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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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BOB FILNER, FORMER SAN DIEGO MAYOR AND CONGRESSMAN, DIES AT 82

Printer-friendly version By Karen Pearlman      Photo,left: Bob Filner on Election Night 2012, when he won election as San Diego Mayor (April 28, 2025) San Diego — Bob Filner, who served as San Diego’s 35th mayor and as Congressman representing San Diego and border regions in East County, died April 20. He was 82.  A fierce advocate for civil rights, his

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SAN DIEGO-BASED JACK IN THE BOX TO CLOSE 150-200 RESTAURANTS

Printer-friendly version East County News Service April 27, 2025 (San Diego) – Jack in the Box has announced plans to close 150-200 underperforming restaurants this year and next, to improve the company’s cash flow. The locally-owned fast food chain opened the nation’s first drive-through hamburger outlet in 1951 at 6270 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego (photo, left). Soon after,

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ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. CLAIMS HE’LL FIND THE “CAUSE” OF AUTISM BY USING PRIVATE MEDICAL DATA

Printer-friendly version  Kennedy also moved to cut funding for various autism programs, and tasked discredited researcher with finding “link” between autism and vaccines  By G. A. McNeeley  Photo, left: cc via Bing April 27, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has pledged to find the “cause” of autism, while he and other members

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LEMON GROVE MAYORAL RECALL FAILS TO GET ENOUGH VALIDATED SIGNATURES, BUT ORGANIZER SAYS HE’LL TRY AGAIN

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery April 26, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – On April 15, a notice of intent to recall Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow (photo,left) was served by resident Ken King.  But the next day, the City Clerk’s office notified King that the notice was rejected because it did not have enough valid signatures, printed names and addresses. In

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REP. ISSA HOLDS PUBLICITY APPEARANCE AT MCDONALD’S, AFTER PROTESTERS LEAVE

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery April 26, 2025 (San Diego)– Congressman Darrell Issa announced plans to hand out “Freedom Fries” at a McDonald’s in San Marcos on Thursday, April 24th. But after word got out that protesters planned to picket the event, 12 noon arrived—and Issa didn’t, until after protesters left. Issa’s office mailed a photo to media outlets including

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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REJECTS ‘HOUSING FIRST’ APPROACH TO HOMELESSNESS

Printer-friendly version By Angela Hart for KFF Health News. Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Collaboration File photo, left, by Miriam Raftery:  A homeless man living in a makeshift tent in Lemon Grove in 2024 April 26, 2025 (Washington D.C.)– President Donald Trump is vowing a new approach to

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MISSING WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN VEHICLE

Printer-friendly version Update:  Michelle Moden’s body was found  Sunday, April 27,with her vehicle on Sequan Truck Trail,  says Officer Jared Grieshaber with California Highway Patrol.  Foul play is not suspected, he indicated, but anyone with information is asked to contact  CHP’s Border Division Major Crimes Unit at 858-944-6300. East County News Service April 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The

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BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN JAMUL FIND 51 POUNDS OF METH IN TIRE

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Photo:  Methamphetamine stash hidden in tire   April 25, 2025 (Jamul) — U.S. Border Patrol agents from the San Diego Sector stopped a narcotics smuggling attempt in its tracks, intercepting a large quantity of methamphetamine concealed in a vehicle’s spare tire.   According to the Border Patrol, on April 18 around 10:30 p.m., a K-9

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Stay safe! Sign up to receive free East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Printer-friendly version Click here to receive our free alerts via email. You can also follow our alerts on X. Scroll down to read our latest articles on wildfires and other emergencies in San Diego’s inland region. We appreciate the generous sponsorships of the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation and San Diego River Conservancy  to support our emergency alerts, helping us keep

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SANTEE HIRES INTERIM CITY MANAGER

Printer-friendly version By Mike Allen April 25, 2025 (Santee) — Santee’s City Council hired Gary Halbert, a former city manager for Chula Vista, as its interim city manager on the same day, April 23, that the prior city manager, Marlene Best, officially ended her nine-year tenure in a mutually agreed separation. Neither the City Council nor Best provided any comment

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