By Miriam Raftery

July 2, 2018 (Boulevard) – East County Magazine spoke with two officials from California Fish & Wildlife Service today regarding their investigation into reported tiger sightings in San Diego’s East County. 

“We took the report very seriously,” says media specialist Peter Tira. “We believe it is a hoax.” 

Tira says U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) notified the state Fish & Wildlife agency last week about a report of a possible full-grown tiger just north of the border.  Sheriff’s representatives previously told ECM that undocumented immigrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents under ICE claimed to have seen a tiger.

East County News Service

July 2, 2018 (La Mesa) -- Elizabeth Yeatts, 92, of Lakeville, Massachusetts, formerly of La Mesa, CA died on June 26, 2018 at home, surrounded by family and friends. Born in New London Connecticut, she graduated from the Williams School in 1943. Married to a Navy officer, Elizabeth lived in many different places including Rhode Island, Vermont, Florida, Hawaii and California during her husband’s Naval career and raised two daughters.

By Miriam Raftery

July 1, 2018 (San Diego) — The National Weather Service predicts temperatures are likely to reach excessive levels by Friday and Saturday. There will also be a chance of thunderstorms in the mountains of San Diego County and other Southern California locations. Temperatures could reach 118 degrees in Borrego Springs, 101 in Ramona, 100 degrees in Alpine, and 97 degrees in Julian.

Be sure to stay well hydrated with plenty of water and avoid strenuous outdoor activities if possible.  If you must work outdoors, take frequent breaks in the shade or indoors.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Bengal tiger in India, via Wikipedia

Update July 2, 2018:  Two Fish & Wildlife officials now tell ECM they believe reports of a tiger loose in East County are a hoax. Read our new story here:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/fish-wildlife-service-concludes-invest...

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo:  Existing Mortuary at 374 North Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon

 July 1, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon Planning Commission again denied the Conditional Use Permit sought by El Cajon Mortuary and Cremation Service to build a crematorium at its existing site near El Cajon’s city center. The vote was 3-0 at the June 19^th meeting, with commission members Mroz and Longoria absent.

East County News Service

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

June 30, 2018 (La Mesa) – Two small dogs stolen from a backyard in La Mesa have been reunited with their owners – thanks to a pet detective.

Mischa and Honzu were located on a pet adoption site in Rosario, Mexico by utilizing facial recognition software, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

June 27, 2018 (Washington D.C.)-  Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has announced he will retire on July 31^st.   Kennedy has long been a swing vote on key issues including abortion, gay rights, and affirmative action, often siding with liberal justices in the key years.

Many key rulings have been decided by a single one-vote margin, so the 82-year-old justice’s retirement means President Donald Trump will have an opportunity to secure solid conservative control of the high court, potentially for decades to come.

By Miriam Raftery

June 27, 2018 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego issued a ruling Tuesday ordering the Trump administration to end separation of parents from children at the border and to reunite families already separated, except in limited circumstances.

By Ken Stone

Credit to Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Julian Fire Chief Rick Marinelli (left) with a Julian resident after July 2017 special meeting of fire district. Photo by Julie Pendray via eastcountymagazine.org

June 26, 2018 (Julian) - Five months before retiring, Julian’s fire chief violated state law — threatening volunteer firefighters involved in a vote of no confidence in his leadership, a labor agency says.

But Rick Marinelli, who left as chief in late May, denies allegations made in the state agency’s complaint against the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District.

East County News Service

June 25, 2018 (Ramona) – A 72-year-old woman killed in a vehicle crash outside her home has been identified as Nicole Rodriguez Estrada, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office reports.

The Ramona resident’s vehicle was found along the driveway of her home at 480 Gem Lane on June 20^th after an apparent impact into an embankment. Fire and paramedic units responded to a 911 call and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway Patrol.

By Miriam Raftery

June 24, 2018 (La Mesa) — You can earn gift cards from $25 to $100 and other prizes for taking and posting photos on social media between Friday, July 6^th and Sunday, July 8^th for a “Dine, Shop, Explore” contest sponsored by the city of La Mesa.  Photos must be taken in the city in July to show off parks, restaurants, businesses and more.

East County News Service

June 23, 2018 (Santee) - Caltrans has announced closure of State Route 52 eastbound on Sunday and Monday night between Mast Blvd. and Mission Gorge Road from midnight to 4 a.m.

The closure is to enable crews to upgrade overhead signs. Detours will direct motorists onto the Mast Blvd. exit, turning left, then right onto Cuyamaca Street and back on State Route 52.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Protesters in Santee and Mission Trails Regional park opposed the pipeline; Preserve Wild Santee

June 22, 2018 (Santee) – By a unanimous vote, the California Public Utilities Commission has denied SDG&E/Sempra Energy’s request to build a 47-mile, three-foot diameter gas pipeline known as Line 3602, which would have replaced the aging Line 1600. The new line would have run through neighborhoods in San Diego’s North County and could also have impacted Mission Trails Regional Park and Sycamore Canyon preserves. 

Activists reacted with joy, while SDG&E voiced disappointment.  The utility had argued that the pipeline was necessary for safety and reliability.  But the CPUC rejected those arguments, based on the utility’s projections for natural gas supply and the CPUC natural gas reliability standards, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2018 (San Diego) – President Donald Trump has nominated Robert “Bob” Brewer to serve as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California.  Brewer is a former assistant U.S. attorney and deputy district attorney who once ran for San Diego district attorney, but was defeated by incumbent Bonnie Dumanis. 

Brewer has prosecuted cases including espionage, bank robberies, smuggling, narcotics, murder for hire and civil rights violations.

He has spent most of his career, however, as a defense attorney representing clients such as Sempra Energy at a time when Sempra was facing bribery allegations in Mexico. In 2011, he was named San Diego’s criminal defense white collar lawyer of the year by Best Lawyers. He’s also been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor, and Miriam Raftery, Editor

June 21, 2018 (El Cajon) — The seeds of El Cajon’s Herculean downtown redevelopment plans for the city's historic heart bore fruit at Thursday's grand opening of the Courtyard-by-Marriott El Cajon hotel, drawing an enthusiastic crowd.

The four-story, 88,000-square foot hotel is located on Magnolia Street just off Main Street near the city's “superblock”, which also includes the East County Performing Arts Center set to reopen in spring under management of international concert promoter and producer Live Nation.

Numerous restaurants, sidewalk cafes, shops, galleries, and civic festivals  are all within a couple of blocks of the hotel in the revitalized heart of El Cajon, a city that celebrated its centennial in 2013. Located just off Interstate 8 in San Diego's East County,  the hotel is 20 to 30 minutes from downtown San Diego and beach areas, also close to attractions in the region's backcountry. 

But there's plenty to do right here in downtown El Cajon, where major community events include Friday night outdoor concerts at Prescott Promenade Park and Wedneday night classic car shows (photo, below right)on Main Street all summer long. Visitors can also enjoy seasonal celebrations such as America on Main Street, Hauntfest on Main, and holiday festivities. The superblock also includes city hall, the courthouse, library, and police headquarters.