March 17, 2013 (Julian) – All of Julian is invited to join the Fourth of July Parade Committee for an evening of fun, festivity and fundraising at Wynola Pizza on March 25.  The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Red Barn.

You can enjoy a pizza dinner plus locally produced wine and cider while supporting the parade. The committee will also offer raffle tickets for a ride on a vintage aircraft, an opportunity to purchase t-shirts worn on parade day 20 years ago, and share in the 50/50 drawing.

By Miriam Raftery

March 4, 2013 (Julian) – Julian’s all-volunteer fire department, faced with a budget crunch, is weighing a proposal to turn over firefighting responsibilities to the County Fire Authority. But some residents are voicing fears that they could wind up burned.

Dozens of firefighters and property owners packed into the Julian Town Hall Thursday night.  Many expressed concerns that out-of-town firefighters would not be familiar with rural areas and  may not find homes in a firestorm.  Relying on firefighters far away would also mean longer response times to fight fires in this historic mountain community.

By Miriam Raftery

February 9, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) ---Heavy snowfall has transformed our local mountains into winter wonderlands.  Mount Laguna received 10 inches of snowfall in the past 24 hours, followed by Palomar Mountain with 7 to 8 inches.  Cuyamaca also received significant snowfall, as this image sent in by reader Grace Schlesier shows. Frost and freezing temperatures are expected through Monday in inland valleys.

Other areas dusted in white include Julian (3-6 inches), Ranchita (5 inches), Santa  Ysabel (2 inches) and Pine Valley (2 inches) .  Snow even dipped down to Descanso and Campo, which received less than a half inch each.

December 29, 2012 (San Diego’s East County ) -  A storm moving through our region today and tomorrow is expected to bring rain and in mountain areas, snow.  By tomorrow, snow is forecast to drop down to 4,000 feet—low enough to include Julian and  Lake Cuyamaca—popular destinations for families seeking to frolic in the snow.

Gusty winds are also forecast in mountains and on desert slopes late Sunday. The storm system is expected to move east and out of our county on Monday,  so if you’re planning a trip to the mountains it’s best to wait until after the weekend.

December 13, 2012 (Julian)--A Julian holiday tradition, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," will be performed this weekend at the Julian Town Hall at 2129 Main Street. Adapted by best-selling novelist Don Winslow and directed by Sandi Bennett, the show will take stage on Thursday Dec. 13, Friday Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15. There will also be a matinee on Saturday, Dec. 15.

Come and enjoy the charm of Christmas in Julian, with spiced cider, apple pie, horse drawn carriages and strolling carolers. And maybe even a visit from St. Nick himself.

By Nadin Abbott. 

November 14, 2012 (San Diego)-- Today U.S. State Attorney Laura Duffy called a press conference to announce the arrest of six out of 10 suspects wanted by federal authorities in relation to running illegal marijuana farms on state and federal lands in the East County and Riverside County. 

"Drug agents on routine aerial surveillance happened to spot and remove a marijuana farm in Julian in the summer of 2010," said Duffy, explaining how the operation started. after the “Chariot Canyon Grow” operation. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A 27-year-old Coronado man collapsed and died yesterday on the return hike from Three Sisters Falls.  According to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office, the man was hiking with three friends on the trail in the Descanso/Julian area when he collapsed.

“It was a hot day and the falls apparently were dried up,” the Medical Examiner’s website reports.  Temperatures were in the 80s, with an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service in effect.

August 26, 2012 (Julian) – Jeremy’s on the Hill California Style Bistro presents Live Music with Harry Joe Reynolds on August 31 beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Reynolds, a local favorite since 1979, has been making music in Julian for 3 decades.  He will bring a touch of jazz to Jeremy’s on the Hill with easy listening songs on the jazzier side of blues with classic ballads and blue standards.

Update 5:30 p.m. --There are multiple fires in the Vallecito Lightning Complex, the largest of these fires per Cal Fire are:

 Vallecito Fire: 350 acres 0% contained South East of Julian, cause lightning

Wilson Fire: 600 acres 0% contained near Scissors crossing North East of Julian, cause lightning

Stewart Fire: 50 acres 0% contained near Scissors crossing North East of Julian, cause lightning

A reader advises that Pinyon Ridge is on fire between Shelter Valley and Ranchita (photo above, shot from Shelter Valley, shows Sentanec Cienega where Higwhay 78 enters Sentanec Canyon.

August 13, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –  The Chihuahua Fire is 100% contained, after burning 2,007 acres according to Cal Fire’s final update.

Multiple new brush fires are burning in East County. Largest of these is the Vallecito Lightning Complex  fire, which has charred 220 degrees and remains 0% contained. No structures are threatened.  

June 13, 2012 (Julian)—Music lovers will want to head east to Julian this weekend for a pair of popular events, both at the Menghini Winery.

 Updated May 27, 2012, 10 a.m. -- The Banner Fire was held at 4,100 acres through the night and remains 65% contained. Fire suppression cost has reached $2 million. Excess resources are now being dismissed, according to Roxanne Provaznik with Cal-Fire.

May 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County Magazine)—Two motorcyclists are down in the roadway  in a serious injury accident on Highway 78 at Banner Grade in the Julian/Wynola area, Incident Page Network reports.  According to the CHP website, a citizen is attempting CPR on an injured rider while CHP is en route.

The accident is near a twist in the road approximately 1 mile north of a campground at the horse shoe curve. 

May 4, 2012 (Julian) – Through the beauty of films celebrating the environment, the Julian Wild & Scenic Film Festival promises to inspire activism and appreciation for the natural word. 

This weekend's May 5-6 festival in Julian, a historic gold rush mountain town, brings touring films from the famed Nevada City Wild and Scenic Film Festival. The fun debuts with a party tonight and another Saturday featuring lively tunes of Grand Canyon Sundown. Hikes on Volcan Mountain and in Santa Ysabel Preserve are also planned, as well as award-winning films, a non-fiction filmmakers workshop, and guest speakers.

Film highlights include Connecting the Gems, which tracks two National Geographic Adventures of the Year on a 520 mile trek through the Rockies’ premier wildlife corridors.  Chasing Water, winner of  Best Environmental Film and Best Documentary at other film fests, traces a Colorado watershed from river to the sea. 

February 27, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Accidents have been reported on both eastbound and westbound I-8 in Alpine near Willows Road due to ice on the highway this evening. Due to snowfall, chains are required on Sunrise Highway, in Julian, and on old highway 80 in Jacumba.