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How much more valuable is land in East County cities? $14 billion in El Cajon, $10 billion in La Mesa, $9 billion in Santee,$3 billion in Lemon Grove

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service   Photo from left to right: Jordan Z. Marks, San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC) and Andrew Potter, Executive Officer, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.   August 21, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Land in East County has never been worth so much.   According to Jordan Z. Marks, San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC),

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Have your say on County’s legislative priorities

Printer-friendly versionBy Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office Photo:  California State Capitol Building.  Image credit:  Shutterstock August 20, 2025 (San Diego) – The community is invited to a virtual meeting on August 27 to learn about the County’s state and federal legislative priorities and give feedback on what they think is important for the 2026 Legislative Program. Community

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Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Seeking Candidates to Fill Governing Board Trustee Area 1 Vacancy

Printer-friendly versionSource:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District August 20, 2025 (El Cajon) – The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (District), which includes Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, is inviting community members to apply to serve in the position of Board Member of the Board of Trustees in Trustee Area 1, which comprises the cities and communities of Santee, Winter Gardens, and Lakeside. Once an

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Heat Warnings Today Through Saturday, Monsoonal Rains May Soak Region Starting Friday

Printer-friendly version   By Miriam Raftery   August 20, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for desert areas including Borrego Springs, where temperatures could soar to 116 degrees today through Saturday. In addition, a heat advisory is in effect for San Diego County’s inland valleys, where temperatures could hit 103

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Deadly Carfentanil, 100 times stronger than Fentanyl, found in fake M-30 Oxycodone pills locally

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery August 19, 2025 (San Diego) – Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid that is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, has been found in the San Diego in fake M-30 oxycodone (pain killer) pills. District Attorney Summer Stephan warns, “Even tiny amounts can be deadly.” Just one pill can kill.  Fentanyl test strips may not detect carfentanil, which was

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La Mesa seeking finance director

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Services August 18, 2025 (La Mesa) – The city of La Mesa is seeking a finance director to take the place of interim Director of Finance John Herrera. The city has an advertisement running in California City News. The full-time position with a salary range of $178,672 – $217,193 is being advertised by Koff Associates and

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Sheriff’s Dept. holding guns for gift cards event

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Services Aug. 18, 2025 (La Mesa) — As part of a broad effort to get unwanted firearms off the street, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is holding a “Guns for Gift Cards” event in La Mesa. The sheriff’s department is partnering with the city of La Mesa for the event, set for 9 a.m. until

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Robert F. Kennedy cuts $500 million in MRNA vaccine devleopment funds

Printer-friendly versionHealth experts slam action as irresponsible, putting Americans’ health at risk    By G. A. McNeeley    Photo: mRNA vacines help prevent diseases such as COVID-19; cc via Bing   August 17, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, recently announced that the government would cancel at least $500 million of federally

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SDSU CUTS ENROLLMENT, CHANGES ADMISSION & TRANSFER STUDENT POLICIES: ANNOUNCEMENT DRAWS CRITICISM

Printer-friendly version September 23, 2009 – In response to “devastating budget cuts”, San Diego State University President Stephen L. Weber announced that SDSU will cut enrollment by 10.8%, or 4,588 undergraduate students. In addition, the school will make changes to its admissions policy for incoming fall 2010 freshmen and transfer students. The announcement has sparked concerns and criticisms from community

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TECATE FIRE HALTED AT 2 ACRES

Printer-friendly version  September 23, 2009 (Tecate) – A fire that began at 9:56 a.m. in a mobile home off Humphries in Tecate has been stopped at two acres, CAL FIRE reports. An outbuilding on the property also burned.   Twelve engines, two fire crews, two air tankers, a helicopter, a bulldozer, a water tender and about 100 firefighters swiftly extinquished

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EDITORIAL: SDSU ATTEMPTING TO IMPLEMENT A POLICY THAT HARMS LOCAL STUDENTS

Printer-friendly version  Public letter to Charles B. Reed, Chancellor and Board of Trustees, California State University "We concur that SDSU is once again pursuing a strategy of “discouraging” local students from enrolling at the campus. This discouragement had been one of the well kept secrets on the campus. …By closing the door to many of these youngsters the University and

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SWEEPING AWAY TRUANCY: GUHSD REDUCES DROP-OUT RATE BY DROPPING IN ON KIDS WHO DITCH SCHOOL

Printer-friendly version  By Miriam Raftery   September 23, 2009 (Santee) – If you’re playing hooky in the Grossmont Union High School District, you might get some unexpected visitors . Today, Superintendent Bob Collins dropped in at the homes of truant students in Santee, along with a Sheriff’s Deputy and child welfare worker. Juvenile Detail sweeps also include visits to places

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BIG INSURANCE: SICK OF IT!

Printer-friendly version Story and photos by Leon Thompson September 22, 2009 (La Jolla) Health reform advocates today held a “Big Insurance: Sick of It” rally as part of a nationwide day of action. Locally, a rally was staged in front of the San Diego office of Anthem Blue Cross, the California subsidiary of insurance giant Wellpoint. Protestors demanded that Anthem

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GAME OF THE WEEK – BONUS COVERAGE: MONARCHS ENCOUNTER REBELLION AT SFC

Printer-friendly version by Christopher Mohr (SOLANA BEACH) – At a private, religious K-12 school like Santa Fe Christian, it’s a given that  students are well-versed in the story of David and Goliath. What’s doubtful however, is that those who taught that story expected its lessons would be applied to the high school football program.   According to the CIF, SFC

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GAME OF THE WEEK PREVIEW – COUGARS LOOKING TO POUNCE ON VISITING TITANS

Printer-friendly version  by Christopher Mohr   (RANCHO SAN DIEGO) – This Friday, we head to Rancho San Diego to cover the home opener between the Steele Canyon Cougars and the visiting Eastlake Titans.   Steele Canyon (1-1) comes off a 2008 season where they finished 7-6, but won three out of their last four games, going deep in the playoffs.

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FREE SMOKE ALARMS!

Printer-friendly version    The Burn Institute Senior Smoke Alarm Program is for people 55 and over who own their own homes. All smoke alarms, batteries and maintenance direction are provided by The Burn Institute for the program – free of charge.   If a senior is a renter, The Burns Institute will, at the renter’s request, call the owner on

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SENATOR KEHOE TO CHAIR JOINT LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON WILDFIRES IN SAN DIEGO SEPT. 23

Printer-friendly version  September 21, 2009 (San Diego) — Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, convenes an informational hearing on the State of California’s preparation for future wildfires. The hearing will be held Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 1-4 p.m. at Caltrans District 11 headquarters, Garcia Auditorium, 4050 Taylor Street in San Diego. Kehoe

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ACCIDENTS CLAIM LIVES OF 2 EAST COUNTY WOMEN

Printer-friendly version  Sylvia Earnhart, 73, El Cajon Pamela Sue Marabeas, 53, Santee September 21, 2009 (Santee)—Santee resident Pamela Sue Marabeas, 53, was killed early yesterday morning when the SUV she was driving was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and Highway 125 in Santee. A witness called 9-1-1 and sheriff deputies responded, along with fire department

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