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Give to support our award-winning reporting in 2026!

It’s been a challenging year, with more important news stories to cover than ever before. We need your support to bring you in-depth coverage on important topics in 2026! 

Please give now with a tax deductible donation or become a monthly donor to assure that we can cover the most important news stories in the new year.

All gifts are appreciated, but for donations of $50 or more, we will send our guide to 12 new restaurants to savor in East County as thanks for your generosity.

East County Magazine has kept you informed about local impacts of federal actions such as the government shutdown, immigration crackdowns, cuts in healthcare, dismantling the Department of Education, removing protected status of refugees, efforts to sell off public lands, and more.

Locally, we’ve covered hot topics such as eliminating teacher-librarian positions in the Grossmont Union High School District, residents’ successful fight to defeat the Cottonwood sand mine proposal,  the housing crisis and homelessness challenges, threats to public access at local lakes, actions of local city councils, wildfires and other emergencies.

For 2026, our need to increase our reporting resources is greater than ever.  Here's why.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Give to support our award-winning reporting in 2026!

It’s been a challenging year, with more important news stories to cover than ever before. We need your support to bring you in-depth coverage on important topics in 2026! 

Please give now with a tax deductible donation or become a monthly donor to assure that we can cover the most important news stories in the new year.

All gifts are appreciated, but for donations of $50 or more, we will send our guide to 12 new restaurants to savor in East County as thanks for your generosity.

East County Magazine has kept you informed about local impacts of federal actions such as the government shutdown, immigration crackdowns, cuts in healthcare, dismantling the Department of Education, removing protected status of refugees, efforts to sell off public lands, and more.

Locally, we’ve covered hot topics such as eliminating teacher-librarian positions in the Grossmont Union High School District, residents’ successful fight to defeat the Cottonwood sand mine proposal,  the housing crisis and homelessness challenges, threats to public access at local lakes, actions of local city councils, wildfires and other emergencies.

For 2026, our need to increase our reporting resources is greater than ever.  Here's why.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Fundraiser to help Marine’s family devastated by crash that killed daughter, 8, near Julian: accused DUI driver charged with murder and faces deportation

East County News Service

December 31, 2025 (Julian) – An online fundraiser at GoFundMe has been set up to help Oscar Cruz Acencio, a U.S. Marine, and his family. On November 30, the family was traveling on San Felipe Road near Julian when a Tacoma truck crossed the center line and hit their vehicle head-on, killing their 8-year-old daughter, Arya.  Acencio, his wife, and their two other children, ages 4 and 5, were all hospitalized with serious injuries.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Forty dogs rescued from unsanitary conditions in La Mesa

Photo of some of the 40 dogs rescued from La Mesa courtesy San Diego Humane Society

 

East County News Service

 

Dec. 31, 2025 (La Mesa) -- San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement rescued 40 dogs and puppies from an apartment in La Mesa on Tuesday, Dec. 30, following a welfare check by community police officers.

 

The rescue comes at a critical time, SDHS officials say, as local shelters are already operating significantly over capacity.

 

San Diego Humane Officers were notified on the evening of Dec. 29, by the La Mesa Police Department, which was conducting a welfare check on a tenant facing eviction. Those close to the situation said that the tenant had not been seen since Dec. 23. Upon arrival, Humane Officers discovered 40 dogs and puppies living in feces and unsanitary conditions.


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Lakeside school district moves to stop bullying, defiance and more

 
By Karen Pearlman
 
Dec. 30, 2025 (Lakeside) – Looking to reclaim local classrooms from a rising tide of student misconduct, the Lakeside Union School District Board of Trustees earlier this month passed a sweeping resolution aimed at curbing bullying, “death notes” and chronic defiance.
 
Lakeside Union School Board member Andrew Hayes championed the policy, adopted Dec. 11, and said that it marks a significant shift toward “firm and enforced” disciplinary standards.
 
Hayes said the changes are long in coming, as educators across the country have been grappling with a post-pandemic behavioral crisis which has left far too many teachers feeling vulnerable, and at the same time seeing parents demanding a return to order.
 
The push for the new framework was spearheaded by Hayes, who cited a disturbing trend of “bullying, aggression, and any act that endangers the safety of others.” The resolution specifically highlights the emergence of “death notes” as a point of concern, a chilling example of the increased severity of behavioral infractions facing local staff.

