East County News Service

January 6, 2024 (La Mesa) – Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the Grossmont Healthcare District board of directors will consider a proposal by newly elected board member Nadia Farjood to change the board’s meeting times to evenings or weekends.  But a survey of board members shows no support for that plan. The board previously experimented with holding evening meetings but found that attendance by the public dropped, multiple members noted.

Farjood, an attorney, has said that her  day job prevents her from attending any meetings Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., when she has court appearances, as well as from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and third Tuesdays each month.

East County News Service

January 6, 2025 (Santee) – Jordan Marks, San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC), has announced that early appointments are now available for civil wedding ceremonies between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.  Couples can book their Valentine’s Day appointments for marriage licenses and ceremonies at one of four ARCC offices, including Santee, Chula Vista, San Marcos and the San Diego Downtown ARCC headquarters at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego. The Downtown location also offers indoor ceremony rooms or a picturesque, outdoor marriage arbor on the waterfront. The ARCC Santee branch office in East County is located at 10144 Mission Gorge Ave.

By Miriam Raftery

January 2, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – 2024 has been a turbulent year, from devastating floods in January to controversies over homelessness and immigration, contentious elections, land use and fire issues, expansion of Jamul tribal lands, officials grappling with hate speech, resignation of the County Supervisors' Chairwoman Nora Vargas, and at year’s end, Syrian-Americans rallying in El Cajon to celebrate the fall of the Assad regime.

Below are the top stories of the year which had an impact in East County communities.

East County News Service

County News Service contributed to this report

January 2, 2025 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego’s Behavioral Health Services has spent the last year organizing extensive planning and training to prepare for the biggest update to California’s civil detention and conservatorship laws in more than 50 years.  Advocates argue that the measure is needed to assure that severely mentally ill  people including some homeless individuals will receive treatment, though opponents voice concerns over forced institutionalization.

East County News Service

January 2, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A 20-year-old man and a 19-year old woman are dead as a result of a collision in Lemon Grove yesterday.

East County News Service

December 31, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) - Our region lost civic leaders and luminaries this year in fields including a basketball superstar, an astronaut, a famous architect, a retired Sheriff’s deputy and Chamber of Commerce chairman, a World War veteran, an HVAC industry leader, a noted philanthropist, a former college president, a retired teacher, an engineer and newscaster, a political party chairwoman and a community theatre cofounder.  They are gone but not forgotten, leaving lasting legacies and memories.

Read more about their remarkable lives below; each title links to a full obituary.

By Miriam Raftery

Times of San Diego and Voice of San Diego contributed to this report

Photo by Chris Stone, Times of San Diego: Nora Vargas at a 2022 rally

December 20, 2024 (San Diego)—In an announcement that surprised even her staff, San Diego County Supervisors’ Chair Nora Vargas today announced she will step down January 6 at the end of her term, despite winning reelection in November with 62.5% of the votes.

“Due to personal and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” Vargas said, Times of San Diego reports.

East County News Service

December 18, 2024 (Washington D.C.) -- Today, legislation authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) to place 172 acres of land in East County, San Diego into tribal trust for the Jamul Indian Village passed the House and heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law, after a companion measure authored by Senator Padilla previously passed in the Senate.

The Jamul Indian Village has sought for years to bring tribal members back onto their ancestral land – so they can raise their families, carry forward their culture, and add to their history,” said Rep. Issa. “This is the right thing to do, and it empowers not government, but individuals, to take new charge and best care of their lives. This Fee-to-Trust bill provides that opportunity, securing Jamul’s land, preserving its sacred sites, and protecting Kumeyaay traditions for generations to come. My thanks to Senator Padilla and Congressman Vargas for their support in pushing forth this important legislation.” 

Update December 17, 2024 7 p.m.:  The victim has been identified as Jane Hannah Cronin of San Diego.

East County News Service

December 17, 2024 (Descanso) – The body of a 29-year-old woman was found on December 11 near the intersection of State Route 79 and Wildwood Glen Lane in Descanso.

By Miriam Raftery

December 17, 2024 (San Diego) – Joan Jones, Vice Chair and Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, has been named Mid-Size Nonprofit Executive of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal.

According to the Journal, Jones has raised $10 million for the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, with a grant success rate of nearly 100%, helping to reach the Foundation’s goal to make San Diego the safest county in the nation.

