Thanks To Our Sponsors
Be a sponsor!
Breaking News
Explore What Matters
News Center
Federal judge: Continued Border Patrol sweeps in California violated court order
Printer-friendly version By Wendy Fry and Sergio Olmos, CalMatters. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Photo: a line of
New Crisis Stabilization Unit opening in El Cajon
Printer-friendly versionApril 18, 2026 (El Cajon) — The County of San Diego will open its newest Crisis Stabilization Unit —
News Issues
‘Bill Walton Way’ coming to a street near you in La Mesa
Printer-friendly version The Boys & Girls Club of East County La Mesa Clubhouse honored local basketball star Bill Walton by naming
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
Politics
La Mesa City Council votes 5-0 approving e-bike safety pilot program
Printer-friendly versionBy Karen Pearlman April 16, 2026 (La Mesa) — La Mesa is the latest city in San Diego County seeking
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
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
Jamul Casino Resort gets two film awards
Printer-friendly versionWater Sweet – The Story of Jamul” Earns Top Honors at AAF Reno ADDY Awards East County News Service
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 a
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
New Crisis Stabilization Unit opening in El Cajon
Printer-friendly versionApril 18, 2026 (El Cajon) — The County of San Diego will open its newest Crisis Stabilization Unit —
La Mesa City Council votes 5-0 approving e-bike safety pilot program
Printer-friendly versionBy Karen Pearlman April 16, 2026 (La Mesa) — La Mesa is the latest city in San Diego County seeking
Features
Federal judge: Continued Border Patrol sweeps in California violated court order
Printer-friendly version By Wendy Fry and Sergio Olmos, CalMatters. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Photo: a line of
How the fruit fly quarantine has impacted food donations — and how you can help
Printer-friendly version By Philicia Tonangoye Image: Tangerines, via Bing (cc) April 18, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – The Mexican
What East County Topic Matters Most to You?
Get East County Wildfire, Emergency Alerts
Latest Stories
Sponsorship Placement
A QUARTER CENTURY STRONG: LA MESA DEMOCRATS CELEBRATED 25th ANNIVERSARY; EMERALD STAFFER ADDRESSED COMMUNITY ISSUES
Printer-friendly versionApril 10, 2009 (La Mesa) – La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club celebrated its 25th anniversary with a celebration last week that included cake, a potluck dinner, recognition of key members and presentation by Councilwoman Marti Emerald’s chief of staff, Xema Jacobson. Special honorees included the club’s founding members, Claude Cassirer, a Holocaust survivor, and his wife, Beverly (photo). Songs
FACING FORECLOSURE? NEED INFO ON HOME LOANS? GET HELP AT FREE HOMEOWNER PRESERVATION SEMINAR APRIL 18 IN SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery April 13, 2009 (San Diego)—At a time when many lenders have evicted families and aggressively foreclosed on, one lender has taken a different approach, setting up a series of events to help families find ways to avoid foreclosure. On April 18th, Project Homeowner, a program to advise California homeowners facing foreclosure on how to keep their
GREEN BULIDING QUESTIONS ANSWERED AT ECO BUILD SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly versionBy Rachel Hutman (California Center for Sustainable Energy) April 9, 2009 (San Diego) – The Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) hosted the EcoBuild San Diego on Saturday, April 4. Over 350 people attended the free expo to get straight answers about green building. Lauri Walker, Program Manager of the event, observed, “People will visit exhibitors and get a better
