East County Magazine
Photo of the Week: Jacumba Sunset
Printer-friendly versionApril 6, 2026 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Martin Eder sent in this photo, taken along Interstate 8 just west of Jacumba near the San Diego-Imperial County line, after he attended the Magical Mystery Beatles tribute music festival at De Anza Springs Resort. The setting sun illuminated a plume in the sky, creating a magical effect. Printer-friendly version
Photo of the week: Jacumba sunset
April 6, 2026 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Martin Eder sent in this photo, taken along Interstate 8 just west of Jacumba near the San Diego-Imperial…
Male lion joins pride at San Diego Zoo Safari Park
East County News Service View video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1484962496593617 March 24, 2026 (San Pasqual) — The lion pride at the Safari Park just got a little louder…
Sunrise to sunset is theme of 2026 Lake Jennings photo contest
East County News Service March 15, 2026 (Lakeside) – Lake Jennings invites you to enter your best photos taken at Lake Jennings between April 1…
Photo of the Week: Here’s the buzz!
East County News Service February 7, 2026 (La Mesa) — Kristin Kjaero snapped this photo of a honeybee pollinating flowers in her succulent garden in…
Photo of the Week: Beaver moon
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service November 9, 2025 (Mt. Helix) — Dawn Sebaugh snapped this picture of the “Beaver Moon” on November 5, The November full moon was dubbed “Beaver Moon” because it’s the time when beavers are most active building their lodges for winter, and when the fur trading season was at its peak. The name has its origins
Photo of the week: Egret at Lake Morena amid dead plants and green water
Printer-friendly version East County News Service October 3, 2025 (Lake Morena) — Karen Pearlman snapped this photo of snowy white egret searching for fish at Lake Morena, casting a reflection in the deep green waters. The visit raises a curious question: Why are all the plants in the water at Lake Morena dead? It isn’t drought, since plants further up
Exclusive: ECM obtains video showing start of Coches Fire
Printer-friendly version View video September 17, 2025 (Lakeside) — East County Magazine photographer Patrick Ward has obtained surveillance video from a Lakeside homeowner who lives next to the spot where the Coches Fire began. The video from the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, shows vehicles on the roadway around 2:56 p.m. on September 8, 2025, followed by brush igniting
Photo of the week: Santee Fire Department’s new brush rig
Printer-friendly versionPhoto and story by Patrick Ward August 24, 2025 (Santee) – The Santee Fire Department this week held a push-in ceremony with its new home-type 3 brush engine, a symbol of the department’s commitment to safety and efficiency. The brush rig is designed to handle any emergency with precision and speed. The cost of the apparatus was
State Parks Photo Contest Running Through Sept. 30
Printer-friendly versionAnza-Borrego Desert State Park photo (left) by Karen Pearlman East County News Service July 15, 2025 (San Diego County) — California State Parks Foundation is inviting park visitors and photography enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels to capture the natural beauty, recreational activities and unique landscapes of California’s state parks. The California State Parks Foundation
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: LIGHTNING FIRE
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery October 4, 2021 (La Mesa) – Lightning from tonight’s storm sparked several fires across East County tonight, including this one in the Casa de Oro/Mt. Helix area. Dawn Hough Sebaugh captured a series of dramatic images showing lightning striking vegetation with an explosive force, sending a shower of sparks swirling up into the night sky. “It sounded like a bomb
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: NATURE’S LIGHT SHOW
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service September 11, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – More than 100 lightning strikes illuminated skies across San Diego County last night, the National Weather Service reports. Michael Brunker snapped these spectacular images from his San Carlos home using a Nikon D7500 camera on a tripod, taking hundreds of shots. After driving home through from Alpine
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: DUST STORM IN BORREGO SPRINGS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service August 31, 2021 (Borrego Springs) – “Strong thunderstorms east of Borrego and subsequent downdrafts has created a Haboob in Borrego Springs, see progression below over several minutes,” says Bob Kutscher, who sent in these photos. A haboob is an intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current or weather front; haboobs occur commonly in
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SUNRISE AFTER A DESERT STORM
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service August 20, 2021 (Borrego Springs) – Bob Kutscher snapped this photo on August 11, the morning after a storm dumped three quarters of an inch of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning – all preceded by a Haboob, or dust storm that left particles to intensify the sunrise hues. Printer-friendly version
THE RADY SHELL AT JACOBS PARK’S INAUGURAL WEEKEND PROVIDES A PHOTO-OF-THE-WEEK SHOT
Printer-friendly version August 10, 2021 (San Diego) ECM reporter Rebecca Jefferis Williamson snapped this photo-of-the-week during a performance by Gladys Knight at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The inaugural weekend started with a performance by the San Diego Symphony under conductor Rafael Payare’s guidance on August 6. Gladys Knight performed August 8. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park’s season ends
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: EAGLES IN EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service July 12, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Scott Legace photographed a mother and baby Bald Eagle landing on their perch here in San Diego’s East County. Printer-friendly version
JOIN THE 2021 JULIAN HIKING CHALLENGE
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 12, 2021 (Julian) –You’re invited to explore some of Julian’s most beautiful trails in the Julian Hiking Challenge. Complete the five hikes listed by December 31, submit photos and you will receive a special certificate, sticker and entry into a raffle to win a Julian Goodie bag of Julian keepsake items, special
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: NATURE IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service July 8, 2021 (El Cajon) – Robert Gehr captured the beauty of nature in downtown El Cajon with images of a cactus flower, pine cones, a mother duck and ducklings, a snowy egret and a colorful hummingbird.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK:FLOWER POWER
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 3, 2021 (Flinn Springs) –Renee Owens snapped this idyllic photo beneath a flowering jacaranda tree with bougainvillea in the background. “Ellie is part Belgian Malinois, pure flower child,” says Owens, who photographed the dog in Flinn Springs. Beautiful jacaranda trees are native to South America, but have become popular in Southern California. Bougainvilleas
LAKE JENNINGS NAMES WINNERS IN SPRING PHOTO CONTEST FOR 2021 “LIFE AT THE LAKE” THEME
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Photos courtesy of Helix Water District June 28, 2021 (Lakeside) – In the 10th annual Lake Jennings Spring Photo Contest, 61 photographers submitted entries. This year’s theme was “Life at the Lake.” Photographer Johnathan Bradley of Lemon Grove won first place for his image titled “Open Field” (above left) and second place for
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.