East County Magazine
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MONSTERS IN THE EAST COUNTY?
Printer-friendly version April 5, 2014 (Jacumba) – Tom Lemon sent this surreal looking shot of a buffalo sculpture and man-made caves at the Desert View Tower, long a favorite roadside stop of travelers in Jacumba. Visit it while you still can – word is its long-time proprietor may be set to retire in the near future. Printer-friendly version
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: WHO’S TOP BANANA ON LET’S MAKE A DEAL?
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery March 31, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) — Kathleen Hedberg is best known locally as an outspoken advocate for ratepayers on the Helix Water Board. But in February, Hedberg’s outgoing ways–along with a bright yellow banana costume–caught the eye of Let’s Make a Deal’s host. Hedberg was chosen as a contestant on the popular
MISSION TRAILS PHOTO CONTEST ANNOUNCED
Printer-friendly version March 28, 2014 (San Diego)–Attention, shutterbugs! Mission Trails Regional Park invites you to enter its 22nd annual Amateur Photo Contest. The deadline for entries is September 6th. All entries will be on display form September 13 to October 10, and an awards presentation will be held for winners. All photos must be taken from inside Mission Trails
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: “STREAMING” PHOTOS FROM CIBBETS FLAT
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery; photos by Tom Lemon March 16, 2014 (Cibbets Flat) – Tom Lemon sent in these these idyllic photos with a subject line, “East County has a stream!” These images were taken at Cibbets Flat in the Kitchen Creek area. Lemon writes, “I drove to a favorite place this morning hoping the two or three
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: KUMEYAAY WIND REPAIR
Printer-friendly version March 1, 2014 (Campo) – Donna Tisdale forwarded these photos taken on February 25th with the following description. “Today, Infigen was taking down their fried Kumeyaay Wind turbine from the Dec 16th turbine fire that sparked a small brush fire on the land they lease from the Campo tribe. The 25 Gamesa 1.5 MW turbines were first
VIDEO: THE OCOTILLO SUITE
Printer-friendly versionFebruary 28, 2014 (Ocotillo) — An Ocotillo resident has prepared a poignant video dramatically illustrating the scope of destruction done by Pattern Energy to build its Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility. The video details the beauty of the desert with closeup images of birds and other wildlife amid the ocotillo forest mowed down on 12,500 acres of public lands, then
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: FIRE IN RANCHO SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly version February 23, 2014 (Rancho San Diego) – Jennifer Hanna snapped these images of a brush fire behind her home on Sunday, February 16. The blaze, near Fury and Wieghorst in the Rancho San Diego area of El Cajon, was swiftly dowsed by firefighters. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: DRY TIMES AT LAKE CUYAMACA AND MOUNT LAGUNA
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery; photos by Tom Lemon February 23, 2014 (Cuyamaca) – “The meadows should be green, Cuyamaca Lake full. Not so,” Tom Lemon writes after a trip to the mountain area. “The area is tinder dry and the lake down six or eight feet.” Still, he found some interesting sights,
SOMETIMES NEWS HAPPENS OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW
Printer-friendly version By Nadin Abbott Photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott February 21, 2014 (San Diego) There is nothing like a romantic evening outside by the porch with a fire. Well, it was not quite that. Over the last two months we have had a good dozen fires in the Fashion Valley area in
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WALLS RISE TO PROTECT MOTORISTS
Printer-friendly version Photos by Eldonna Lay and Meghan M. Lay February 15, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Motorists along Fuerte Drive at Mt. Helix drive and on Chase Avenue near Fuerte in the unincorporated areas of the County will soon be safer, thanks to two new retaining walls under construction. The walls are being built to halt erosion
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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.
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.