rigor mortis, says Lieutenant David Gilmore.

For an analysis of the new state legislative districts, see https://sdrostra.com/new-congressional-and-state-legislative-districts-a....

By Miriam Raftery

December 17, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Effective immediately, some East County residents now have a different County Supervisor.  On December 15, the San Diego County Redistricting Commission presented its final redistricting maps to the County Clerk, outlining supervisorial district boundaries for the next ten years.

The biggest change impacting East County is shifting several communities out of District 2, represented by Joel Anderson, into district 4, represented by Nathan Fletcher, the current chair of the County Board of Supervisors. Areas shifted into Fletcher’s district include La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Rancho San Diego, Mount Helix, and parts of Spring Valley. Fletcher’s new district  also includes unincorporated areas of the city of San Diego, while he loses coastal areas including La Jolla.

The commission made one last-minute change to keep the city of El Cajon in District 2, after earlier proposing to move it into District 4. However some Chaldeans have objected to splitting their community between Districts 2 and 4, threatening legal action.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

Update December 17, 2021:  Burton Kanehailue, who was in the New Mexico/Texas area, contacted El Cajon Police Department arson investigators, indicating he wanted to turn himself in to police. Kanehailue was subsequently taken into custody by the Socorro Police Department in New Mexico without incident. The tow truck stolen by Kanehailue was also recovered. Kanehailue is being held in New Mexico pending extradition to California, where he will face charges of arson and auto theft, says Lt. Randy Soulard with El Cajon Police.

December 15, 2021 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police seek public help to locate Burton Kanehailua, 29, a tow truck driver wanted for allegedly setting fire to C&D Towing before fleeing in a stolen C&D flatbed tow truck, which is a 2016 Dodge Ram 5500.  He is also known to drive an older-model white Volvo station wagon.

The suspect weighs about 320 pounds, is 5 feet 9 inches tall, and has brown hair and brown eyes.

By Elijah McKee

December 14, 2021 (Lemon Grove) — “We are a mom and pop store,” said Alisha Hormiz, as she stood at the podium facing the Lemon Grove City Council. “We want to earn your trust, and to work with you every step of the way,” she pleaded. “So please give us a chance.”

Alisha and her spouse, Peter Hormiz, have run the Discount Market convenience store on the corner of Broadway and Main Street for the past 21 years. Recently, they requested City permission to sell ten percent of their inventory as alcohol, both to help them financially and to listen to their customers’ wishes. The Planning Commission denied their request for the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) they needed — an appeal to the City Council was now their final option to try to win their permit. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via County of San Diego

December 13, 2021 (San Diego) – Starting Wednesday, all Californians will be required to wear a mask at indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, under a mandate announced today by the state’s Department of Public Health.  The new rule will remain in place until at least January 15 and follows a 47% rise in cases since Thanksgiving, as well as a 14% increase in hospitalizations.

In addition, the state has changed the rules for people attending mega events to require a negative PCR test 48 hours before the event or an antigen test 24 hours before the event.

The state is also recommending, though not requiring, that travelers to California get a COVID-19 test three to five days after their arrival