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FBI and law enforcement partners arrest members of Mexican mafia prison gang

Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 25, 2025 (San Diego) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in San Diego and its law enforcement partners yesterday arrested five people believed to be associated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, the latest in string of related arrests and indictments. The latest five suspects have been indicted for allegedly running an

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Public participation meeting on long-term gas system planning

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service July 24, 2025 (San Diego County) — The California Public Utilities Commission will hold a public forum August 7 on long-term gas system planning. As California moves toward a shift away from fossil fuels, gas utilities including San Diego Gas & Electric were to submit maps of their gas distribution systems including foreseeable gas pipeline

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Congresswoman Sara Jacobs hosts town hall July 27 in Escondido, since Issa won’t hold live session with his constituents

Printer-friendly versionFive candidates running against Rep. Issa are also expected to be there East County News Service July 23, 2025 (Escondido) – Since Republican Representative Darrell Issa has repeatedly refused to hold a townhall in his 49th Congressional district, Indivisible North County has organized “The Town Hall We Deserve” with Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a Democrat representing the 51st Congressional district,

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Upgrades to Ramona air attack base planned for new Cal Fire tanker

Printer-friendly versionBy Paul Levikow Creative Commons image of  C-130H air tanker July 24, 2025 (Ramona) – Enhanced wildfire response capabilities are coming to Southern California, after CAL FIRE announced a significant construction project at the Ramona Air Attack Base that will prepare for a new tanker to be based there. Construction is tentatively set to begin Aug. 1 and take

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Passages: Keith and Priscilla Webb, owners of Julian Hard Cider

Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 24, 2025 (Julian) – Keith and Priscilla Webb, best known locally as owners of Julian Hard Cider, the nation’s first craft cider company in Julian, passed away two days apart earlier this month. They also owned Apple Lane Orchard, a popular wedding and vacation rental destination in the mountain community in San Diego’s

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Supervisors to weigh in on Cottonwood sand mine in September

Printer-friendly version  By Karen Pearlman   July 23, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) — The final public hearing on the fate of the Cottonwood Golf Course and whether it will be turned into a sand mine is going to be held later this summer.   The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will hear from residents as well as the developers

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Pedestrian death in Ramona

Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 23, 2025 (Ramona) – A 40-year-old Ramona man is dead after being struck by a vehicle shortly before midnight on July 18. The victim was standing in the roadway on northbound State Route 67 north of Archie Moore Road in Ramona, an area with low lighting, when a Dodge Challenger driven by an

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Three-vehicle crash on Dehesa Road kills El Cajon woman

Printer-friendly version Update July 27, 2025:  The victim has been identified as Marie Anderson, 60, of El Cajon. East County News Service July 23, 2025 (San Diego) – An El Cajon woman, 60, is dead and three others injured as a result of a three-vehicle crash that occurred July 19 on Dehesa Road, east of Sloan Canyon Road in unincorporated

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Fanita Ranch challenged again in new lawsuit

Printer-friendly version By Mike Allen July 23, 2025 (Santee) — As expected, a coalition of environmental groups including Preserve Wild Santee have filed a new legal challenge against Santee’s biggest residential project, Fanita Ranch, which the City Council most recently approved in June. It was the third time in five years that the Santee City Council gave its approval to

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Santee takes high road, approves four cannabis shops

Printer-friendly versionBy Mike Allen Image,left:  Rendering of Buzz’s planned cannabis store interior July 23, 2025 (Santee) — Santee has concluded what Mayor John Minto called “an exhaustive process” to award four business permits for the sale of cannabis and related products to four groups, all of which have experience in retailing the highly regulated lines of liquor and gasoline. The

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CPUC PULLS PLUG ON SDG&E PLAN TO SHUT OFF POWER BEFORE SEPT. 10

Printer-friendly version  August 21, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 3-2 to issue a restraining order temporarily halting SDG&E from shutting off power to thousands of East County residents.   The CPUC is slated to rule on September 10th whether to grant SDG&E’s request to shut-off power when fire risk is high due

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GROSSMONT COLLEGE CELEBRATES PARKING STRUCTURE OPENING WITH A ROOFTOP PARTY

Printer-friendly version  Students hail long-awaited project August 21, 2009 (El Cajon)– –Hundreds of students, faculty and community members turned out Monday, August 17 at a party atop a new $24.5 million parking garage at Grossmont College, celebrating the grand opening of the long-awaited facility, which includes a 3,200 square foot structure to house campus police. A collection of vintage cars

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SHARP GROSSMONT HOSPITAL HOLDS BLOOD DRIVE SEPT. 3

Printer-friendly version One Donation Can Save Up to Three Lives Sept. 3 – Did you know that 60 percent of the general population is eligible to give blood, but only five percent of people actually donate on a yearly basis?   Donating blood is safe, easy and it saves lives. Give the gift of life at Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s blood

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POLITICS IN PARADISE: MEET YOUR LEGISLATORS FRIDAY AUG. 21

Printer-friendly version  August 20, 2009 (El Cajon) – The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce invites members and the public to “Politics in Paradise”, an open forum with an opportunity to interact with your elected officials while they are in town during the Congressional and state legislative recesses. The event will be held Friday, August 21st at the Cuyamaca

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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: MID-AUGUST 2009

Printer-friendly version  East County Roundup highlights the best stories about East County issues found in other publications.   August 19, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)   TOP STORIES in the past month include: In the Dark About SDG&E’s Shutoff plan SDG&E Shutoff Plan to Affect 590 People on Life Support Borrego Plans to Sell Solar Fire Officials Prepare to Scale Back Operations Tax Sought By San Miguel Fire District Defeated Bioard of Supervisors Update Community Trails Master Plan Rancho Bernardo: Winery

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EAST COUNTY WINE-MAKING COMES OF AGE

Printer-friendly version  By Miriam Raftery   Photos by Leon Thompson and Miriam Raftery   August 18, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Could East County someday rival Napa Valley as a prime winemaking locale?   San Diego County has over 40 wineries, nearly all in the eastern regions. Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo is the County’s oldest; Orfila in San Pasqual

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MARKETING MATTERS: PLANNING FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING PART 2 – THE WHO

Printer-friendly versionTIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GROWTH By Rama Beerfas   August 18, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)—Last month, we started talking about how to plan for a successful marketing campaign. We looked at the “why” of the campaign – the ultimate goal to be achieved. If you didn’t see that article, you can read it now at

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TEE OFF SEPT. 24 TO BENEFIT CAMP HOPE, HELP ABUSED CHILDREN

Printer-friendly version  August 17, 2009 (La Mesa) — For the past 6 years, a golf tournament has been held to support Camp Hope, a 13-acre site at the base of Lake Sutherland in the foothills of Ramona. This camp is a summer place for physically and emotionally abused children. This year, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will host and

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CAL FIRE DOUSES FIRE AT OLD HIGHWAY 80 IN EAST COUNTY

Printer-friendly version    August 17, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) — At 2:41 pm firefighters from CAL FIRE responded to a vegetation fire located at Old Highway 80 and Live Oak Springs. In an attempt to rapidly extinguish these flames, firefighters utilized a joint effort with allied agencies to battle the blaze.   It took 15 engine companies, 4 air tankers and

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