Through new partnerships, the Foundation has significantly expanded support of regional fire departments and fire safe councils, providing valuable protection to residents across our region.In addition, the Foundation provided a grant to support East County Magazine's Wildfire and Emergency Alerts, helping to keep people safe and informed during emergencies across our region.  In 2024, the Foundation's grant funds also provided:

County approves tough migrant protections, but Sheriff says state laws should prevail;  El Cajon Council weighs city’s legal and moral obligations

Update:  The letter sent by Mayor Wells to the Attorney General is now available here.The letter states that the City Council is considering a resolution declaring the city's intent to "comply with federal immigration laws and assist federal authorities in their enforcement efforts to the maximum extent possible."

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Right, El Cajon Mayor Wells calls sanctuary policies "stupid and dangerous." He has voiced support for Trump's mass deportation policies but wants clarification on the city's legal obligations.

Left, Councilman Gary Kendrick does not support having police "dragging children out of schools or churches" or aiding in deportation of residents with no criminal records,only those guilty of serious crimes.

December 11, 2024 (San Diego) – Yesterday, San Diego County Supervisors and El Cajon’s City Council held discussions that could determine fates of many immigrant residents—and set the stage for showdowns among federal, state and local authorities. San Diego County has an estimated 169,000 undocumented residents, according to the Migration Policy Institute, based on 2019 data.

The incoming Trump administration has announced plans to deport millions of immigrants nationwide—and demands that local authorities cooperate in mass deportation efforts. But a California law, Senate Bill 54, passed during the last Trump term, prohibits state and local jurisdictions from cooperating with federal authorities on deportation,with notable exceptions for serious crimes. Local authorities are carefully weighing the legal and moral implications of potential actions.

December 10, 2024 (Alpine) --  California Highway Patrol has closed Interstate 8 eastbound, east of East Willows Road in Alpine is currently closed due to multiple overturned big rigs caused by high winds. There is no estimated time for re-opening. Expect significant delays and avoid the area if possible.

View video: https://x.com/i/status/1866556789279559868 

By Miriam Raftery

December 9, 2024 (San Diego) – A 15-year-old San Marcos girl is fighting for her life after suffering serious injuries. After running away from a treatment facility in North County, she was found in Mendocino “on the side of a highway, barely alive, some 600 miles away. Marielynn Watson was the victim of a horrific attack from a pack of off-leash dogs,” says Ron Logan, an East County Magazine photographer and cousin of the injured teen.

Logan, along with Marielynn’s father, David Watson, have started a GoFundMe site to help cover medical expenses for Marielynn, who remains hospitalized after multiple surgeries, with more needed.

“When I first saw her, I almost passed out,” Watson told ECM, adding that he was unemployed at the time of the attack by several pit bull dogs and has no insurance to cover his daughter’s medical bills. In addition to worrying about his daughter’s health, he is concerned that he could face financial ruin as the medical bills mount.

Audits to focus on "split ticket" swing states where Trump won while down-ballot Republicans lost; donations sought to support effort

Hear our interview with Ray Lutz, originally aired on KNSJ Radio, on his election audit efforts and potential consequences

File photo:  Ray Lutz, founder of Citizens Oversight Projects

December 8, 2024 (El Cajon) -- Citizens Oversight, a nonprofit based in El Cajon, is launching a series of ballot image audits across key counties in swing states to examine the integrity of the 2024 election outcomes.

The audits will focus on swing states where Donald Trump won over Kamala Harris in the presidential race, while down-ballot Republicans lost.  Initial attention will be on areas such as Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and North Carolina.

Audits will be only feasible in areas where ballot images and cast vote records are available.

According to Citizens Oversight’s press release,“The effort is grounded in well-documented concerns about vulnerabilities in election systems, including the unauthorized exposure of voting machine software in recent years. This exposure may have allowed malicious actors to exploit weaknesses within the systems. The report from Mesa County, Colorado, revealed a `back door’ in the Dominion election management system (EMS), enabling results to be accessed and altered, raising further alarm about the potential for undetected manipulation. These same concerns were documented in the case DeKalb GOP vs. Raffensperger where the computer security expert Clay Parikh said the Dominion voting system security was `horrible,’ and that no election should be trusted.”

By Mike Allen

December 6, 2024 (Santee) --Another concession vendor bites the dust at Santee Lakes No. 4.

Angry Pete’s exercised its option not to renew its lease at the scenic decked outpost in the middle of the park last month,  then closed down its window effective Dec.1.

On his Facebook page, Angry Pete’s owner Pete Harbison said his business and himself were stretched too thin to keep the outlet going.

“The hard truth is that like many businesses, we've faced a challenging and rough road. The ever-increasing food and labor costs have made it harder and harder to maintain our business at a break-even level. We don't want to get rich, but we do need to at least break even,” Harbison said. “On top of that, despite pouring all of my time, energy and finances into staying open, I've had to face the reality that I’ve left very little for my own family—in both time & security.”