By Miriam Raftery

Photo, right:  Washington D.C. No Kings rally, courtesy of organizers

October 19, 2025 (San Diego) - No Kings rallies yesterday drewon  estimated 7 million protesters nationwide, including estimates ranging from 25,000 to 50,000+ in downtown San Diego’s Waterfront Park and over 35,000 more in rallies held in cities and towns across San Diego County. 

San Diego organizer Dane Culbreath called the protest “unifying for democracy and opposing the authoritarian trends we are witnessing federally under the Trump Administration.” 

In East County, participation in the No Kings movement is growing.

Organizers and multiple participants estimate El Cajon’s rally at around 3,000 people—triple the size of a June rally. 

By Elizabeth Ireland, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo: Camp Pendleton gate. (File photo courtesy of Camp Pendleton)

October 16, 2025 (Camp Pendleton) - Rep. Mike Levin issued a statement Wednesday expressing concern over potential plans to close portions of Interstate 5 this weekend amid reports Navy ships will fire live ordnance over the freeway during the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday celebration at Camp Pendleton. 

Legislation requires in-depth study on state-run transitional housing options

East County News Service

October 14, 2025 (San Diego) - The County of San Diego Planning & Development Services (PDS) invites you to attend a virtual meeting to share your thoughts on the draft ordinance for the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Zoning Ordinance Amendment and the proposed Separate Sale of ADUs Program, which is currently available for public review.  

This is first phase of Trump’s ceasefire plan, but it’s uncertain if plan to end the war will be accepted

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo:  rubble in Gaza; public domain image via Wikipedia

October 12, 2025 (San Diego) – After days of negotiations, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his peace deal for Gaza. The Israeli military says a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory took effect on Friday, October 10, and that it has begun to withdraw from parts of the Strip, according to The BBC. 

By Alexander J. Schorr

October 11, 2025 (La Mesa) — Following a September City Council meeting, La Mesa is moving forward with a redevelopment plan for a new civic center which has spanned decades. The current timeline calls for a new city hall to be completed as early as 2029, with expansion plans for the library to follow.  View the Civic Center Master Plan.

City manager Greg Humora said that he is  optimistic about the new timeline that has been laid out by the recent City Council meeting, and emphasized the importance for constructing a new city hall by as soon as 2029. “That would be amazing if we could pull that off,” Humora said. “I think it’s doable.”

By Paul Levikow

October 10, 2025 (San Diego) – The weekly ICE Out of San Diego rally at the San Diego Federal Building downtown yesterday focused on the government shutdown, while also including messages about ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ detention efforts.

Dave Lagstein of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 221 was one of the event organizers. He told the crowd of about 50-60 protesters that having the event every week gets a little confusing because, “There are so many things we need to stand up for.”

He added, “The top thing that’s in the news right now is the government shutdown and it is really important that we continue to get out the word. Trump and the Republicans have shut down the government because they want to cut off healthcare, double healthcare costs so they can fund ICE.”

Violet, an El Cajon resident who attended the rally, did not want to give her last name. She said it was important for her to attend the rally “because I see a lot of sadness, a lot of heartbreak a lot of division, a lot of hate, a lot of racism, and trauma in families.” The community leader, organizer and advocate said there might be plans to hold events in East County.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: On Facebook, a group seeking to recall GUHSD trustees posted a flyer calling tonight’s agenda items “frightful”, stating, “Here’s the tricks and not a treat in sight.”

October 9, 2025 (El Cajon, CA) – At its 6 p.m. meeting tonight, the Grossmont Union High School District board of trustees will consider adopting a policy to restrict by designating “no activity zones” outside of its meetings on public property where activities such as “picketing, leafletting, protest or other expressive activity” would be prohibited. The issue raises serious free speech and First Amendment rights issues.

The proposal would allow the Board or the Superintendent to establish the no activity zones, ostensibly to create a safe path of entry and exit, identified by markers such as cones or signs. However, it sets no size limit, potentially allowing the board to limit or ban free speech activities altogether outside buildings such as the Grossmont High School gymnasium where tonight’s meeting is being held and where for months, hundreds of teachers, students and parents have gathered outside to hold rallies, protests, picketing, signature gathering and other expressions of opposition to board policies such as mass firing of teachers and librarians.

East County News Service

File photo: Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher

Updated October 9 with statement from Grecia Figueroa

October 8, 2025 (San Diego) - Superior Court Judge Blair Soper yesterday denied a request by Grecia Figueroa for a civil harassment restraining order against Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, wife of former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. This marks the second time Figueroa's request has been rejected, following the initial denial of a Temporary Restraining Order on Sept. 15 upon finding insufficient evidence of violence or threats,

“It’s illegal. Unconstitutional. It’s dangerous. It’s wrong. This is not about deportation. This is not about safety. This is about authoritarianism. It’s about stoking fear. It’s about breaking the Constitution” – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson  

By Alexander J. Schorr

October 8, 2025 (Chicago) —   On Friday morning at 1:00 AM   on Chicago's South Shore Drive, federal agents in military garb smashed through doors with flash-bangs, dragged residents into streets in zip-ties—including naked children—and left families outside for hours while apartments were trashed. Eyewitnesses say children were zip-tied together, with one agent reportedly laughing and said “F*** them kids,” a witness told ABC.   

Source: San Diego County Sheriff

October 7, 2025  (Lemon Grove) – A bicyclist is dead after a collision with a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck shortly before 9:30 p.m. last night in the 8500 block of Troy Street in Lemon Grove.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine contributed to this report

Photo:  firefighters purposely overloaded a lithium-ion battery to show what can happen.

October 6, 2025 (San Diego) -- Make sure you’re charging your lithium-ion batteries safely for devices such as cell phones and laptop computers. Using the wrong charger or one that is damaged, overcharging your rechargeable batteries or charging them on a bed or under a pillow could result in a fire or even a small explosion.