Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

Breaking News

Explore What Matters

Stay informed on the issues that shape East County. From local news and emergency alerts, to community celebrations

News Center

News Issues

Politics

Wildfires and Emergencies

Events & Arts

Visit East County

People

Communities

Features

Get East County Wildfire, Emergency Alerts

Critical wildfire and emergency notifications delivered instantly.Join Neighbors who stay informed and prepared with our award winning Journalist

Latest Stories

Sponsorship Placement

FATAL ROLLOVER CRASH ON STATE ROUTE 94 IN LEMON GROVE

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 4, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A Spring Valley man, 77, has died of injuries sustained in a collision on State Route 94 in Lemon Grove near Massachusetts Ave. shortly after 5 a.m.  He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected onto the highway after the 1999 Ford Expedition SUV he was driving westbound

Read More ...

STATE DECLARES CITRUS QUARANTINE EXPANSION IN VALLEY CENTER

Printer-friendly versionBy County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office April 4, 2025 (San Diego) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) declared a citrus quarantine expansion in Valley Center on March 26, after detecting the fatal citrus tree disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in two citrus trees in residential neighborhoods in the Valley

Read More ...

PADRES WIN FIRST SEVEN GAMES TO SET TEAM RECORD

Printer-friendly version By Karen Pearlman Photo: Slugging star Fernando Tatis Jr., courtesy of San Diego Padres April 4, 2025 (San Diego)  — With seven consecutive wins to start the 2025 season, the San Diego Padres got off to their franchise-best start since they launched in 1969 as an expansion Major League Baseball club. Although the team lost to the Chicago

Read More ...

COUNTY IS WARNING THE PUBLIC NOT TO EAT LOCALLY HARVESTED SHELLFISH

Printer-friendly versionBy Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office April 4, 2025 (San Diego) – ​The County of San Diego is advising people not to eat locally harvested mussels, clams, scallops or oysters that were not purchased from a state-certified commercial shellfish harvester or dealer.   Shellfish safety notifications also have been issued in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara

Read More ...

EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

Printer-friendly versionApril 4, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) — East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media.  This week’s round-up stories include: LOCAL Updated state maps show San Diego County’s areas at ‘very high’ risk for fires (10 News) CalTrans to invest $24 million in San Diego area

Read More ...

PADRE DAM WATER RATES LIKELY RISING AGAIN

Printer-friendly versionBy Mike Allen Photo: Dan Denham, CEO, San Diego County Water Authority April 4, 2025 (Santee) — There’s no doubt that customers of Padre Dam Water District, already paying among the highest rates in the nation, will pay even more for the coming year. It’s just a matter of how much. At its April 2 meeting, PDWD’s board of

Read More ...

SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES URGE DELAYED COUNTY BUDGET VOTE

Printer-friendly versionTwo Democratic candidates vying for the District 1 seat want the county to delay its budget approval until after the seat is filled.  By Lisa Halverstadt and Jim Hinch, Voice of San Diego April 4, 2025 (San Diego) – Two Democratic candidates for supervisor are urging the county to delay its annual budget vote until after a now-vacant District 1

Read More ...

ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

Printer-friendly versionApril 4, 2025 — As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include: U.S. Noem said she plans to eliminate FEMA (The Hill) Trump’s first 50 days mark one of the worst starts for

Read More ...

GROSSMONT HEALTHCARE DISTRICT INTRODUCES ‘MOLLY,’ A MOBILE OUTREACH LIBRARY BRINGING HEALTH RESOURCES DIRECTLY TO EAST COUNTY COMMUNITIES

Printer-friendly versionSource:  Grossmont Healthcare District April 3, 2025 (La Mesa) — A new chapter in health education access will begin in East County on April 7 as the Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) unveils its new Mobile Outreach Library (MOL) during a press conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony at District headquarters at 9001 Wakarusa Street in La Mesa at 9:00 a.m. The launch coincides with the beginning of National

Read More ...

Federal jury convicts Sheriff’s deputy of excessive force, violating inmate’s civil rights

Printer-friendly version   Inmate suffered head and spinal injuries after being smashed head first into wall, left bleeding in cell without medical attention East County News Service December 13, 2025 (San Diego) — San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah Manuyag Flores was convicted by a federal jury yesterday of violating the civil rights of a man in pretrial custody at the San Diego Central Courthouse

Read More ...

