By Alexander J. Schorr

Photos: Left: GEA President James Messina, Kristen LoPrell.and Noah Green.

Right: Leadership associates Rich Thome and William Banning

April 2, 2025 (El Cajon) -- On March 31 at 4:00 p.m., the GUHSD Governing Board convened a special meeting to discuss the hiring process of a new superintendent to replace the retiring Mike Fowler. The meeting was held at the Grossmont High School Event Theatre where Board President Dr. Gary Woods called to order the agenda for discussion, and Senior Executive Assistant Jodi Hostetler introduced rules for speaking. Attendees were required to obtain a ticket for participation in the audience chamber.

Latino and labor groups submit records request on communications between city, ICE and federal officials

By Miriam Raftery

View video of the press conference

April 2, 2025 (El Cajon) – A coalition of advocacy groups and El Cajon residents held a press conference today outside El Cajon City Hall to denounce the March 27 immigration raid on a painting company in the unincorporated part of El Cajon.

El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell, in response to a request for comment from ECM, stated via email, “El Cajon staff (police, management, elected officials, etc.), had no involvement in the Federal law enforcement action that took place outside the city limits last week. I learned about the event when I saw a media alert. Further, the City's involvement would have been a violation of Prop 47 and we are committed to abiding the law.”

But speakers called for “accountability” from the Mayor and three councilmembers who recently voted on a resolution to allow the city’s police to cooperate with federal immigration officials regarding undocumented immigrants in the city accused or convicted of crimes.

Latinos en Acción and the National Day Labor Organizing Network also submitted a public records request to the city seeking all communications of city elected officials and employees with U.S. Customs and Immigration (ICE), the Dept. of Homeland Security, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, the San Diego County Sheriff, State Senator Brian Jones, and the anti-immigrant group America First Legal between Nov. 2024 and the present regarding enforcement of immigration law, the immigration enforcement resolution, and the immigration raid.

Story and photos by Karen Pearlman

Photo:  Padre Dam Municipal Water District board members Kim Hales (who represents Alpine) and Suzanne Till share information with ratepayers on Sunday afternoon, March 30, at The Alpine Club.

April 1, 2025 (Alpine) – Just a few days before San Diego County Water Authority will give presentation to the Padre Dam Municipal Water District Wednesday about wholesale water rates in 2026 and 2027, Alpine residents gathered to share some concerns about rate increases, as well as fire safety and water purification.

Residential customers will receive the first two installments of bill credits this month; electric and gas-bill credits total more than $200 per household for 2025. 

Source:  SDG&E

March 31, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego Gas & Electric® residential customers will get a break on their energy bill, thanks to the California Climate Credit administered by the California Public Utilities Commission as a result of the state’s effort to fight climate change. In April, residential electric customers and qualifying small businesses will see a $81.38 credit on their statement. Residential customers with natural gas will also receive a $54.21 credit on the same statement.  

Update March 29:  Company owner John Washburn has been charged with conspiracy to harbor aliens; employees Gilver Martinez-Juanta, Miguel Angel Leal-Sanchez and Fernando Casas-Gamboa are charged with falsifying documents to obtain employment in the U.S., according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of Sky 10 via ABC 10 News, an ECM news partner

March 28, 2025 (El Cajon) – Federal immigration authorities raided the San Diego Powder and Protective Coatings company on Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon yesterday afternoon.  A search warrant accuses the company of hiring undocumented workers, as well as fraud and misuse of visas, ECM news partner 10 News reports.

By Karen Pearlman

March 27, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) --  Public water utility entity Helix Water District isn’t just about water – it’s also about energy, power and air.

On Tuesday, the district with roots dating back to 1885 got on board with the future, breaking ground at its El Cajon operations center as part of the district’s transition to a zero-emission vehicle fleet through electrification.

The $11 million electrification project will install nearly 90 high-speed vehicle chargers at the district’s operations center.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 26, 2025 (San Diego) - Have you ever wanted to speak about an issue at a San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting?

