East County News Service

Photo:  CC by NC-ND via Bing

June 6, 2023 (Guatay) -- The parking lot sale at Heavenly Oaks Residential Community returns on Saturday, June 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 26835 Old Highway 80 in Guatay (halfway between Descanso and Pine Valley.)

If you plan to go to the Run to the Hills car show that day in Pine Valley, head west 3.5 miles on Old Highway 80 to Heavenly Oaks. There will be lots of quality "garage sale" items for sale.

By Miriam Raftery

June 6, 2023 (Wynola) -- Cal Fire leaders have warned that the heavy rains this past winter have fueled growth of brush across the backcountry, setting the stage for what could be a severe wildfire season.

But in Julian, the Wynola Estates neighborhood is working together to protect residents and their homes from wildfires.

After requiring homeowners to clear overgrown trees and shrubs from the community’s 80 properties, the Wynola Estates Fire Safe Council organized a community chipping event. Over 30 thirty residents have come together to collect foliage for chipping.

By Miriam Raftery

May 28, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Equestrian Foundation (USEF) will hold a webinar on May 31 at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Vesicular Stomatis Virus (VSV), a contagious livestock disease that has spread to at least six different communities in San Diego County. Registration is required for the webinar, which will be held on Zoom. Register here.

Dr. Angela Pelzel McCluskey, USDA equine epidemiologist, will provide an overview of Vesicular Stomatitis and the current situation report also providing perspective based on her firsthand experience managing numerous VS outbreaks in her previous roles. Dr. Katie Flynn,USEF Equine Health and Biosecurity veterinarian, will cover prevention measures for horses and their premises, as well as the biosecurity requirements being implemented at those USEF events with horses competing from VS Affected States.

As of Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 23 properties are quarantined due to VSV, including 18 sites in San Diego County—seven more than in the last report five days earlier.  All but one case in the outbreak have occurred in equine species such as horses, but there is one suspected case  in a “backyard beef steer” at a local property with three cattle. The remaining cases are in Riverside County. 

The USDA has not responded to our media inquiry for specific locations impacted in our region, but the Ramona  Sentinel reports that the first six confirmed cases since the outbreak began May 17 were in Ramona, Lakeside, Campo, Jamul, Del Sur, and Descanso, according to local veterinarians. San Diego and Riverside counties are the only places in the nation with current cases.

Disease can affect all hooved livestock and can also spread to humans

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2023 (San Diego) – Fifteen properties in San Diego County are under quarantine by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, after six cases of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) have been confirmed in San Diego County and testing is underway on another nine suspected local cases, according to the USDA website on the disease. There are also two confirmed cases and two suspected cases in Riverside County, where four properties are quarantined.  These are the only areas in the U.S. with current cases of VSV.

 The first local case in this outbreak occurred May 17 in Ramona, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. While all of the local cases so far are in horses, the disease can also afflict donkeys, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas or other hooved livestock.

The quarantines will  last at least 14 days after the last known case.  However blisters on mouths and hooves can take up to two months to resolve.The quarantines mean no transporting animals to or from the impacted properties will be allowed until a veterinarian has cleared animals for travel.  Some states and livestock events such as horse shows may prohibit animals from the impacted areas from participating even if there is no known exposure, so check with show organizers before traveling to any livestock even

Update:  Ford CEO Jim Farley has announced that  Ford will reverse its earlier decision to eliminate AM radios and will offer a software program to restore AM access to owners of Ford electric vehicles sold without AM radio, NPR reports.

By Miriam Raftery

May 20, 2023 (Washington D.C.) – Many electric vehicle manufacturers have removed AM radio from their current and future models, claiming interference with electric motors can cause buzzing noises and faded signals. Those that have already removed AM radios from electric vehicles include Tesla, Ford, Mazda, BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Polestar and Rivian.

By Miriam Raftery

May 20, 2023 (San Diego) – The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal through early next week, with a chance of thunderstorms this weekend.

Temperatures could reach 100 to 104 in the low deserts and 88 to 96 degrees in high desert areas.  There is a moderate risk for heat-related illnesses for pets, livestock, and those who are sensitive to heat, especially those without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration in the desert areas.

East County News Service

May 14, 2023 (Julian) — The Julian Community Heritage Foundation will host its second annual Town Square Music Festival on June 3rd. This music festival will feature seven live bands, as well as food, local artisans, raffles, silent auctions and more.

By Miriam Raftery

\May 9, 2023 (Warner Springs) -- You’re invited to enjoy a self-guided driving tour through San Diego’s beautiful backcountry, savoring vintages from award-winning local wineries and discovering unique works by talented artists and artisans. The festivities include live art demos, fine arts and crafts, wine tasting, craft beer, picnicking, hiking and live music.

By Patricia Haley

April 23, 2023 (Julian) -- The Julian Woman’s Club will present The 96^th Annual Wildflower Show at the Clubhouse of the Julian Women’s Club (2607 C Street Julian) on Friday May 5 and Saturday May 6, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. both days.

For two days, club members collect specimens from the over 850 plant species in the area surrounding Julian. The plant display ranges from desert cacti to high mountain dogwood gathered in a 15 mile radius from the historic old mining town of Julian. Permission to collect is obtained from private property owners.

Each year flowers vary depending on weather and rainfall. The display is always colorful and informative as plants are labeled and arranged by area of origin.

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Medic 282 Paramedic Ambulance and Crew

April 21, 2023 (La Mesa) -- A new ambulance with its crew and services added by the San Diego County Fire Protection District and CAL FIRE is seeing a great deal of use. County Fire accepted the transfer of responsibility for fire protection and emergency medical services in Ramona last August. The change brought a third fire department paramedic ambulance and additional firefighter staffing enhancements to the Ramona service area. 

The new paramedic ambulance has been dispatched 315 times and has taken 148 patients to area hospitals. Assigned to Fire Station 82, on Dye Road, the paramedic ambulance has full-time staffing with two firefighter paramedics 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Due to residential and business development along with population growth, there have been steady increases in 911 emergencies.  

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 Mimi Pollack

April 11, 2023 (Ramona) -- South African musician and humanitarian Sharon Katz, will be giving a complimentary concert at the Ramona Ranch Winery on Sunday, April 16^th from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon with a wonderful musician in a lovely setting?

Music can soothe and heal the soul, no matter where you are from. The Ramona Ranch Winery, which is also a working farm with animals, will provide a peaceful outdoor setting where one can enjoy their award-winning wines by the bottle or the glass as they listen to songs in Spanish and various African languages sung by Katz, a musician who also has quite a story to tell.

By Miriam Raftery

April 11, 2023 (Descanso) – Descanso’s first community fair was held in 1899 under a tent near the creek. The tradition has grown through the years to include a parade and community fair, which this year will be held on June 3. The festivities take place at the historic Descanso Town Hall, 24536 Viejas Grade Road in Descanso, a small rural town east of Alpine.

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Ramona grasslands

April 5, 2023 (San Diego's East County) - Disasters and wildfires threaten lives and businesses in San Diego County each year.  Often, people are forced to gather up their most important possessions and evacuate to safety.  But commercial livestock operations may be too large to evacuate all their animals immediately and need to return as quickly as possible to care for animals. Farmers also must abandon their operation, leaving crops and critical infrastructure unattended for extended periods.  Now, operators can apply for an Agricultural and Livestock Pass (Ag Pass) program to return to an evacuated area to help when the threat diminishes.