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Padre Dam’s Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility decommissioned after more than a half-century of use
Printer-friendly versionRay Stoyer Water Recycling Facility at Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Santee Lakes Community event makes way for the
Lemon Grove Library hosting Sheriff’s reentry event
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 13, 2026 (Lemon Grove) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Division
News Issues
Padre Dam’s Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility decommissioned after more than a half-century of use
Printer-friendly versionRay Stoyer Water Recycling Facility at Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Santee Lakes Community event makes way for the
Lemon Grove Library hosting Sheriff’s reentry event
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 13, 2026 (Lemon Grove) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Division
Politics
Padre Dam’s Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility decommissioned after more than a half-century of use
Printer-friendly versionRay Stoyer Water Recycling Facility at Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Santee Lakes Community event makes way for the
Supporters flee Swalwell’s governor campaign amid allegations of sexual assault
Printer-friendly versionBy Jeanne Kuang and Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Photo: U.S. Rep. Eric
Wildfires and Emergencies
Cal State University San Marcos and nearby homes evacuated due to brush fire
East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts April 5, 2026 (San Marcos) – The #MoreeFire in San Marcos has led to evacuations, including the California State…
Help shape fire priorities in San Diego County
East County News Service April 4, 2026 (San Diego County) — With “fire season” now a year-round threat, public input is growing in importance as…
Events & Arts
Lionel’s Legacy hosting sleepover party and more in Lakeside April 18-19
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 14, 2026 (Lakeside) — East County-based senior dog rescue group Lionel’s Legacy is holding
Mountain Empire Art Show Debuts April 15 in Boulevard
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 14, 2026 (Boulevard) — The Backcountry Resource Center in Boulevard will be busy this Wednesday,
Visit East County
DESTINATIONS: Borrego and beyond — a beautiful backcountry day
Printer-friendly versionBy Karen Pearlman, with photos by Karen Pearlman and Miriam Raftery Feb. 22, 2026 (San Diego County) — With
We need your help! We have more news tips for East County issues than our budget can cover
Printer-friendly versionLast year tapped our resources at East County Magazine more than any on record, with so many major news
People
Donate to help pets in need at Alpine Pet Food and Supply Drive April 4
East County News Service March 14, 2026 (Alpine) – Dog and cat food, treats, grooming supplies, new pet toys, feeding
Descanso resident named American Honey Queen
By Miriam Raftery February 18, 2026 (Descanso) — You could call it sweet success. The American Beekeeping Federation has chosen
Communities
Lionel’s Legacy hosting sleepover party and more in Lakeside April 18-19
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 14, 2026 (Lakeside) — East County-based senior dog rescue group Lionel’s Legacy is holding
Mountain Empire Art Show Debuts April 15 in Boulevard
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 14, 2026 (Boulevard) — The Backcountry Resource Center in Boulevard will be busy this Wednesday,
Features
Lionel’s Legacy hosting sleepover party and more in Lakeside April 18-19
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 14, 2026 (Lakeside) — East County-based senior dog rescue group Lionel’s Legacy is holding
Mountain Empire Art Show Debuts April 15 in Boulevard
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 14, 2026 (Boulevard) — The Backcountry Resource Center in Boulevard will be busy this Wednesday,
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LAKESIDE POLICE SEEK MAN IN SILVER CAR WHO TRIED TO LURE 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL INTO VEHICLE
Printer-friendly version Mitsubishi Eclipse with spoiler, vehicle possibly driven by suspect. January 15, 2009 (Lakeside) — Lakeside deputies responded to a radio call of a possible kidnapping at 10133 Maine Avenue in Lakeside shortly before 7 a.m. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the victim, a 15-year-old ninth grade female who attends El Capitan High School. The victim reported an unknown male
