February 15, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Supervisor Floating Big Changes to County Leadership (Voice of SD)
• Congressman Juan Vargas denied access to Otay Mesa Detention Center during oversight visit ((KGTV)
• San Diego City Council leaders propose suspending paid parking at Balboa Park for residents (10 News)
• An Urgent Proposal for Reforming How Safety Information Reaches the Public (San Diego Slackers)
• The plan to build a massive data center in Imperial County — without environmental review  (KPBS)
• San Diego sues federal agencies over razor wire fencing on city land (Cal Matters)
• Five questions with David Lampley: Building Jacumba’s musical oasis in the desert (Times of San Diego)
• Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino returning to position in El Centro: Sources (ABC)
• San Diego expands free parking for city residents in Balboa Park  (KPBS)
• Where to celebrate Lunar New Year 2026 in San Diego (KPBS)
• San Diego Skater To Bring Disney Magic Home In Disney On Ice Tour (Patch.com)

STATE

• California ballot proposal would exempt seniors from paying property taxes (CBS 8) 
• ICE Secretly Leases Space In Advance Of Minneapolis-Style CA Surge: Report (Patch)
• Judge blocks California's ban on federal agents wearing masks but requires badges be clearly seen (AP)
• California bill aims to prevent teachers, police from getting jobs if they worked for ICE (Fox KTVU)
• Gray wolf roams into north LA County for the first time in more than a century (ABC 7)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

February 14, 2026 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• A ‘shadow CDC’ is scrambling to fill gaps in public health data  (Scientific American)
• California to join WHO health network in rebuke of Trump (Politico)
• Measles cases on the rise across California as health officials urge vaccination (KCRA)
• Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine (AP)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• ICE's chilling new social media strategy uncovered as expert slams 'insidious' policy (The Mirror US)
• Inspector General Investigating Whether ICE's Surveillance Tech Breaks the Law (404 Media)
• FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled (404 Media)
• Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash (AP)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

February 14, 2026 (Spring Valley) – “The main goal is to connect people and build inspiration. We have a lot of talented people here n Spring Valley from many walks of life, with many different talents, and we just want to bring them together,” says Chris Pierce, President of the Spring Valley Community Alliance said of the first-ever Spring Valley Changemakers Summit slated for Thursday, February 19 at the STEAM Academy (1001 Leland Street, Spring Valley) starting at 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature numerous community organizations, networking opportunities, appetizers and an improv comedy show. In an interview with ECM editor Miriam Raftery aired on KNSJ radio, Pierce shared details about the summit, new initiatives in Spring Valley, and more.  Hear full interview, or scroll down for highlights.

By Paul Levikow 

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

February 13, 2026 (Sacramento) – A tax aimed at charging motorists per miles driven may be coming to California. Or not. The State Assembly last month voted to approve a bill and send it to the State Senate that calls for the continuation of a study on the feasibility of a so-called mileage tax that could charge drivers anywhere from 6 to 9 cents per mile.

Photo courtesy SDFC

By Karen Pearlman

Feb. 11, 2026 (San Diego) -- Fresh off a victory in Mexico City, San Diego FC is shifting its focus back to home turf as the club prepares for its 2026 Major League Soccer season opener on Saturday, Feb. 21 against CF Montréal at Snapdragon Stadium.

Tickets for the match, which starts at 7:30 p.m. are available here. The team is also currently running a giveaway where fans can win two tickets. Visit the SDFC website here for information on the promotion.

SDFC is entering its second year in the MLS not as an unproven expansion side, but as the defending Western Conference regular-season champions looking to continue its status as a North American powerhouse.

East County News Service

February 10, 2026 (Santee) -- Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Kirsten Vital Brulte has sent a letter to District Attorney Summer Stephan expressing full support for her appeal of the San Diego Superior Court’s decision to grant a recall and resentencing hearing for Charles “Andy” Williams, the perpetrator of the 2001 Santana High School shooting.

By Paul Levikow

View video of Gary Kendrick's announcement.

February 9, 2026 (El Cajon) – El Cajon City Councilman Gary Kendrick, a life-long Republican, announced Monday that he is switching his party affiliation and joining the Democratic Party. Kendrick made the declaration at a news conference in front of El Cajon City Hall surrounded by supporters and Democratic Party officials.

He cited the city’s resolution passed last year announcing El Cajon’s intent to have local police officers collaborate with federal immigration officials in violation of state law as one of the reasons he made the switch.

“As the longest-serving Republican in municipal office in San Diego County, I cannot ignore the Republican Party’s betrayal of our immigrant community, nor its disastrous impacts on the people of El Cajon,” Kendrick said. “Forcing our police to break the law sends the wrong message to El Cajon residents and erodes the public’s trust in our law enforcement officers.  Victims and witnesses in our most vulnerable communities are scared to talk to the police, because they might have a friend or a relative with undocumented status—or they worry they’ll be targeted because of the way they look.”

Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and Foundation receive $655,000 in federal budget to expand support to low-income and underemployed adults

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

February 9, 2026 (El Cajon) -  Last week, upon approval of the most recent Congressional budget bill, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges were included to receive $655,000 for the District’s Pathways for Adults to Career Training (PACT) program to expand efforts in East County to upskill low-income adults, and to upgrade Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges’ Child Development Centers and Basic Needs Programs.

By Alexander J Schorr

Councilmember Gary Kendrick addresses crowd in El Cajon

February 8, 2026 (El Cajon) — An El Cajon Council meeting has once again set the stage for heightened tensions between the public and elected officials over the federal government’s crackdown on immigrants the violence committed by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).

At a rally outside before last Tuesday’s  meeting, Councilmember Gary Kendrick denounced the killings in Minneapolis of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by ICE and Border Patrol agents. El Cajon residents protested outside Council Chambers and continued to voice outrage. He also noted that the state of California won a court challenge filed against SB 54 by the Trump administration. 

East County News Service