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PASSAGES: ART MADRID, FORMER LA MESA MAYOR WHO SERVED THE CITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS

Printer-friendly version By Karen Pearlman June 10, 2025 (La Mesa) – Leaving behind a legacy of service, prolific leadership and unwavering commitment to civic matters, longtime La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid has passed away at age 90. His leadership shaped the city, earning admiration and respect from residents, businesses and civic leaders around the region and across the country. He

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SANTEE REPLACES LOW-INCOME APARTMENTS WITH CONDO PROJECT

Printer-friendly version   An infill condo project for 52 units is coming to Santee    Photo and story by Mike Allen   June 9, 2025 (Santee) — The Santee City Council unanimously approved another infill condominium project recently, this one for 52 units on the site that once housed the PureFlo Water dispensary, and had previously been approved for low-income apartments.

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‘EVERYBODY STOOD UP’: WHY A UNION LEADER’S ARREST GALVANIZED CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS ON IMMIGRATION

Printer-friendly versionThis story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. By Jeanne Kuang June 9, 2025 (San Diego County) — The union leader federal agents detained at an immigration protest in Los Angeles last week is well known to California’s Democratic leadership from his years of activism in and out of the Capitol.   That’s one reason so many leading

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CALIFORNIA COMPANY’S EGGS RECALLED DUE TO SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

Printer-friendly version East County News Service   June 9, 2025 (San Diego County) — California-based August Egg Company in Hilmar is recalling 1.7 million eggs tied to a multi-state outbreak of salmonella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration.   The FDA said brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs were distributed by

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LATINOS EN ACCION HELPING THEIR COMMUNITY

Printer-friendly versionFrom left to right: Mairene Branham, Violeta Lombrera and Eva Pacheco. (Photo by Mimi Pollack) By Mimi Pollack  June 8, 2025 (El Cajon) — Latinos en Acción, a group in El Cajon, is led by three mothers who want to make a difference in their diverse community.   These three very different women came together with the same goals in

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CONCERNS LEAD JEWISH COMMUNITY TO PULL SUPPORT OF SD PRIDE

Printer-friendly versionControversial Headline Performer, Safety Concerns Cited as Reasons for Withdrawal By Karen Pearlman June 7, 2025 (San Diego) – Many local Jewish organizations from across San Diego County that have traditionally been part of the annual San Diego Pride event will not be joining in this year. Jewish community leaders say that because the Pride Festival chose musical artist

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TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES COMING TO CAMPO ROAD IN CASA DE ORO

Printer-friendly versionArtistic rendering of coming changes to Campo Road (Courtesy County of San Diego) By Karen Pearlman June 7, 2025 (Casa de Oro) – The County of San Diego is moving into the next phase of the ambitious Campo Road Corridor Revitalization Specific Plan, aimed at transforming the Campo Road corridor into a safer, more walkable and vibrant community hub.

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COMMUNITY PANCAKE BREAKFAST TO LAUNCH YOUTH FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Sevice   June 7, 2025 (La Mesa) — The La Mesa Juneteenth Foundation is inviting families and community members to a Pancake Breakfast Celebration later this month.   The celebration, in partnership with Mission Federal Credit Union, is set for 9 a.m. until noon, Thursday, June 19, at MacArthur Park in La Mesa.   There is

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PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER IN LA MESA

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service   June 6, 2025 (La Mesa) — Heartland Firefighters of La Mesa will host a pancake breakfast fundraiser and emergency preparedness training on Sunday, June 8, at La Mesa Fire Station 11.   The event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 8034 Allison Ave., is open to all ages. Tickets are

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SD SUPERIOR COURT WARNS ABOUT SCAMS

Printer-friendly versionLatest scam concerns traffic court fees, previous scams have concerned jury duty or warrants   East County News Service   June 6, 2025 (San Diego County) – The San Diego Superior Court is warning the public about new scams that are making the rounds around the county.   The court has received complaints about individuals trying to scam members

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SWINE FLU STRAIN IN SAN DIEGO MATCHES DEADLY VIRUS IN MEXICO; ANTI-VIRAL MEDICINES COMBAT DISEASE IF TREATED EARLY

