Photo and story by Karen Pearlman

April 19, 2025 (Alpine) – The permanent refuge for a bevy of rescued wild animals, Lions, Tigers & Bears isn’t your average animal sanctuary -- so don’t expect its annual fundraiser to be anything but extraordinary.

The Alpine-based nonprofit will welcome visitors to its big cats and bears haven for the annual Wild in the Country 2025 next month. The annual event, including live and silent auctions, live entertainment, gourmet food, drinks and more, is set for 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 17. A VIP reception is also offered from 1 to 2 p.m.

By Karen Pearlman

Image of Mountain Lion courtesy Pixabay

April 17, 2025 (Descanso, CA) -- A 31-year-old Descanso runner on Wednesday, April 16, came face-to-face with a mountain lion that he says charged at him, during an evening run on the Oak Trail in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

JJ Goodrich wrote on his Facebook page as well as in the Descanso Neighbors Facebook page that he had an encounter with a local mountian lion.

"Please be aware if you hike out there," Goodrich wrote in Descanso Neighbors. "It was on Oak Trail between East Mesa Fire Road and Harvey Moore. Probably 140-150 lbs, never hissed, ears up, and maintained eye contact. They can close the distance incredibly fast, it was impressive."

East County News Service

April 14, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon  Police homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting.  Officers responded to call reporting the shooting in the 1100 block of East Madison Ave. at 9:47 p.m. last night.

“Officers arrived on the scene within minutes and located an adult male in a parking lot suffering from apparent gunshot wounds,” says Sgt. B. Stanley.

Paramedics transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Last updated April 14, 2025 8 p.m including reports from readers, local authorities, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

April 14, 2025 (Ramona) -- A 5.2 earthquake struck at 10:08 a.m  about 2  miles south of Julian. The jolt was felt across the county, knocking pictures off walls and bottles off shelves at homes in La Mesa.

California Highway Patrol reports that boulders dislodged by the quake are blocking State Route 76 near State Route 79 in the Lake Henshaw area. See photo below right, via CalTrans. Mud and debris are also reported at the entry to Palomar State Park.

SDG&E's website reports an unplanned power outage in the Santa Ysabel/Julian areas.

"The earthquake epicenter was in Julian, under Heise Park, 2 miles from our house. Power is still out in our area. Cats are still hiding due to aftershocks," resident Nancy Kramer advised ECM at 12:40 p.m.

In Julian, Mountain Spirtis Liquor posted video showing broken bottles that fell off shelves, 10 News reports.

Leslie Crouch told ECM via email,"I’m in Julian the epicenter and I lost a lot of my knickknacks. Antique glassware, bottles,  pictures broken."

Descanso resident Cynthia Burnham posted on Facebook "Yes, it was very scary - had pics and a clock fall off the wall, plus could see the waves of movement in the shaking window glass next to my desk. And it was a loud one. (Sounds like a train coming through.) It was also 40 seconds long..."

At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in San Pasqual, elephants formed an “alert circle” during the earthquake, encircling young elephants to protect them.  “Elephants have the ability to feel sound through their feet,” says Emily Senninger with the Safari Park. “This video demonstrates the strong social family structure in elephant herds. The herd, consisting of Ndlula, Umngani, Khosi, and youngsters Zuli and Mkhaya, went back to normal after about 4 minutes, though they did stay close to one another. “ View video.

By Miriam Raftery

April 9, 2025 (Lakeside) – An El Cajon man, 57, who was not wearing his seatbelt died at the scene of a solo vehicle crash in Lakeside this afternoon.

He was driving a 2006 Toyota Tacoma westbound on El Monte Rd. about a mile and a half east of Lake Jennings Road when he lost control and struck an embankment, then crossed into the eastbound lane and hit another embankment.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left, courtesy of Hawaii Dept. of Transportation:  Maui wildfires are among the disasters for which recovery funds have been withheld by FEMA under the Trump administratioin

April 7, 2025 – A federal judge has found that the Trump administration violated a court order to unfreeze FEMA funding to states to help victims recover from natural disasters.  On April 4, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to immediately comply with the court order and release the funds to the states. The action followed a lawsuit by attorneys general from 23 states, including California.

 Specifically, the Court found that FEMA’s current freeze violates the Court’s preliminary injunction order to restore the funding.

“Today’s court order makes it unequivocally clear: the Trump Administration’s reckless effort to hold up millions in emergency funds is unlawful,” said Attorney General Bonta said on April 4. “We won’t stand idly by as we continue to see the Trump Administration breaking the law and will be closely monitoring to ensure that the Administration follows the court’s order and critical funds are released."

By Mike Allen

April 7, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s City Council and its mayor are looking at giving themselves a 5 percent pay hike at the Council’s next meeting on April 9, if they agree with the recommendations of the citizens salary setting advisory committee.

The committee voted April 2 to boost the pay for the council’s part time jobs, as well as giving them a $100 monthly raise in their gas allowance, and maintaining a $90 per month technology allowance.

The committee said the increases should apply to the next two fiscal years, 2025-26, starting July 1, and for the following fiscal year.

The projected pay hikes exceed the current national cost of living increase, which was 2.8 percent as of February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and are more than the last round of pay increases the Santee Council approved in 2023, which was 4 percent for each of the next fiscal years.

East County News Service

April 4, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A Spring Valley man, 77, has died of injuries sustained in a collision on State Route 94 in Lemon Grove near Massachusetts Ave. shortly after 5 a.m.  He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected onto the highway after the 1999 Ford Expedition SUV he was driving westbound veered across traffic lanes and struck a Ford 150 pickup truck, according to Officer Jasmine Lopez with the California Highway Patrol.

By Alexander J. Schorr

April 4, 2025 (San Diego) – “We don’t have a democracy if we don’t participate,” said Dolores Huerta, 95, a historic leader of the farmworkers’ movement along with the late Cesar Chavez. Huerta, who has since founded her own foundation for social advocacy, made the remarks in a speech at Gomez Trial Lawyers in downtown San Diego on March 24, where the law firm gave a $10,000 donation to the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Heuerta spoke of her long history of activism and how she sees new opportunities for new leadership in the civil rights movement.

By Mike Allen

Photo: Dan Denham, CEO, San Diego County Water Authority

April 4, 2025 (Santee) -- There’s no doubt that customers of Padre Dam Water District, already paying among the highest rates in the nation, will pay even more for the coming year. It’s just a matter of how much.