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Mail might not be postmarked until days after you send it, under new rules that could cause tax penalties, result in ballots not counted

By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Don’t wait until the last minute to mail in a ballot, tax return or other important documents. A change in U.S. Postal Service regulations that took effect December 24 means that mail is no longer considered postmarked on the date that you drop it in a mailbox or at a post office counter. Instead, it won’t be postmarked until it’s processed by an automated USPS sorting machine, which could mean delays of several days.


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CRASH ON PINE VALLEY BRIDGE DELAYS MOTORISTS

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

Image via CHP on X

Dec. 30, 2025 (Pine Valley) -- A motorhome accident on the Pine Valley bridge has shut down one lane of I-8 east and knocked down 80 feet of guardrail, per the California Highway Patrol. Westbound lanes remain open.

Motorists traveling east are advised to take an alternative route by exiting I-8 onto State Route 79 north through Descanso, then turn east (right) onto Pine Valley Road.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Cities can’t punish outreach workers for helping homeless Californians under new law

By Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

Photo:  Physician assistant Brett Feldman checks Carla Bolen’s blood pressure at her encampment on the Figueroa Street Viaduct above Highway 110 in Elysian Valley Park in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

December 30, 2025 (Sacramento) - Senate Bill 634 would have made a big splash if it survived in the form Pasadena Democrat Sasha Renée Pérez originally intended. She wanted to make it illegal for cities to cite or arrest homeless Californians for sleeping outside. But, faced with intense backlash from cities and law enforcement agencies, the legislator watered down her bill.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

County warns residents about deadly wild mushrooms

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo courtesy California Department of Public Health

December 30, 2025 (San Diego) - County public health officials are urging residents to avoid foraging for, or eating, wild mushrooms as some could contain a dangerous toxin called amatoxin that causes severe liver damage and can even lead to death.  


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

House Republicans pass healthcare bill without extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire December 31: costs set to double or triple for many Californians

By G.A. McNeeley and Miriam Raftery

Image: CC via bing

December 28, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – With both houses of Congress adjourned until January, 22 million Americans can expect to see large increases in Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare premiums, since subsidies will expire on December 31.

 While Democrats fought to extend the subsidies, House Republicans passed their own version of a healthcare bill on December 17 and sent it on to the Senate, however it does not include extending the subsidies, according to CNN.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

PFAS “forever chemicals” found in Warner Springs groundwater: Navy to host open house January 12 and provide testing of wells at nearby properties

By Miriam Raftery

Updated Dec. 31 with comments from the Warner Spring Community Sponsor Group chair and a local winery representative, plus a statement from the Vista Irrigation District.

December 27, 2025 (Warner Springs) -- The U.S. Navy has announced that PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” have been detected in groundwater in Warner Springs.  The contamination is believed to be linked to a former landfill, wastewater treatment site and spray aeration field at the Navy’s Remote Training Site in Warner Springs.

The Navy is offering to test well water on private properties nearby and will hold a public meeting on January 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cal Fire Station, 31049 State Route 79 in Warner Springs.

The tests will be conducted from January 13 through 20th, with additional times available on request.  


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Federal cuts and reversals upend California health care in 2025

Photo:  CC by NC-ND via Bing
 
This story was originally published by Cal Matters. Sign up for their newsletters.
 
By Ana B. Ibarra for CalMatters
 
Dec. 27, 2025 (San Diego County) -- After a decade of expanding health coverage and safety net programs, the Golden State took a sharp detour in 2025. As federal funding reductions and policy changes rippled through the health care system, California confronted service cuts, coverage losses and growing uncertainty.
 
During the summer, a congressionally-approved spending plan slashed nearly a trillion dollars from the Medicaid program over the next decade. Funding cuts and new rules – such as work requirements – are expected to push 3.4 million Californians off their Medicaid coverage as changes take effect.

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Ring in the new year safely with free transit rides New Year’s Eve after 6 p.m. throughout San Diego

Source:  MTS

December 26, 2025 (San Diego) - The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit – San Diego Railroad (NCTD) announced plans to offer free transit rides and extended late-night service on New Year’s Eve, giving the region a safe, convenient and affordable way to celebrate and get home.