Seven arrested for retail theft in Lemon Grove

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service December 11, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – Deputies from the Lemon Grove Sheriff’s Substation’s Community Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving (COPPS) team ran a retail theft operation at multiple businesses throughout the city on December 10. During the eight-hour operation, deputies made seven arrests—six misdemeanors and one felony—averaging roughly one arrest per hour.   “Retail theft remains

Read More ...

County share: Sustainability hacks during the holiday season

Printer-friendly versionSustainable gifts are always in. Photo from Pexels.com East County News Service Dec. 10, 2025 (San Diego County) — Going green and being sustainable poses some challenges, and can be especially difficult to navigate during the holiday season. Gving and receiving gifts and packages of all makes and models — and most come with wrapping of all types —

Read More ...

Recall effort dropped against Lemon Grove Mayor Snow

Printer-friendly version By Karen Pearlman Dec. 10, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A recall effort against Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow, who was elected by voters in 2024, has failed. On Tuesday, Dec. 9, a group called the Lemon Grove Neighborhood Association shared a text message with East County Magazine that said, “Today marks the conclusion of the signature-gathering phase for

Read More ...

Lakeside firefighter/paramedic Jeff Reyes honored for heroism: saved fire captain who fell through floor in a burning building

Printer-friendly versionPhoto:  Chief Don Butz, left, and Batallion Chief Eric Stamm commend firefighter/paramedic Jeff Reyes View video by Shiloh Ireland   By Shiloh Ireland Miriam Raftery contributed to this report December 10, 2025 (Lakeside) – Lakeside firefighter/paramedic Jeff Reyes acted “without hesitation, drawing on instinct, training and sheer courage” to save the life of Captain Steven Russo, who fell through

Read More ...

La Mesa Police plans added holiday enforcement, urges drivers to celebrate responsibly

Printer-friendly versionNational “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign begins  Source:  City of La Mesa December 9, 2025 (La Mesa) – The holiday season can be dangerous for people on the roads. In December 2023 alone, 1,038 people were killed in the U.S. in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The La Mesa Police Department wants

Read More ...

Loveland Reservoir water transfer at 21% but coming to an end, SWA says

Printer-friendly versionPhoto of Loveland Reservoir by Ostan Patton By Karen Pearlman Dec. 9, 2025 (Alpine) – Sweetwater Authority’s plan to leave Loveland Reservoir with at least 25 percent of its water capacity during the most recent transfer of water into the Sweetwater Reservoir has not gone as originally planned, as shared with East County Magazine on Dec. 5. Sweetwater Authority (SWA), the

Read More ...

FDA creates hurdles for Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine, puts infants at risk with changes to Hepatitis-B vaccine recommendations

Printer-friendly versionA dozen former FDA commissioners and other experts weigh in, also debunking false claims about vaccines By G. A. McNeeley December 8, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — In an internal memo obtained by CNN, Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) chief medical & scientific officer said on November 28 that the FDA will change its vaccine approval

Read More ...

Palantir is rewriting security and privacy, creating massive database shared by federal agencies including ICE and the military

Printer-friendly versionBy Alexander J. Schorr Image: CC via Bing “Our Product is used to kill people.” — Palantir CEO Alex Karp, emphasizing the company’s role in enabling lethal military operations. December 8, 2025 (San Diego) — Palantir Technologies is building the U.S. Army’s next-generation ground station, TITAN, using artificial intelligence (AI) to process massive amounts of sensory data to improve targeting

Read More ...

Get Wildfire Alerts & Wildfire Emergency News

Stay ahead of emergencies with real-time notifications delivered directly to your inbox when seconds count.

Partner To ECM

Connect with East County’s most informed and engaged community. Our readers trust ECM for critical news and actively support local businesses.

Our Engaged Audience

Unique Visitors

5 to 10 million hits

per month!

Number of Visitors
0

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

Thanks To Our Major Sponsors

📬 Subscribe to ECM – 100% Free, Trusted by East County Since 2008

Reviews and Feedback