Thanks To Our Sponsors
Be a sponsor!
Breaking News
Explore What Matters
News Center
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,
What East County Topic Matters Most to You?
Get East County Wildfire, Emergency Alerts
Latest Stories
Sponsorship Placement
FREEBIE ALERT! FREE MEDICAL INFO AND CLASSES AT COMMUNITY HEALTH LIBRARY IN LA MESA
Printer-friendly version Are you facing a health issue and want reliable, up-to-date medical information? There is a free resource available for you, The Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library is available to residents in the Grossmont Healthcare District. This is a state-of-the-art, hybrid library that offers information both through online computer databases and through books, medical journals, newsletters,
LA MESA MAN FOUND DEAD IN CAR WITH BABY
Printer-friendly version January 4, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident James Robinson was found dead in his vehicle late this morning at a 76 gas station in downtown San Diego, slumped over his sleeping infant daughter. San Diego Police and medics were summoned, however Robinson’s death was confirmed due to obvious livor mortis, the coroner’s office reports. An autopsy
CAR-BUS COLLISION INJURES 3 IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly version January 4, 2009 (El Cajon) – Just before 9:00 a.m. this morning, Heartland Deputy Fire Chief Rick Sitta was first on scene of a collision between a Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) bus and a small car at the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Van Houten Avenue in El Cajon. As Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El
DINER KILLED WHEN CAR STRIKES RESTAURANT IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly version January 3, 2010 (El Cajon) — At about 8:45 this morning, a vehicle driven by a 74-year-old El Cajon resident struck a Carl’s Jr. Restaurant located at 520 N. Second St. The vehicle went through the building, striking and killing a patron who was seated in a restaurant booth. The victim was a 66-year-old male who was pronounced
YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP PHOTOS & STORIES FROM 2009 (1ST QUARTER)
Printer-friendly version January 3, 2010 (San Diego’s East County)–What were the stories that captivated our interest and attention in the past year? Stories that were newsworthy, tugged at our heartstrings, impacted our lives, or fired up indignation in San Diego’s eastern regions? Which images most indelibly reflect the changing times in East County–or captured key moments in time? We’ve
YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP STORIES & PHOTOS FROM 2009 (SECOND QUARTER)
Printer-friendly version Part two of our four-part Year in Review APRIL SDG&E shut-off plan sparks outrage Photo credit: La Mesa Fire San Diego Gas & Electric proposed to lessen fire danger (and its own liability) by shutting off power to backcountry communities on hot, windy days. The plan sparked praise from some but outrage from many
YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP STORIES & PHOTOS FROM 2009 (THIRD QUARTER)
Printer-friendly version Part three in our four-part Year in Review JULY Term Limits for Supervisors Photo credit: Leon Thompson County workers launched a drive in July to put an initiative on the June 2010 ballot requiring term limits for County Supervisors, some of whom have been in office for more than two decades, including East County’s Supervisor
YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP STORIES & PHOTOS FROM 2009 (FOURTH QUARTER)
Printer-friendly version Part four in our four-part Year in Review (fourth quarter 2009) OCTOBER Poverty Rising in East County Photo credit: Gayle Early New census data released in October revealed that poverty in San Diego County has shot up 50% in the past year. In El Cajon, 40% of the population is economically challenged—and many faced foreclosures
LEMON GROVE WOMAN KILLED IN NEW YEAR’S ACCIDENT; DRIVER FACES CHARGES
Printer-friendly version January 1, 2010 (Lemon Grove) – Elaina Lynn Luquis Ortiz, 21, of Lemon Grove was killed shortly after 3 a.m. this morning after her car broke down with a flat tire on northbound I-805 south of Home Avenue. She and two others were seated in a black Mazda sedan parked in front of her Mitsubishi Spider, when a
LA MESA TO HOLD COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON CITY’S FUTURE
Printer-friendly version January 1, 2009 (La Mesa) – A special meeting of the La Mesa City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 7, 2010, in the auditorium of La Mesa Dale Elementary School, 4370 Parks Avenue, La Mesa, California. The purpose of the special meeting is for community and Council members to discuss La Mesa and
HIGH WINDS PREDICTED TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY: CAL-FIRE BEEFS UP PROTECTION