MARCH 17 HEARING SET IN SAN DIEGO ON SDG&E PLAN TO SHUT OFF POWER ON DRY, WINDY DAYS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery January 23, 2009 (San Diego) — An administrative law judge has issued orders requiring the California Public Utilities commission to hold three public hearings on SDG&E’s proposed shut-off of power to back country communities during high-wind events with low humidity. “Many Santa Ana events will qualify, some of which last 7-10 days in a row,” said
2 FEDERAL AGENCIES APPROVE POWERLINK; SCHWARZENEGGER ASKS U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO EXPEDITE OK TO BUILD POWERLINK THROUGH CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery January 24, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)–In the last days of the Bush administration, two federal agencies gave a parting gift to Sempra Energy. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission designated a vast swath of San Diego’s East County as a federal energy corridor, paving the way for the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to approve
EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS FLOCK TO BE PART OF HISTORY AT LOCAL INAUGURAL EVENTS; SHARE REACTIONS TO OBAMA SPEECH
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Antoinette Curry and Dupreesha Jones have hope for their futures.(Leon Thompson) Sunny Farrand, San Diego Heroes To Hometown, clasps hands with fellow onlooker as Obama is sworn in. Crowd at Malcolm X shows emotion as Barack Obama is sworn in as America’s first African-American President. January 21, 2009 (San Diegoâ’s East County) — Cheers and tears
Congressman Hunter Bill Would Prevent Transfer of Guantanamo Prisoners to Camp Pendleton
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 21, 2009 (Washington D.C.)– On his first day in office, President Barack Obama ordered that the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay be closed down within a year. Closure of the now-infamous detention facility could result in some of the 245 prisoners held there being transferred to Camp Pendleton in San Diego, according to a Pentagon study. Newly elected
POLICE SEEK ROBBER WHO ATTACKED CLERK WITH HAMMER AT LA MESA SHELL STATION
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 21, 2009 (La Mesa) — A man attempted to rob the Shell Gas Station at 5302 Lake Murray Boulevard, La Mesa at 6:32 this morning by threatening the clerk there with a hammer. The suspect entered the business and demanded money. The suspect threatened to hit the clerk, 28, with a ten-inch-long sheet rock hammer. A struggle ensued
SAN DIEGO CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER SHARES SENTIMENTS ON OBAMA VICTORY
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Carrol W. Waymon, PhD January 20, 2009 (San Diego) — Watching the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama holds special meaning for Carrol W. Waymon, PhD, San Diego’s most prominent living civil rights leader. ”It’s incredible to me,” said Waymon, who led efforts to desegregate schools and housing in San Diego as head of San Diego’s Human
DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS & INSIDERS REFLECT ON WHAT OBAMA WIN MAY MEAN FOR STATE, CITY GOVERNMENT
Printer-friendly versionStory and photos by Miriam Raftery and Leon Thompson Marty Block January 20, 2009 — At the Malcolm X Library inauguration viewing, East County Magazine asked elected officials and legislative insiders whether state and local governments are likely to see change as a result of the Barack Obama presidency. Newly elected Assemblyman Marty Block, who represents the 78th district,
FREE “MVP” HAIRCUTS AT SPORTS CLIPS IN SANTEE; STORE CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING JAN 24-25: DONATE $5 TO SANTEE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB AND GET A HAIRCUT FREE
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 19, 2009 (Santee) — Sport Clips, providers of “championship haircuts” for men and boys in a sports-themed environment, announced today a Cut-A-Thon at their new Santee-area store to benefit the local Boys & Girls Club. Customers that donate $5 to the organization on either Saturday, January 24 from 9 to 6 p.m. or Sunday, January 25 from 10
125 PRODUCTS RECALLED FOR SALMONELLA; FDA PUBLISHES LIST OF TAINTED PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCTS; WAL-MART BAKERY PRODUCTS, MAJOR SNACK FOOD BRANDS & DOG BISCUITS ON LIST
Printer-friendly versionCALIFORNIA HAS MOST CASES IN NATION, CDC REPORTS January 19, 2009 (Washington D.C.) — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has created a searchable list of products and brands associated with the expanded recall of products containing peanut butter made by Peanut Corporation of America(PCA). This list is available on the FDA website at: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm and will be
READER’S EDITORIAL: DENALI NAME SHOULD BE RESTORED
