By Miriam Raftery

Photo via ECM news partner KGTV 10 News

August 26, 2022 (El Cajon) – A San Diego woman, 23, has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after driving the wrong way on State Route 52 that resulted in a crash, killing an El Cajon man, 49.

Update:  The suspect's last name as Al Rawi, not Al Wari. The earlier misspelling was provided by El Cajon Police based on a a translation error. Friends of his have voiced shock at his arrest and doubts about the accusations against him, calling him a good father and pillar of the Syrian community locally who has helped other refugees, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Abdulhannan Abdurazaq Al Rawi is under arrest for allegedly shooting and killing his wife, 37, in the bedroom of their El Cajon home at 1599 Soma Place. The couple's nine children, ages 2 to 17, were in the home at the time, according to Lieutenant Randy Soulard with EL Cajon Police.

Dilkhwaz Ahmed with License to Freedom, an El Cajon social services agency supporting refugees, posted on Facebook tonight “Please pray for these kids who lost their mom today. Out team of therapists and myself stayed with them all day to make sure they have a safe place to go. If you would like to support them, please let me know. They are refugees from Syria.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 19, 2022 (El Cajon) -- A man was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a three-hour standoff and garage fire in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.

Story and photos by Josh Stotler, 2412 Fire Photo

Updated 4 p.m. with information from California Highway Patrol

August 19, 2022 (El Cajon) -- A small plane crashed Thursday morning on Greenfield Dr. in El Cajon. The pilot of the 1951 Cessna 195 attempted to land on Interstate 8 around 10:25 am and ended up between the East and West bound overpasses of interstate 8, coming to a rest on Greenfield Dr.

Eyewitnesses say the plane hit a car before coming to rest under the bridges. It is not immediately clear what caused the crash and the accident is still under investigation. California Highway Patrol conforms that a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a 57-year-old Alpine woman sustained moderate damage.

The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Greenfield Drive under I-8 when it was struck, but fortunately the driver of the Hyundai, Carrie Zub, was not injured. Her dog was in the SUV and is also safe.

"I was like, 'Oh, my God, and I pulled to the right and stopped," Zub said, NBC 7 reports. "I'm just so grateful I'm OK."

By Miriam Raftery

August 17, 2022 (San Diego) - The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the Novavax vaccine for prevention of COVID-19. The new Novavax vaccine is now available in San Diego County.

By Miriam Raftery

August 16, 2022 (San Diego) – The FBI San Diego division today announced that it has located at least 17 potential human trafficking victims, including a minor, as part of the nationwide “Operation Cross Country XII” operation. The national FBI-led effort partnered with agencies across the U.S. to recover 141 adult and 84 minor victims of human trafficking, including 37 missing children; the youngest victim was 11 years old.

By J.W. August

August 12, 2022 (San Diego) -- The message must have been  clear to leaders in Sacramento.  Assembly Bill 2790 --- the bill seeking to end reporting of domestic violence to law enforcement--failed in the Senate Appropriations Committee.   The “how” is rarely revealed when a bill doesn’t get out of the appropriations committee.  But the “why” can be explained, says Casey Gwinn, co-founder and president of the Family Justice Center. Gwinn led the effort to create the first and “all under one roof” domestic violence help center and strongly opposed AB2790.

By Shiloh Ireland

August 10, 2022 (El Cajon) – County officials today launched the county’s first “safe parking” lot at the site of a former homeless encampment as 1297 North Magnolia Avenue in unincorporated El Cajon.

Flash Flood Warning for southeastern San Diego County today 8/8/22 4:31 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a Flash Flood Warning for southeastern San Diego County until 7:30 p.m.

• This storm may intensify, monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

Some locations that will experience life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses include: I-8 Between Pine Valley and Boulevard, I-8 Between Boulevard and Imperial County Line, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Pine Valley, Boulevard, Lake Morena, Campo, Hwy S2 Between Agua Caliente and Canebrake, Hwy S2 Between Canebrake and Imperial County Line, Hwy S2 Between Shelter Valley And Agua Caliente, Hwy S1 Between Lake Cuyamaca and Mount Laguna, Hwy S2, Potrero, Descanso, Manzanita Indian Reservation, La Posta Indian Reservation and Live Oak Springs.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Toxic burn pit, cc via Bing

Update: President Biden has signed this measure into law.

August 5, 2022 (San Diego) – A bill to provide health care and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxins during their military service has passed the Senate by an overwhelming 86-11 vote, including 37 Republicans as well as all Democrats. The measure earlier passed the House 256-174.

Four of San Diego’s Congressional representatives voted in favor, but Rep. Darrell Issa, a former Army captain, voted against it despite his San Diego County district having one of the nation’s largest populations of active duty military members and veterans.

HR 3967, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, is known as the  PACT Act. It will provide coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, Agent Orange in Vietnam and more.

By Miriam Raftery

August 3, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Would you risk an action that increase your risk of dying 29-fold? 

New data from the Centers for Disease Control reveals that among people over age 50, those who are unvaccinated are:

• 29 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than people the same age who are vaccinated and have had two booster shots, and
• 4 times more likely to die than people the same age who are vaccinated with just one booster shot.

By Mike Allen

Photo:  map of permitted cannabis locations in Santee

August 1, 2022 (Santee) -- Santee is the latest city in San Diego County to permit cannabis businesses including sale of marijuana within its borders, following a 3-2 vote at its most recent City Council meeting July 27.

Update August 14, 2022:  The Medical Examiner's office has identified the 50-year-old man as Thomas Moreno. Moreno's family have been notified of his death. The cause and manner of his death remain under investigation, the Sheriff's office reports.

Updated August 1 at 5 p.m. with additional information from the Sheriff's department.

East County News Service

Photos by Shiloh Ireland Photography

August 1, 2022 (Lakeside) -- The body of a man around 50 years old was found this morning in a pond south of Willow Road near Moreno, east of State Route 67 in Lakeside. The Sheriff's Search and Rescue Dive Team responded to a call and recovered the body.

The man was wearing shorts with no shirt. Authorities indicated there were no obvious signs of trauma. The vicitm may have gone swimming and drowned, though the County Medical Examiner is slated to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

At this point the death is suspicious in nature however, there is no indication of foul play. The circumstances of this incident are still under investigation," says Lieutenant Chris Steffan.

By Elijah McKee

July 29, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — Starting on Saturday, July 30, Lemon Grove residents — many who called for restored public access to the Recreation Center — will see a new step taken in that direction, as the City looks for a fresh start with its recreation offerings. 

For the next six months, the City will run a Recreation Center Open Saturdays pilot program at the facility, during which they will collect data on its usage and either continue, modify, or discontinue the program in January based on what is learned. 

This effort was added to the agenda on the heels of the City Council’s April priority-setting session. According to a staff report, the pilot program will cost $11,328.