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Escaped felon in Lemon Grove

East County News Service
 
Dec. 24, 2025 (Lemon Grove) -- The Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation is looking to the public for help in locating a wanted felon who escaped from custody. 
 
Just after 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, Sheriff's Deputies observed Hiram Sanchez, 36, in the 7100 block of Broadway in Lemon Grove. He was wanted on an active and outstanding felony warrant. Deputies contacted Sanchez and placed him in handcuffs.
 
During the arrest, Sanchez fled from deputies on foot onto state Route 94, placing himself and the deputies in extreme danger. Deputies did not pursue Sanchez onto the freeway.
 
At some point, Sanchez slipped out of his handcuffs and continued to run away.
 
Deputies immediately coordinated with the California Highway Patrol as well as with the San Diego Police Department's helicopter and Sheriff's K-9 resources to conduct a thorough search of the area, but Sanchez was not located.
 

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SDG&E urges caution around downed power lines

Source:  SDG&E

December 24, 2025 (San Diego) - With the current rainstorm approaching our region, SDG&E is urging the public to exercise caution around downed power lines.

 During rainstorms, power lines may become damaged or fall, potentially posing a threat to those nearby. It is crucial for customers to stay safe, be vigilant and take necessary precautions to avoid potential dangers associated with downed power lines.


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Light does not need permission to shine: San Diego leaders unite against hate at Hanukkah ‘Rally for Light’

Photos and story by Karen Pearlman

Dec. 22, 2025 (San Diego) — Across the street from the calm San Diego Bay but amid a rising tide of global concern, some of San Diego County’s top elected officials, law enforcement and multi-faith leaders gathered Monday at the County Administration Center to send a singular message: Hate has no sanctuary in San Diego.

Organized by San Diego County Assessor Jordan Marks (shown speaking in photo above right), Monday afternoon’s "Rally for Light," marked the eighth and final day of Hanukkah, and the hour-long event ended with a ceremonial lighting of a 6-foot hanukkiah (menorah) by local faith leaders, county employees and community members.

While the event celebrated the "Festival of Lights," the atmosphere was underscored by a somber urgency following a string of recent anti-Semitic attacks reaching from San Francisco to an outdoor celebration on Bondi Beach in Australia.


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City Manager Lydia Romero to leave Lemon Grove

City Manager Lydia Romero (right) and City Council member Yadira Altamirano in 2019
 
Photo and story by Karen Pearlman
 
Dec. 23, 2025 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove City Manager Lydia Romero, hired in 2015, is leaving the city at the end of this year.
 
After 10 years of leading Lemon Grove, Romero has announced her departure effective Dec. 31, 2025. Romero has not shared publicly a reason behind why she is leaving her position.
 
Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow said that Romero has been a boon to the city and that she is leaving Lemon Grove at a time when it is on the upswing.
 
"She is leaving us in a really good place," Snow said. "We're making sure we will keep the course with the strong foundation she's left us."

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Atmospheric River bringing heavy rains, gusty winds through Christmas:flooding is possible in low-lying areas

East County News Service

December 22, 2025 (San Diego) – Be prepared for potentially heavy rains this week and take precautions if traveling due to rain-slicked highways and possible flooding in low-lying areas across southern California.

Heaviest rainfall is expected Christmas Eve, with scattered showers on Christmas Day. San Diego’s mountains could get 3 to 6 inches of rain, valleys and coastal areas 2-4 inches, and deserts ½ to 2 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusty winds are forecast to blow into San Diego County starting Wednesday, Christmas Eve, with gusts up to 70 miles per hour. Strong winds could pose additional roadway hazards, especially for taller high-profile vehicle.


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New Santee City Manager Wendy Kaserman has no time to nap

By Mike Allen

December 21, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s new city manager says she’s still getting up to speed in her new position, but there’s one item that puzzles her: her new office comes with a couch.


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Republicans ask federal court to overturn California’s new Prop. 50 maps

By Maya C. Miller and Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters

Photo:  a “No on Prop 50” sign at the Kern County Republican Party booth at the Kern County Fair in Bakersfield on Sept. 26, 2025. Republicans are seeking to overturn the congressional maps voters approved last month. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

December 20, 2025 (Sacramento) - Just last week California’s secretary of state officially certified that nearly two-thirds of Californians voted to pass Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to temporarily gerrymander the state’s congressional maps in favor of Democrats.


