East County News Service

Photo by Genevieve Jones-Wright: flooding in Encanto in January 2024

January 21, 2026 (San Diego) -- New federal funding will support four critical stormwater infrastructure projects in the City of San Diego, including drainage improvements along Beta Street in Southcrest, which has been impacted by flooding during recent winter storms.

East County News Service

January 20, 2026 (El Cajon) – A 21-year-old man from Kaibeto, Arizona walked onto Interstate 8 west from Mollison Avenue, amid low-lighting conditions on January 17 at 1:20 a.m.  He was struck by a 2021 Toyota Venza driven by an El Cajon man,49.

By Paul Levikow

January 19, 2026 (Spring Valley) – The Spring Valley Community Planning Group board elected executive officers for the 2026 term Tuesday, but not before some members expressed concerns about how they would fill vacancies. A few cited perceived interferences on behalf of District 1 County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre’s office.

Lora Lowes, board member and former chair, said she got a phone call from a representative of Aguirre before the meeting.

By Miriam Raftery

January 16, 2026 (San Diego) – CalAware Founder and open government champion Joseph Terrence “Terry” Francke died December 24 with his wife, Carolyn “Muffy” Francke at his side. As cofounder and long-time general counsel of Californians Aware (CalAware), Francke fought for the rights of the public and press to access information, court actions and public meetings of government bodies.His legal advice led to numerous reforms across California, including interventions that led to improved public access at boards and agencies in San Diego and East County.

He also served as general counsel to the First Amendment Coalition and as legal counsel for the  California Newspaper Publishers Association, as well as a newspaper editor, school district information officer, and public affairs officer for the U.S. Marines.

Fundraisers launched to help owners and employees at both restaurants

By Miriam Raftery

Photos courtesy of Lakeside Fire and Heartland Fire & Rescue

Updated January 17 with information on Panda Machi fundraiser

January 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – A pair of two-alarm fires in the past 24 hours have heavily damaged two local restaurant, Panda Machi Sushi Bar & Chinese Cuisine on Alpine Boulevard in Alpine and the Junction Bar & Grill on Jamacha Road in El Cajon. No one was injured, but it’s unclear how long the restaurants will remain closed.

East County News Service

January 12, 2026 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man, 55, died at the scene of an accident at 5:50 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10. The man, who was not identified, was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on El Monte Road at Omas Dirt Road in Lakeside when he veered off the roadway and struck a metal utility pole.

He was ejected off the motorcycle, striking a wooden fence post.

By Henri Migala

Photo by Miriam Raftery: California state seal at capitol in Sacramento

January 10, 2026 (Sacramento) -- Nearly 800–900 bills were signed into law in 2025 in California spanning workers’ rights, consumer protections, public health, education, housing, tech/AI policy, immigration policy, environmental safety, and more. Below are major statutes that took effect on January 1, 2026, unless otherwise noted.

For details, full legislative texts, and the complete set of laws, refer to official California legislative information (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/) or the Office of Administrative Law (https://oal.ca.gov/).

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  Shutterstock

January 9, 2026 (San Diego) - County public health officials continue to encourage childhood and adolescent vaccinations recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 

East County News Service

Jan. 9, 2026 (San Diego County) — The San Diego Superior Court has announced an emergency extension for the 2026-27 Civil Grand Jury application deadline, moving the cutoff to Jan. 30, 2026.

The move is an effort to bolster a dwindling pool of applicants for what is often called the county’s most powerful "watchdog" over local government.

"We’ve had low numbers of applications in recent years," wrote Emily Cox of the Superior Court’s Public Affairs Office in an email.

The court is now making a final push to recruit 19 dedicated residents to serve a one-year term starting July 1, 2026. Click here for more information.

While many residents associate the term "Grand Jury" with high-profile criminal indictments, the Civil Grand Jury serves a different, more local purpose. It acts as an independent investigative body that audits the efficiency and honesty of city and county governments, school districts and special agencies.

East County News Service

Jan. 9, 2026 (San Diego County) --  San Diego public advocate Shane Harris has introduced a new ordinance to fully repeal paid parking in Balboa Park and restore free public parking.

To support this effort, Harris has launched this online petition to demonstrate broad public support for making Balboa Park parking free again.

Harris has also called a press conference for Monday, Jan. 12 at Balboa Park that will include supporters from around San Diego County, including El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and Jim Kiddrick, president and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

Starting this past Monday, Jan. 5, the park’s century-long tradition of free access for vehicles came to an end.

Harris argues that the system is not just a financial burden but "a logistical disaster that punishes the very people the park was built to serve."

The parking charges in Balboa Park were not approved by city voters in a general election. Instead, they were enacted through a series of votes by the San Diego City Council.

Photo: PFAS have been detected in Sweetwater Reservoir, via Sweetwater Water Authority

By Karen Pearlman

Jan. 8, 2025 (San Diego County) -- “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” goes the line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, describing sailors surrounded by undrinkable ocean water.

That old phrase also fits today.

Obtaining clean, fresh water is not only a challenge but also part of a global crisis where much of the water is either saline, contaminated, or polluted — or a combination of all three.

Sweetwater Water Authority (SWA), the special district providing water to 200,000 customers in the South Bay area of San Diego County, has been at the forefront of the battle to fight “forever chemicals” that refuse to break down: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).