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CAL FIRE BURN DEMO IN SPRING VALLEY DRAMATIZES DIFFERENCE PREPARING YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR FOR WILDFIRE CAN MAKE

Printer-friendly version By Alexander J. Schorr Photos courtesy of CalFire Image: Side-by-side demonstration shows how unprepared structure  surrounded by bark on left was rapidly engulfed in flames, unlike structure on right, with hardscaping May 7, 2025 (Spring Valley) — On May 6,  The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety partnered for

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SAN DIEGO MAN DIES IN FIERY LAKESIDE ROLLOVER ACCIDENT

Printer-friendly version East County News Service May 7, 2025 (Lakeside) – A 24-year-old man from San Diego died in a solo-vehicle crash around 1:22 this morning.  He was driving west on I-8 near Old Highway 80 in Lakeside when for unknown reasons, he lost control and his vehicle plunged down an embankment. “The BMW overturned down the embankment, crashed into

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ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

Printer-friendly versionMay 7, 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. National Security DOGE employees gain accounts on classified networks holding nuclear secrets (NPR) Supreme Court allows Trump ban on transgender

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GROSSMONT INVESTIGATED HIM, HE RESIGNED AND NOW HE’S CHIEF OF STAFF

Printer-friendly version  After resigning from the Grossmont Union High School District in 2018, Jerry Hobbs found his way back seven years later. All it took was a law firm, a new investigation, a settlement and an entirely new position.  Updated May 8, 2025 with comments from Hobbs sent to ECM. by Jakob McWhinney for  Voice of San Diego Photo by

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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

Printer-friendly versionMay 6, 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 Man arrested in ICE raid near El Cajon is back with his family (KPBS) San Diego County Budget reserves proposal fails after Supervisors vote (KPBS)

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COUNTY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO MEET STATE HOUSING GOALS

Printer-friendly version  County of San Diego Communications Office May 6, 2025 (San Diego) — The County recently reported its 2024 housing totals through the General Plan & Housing Element Annual Progress Report. This information is required annually by the state of California to track housing production across various income levels, which shows how local governments are meeting the state-defined housing needs

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HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Printer-friendly versionMay 6, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) — Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future. HEALTH This Infectious Disease Has Increased 1,500% Nationwide: See CA Data (Patch.com) The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago, but the battle with Agent Orange continues (AP) US Justice Department unit for drug and

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RECALL ORTIZ EFFORT PASSES FIRST VERIFICATION HURDLE; OPPONENTS CRITICIZE RECALL ORGANIZER FOR “DIE OFF” COMMENTS

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery May 5, 2025 (El Cajon) – The initial round of 60 signatures to recall El Cajon Councilmember Phil Ortiz have been validated, City Clerk Angela Cortez confirms. The organizers, Latinos en Accion, now must publish their intent in a local newspaper and have 120 days to gather signatures from 20% of the 11,320 registered voters

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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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