GET THE JUMP ON GOING GREEN: FEDERAL INCENTIVES FOR RENEWABLES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Printer-friendly versionApril 10, 2009 (Washington D.C.) – Looking for your own version of a bail-out? How about a federal incentive to make your home, business or community more energy efficient and/or powered by renewable energy such as wind, solar or biomass? Here are some handy links to tax credits and grants available for homeowners, businesses and local governments to apply
CAREER DAY AT GROSSMONT COLLEGE TEAMS UP KIDS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES
Printer-friendly versionStory by Miriam Raftery, Photos by Andy Phemister SPAWAR Engineer meets with students April 8, 2009 (El Cajon) – Over 1,500 eighth grade students from Cajon Valley Union School District learned about careers first-hand from dozens of local companies during Career Day at Grossmont College last week. Sponsored by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, the event
TRADITION AND CONCEPT BRIDGED: ART EXHIBITION APRIL 13-30; ARTISTS RECEPTION APRIL 14 AT HYDE ART GALLERY
Printer-friendly versionApril 13, 2009 (El Cajon)–The Grossmont College Art Council presents “Traditon and Concept Bridged”, a ceramic exhibition by two very accomplished artists, Joanne Hayakawa and Kouta Shimazaki. “To term this exhibition a ceramics exhibition is to pare this collection of artwork down to it’s most minimal definition,” the gallery’s announcement states. “Even to use the title “Tradition and Concept
SDG&E PARTNERS WITH NISSAN TO GET SAN DIEGO ‘PLUG-IN’ READY
Printer-friendly versionNew, Zero-Emission Electric Vehicles to Reach San Diego Next Year April 1, 2009 (San Diego) – San Diego County will become one of the nation’s first “plug-in” ready green regions and start the transformation into a clean transportation community with San Diego Gas & Electric’s landmark partnership announced today with Nissan Motor Co. and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. As President
RENT YOUR HOME? DRIVE A CAR? OWN A CREDIT CARD? RENTER’S INSURANCE CAN COVER THEFT LOSSES ON MORE THAN JUST YOUR APARTMENT
Printer-friendly versionBy Dennis Volz Editor’s note: My daughter found out the hard way why having renter’s insurance would have been a good idea. When thieves stole her car, car insurance only covered damage to the vehicle—not replacing the IPOD, leather jacket, text books and other items that were taken,too. So we’ve asked insurance agent Dennis Volz to provide some tips
DO YOU OWN THESE DANGEROUS PRODUCTS? RECALLS ON LOG-SPLITTERS,HOME HEATING VENT PIPES, AND TOY BOXES ANNOUNCED
Printer-friendly versionApril 1, 2009 (Washington D.C.) – The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced recalls on the following items: 1. Brave Products Reannounces Recall of Log Splitters; Additional Incidents Prompt Urgent Warning of Amputation Hazard 2. May 1, 2009 Deadline Approaching for Remedy Change in Recall Program; Consumers Urged to Replace Dangerous Home Heating Vent Pipes 3. Lakeshore Learning Materials
EAST COUNTY ROUND-UP — MARCH PART TWO
Printer-friendly version East County Roundup highlights the best stories about East County issues found in other publications. JAMUL’S PLAN TO BUILD CASINO MAY NOT STAND TEST OF HISTORY San Diego Union-Tribune (March 30, 2009)— OVERVIEW Background: The Jamul Indian Village partnered with Lakes Entertainment to build a casino in East County that faced significant local opposition. What’s changing: A U.S.