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Trump administration sets goal to denaturalize thousands of U.S. citizens in 2026

Immigration officials have reportedly issued guidance setting a quota of 100 to 200 denaturalization cases a month

By Sharon Zhang

 This article was originally published by Truthout.

December 20, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - The Trump administration has reportedly set a goal of yanking citizenship away from over a thousand naturalized Americans in fiscal year 2026, in yet another escalation in the administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown.


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ACA plan hikes loom as Congress unable to agree

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

December 18, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- Health care premiums for an estimated 1.7 million Californians are set to skyrocket on January 1, as Congress has been unable to agree on a fix.

On Wednesday, four Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote on a proposal to extend COVID-era subsidies, which won't likely happen until January. Those subsidies make plans cheaper on Affordable Care Act marketplace known as Covered California.


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How Southeast San Diego reduced gun violence

“We’re here to save lives.” - Cornelius Bowser, pastor at Charity Apostolic Church and the City of San Diego’s commissioner on gang prevention and intervention

By Armando Rasing II

Photo, left, by Armando Rasing II: Bishop Cornelius Bowser leading a service at Charity Apostolic Church

December 17, 2025 (Southeast San Diego) - On a Friday night in early December, dozens of people attended a church service in Southeast San Diego - praying, giving thanks and singing for over three hours.


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San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office mourns passing of retired County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister

Source:  San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Cohen

December 17, 2025 (San Diego) - Retired longtime San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister passed away earlier this morning. Mr. McAllister served as San Diego County’s Treasurer-Tax Collector for twenty-three years, before retiring in August 2025.


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Local leaders voice concerns over Afghans facing threats to safety amid new restrictions in wake of D.C. National Guard shooting

 



By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Tazheem Nizam, CAIR San Diego executive director, and Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac

December 17, 2025 (San Diego) – Local community leaders who have worked to help Afghan refugees are speaking out over new restrictions imposed on Afghan immigrants following the shooting of two National Guard member in Washington D.C. on November 26 by Rahmanullah Lakanal, an Afghan asylum seeker. A female National Guard member died of her injuries.

 Lakanal,  who previously worked for the CIA-backed Kandahar Strike Force attacking suspected Taliban members and aiding American troops, reportedly was suffering mental health issues before the Washington D.C. shooting, for which he was arrested.

While denouncing the violence and calling for accountability  or the shooter, the local leaders also call on Americans not to demonize all Afghans for the actions of one man. 


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Teacher at Christian high school in El Cajon arrested for alleged sexual assault of underage family member

East County News Service
 
December 16, 2025 (Spring Valley) – Kevin G. Conover, 49, a Spring Valley resident and teacher at Christian Unified High School in El Cajon was arrested outside the school yesterday for alleged sexual abuse of a child under age 14 in his family.
 
The alleged abuse was reported by a family member back on Oct. 1.
 
Detectives with the San Diego County Sheriff's Child Abuse Unit conducted an investigation.

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County lighting Administration Center in support of Sydney attack victims; Menorah lighting set for Dec. 22

Photo courtesy San Diego County
 
East County News Services
 
Dec. 17, 2025 (San Diego County) — Behind the support of San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson from District 2, the County of San Diego will illuminate its County Administration Center in blue and white tonight, Dec. 17.
 
The illumination in blue and white across from San Diego Bay, serves as a visible beacon of unity. It is being lit in remembrance of victims and to show solidarity with survivors of the recent anti-Semitic attack targeting the Jewish community in Sydney, Australia.
 
Fifteen innocent individuals were murdered by two gun-wielding terrorists. The gunfire resulted in dozens of injured victims who were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach. See related story here.
 

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East County Roundup: local and statewide news

December 17, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

STATE

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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GUHSD priorities: trustees give themselves a massive raise, nearly quadrupling salaries

By Alexander J. Schorr

December 15, 2025 (El Cajon) — The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) governing board voted unanimously to raise their own monthly salary of $534.04 to a proposed $2,000.00 each starting  in January 2026. While California law does allow for school boards to increase their trustees’ compensation annually by up to 5% based on the presenting monthly rate, as per the newest law AB 1390, the board trustees have gone above and beyond what is normally acceptable for a trustee's stipend.


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ECM World Watch: national and global news

December  16,  2025 (San Diego) -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

WORLD

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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