Printer-friendly version  By Miriam Raftery ECM intern Marissa Kerizan also contributed to this story.   April 25, 2009 (San Diego)—The Center for Disease Control has found that swine flu virus strains in San Diego match samples of a virus that has killed 81 people and sickened over 1,300 in Mexico. In Mexico City, where the majority of cases occurred, all

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HOLLINGSWORTH OPPOSES BILLS TO RESTRICT SALE OF TOBACCO NEAR SCHOOLS & ADD RENEWAL FEE FOR TOBACCO LICENSES; SENATOR TOOK HEFTY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TOBACCO INDUSTRY

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery April 24, 2009 (Sacramento) California State Senate Leader Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murietta), whose district includes San Diego’s East County, has issued a statement opposing three bills aimed at restricting sale of tobacco to minors. The three measures, SB 601, 602 and 603, passed the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on a party-line vote. Holilngsworth took $39,500 in

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SMALL BRUSH FIRE CONTAINED IN SAN MARCOS

Printer-friendly version (Capt. Nick Schuler, Cal-Fire) April 19, 2009 (San Marcos)—A small brush fire was contained shortly after it broke out around 1 p.m. near the 3000 block of North Twin Oaks Valley Road, CAL FIRE reports.  “Due to the quick response of firefighters, no structures were damaged of destroyed,” said CAL-FIRE Captain Nick Schuler.  “The fire was burning in

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CONGRESSMAN FILNER JOINS LOCAL OFFICIALS TO OPPOSE RELEASE OF CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER TO OTAY MESA

Printer-friendly version ( Manuel Paul, San Ysidro School District Superintendent; Clarissa Falcon, District Director for State Senator Denise Ducheny; Rachel Solorzano, Congressman Bob Filner, Representative from Assembly Member Mary Salas’ Office; Yolanda Hernandez, San Ysidro School Board Member; Hector Espinoza, San Ysidro High School Principal; Jesus Gandara, Sweetwater School District Superintendent; Ralph Dimarucut from Assembly Member Mary Salas’ Office; Anastasia

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HOT TOPIC: VIEJAS HOSTS WILDFIRE FIGHTING DRILLS FOR 60 FIRE PROTECTION AGENCIES

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery April 23, 2009 (Viejas Indian Reservation)—Preparing for fire season, fire engine crews from more than 60 fire protection agencies donned full safety gear and participated in structure protection drills, wildland hose lays, pumping evolutions and other exercises. Aerial resources, including helicopters, practiced coordinated fire attacks with ground crews under simulated fire conditions. The eighth annual event

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HELIX WATER DISTRICT PROPOSES HEFTY WATER RATE INCREASE

Printer-friendly versionNew rates start metering May 1, Public Hearing May 27 By Kristin Hobbs Kjaero and Rachel Ford Hutman The Proposal (Rachel Ford Hutman) April 21, 2009 (La Mesa) – If you are one of the 260,000 residents in the Helix Water District, you may soon be paying a minimum increase of 20% more for your water—and for some heavy

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BUNGLED BURGLARY: THREE ARRESTED IN LA MESA

Printer-friendly versionApril 23, 2009 (La Mesa)– La Mesa Police received a 911 call at 1:32 p.m. on April 22 from a witness who told dispatchers that a man and two women were breaking into a home in the 7900 block of Pasadena Ave. Officers arrived and detained two female suspects in the driveway of the victim’s residence. The witness told

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SAN DIEGO’S CARBON FOOTPRINT IS BIGGER THAN LA’S: LOCAL POLICIES TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE ARE LAGGING, CPI REPORT FINDS

Printer-friendly versionApril 22, 2009 (San Diego)–The carbon footprint of the average San Diegan–including residential energy use and transportation–is larger than that of the average resident of Los Angeles, a review of available data shows. San Diego also lags behind LA in policies and programs to reduce energy use, according to Climate Change Performance and Policy: San Diego versus Los Angeles,

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FILNER INTRODUCES BILL FOR FEDS TO PAY COSTS OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AT BORDER ENTRIES

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery April 18, 2009 (San Diego)—Congressman Bob Filner (R-San Diego) has introduced the “Save Our Border Communities Act, H.R. 670. The bill would require the federal government to reimburse costs for local police, firefighters and other first responders to provide services associated with U.S. ports of entry on the international border. “The federal government has not reimbursed

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