By Miriam Raftery

March 25, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – Today, the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for the Water Conservation will meet to weigh opens for long-term funding and stability of the Garden at Cuyamaca College.

At its Feb. 25 meeting, the board discussed future funding options after the City of San Diego’s representative Nicole Beaulieu DeSantis announced intent for San Diego to withdraw from the JPA in light of the city’s budget crisis. Helix and Otay water district representatives voiced optimism that their agencies will likely be able to fill the funding gap left by San Diego’s departure and avert having other agencies leave the JPA.

By Tesa Balc, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Rep. Sara Jacobs in her congressional office. (File photo courtesy of Jacobs’ office via Facebook)

March 24, 2025 (Jacumba) - A San Diego Democrat said Saturday that Republicans have told her they will not back President Donald Trump if he defies court orders.

Eligible low-income residents aged 55, older may receive funds for housing

Source: City of La Mesa and Jewish Family Services

March 21, 2025 (La Mesa) – The City of La Mesa and Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) are launching the City’s first-ever Older Adult Rental Assistance Program, assisting seniors aged 55 and older who are at risk of homelessness. The program, operated by JFS, will provide 40 participants with a $500 monthly housing subsidy paid directly to their landlords for 12 months and individualized case management. Applications are being accepted beginning the last week of March. Priority will be given to applications filed by April 4.

According to the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, nearly half of unhoused Californians are 50 and older, and more than 41% are experiencing homelessness for the first time in their lives.

"With many seniors on fixed incomes challenged by increasing expenses, this program serves as a vital lifeline,” said La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “The program will help rent-burdened older adults in La Mesa maintain housing stability and financial security, allowing them to age in place with dignity.”

Source: California Attorney General's Office

March 21, 2025 (Oakland) - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert to customers of 23andMe, a genetic testing and information company. The California-based company has publicly reported that it is in financial distress and stated in securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue, which is a growing concern. Due to the trove of sensitive consumer data 23andMe has amassed, Attorney General Bonta reminds Californians of their right to direct the deletion of their genetic data under the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). Californians who want to invoke these rights can do so by going to 23andMe's website. 

“It could happen, at any water system in the United States. The systems were not designed for what we what we witnessed in L.A.,” says Helix Water District general manager Brian Olney, though Helix has taken steps to reduce risk

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo courtesy of Brian McNeeley

March 19, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise by more than 40%, on top of already steep price rises in 2024. While egg producers blame bird flu outbreaks, the Justice Department this month announced an investigation into whether egg producers might be sharing information and engaging in price gouging, ABC News reports. 

President Donald Trump’s campaign platform including a pledge to bring down inflation including egg prices, but so far, prices continue to skyrocket.  Now, the administration is offering its first details on its plan to fight avian flu and ease costs. 

Stopgap funding measure signed by President Trump; California’s Senators voted no

By G. A. McNeeley 

March 18 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Congress avoided a government shutdown on March 14, just a few hours before the funding deadline. The stopgap measure to fund the government until September 30 was signed by President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The stopgap would fund government operations through the remainder of this fiscal year, but it would also slash non-defense funding by roughly $13 billion and increase defense spending by about $6 billion over current budgets (including billions for deportations, veterans’ health care and the military). 

Many Democrats, including California’s Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, opposed the measure due to the non-defense cuts and because Republicans refused to include language in the bill putting guardrails on Trump and Elon Musk’s ability to continue dismantling the federal bureaucracy unchecked. The  Democrats also advocated for a shorter, four-week stopgap to keep the government running on current funding levels in an effort to buy more time for appropriators to strike a deal on a bipartisan funding package.  Republican leadership interest in those negotiations diminished weeks ago. 

Fire safety and water purification among top issues to be discussed

East County News Service

March 15, 2024 (Alpine) - Alpine resident Anne Tillmond is hosting a Town Hall Q&A featuring Padre Dam Municipal Water District Board Members Kim Hales (Division 4) and Dr. Suzanne Till (Division 2) on March 30 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Alpine Club – 1830 Alpine Blvd. Alpine, CA 91901.