By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CC via Bing

September 10, 2021 (Spring Valley) – The latest in a long string of raids on illegal marijuana dispensaries in Spring Valley occurred yesterday morning at 645 Grand Avenue.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: Powerlines, creative commons image via Bing

September 6, 2021 (San Diego) -- San Diego County Supervisors held a hearing on August 31^st on public safety power shutoffs. Chairman Nathan Fletcher emphasized the importance of this “timely issue” in light of wildfire concerns.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Update Sept. 6, 2021 9:45 a.m.  All evacuation orders have been lifted; the fire is 30% contained this morning.

Update Sept. 5, 2021 9:40 p.m.  Forward spread has been stopped; the #ArubaFire is 15% contained, Cal Fire posted on Twitter with this video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1434722088250589189

September 5, 2021 (Rainbow) -- Cal Fire and cooperators are at the scene of a vegetation fire, southeast of the community of Rainbow in northeast San DIego County. The fire is approximately 40-50 acres with a moderate rate of spread. 

Evacuation orders are now in effect for areas in the community.  A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Vallecitos Elementary School.

East County News Service

Photo: creative comments image by NC-ND via Bing

September 3, 2021 (Spring Valley) -- Yesterday around 7;30 a.m., San Diego County Sheriff’s detectives executed a search warrant at an illegal marijuana dispensary located at 9966 Dolores Street in Spring Valley.

Supervisorial district 2 may be split due to population increase; urban and rural residents voice concerns

By Mike Allen

Photo:  Ramah Awad of Majdal Center in El Cajon provides comment to the county’s Independent Redistricting Commission.

August 30, 2021 (El Cajon) -- The process of redrawing boundaries for San Diego County’s five supervisorial districts is underway and the independent commission that will determine those lines visited El Cajon Aug. 26 to listen to the public.

By Miriam Raftery

August 24, 2021 (San Diego) – How should redistricting lines be drawn for San Diego County’s supervisorial district?  The County of San Diego Independent Redistricting Commission is hosting pre-mapping public hearings to hear from residents.  The hearings will be held both in-personal and virtually online. 

For East County residents in District 2, currently represented by Joel Anderson, a hearing is set for Thursday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 E. Douglas Ave. in El Cajon. Meeting link for Aug. 26 El Cajon hearing.

Other hearings are slated for other districts, as well as a general hearing on Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. in Spring Valley

Below is the full schedule of upcoming events and locations:

East County News Service

Photo by Barry Jantz

August 20, 2021 (Jamul) -- The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) today announced the approval of $21,652 in reimbursements to help the County of San Diego cover the costs of operating a Local Assistance Center (LAC), as well as the removal and replacement of five road signs following last year's Valley Fire. The fire started in the Japatul area near Alpine and burned 20 residential structures as far south as Jamul. 

 The reimbursements represent the state's 75-percent share of the county's $28,870 in costs related to the work that are eligible under the California Disaster Assistance Act following California Governor Gavin Newsom's State of Emergency Proclamation on September 26, 2020.

Source:  San Diego Sheriff

August 17, 2021 (Spring Valley) - On Friday around 7 a.m., detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET), with the assistance of San Diego Sheriff Deputies from the Santee Patrol Station's Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (C.O.P.P.S.) Unit, San Diego Sheriff Deputies from the Lakeside Patrol Station's Crime Suppression Team (CST) and San Diego Sheriff's deputies from the Special Enforcement Detail (SED) served search warrants at two illegal marijuana dispensaries. One dispensary was located on the 600 block of Grand Avenue in Spring Valley and the other dispensary was located on the 700 block of Grand Avenue in Spring Valley. 

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Jonathan Goetz also contributed to this report

Photo courtesy of Cal Fire

August 11, 2021 (Lawson Valley-East County) - A fire broke out on Tuesday, August 10, around 6 p.m. that destroyed a home on Lyons Creek Lane just east of Jamul.

According to a tweet sent out by Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire they arrived at the scene of a fully involved structure fire that spread to the surrounding vegetation.  The forward rate of spread of the vegetation fire was stopped at one acre. The fire was off Lyons Creek Lane in the community of Lawson Valley.  It was known as the #LyonsFire.

The firefighters stopped the spread by using water and retardant drops using airplanes and helicopters in approximately 40 minutes.

East County Magazine Wildfire & Emergency Alerts broke the story (Twitter: @eastcountyalert) thanks to Nadin Abbott, who issued live updates to our twitter followers. Prompt coverage on fires in Jamul can save lives as many areas have only one way in/out.

No humans or animals were injured. The cause of the fire was not disclosed at this time. 

If you have photos, details, or an eyewitness account on this or any local emergency please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org

Thanks to the Grossmont Healthcare District and San Diego Regional Fire Foundation for their generous sponsorship of our East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts!

Volunteers are needed at Meals on Wheels 

By Miriam Raftery

“We have really nothing to give our youth, nothing to pass down. All we have are false promises. These windmills are supposed to bring us some glimmer of hope, but all they’ve brought us are despair.” –Tribal elder Denis Largo

August 7, 2021 (Campo) – U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Backcountry Against Dumps, a local citizens’ group, against the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior. The lawsuit sought to challenge the agencies’ approval of Terra Gen’s Campo Wind project on the Campo Indian reservation.

East County News Service

July 28, 2021 (Spring Valley)—Isak Espino, 25, was arrested yesterday and charged with the murder last month of Dante Lopez. Espino is the second suspect charged with murder in the case; George Gomez III, 21, was arrested on July 14. Both suspects are from San Diego.

By Briana Gomez

July 24, 2021 (Spring Valley) -- A group of people led by Victoria Abrenica, founder and president of the Spring Valley cleanup crew, met Friday at the Tijuana River Valley for a large-scale cleanup of the land.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Cc via Bing

July 18, 2021 (Spring Valley) – A body has been found inside a mobile home at the Sweetwater Lodge Motor Home Park, 10707 Jamacha Blvd., unit 80 in Spring Valley. A 14-year-old escaped a fire shortly before midnight last night, but told Sheriff’s deputies that his grandmother did not make it out.

According to 619 News Media, the juvenile was screaming for help and neighbors tried to enter the residence by kicking a door and pulling windows open before firefighters from San Miguel Fire and Rescue arrived, but were unable to do so due to smoke and flames. View video.

East County News Service

Photo: cc via Bing

July 18, 2021 (spring Valley) – Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a 21-year-old man, George Gomez III, as a suspect in the murder of Dante Lopez, 42.  Lopez, a San Diego resident was fatally shot on July 11 near the intersection of Elkelton Boulevard and Crestmore Avenue in Spring Valley.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting at 11:15 p.m. on July 11 and found the victim, attempting lifesaving efforts until fire personnel arrived. Lopez was taken to a hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.