1,500 JOIN FAITH LEADERS IN PRAYERS, PROCESSION FOR IMMIGRANTS
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photo via Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego on Facebook February 11, 2025 (San Diego, CA) – Multiple faith leaders and a crowd of around 1,500 people overflowed the St. Joseph Cathedral and then held a procession to the federal building downtown and prayers in support of undocumented immigrants, chanting “our neighbors, our coworkers, our
CATHOLIC DIOCESE POSTS RIGHTS AND RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANTS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service February 11, 2025 (San Diego) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is working to provide information for immigrants and their families in the wake of mass deportations and stringent immigration policies imposed by President Donald Trump. The information is available in English and Spanish, as well as translation options for other languages. Catholic
SENATOR PADILLA INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN BILLS TO IMPROVE FIRE MITIGATION AND RESILIENCY
Printer-friendly version East County News Service Photo: Palisades Fire, courtesy of Lakeside Fire Dept. which helped battle the catastrophic wildfire in Los Angeles County in January February 11, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — As Southern California recovers from devastating wildfires, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, has introduced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive
ISSA BILL WOULD CUT ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS TO ALLOW FOREST, BRUSH CLEARING ON FEDERAL LANDS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Photo, right: Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County February 11, 2025 (San Diego) – Congressman Darrell Issa, a San Diego Republican, has introduced the “Green Tape Elimination Act” that seeks to prevent wildfires by exempting all fuel reduction activities on federal lands from these environmental regulations for 10 years. The National Environmental Policy Act
GUHSD BOARD MAJORITY ACCUSED OF VIOLATING LAWS AND POLICIES IN CREATING NEW CHIEF OF STAFF POSITION AFTER FIRING TEACHERS
Printer-friendly version By Alex Schorr Photo,Left to Right: Dr. Gary Woods (President, Area 3 Trustee), Robert Shield (Vice President, Area 4 Trustee), Scott Eckert (Clerk, Area 2 Trustee), Jim Kelly (Member, Area 5 Trustee), and Chris Fite (Member, Area 1 Trustee). February 9, 2025 (El Cajon) – Teachers, parents, and community members leveled sharp criticism of the Grossmont Union
Every 15 Minutes comes to Helix Charter High School on February 11th
Printer-friendly versionSource: California Highway Patrol February 11, 2026 (La Mesa) – On February 11, 2026, the California Highway Patrol, in conjunction with Helix Charter High School and La Mesa Police Department will be conducting a simulated drunk driving crash as part of the Every 15 Minutes program. The crash will be staged on Highlander Way and will begin at approximately 10:27
CONGRESSWOMAN SARA JACOBS INTRODUCES BILL TO PROTECT USAID AFTER TRUMP TEAM SHUTS DOWN LIFE-SAVING MEASURES
Printer-friendly version“Eliminating USAID means no more food for millions of Sudanese refugees who’ve fled a civil war, no more medical care for displaced Palestinians, no more HIV treatment on the African continent, and more.” — Congresswoman Sara Jacobs By Miriam Raftery Photo via X: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs speaks at a rally to save US Aid. February 11, 2025 (San Diego)
THREE LOCAL TEENS DIE OF FLU; COUNTY URGES VACCINES FOR EVERYONE OVER 6 MOS. IN AGE
Printer-friendly versionBy Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office February 11, 2025 (San Diego) — County public health officials are reminding everyone, particularly families with children and teenagers, that it is not too late to get the flu vaccine. This flu season, which is between fall and winter, three teenagers have died from the flu. None were vaccinated. “These
AZTECS SWIM AND DIVE PROGRAM RECEIVES CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA TEAM RECOGNITION
Printer-friendly versionThe San Diego State swim and dive program was recognized by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) as a Scholar All-America Team, the organization announced Monday. Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com February 11, 2025 (San Diego) – The San Diego State swim and dive program was recognized by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of
TWO DEAD AFTER THREE-VEHICLE CRASH IN RANCHO SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service February 11, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – A head-on collision in Rancho San Diego has left two people dead and three others injured. The deadly crash occurred on February 7 around 8:25 p.m. An El Cajon man, 26, was driving a 2022 BMW M3 eastbound on Willow Glen Drive east of Murfield Drive when for
Get Wildfire Alerts & Wildfire Emergency News
Partner To ECM
Our Engaged Audience
5 to 10 million hits
per month!
5 to 10 million hits
per month!
A quarter million visits
each month
Most widely read news site dedicated to
San Diego’s East County
Winner of over 150
journalism awards
“Sponsoring East County Magazine is a great way to reach our loyal and engaged readers, who value organizations and businesses that support nonprofit, independent news in the public interest and wildfire/emergency alerts that keep people safe and informed. Sponsors can choose to underwrite our community news site, support a favorite section or a new special section, underwrite an event, or sponsor our wildfire and emergency alerts.”
— Miriam Raftery, Founder of East County Magazine
Community Links
Thanks To Our Major Sponsors
📬 Subscribe to ECM – 100% Free, Trusted by East County Since 2008
- Emergency alerts
- Breaking news
- No spam ever