Printer-friendly versionFormer national park worker speaks out on Trump renaming tallest U.S. peak By Walt Meyer March 2, 2025 (San Diego) — Because I worked in Denali National Park during the summer of 2024, lately people have asked me about the naming of Mount McKinley. I talked about this in one of the lectures I gave at the Denali Education
ARREST MADE FOR SUSPECTED ARSON IN PALA AND LILAC FIRES
Printer-friendly versionSource: Cal Fire March 2, 2025 (San Diego) – Cal Fire law enforcement investigators have arrested Ruben Vasquez on multiple felony arson charges following an extensive investigation into two wildland fires that ignited on January 21. The fires, known as the Pala Fire and the Lilac Fire, started 25 minutes apart near Interstate 15 and State Route 76 in
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HALTS FEMA PAYMENTS TO SAN DIEGO COUNTY, ALONG WITH HOUSING FUNDS AND HEALTH DATA
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service March 2, 2025 (San Diego) – Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer held a public briefing this week to inform the community on how the Trump Administration is disrupting essential local services in San Diego County. This includes active federal funding freezes, administrative delays, and policy changes that are “making it harder for us to protect public health,
SANTEE FUNDS TEMPORARY FIRE STATION, SETS NEW PLAN FOR TOWN CENTER
Printer-friendly versionBy Mike Allen Photo: Santee Fire Department responding in 2023 March 1, 2025 (Santee) — The chaos and disruption happening daily at the federal government isn’t permeating to the local level in Santee, where the City Council took several significant actions this week, including funding the remaining balance on a $2 million temporary fire station, adopting a new specific
READER’S EDITORIAL: AMERICA IN RETREAT, AN APPALLING DISPLAY
Printer-friendly versionBy Mel Gurtov March 1, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Imagine that during World War II, at the height of Nazi Germany’s blitz of Britain, President Roosevelt invited PM Winston Churchill to Washington and humiliated him with derisive comments about Britain’s looming defeat and failure to thank the President for US support. Unthinkable, of course, but that’s exactly what happened when
NATURE DAY ON MT. HELIX MARCH 15
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service March 1, 2025 (Mt. Helix) — Mt. Helix Park invites you to Nature Day atop Mt. Helix on March 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event will feature live animals, a butterfly release, booths from over 30 nature organizations, activities, crafts and a native plant sale. Shuttles for the public are available (free)
KALASHOS ORDERED TO APPEAR IN COURT JUNE 9 TO SERVE JAIL SENTENCE
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery File photo: Ben and Jessica Kalasho Updated Feb. 28 at 7:20 p.m. with additional details and clarifications. February 28, 2025 (San Diego) – Former El Cajon Councilman Besmon “Ben” Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, appeared via video at a San Diego Superior Court hearing today, asking the court to set aside arrest bench warrants
GUHSD BOARD VOTES TODAY ON ELIMINATING 49 POSITIONS, INCLUDNG ALL HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIANS
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery February 27, 2025 (El Cajon) — At 4:30 today, the Grossmont Union-High School District is holding a special meeting to considering firing 49 employees including all high school librarians. Others targeted include English teachers, psychologists and more. Opponents of cutting librarians have set up a website at https://sites.google.com/view/save-guhsd-librarians/home. It includes a petition which has gathered
READER’S EDITORIAL: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS NOT PRO-LIFE: ACTIONS HARM INFANTS AND CHILDREN
Printer-friendly version By S.E. Michael Photos: CC via Bing February 27, 2025 (San Diego) — Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress ran on a pro-life platform. But it’s clear from recent actions of the Trump administration that its leaders don’t care about babies. Its actions are putting lives and wellbeing of millions of infants and children at risk, both around
TOMATOMANIA RETURNS MARCH 7 AND 8 AT THE GARDEN—NOW WITH TOMATO COOKING CLASS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery February 27, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – Tomatomania returns to the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College on Friday and Saturday, March 7-8. The free, two-day event celebrates 75-80 incredible varieties of your favorite summer treat—tomatoes. You can purchase tomato plants including some rare varieties, cherished heirlooms and legendary classics—plus get tips from experts on how to grow the most flavorful
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