By Miriam Raftery

August 8, 2025 (San Diego) – Today, Superior Court Judge Matthew Braner dismissed a lawsuit filed by Grecia Figueroa against former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. Judge Braner said Figueroa engaged in “rampant and willful spoilation of evidence” including deleting photos and text messages damaging to her case.

By Paul Levikow

August 7, 2025 (Grantville) – The San Diego County Office of Homeless Solutions opened a new Overnight Safe Parking site in the Grantville neighborhood of San Diego today, with capacity to serve 20 vehicles. The location, in the 4500 block of Glacier Ave., is on county-owned land that will eventually become 300 affordable senior housing units. It’s part of the County’s efforts to expand emergency housing options for people experiencing homelessness.

The site is in a residential and commercial neighborhood next to the California Bank & Trust, which is on Mission Gorge Road.

The opening was announced at a morning news conference with San Diego County District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson, Rep. Sara Jacobs from California’s 51^st Congressional District, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo of District 7, and other officials.

By Miriam Raftery

August 6, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Dangerously high temperatures are forecast across much of East County through Friday, peaking on Thursday. Other East County communities could reach the high 90s. 

President says kids in Gaza need to be fed, while making contradictory statements about his stances on Israel 

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo via United Nations Relief and Works Agency: a 4-year old Palestinian girl who died of starvation in 2024 (CC by SA 4.0) 

August 5, 2025 (Gaza) -- President Donald Trump acknowledged on July 28, that there is “real starvation” in Gaza, as Israel faces intense pressure to lift restrictions on aid, while hunger spreads in the besieged enclave, according to NBC News. 

A video of the event is available on the Indivisible North County YouTube page.

By Jesse Kendrick

Image: Rep. Sara Jacobs addresses the 48th district’s constituents next to masked mockery of Rep. Darrell Issa.

August 1, 2025 (Escondido) — Jeering laughter filled the halls of the California Center for the Arts on Sunday as a man in a rubber chicken mask imitated Congressman Darrell Issa before a crowd of hundreds of his constituents. 

Update August 1, 2025  --The missing girls have been found,  per ECPD Watch Command.

July 31, 2025 (El Cajon) --  El Cajon Police Dept. is searching for 2 girls, age 10, on pink razor scooters.

They were last seen in the 500 block of East Camden Ave, El Cajon. A helicopter search has thus far not been able to locate the girls as of this evening.

One girl has long black hair & was last seen wearing a black hoodie, light skirt and black Croc shoes. The other has short black hair and was wearing a blue shirt and jeans. 

Tsumani could reach Hawaii and Alaska this evening, San Diego shortly after midnight, with risk of more tidal waves due to powerful aftershocks.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Note:  An earlier tsunami watch has been upgraded to a tsunami advisory.

July 29, 2025 (San Diego) – The National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami advisory for the entire West Coast including San Diego County after , an 8.8 quake, struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula late this afternoon. This is among the 10 strongest quakes ever recorded worldwide. The quake has been upgraded  from earlier estimates.

Aftershocks including a 6.7 quake have also occurred.

The quakes and aftershocks have potential to produce tsunamis, or tidal waves, posing life-threatening danger.

Avoid low-lying coastal areas until the tsunami advisory is lifted.  The earliest a tsunami could reach San Diego County is estimated at around 1:15 a.m. for La Jolla and Oceanside, slightly later in the South Bay and earlier for Northern California, Alaska and Canada.

The advisory extends indefinitely due to powerful aftershocks that produce additional risks. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  5^th Supervisorial district candidates Kyle Krahel, John Franklin and Rebeca Jones.

July 27, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego’s 5^th Supervisorial district will soon have a new representative.  Supervisor Jim Desmond, a conservative Republican, has announced plans to run for the 49^th Congressional district . The 49^th District, currently represented by Congressman Mike Levin, a Democrat, is a coastal enclave that includes Oceanside, Camp Pendleton and San Clemente.  

By Alexander J. Schorr 

“We need public school leadership that we can trust.” —Madeline McCurry-Schmidt, a La Mesa parent and graduate of a GUHSD school

A new promise to keep

July 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- All public boards in California are expected to follow the state’s open government laws. But explosive revelations based on public records published by the San Diego Union Tribunesuggested secret meetings and backroom deals involving several Grossmont Union High School district trustees. In response, on July 17, the GUHSD Governing Board took the unusual step of pushing a resolution to follow the Brown Act and district bylaws, which trustees approved unanimously.

Five candidates running against Rep. Issa are also expected to be there

East County News Service

July 23, 2025 (Escondido) – Since Republican Representative Darrell Issa has repeatedly refused to hold a townhall in his 49^th Congressional district, Indivisible North County has organized “The Town Hall We Deserve” with Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a Democrat representing the 51^st Congressional district, to speak with voters on critical issues facing our nation.

Five Democratic candidates running against Issa have also been invited to have tables at the event, according to organizers.

Registration is required and seating is limited.  Register here.  The event will take place July 27 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the California Center for the Arts,340 N. Escondido Blvd.in Escondido.

Have something to say? Submit your questions in advance for Rep. Jacobs. Submit your questions here.

East County News Service

July 24, 2025 (Julian) – Keith and Priscilla Webb, best known locally as owners of Julian Hard Cider, the nation's first craft cider company in Julian, passed away two days apart earlier this month. They also owned Apple Lane Orchard, a popular wedding and vacation rental destination in the mountain community in San Diego's East County.

Both are remembered as generous community members who contributed to numerous local charities,  as well as being successful business owners. 

East County News Service

July 23, 2025 (Ramona) – A 40-year-old Ramona man is dead after being struck by a vehicle shortly before midnight on July 18.

The victim was standing in the roadway on northbound State Route 67 north of Archie Moore Road in Ramona, an area with low lighting, when a Dodge Challenger driven by an Irvine woman, 44, collided with the pedestrian, according to Officer Jasmine Lopez with the California Highway Patrol.

By Mike Allen

July 23, 2025 (Santee) -- As expected, a coalition of environmental groups including Preserve Wild Santee have filed a new legal challenge against Santee’s biggest residential project, Fanita Ranch, which the City Council most recently approved in June.

It was the third time in five years that the Santee City Council gave its approval to the controversial 3,000-house development that has a history dating back to the 1990s.

At every juncture, the environmental coalition which also include the Center for Biological Diversity, the Endangered Habitats League and the California Chaparral Institute, have opposed the project as dangerous due to building in a very high fire hazard severity zone but also non-complaint with existing state laws covering new construction.

Also, the latest suit states that the city is ignoring the passage of Measure N in November 2020, which required a public vote on any new development that increases density and would necessitate amending the city’s General Plan.

By Paul Levikow

Image, left: rendering of future Fire State 18

July 17, 2025 (Crest) – San Miguel Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Tobin Riley appeared before the Crest Community Association Thursday to provide an update on construction of Fire Station 18 on the corner of Suncrest Boulevard and North Lane. The update was provided after Facebook posts by concerned residents wondered why the lot has been sitting empty for so long.

“Perception is reality, people drive by, they see the dirt lot not moving and they have the right to ask questions,” Riley said. “The station is being built in phases.”