Update 2:05 p.m. - The suspect is identified as Kenny Lee Walker, 45. 

"Deputies have the place surrounded and under containment. We're still trying to convince him to come out," Detective Tom Poulin told ECM. However the suspect has made threats to harm himself and officers. He says he's going to shoot it out with deputies and then shoot himself," said Poulin, who added that the suspect was wanted for slashing his wife's tires and is believed to be armed with a handgun.  

Update 10:50 a.m.  -- Lindo Lake Elementary and El Capitan High schools are on lockdown as a precaution, ECM news partner 10 News now reports.

May 7, 2012 (Lakeside) 10:40 a.m. – A suspect who wanted on a domestic violence charge has barricaded himself into a residence on Lakeshore Drive in Lakeside.  The suspect is believed to be armed. 

“They’re going to call a SWAT team out,” Detective Tom Poulin with the Sheriff’s substation in Santee told EC, while en route to the situation.  The suspect has been wanted for “a couple of days,” he added.

 By Miriam Raftery

May 5, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – In March, ECM reported on military medic training at Covert Canyon in Alpine that reportedly includes maiming and shooting of live pigs.  Now Change.org has launched a petition to stop use of live animals in military medical training.

May 4, 2012 (San Diego) – The California Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, is seeking public help to collect enough signatures to qualify a measure for the ballot that will stop excessive rate hikes by health insurers and HMOs.  The deadline for signature collection is Monday.

May 4, 2012 (Ramona) -- Thomas (Bo Donovan) Becker, who lived in San Diego Country Estates, passed away on April 24 surrounded by his family.  A noted radio broadcasting personality, he also founded the award-winning Silvertree Inc. creative services firm and has been active in organizations ranging from United Way to the Better Businses Bureau. 

May 4, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Planning a picnic or a hike?  Checkout YourOnlineWeather.com with Gary Kelley:

April 30, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – A Hazmat team has been dispatched to 6800 Federal in El Cajon, where a contractor ruptured a natural gas line, Incident Page Network reported at 1:47 p.m.  Local businesses have been asked to shelter in place.

April 27, 2012 (El Cajon) --  A Sigalert was issused at 3:47 p.m. at Highway 8 and El Cajon Boulevard. An older grey Toyota with 3-4 occupants hit the center divider, and is facing the wrong way.

The number one lane is blocked, and a flat-bed tow truck is assisting.

 Update: 10 News has additional information on this situation: 

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Broadband-Lines-Cut-Copper-Theft-Alpine-Defense-Dept-148669775.html

April 24, 2012 (Alpine) – Sergeant J. Passalacqua at the San Diego Sheriff’s Alpine station has sent the following report on a serious communications and security breach in our region that has shut down broadband across the U.S., including critical defense networks: 

April 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – For years, the tobacco industry claimed that cigarettes don’t cause cancer—long after compelling medical evidence proved otherwise.  A similar scenario is now happening with the wind industry, which has put forth various “experts” funded by the wind industry to claim that no evidence exists of negative health impacts caused by wind turbines.

Those are dubious claims that ignore mounting medical and anecdotal evidence around the world indicating that living near wind turbines can harm human health. View a video made by residents living near wind turbines in Wisconsin, discussing health problems they are experiencing which are consistent with symptoms found at many other wind sites around the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71DxuicwCXw&feature=player_embedded

Family vehicle breaks down on way to hospital; officials offer tips for what to do if  bitten

April 21, 2012 (Deerhorn Valley) –San Miguel Fire has issued a reminder to the public about the importance of calling 9-1-1 if you or a family member is bitten by a rattlesnake. The warning comes after a two-year-old boy was struck by a rattler while playing in the yard at his Deerhorn Valley home today.

His parents put the boy in their car and his mother dialed 9-1-1 on her cell phone while heading to a hospital. But a flat tire en route could have ended in tragedy. 

Triple-digit temperatures forecast for local deserts

April 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a  Fire Weather forecast indicating a chance of thunderstorms as well as dry lightning over East County mountains Monday afternoon and early evening. 

Dry lightning, which occurs without rainfall, poses a greater risk of sparking wildfires than lightning during a rainstorm. However, the potential for a large fire remains low locally due to lack of strong winds.