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VALLE DE ORO PLANNERS VOTE TO OPPOSE COTTONWOOD SAND MINE

Printer-friendly version  County’s Planning Group to hear controversial proposal on April 18 Story and photos by Karen Pearlman Photo,left: Valle de Oro Community Planning Group members during packed hearing on Cottonwood Sand Mine March 20, 2025 (Rancho San Diego)  – More than 100 residents who would be most affected by the proposed Cottonwood Sand Mine gathered in force Tuesday, March

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Our guide to local farms and farm-fresh products sold directly to consumers

Printer-friendly versionFind farm-fresh meats, eggs, fruits and veggies, flowers, herbs, honey, nuts, soaps, wool and fiber goods, pumpkin patches,  nursery plants, trees, wineries and more   By Miriam Raftery   Photos by Miriam Raftery and creative commons images via Bing   East County Magazine has compiled our region’s most comprehensive guide to local farms, ranches, nurseries and wineries offering direct-to-consumer

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COULD OUR REGION RUN OUT OF WATER IN A MAJOR WILDFIRE, AS HAPPENED WHEN L.A. FIRE HYDRANTS RAN DRY? HELIX WATER SHARES INFORMATION WITH LA MESA’S CITY COUNCIL

Printer-friendly version“It could happen, at any water system in the United States. The systems were not designed for what we what we witnessed in L.A.,” says Helix Water District general manager Brian Olney, though Helix has taken steps to reduce risk By Karen Pearlman    March 20, 2025 (La Mesa) — The city of La Mesa is being proactive on

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SHERIFF INVESTIGATING “SUSPICIOUS” BURIAL IN VALLEY CENTER

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service March 21, 2025 (Valley Center) – Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call yesterday reporting that a family member who recently passed away was buried on the family property in the 29000 block of Paso Robles Road, Valley Center.  Deputies found a grave that appeared recent. “Due to there being no record of the decedent’s death,

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ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

Printer-friendly versionMarch 21, 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. Constitutional showdown Chief Justice Roberts rebukes Trump and GOP rhetoric about impeaching judges  (CNN) Judge demands to know why Trump

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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

Printer-friendly versionMarch 21, 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 Issa Sues State, Saying Counting Mail-in Ballots After Election Day Violates Law (Times of San Diego) Supervisor pushing for notice to residents as federal funding

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TEACHERS SAY ‘SEE YOU IN COURT’ AS TRUMP TRIES TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Printer-friendly version“We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” said the head of the nation’s largest labor union. By Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams March 20, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday afternoon directing Education

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CITY OF EL CAJON LAUNCHES ELECTRIC MICRO-TRANSIT PROGRAM, VIA SAN DIEGO, TO EXPAND TRANSPORTATION ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service   March 20, 2025 (El Cajon) – The City of El Cajon announces the launch of “Via San Diego El Cajon,” a new app-based, on-demand transit program designed to expand transportation access for residents and visitors. Service went live on March 17, and all rides are free for the first month.   Via San Diego

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HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Printer-friendly versionMarch 19, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) — Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future. HEALTH Kennedy gives food company CEOs an ultimatum (Politico) USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks (Politico) Bird flu-infected San Bernardino County dairy cows may have concerning new mutation (Los

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EGG PRICES STILL RISING RAPIDLY AMID AVIAN FLU OUTBREAKS; JUSTICE DEPT. LAUNCHES PRICE GOUGING INVESTIGATION

Printer-friendly version By G. A. McNeeley  Photo courtesy of Brian McNeeley March 19, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise by more than 40%, on top of already steep price rises in 2024. While egg producers blame bird flu outbreaks, the Justice Department this month announced an investigation into whether egg producers might be sharing

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Vegetables sprout in new $1.67 billion County Crop Report

Printer-friendly versionBy Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office November 1, 2025 (San Diego) – Agriculture values rose by just over 1% to $1.67 billion, and vegetable and vine crops thrived in San Diego County’s Annual Crop Report released today. The new Crop Report, which covers the 2024 growing season, showed the county’s list of Top 10 crops changed

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Trump administration draws criticism and lawsuit over tearing down entire East Wing of White House

Printer-friendly version By G. A. McNeeley   Image, left via Library of Congress:  interior of East Wing, now demolished; this hallway displayed portraits of first ladies. October 31, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — President Donald Trump is facing legal action and criticism from historic preservationists and others over demolition of the White House’s East Wing as part of his $300 million

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Probation enforces no trick or treating at some neighborhood homes

Printer-friendly versionBy Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office October 31, 2025 (San Diego) – No Jack-O-Lanterns, festive lights or Halloween decorations of any kind, candy outside or contact with children is allowed at the homes of sex offenders, and a San Diego County Probation team went out to make sure they were following the restrictions. Supervising Probation

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Charges filed against driver who killed cousins in Lemon Grove

Printer-friendly version East County News Service October 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The hopes and dreams of Nadia Charles, 19, and Junior Joseph Juste, 20, cousins who came to America from Haiti seeking a better life, were snuffed out on New Year’s morning when two vehicles collided in Lemon Grove. The crash pushed one of the vehicles into the two

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Spring Valley woman sentenced for animal cruelty

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service   Oct. 30, 2025 (Spring Valley) — A woman has been sentenced in an animal cruelty case after San Diego County Department of Animal Services officers responded to a case involving a Chihuahua in Spring Valley.   Animal Services met with the dog’s owner in August after receiving a recording from a member of the

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Save a life, honor a Legend at Bill Walton Memorial Blood Drive on Nov. 5

Printer-friendly versionLast year’s inaugural Bill Walton Memorial Blood Drive hosted by the San Diego Blood Bank was in Mission Valley. This year’s Nov. 5 drive will be at Grossmont Center, in Walton’s hometown. Photo by Karen Pearlman   East County News Service   Oct. 30, 2025 (La Mesa) — The San Diego Blood Bank is calling on the community to

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California commits $80M boost to food banks as hardship rises

Printer-friendly version  The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank’s main warehouse. Photo courtesy San Diego Food Bank   East County News Service   Oct. 30, 2025 (Sacramento) —  In a vital response to increasing economic strain on families across the state, California has officially approved fast tracking an additional $80 million in extra funding for local food banks.   The

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Help shape the County’s Emergency Operations plan through an online survey

Printer-friendly version By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office    Oct. 30, 2025 (San Diego) — Residents, businesses and community organizations, your feedback is needed to help shape how the region responds to disasters, especially if you want the County to consider specific community needs.   An online survey is available for community members and organizations to

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County reaches $16 million settlement over jail death of Hayden Schuck

Printer-friendly versionJudge had threatened sanctions over 55 hours of deleted video By Alexander J Schorr Photo: The late Hayden Schuck October 29, 2025—San Diego County Supervisors have voted to approve a historic settlement to resolve the in-custody wrongful death of Hayden Schuck. In the case of Estate of Hayden Schuck v. County of San Diego, et al. (Case 23-cv-00785-DMS-AHG), they

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