Source: City of El Cajon

Image: CC by SA

May 22, 2023 (El Cajon) - New basketball courts at Wells Park (1153 E Madison Ave, El Cajon) will open on May 25 with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. The 18-acre park was built in 1953 and is in the middle of the City’s most population-dense residential housing area.

East County News Service

May 17, 2023 (San Diego) -- "I hang around with Martha."  That's how John King introduces himself when he and Martha take the stage at public events. It proved to be true in a new sense in February, when the Kings were inducted together into Women in Aviation International's Pioneer Hall of Fame earlier this month. John King found himself the first and only man in the company of more than 100 trailblazing women -- the likes of Amelia Earhart, Anne Morrow Lindbergh and astronaut Sally Ride -- who have made their marks in the history of aviation.

Parkway Plaza continues to be a community staple for shopping and retail in El Cajon

East County News Service

May 16, 2023 (El Cajon) -- Parkway Plaza, El Cajon’s regional shopping mall, announces the addition of ALDI to their store directory. The new grocery option is 23,693 square feet, located near Home Goods and Best Buy. The enclosed shopping center currently houses over 130 retailers featuring a balanced mix of popular retailers like H&M and ULTA, as well as specialty shops and local businesses. 

East County News Service

May 7, 2023 (El Cajon) - ‘Tis the merry month of May, and Shakespeare’s hilarious fairytale about the fickleness of love comes to life in the Grossmont College Stagehouse Theatre just in time for spring. Spend the evening in an enchanted forest filled with fairies, a quartet of confused royals, and a troupe of actors desperately trying to put on a play for the king. 

East County News Service 

April 24, 2023 (El Cajon) - After record rainfalls across Southern California this winter, potholes are a massive issue for commuters everywhere. The City of El Cajon is taking on the issue of potholes head-on. Last week, the City challenged residents and businesses through a social media video to track down and report as many potholes as possible using the My El Cajon app. This week, the City is keeping up with its commitment to its residents by addressing every reported issue and filling hundreds of potholes across the city streets. 

East County News Service

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner NBC 7

April 18, 2023 (Julian) - An El Cajon handyman who waded into a pond left by rainwater in Julian to retrieve his dog contracted a rare flesh-eating bacteria.

By Daniela Torres

Video by ECM interns Daniela Torres and Jacob Pamus

April 14, 2023 (El Cajon)-- The first of four town halls in order to address homelessness in El Cajon was held on April 4, amidst concerns from the city’s residents.

Outrage and controversy have been sparked after the arrests of two sex offenders at a Motel 6 last month for allegedly sexually assaulting an underage girl. The offenders were placed there under the People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) motel voucher program funded by the County of San Diego.

April 13, 2023 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon is hosting a FREE April Pools Day event to help kick off May as National Drowning Prevention Month on Friday, April 21, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fletcher Hills Pool, located at 2345 Center Place in El Cajon.   

Drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children between the ages 1 to 4 years, and nearly 4,000 Americans drown each year. A study published in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found statistical evidence that children that participated in swim lessons had an 88% reduced risk of drowning.

“Living so close to the beach, we want children to learn to swim and parents to learn how to keep their family safe around water,” said Frank Carson, Director of Parks and Recreation. “The City of El Cajon is proud to offer a full range of aquatic programs to our community.”

Participants can learn about water safety, sun safety tips, or partake in mini CPR lessons. The event will feature free swimming, a free bag filled with activities (one per family), and crafts.

East County News Service

April 11, 2023 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s Dinner and a Concert series opens May 5 and will continue every Friday night from 6 to 8 p.m. from May through September.  Opening night will feature Twisted Gypsy, a Fleetwood Mac Tribute band taking you back to the early days of ‘70s rock and roll.

East County News Service

March 31, 2023 (El Cajon) -- Homelessness is the most significant issue impacting cities across the nation, includingEl Cajon.. The El Cajon City Council wants to hear your ideas, experiences, and frustrations about homelessness during a series of four Town Hall workshops hosted throughout the City.  In this high participation format of workshops, residents will break into groups and discuss pressing issues around homeless topics. The dates are April 4, 15 and 26 as well as May 4.

Feedback from the workshops will help the City generate additional programs and approaches to address the impacts of homelessness in the community.

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2023 (El Cajon) – Two days ago, El Cajon Police relocated homeless people found camped in drainage canals and warned of flood dangers. The National Weather Service reports that El Cajon received more than an inch of water during the past two-day period.

El Cajon Police posted this warning message and photos on Facebook:

East County News Service

March 25, 2023 (San Diego) -- This year’s Brewers Cup of California included 1,306 entries from 191 breweries. There were 83 categories and a total of 37 medals were awarded to breweries within San Diego County, including 13 gold, 8 silver and 16 bronze. The overall total is nearly double the 19 medals collected by local breweries at the 2021 competition. 

East County’s winning brewers include Burning Beard Brewing of El Cajon, Julian Beer Co. and Smoking Cannon Brewery of Ramona. Julian took silver, while Burning Beard and Silver Canyon won both silver and bronze medals. Gold medalists included Mike Hess Brewing of North Park, though Mike Hess also has a brewery in Alpine. 

See below for a full list of San Diego County winners: 

Council also calls for investigation into price-gouging by motels

By Jessyka Heredia

March 21, 2022 (El Cajon) At a special session meeting Tuesday, El Cajon City Council members voiced outrage over recent crimes happening in hotels involving recipients of the county’s hotel voucher program. These vouchers are intended to help people vulnerable from homelessness find shelter at local hotels. 

Recently it was discovered that two men allegedly molested a 16 year old female victim at a Motel 6 located on Montrose Court in El Cajon and videotaped it. Both men are registered sex offenders and wore ankle monitoring devices. El Cajon Police Department has indicated it believes at least two other underage girls were sexually assaulted by the men.