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery San Diego’s East County (January 9, 2009) — Cal Fire has dramatically increased fire protection staffing in anticipation of wind gusts of 40 mph or higher predicted starting tonight through this weekend. “We will have 18 engines with three- person staffing, 19 hand crews, three bulldozers, and the two Sheriffs helicopters,” Cal Fire Captain Nick
SHERIFF’S DUI ARRESTS INCREASE FIFTEEN PERCENT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: AGGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT TO CONTINUE
Printer-friendly version January 10, 2008 (San Diego) — This holiday season, arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) shot up 15% countywide. Whether more people engaged in holiday merrymaking or drowning their sorrows amid a bleak economy remains unknown, but Sheriff’s credit increased enforcement action with the spike in drunk driving busts. The San Diego
GET THE POINT: FREE ACUPUNCTURE! FIRST FRIDAYS IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly versionFebruary 1, 2008 (El Cajon) — Healthy Community Acupuncture is offering free acupuncture treatments for stress reduction on the first Friday of every month, starting Friday, February 6, 2009. Appointments are required at the clinic, which is located at 277 E. Lexington Ave Ste B in El Cajon. Healthy Community Acupuncture is the first community acupuncture clinic to open
EDITORIAL – WHO DESERVES AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT-AND WHO SHOULD DECIDE?
Printer-friendly versionQuestions Regarding the Tragic Death of Nataline Sarkisyan By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH January 6, 2008 — Few people who read about the Nataline Sarkisyan case last year could have avoided being touched by her tragic death. Recently her family filed a lawsuit against her insurer, Cigna and is trying to get criminal charges brought against them as
MICHAEL’S CRAFT STORE ROBBED AT GUNPOINT IN LA MESA: $1,000 REWARD OFFERED BY CRIMESTOPPERS
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 5, 2009 (La Mesa) — On January 5, 2009, at 3:12 PM, two masked men entered the Michael’s Craft Store at 9108 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa and robbed customers and the store employees at gunpoint. The suspects entered the store and ordered employees and customers to the floor while they each waved a handgun around. The suspects took
GROSSMONT & CUYAMACA COLLEGES GO SMOKE-FREE CAMPUSES STARTING JANUARY 1
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 1, 2009 (El Cajon) — Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District becomes the first multi-campus district in California to ban smoking starting New Year’s Day. “In the long run, we have done something very valuable for this district,” said governor board president Bill Garrett. Deanne Weeks said the district has a responsibility to “be ahead of the curve.” Trustee Rick
SHOULD PRESIDENT BUSH PARDON BORDER PATROL AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN?
Printer-friendly version Border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean January 5, 2008 (San Diego’s East County) — Assemblyman Joel Anderson has written a letter to President George W. Bush requesting a pardon for Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compeon. Both are currently in prison, serving 11 and 12 year sentences after being convicted by a jury of
RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW LAWS
Printer-friendly versionSeveral new laws designed to help strengthen existing DUI laws January 4, 2009 (Sacramento) — With a new year on the horizon, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) wants to remind motorists of a handful of new laws, passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, that go into effect in 2009. "The overall safety of the motoring public
COMPUTER BIZ WIZ– MAKING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY WORK FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Printer-friendly versionTop 5 IT Mistakes Small Businesses Make By Michael Natter It is deceptively easy to see what the five top small business mistakes in IT are. They are pervasive, recurring and everywhere! Typical small businesses mistakes include: Not getting value for invested and spent IT dollars: Small businesses are constantly paying for lack of knowledge, hasty decisions, oversights, mistakes,
KIDNAPPING OFÂ 8-YEAR OLD BOY WAS FALSE REPORT
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 2, 2000 (La Mesa) — On January 1, an eight-year-old boy reported being kidnapped from in front of his residence in the 4800 block of Parks Ave., La Mesa. However, the La Mesa Police have concluded after further investigation that the boy had falsified the entire story and that no crime had ever occurred. On January 2, the
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