By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2023 (Ramona) – Andrea Ortiz,44, a single mom with three daughters, was on her way to work Nov. 28  around 7:30 a.m. when a pickup truck crossed the center line on State Route 78 in Ramona. It head-on into Ortiz’s vehicle, which rolled down an embankment. She died at the scene.

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2023 (La Mesa) – An online petition started by Keep  La  Mesa Beautiful in opposition to the city’s plan to allow electronic billboards has attracted 338 signatures sent it launched on November 21.  Now, the new owner of Grossmont Center has sent a letter to the city’s mayor and city council opposing two proposed e-billboards along I-8 as detrimental to the regional shopping mall.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Erik Talavera at rally; screenshot from video by ECM media partner 10 News

View deputies’ body camera footage of the shooting (warning, disturbing content):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WErLDy2sSzc 

November 30, 2023 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man who suffered permanent injuries from being shot 16 times has filed a lawsuit against San Diego County and two Sheriff’s deputies who opened fire. 

The civil lawsuit filed by Erik Talavera alleges that deputies David Lovejoy and Jonathan Young gave conflicting commands and used excessive force and negligence during the incident in El Cajon on Feb.16, 2022. The deputies were cleared of criminal wrongdoing following an investigation by the District Attorney.

East County News Service

November 27, 2023 (Dulzura) – A San Diego man, 29, sustained fatal injuries in a collision that occurred yesterday at 10:29 a.m. in Dulzura. The man was driving a 2004 Suzuki GSXR motorcycle eastbound on State Route 94, west of State Route 188 (Tecate Road) when he crossed double yellow lines and crashed into a 2015 Kia Sorrento.

East County News Service

November 26, 2023 (San Diego) – Mild to moderate Santa Ana winds will continue through Monday in San Diego’s mountains, valleys and deserts. Rain is possible the latter half of this week, due to a low pressure trough over the West Coast.

There is a 20 percent chance of an inch or more of rain latter this week and a 50 percent chance of at least a quarter inch of precipitation, the National Weather Service predicts.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photos and video courtesy of San Diego Sheriff's Department

November 25, 2023 (San Diego) - Two new state-of-the-art helicopters joined the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department air fleet as part of the department’s commitment to safeguarding communities.

Update  4:53 p.m.  from the Sheriff:  An evacuation order related to the #SageFire in Jamul has been lifted. The fire started in the 3300 block of Lorrel Place just before 2:00 p.m. @CALFIRESANDIEGO personnel are making progress with the fire. @SDSheriff ASTREA/helicopter also made water drops. SR-94 between Vista Sage and Rancho Miguel Roads will be closed for a few more hours and will reopen with one lane only through the night as crews mop up at the scene. Drive carefully and be mindful of first responders and fire equipment in the area.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, right, by Jeff Harrison

November 23, 2023 (Jamul) --  Mandatory evacuations have been ordered by CalFire due to the #SageFire. which started this afternoon near Highway 94 and Vista Sage in the Jamul/Spring Valley area has burned 30-35 acres and is spreading at a critical rate of speed, fueled by Santa Ana winds.  Highway 94 is being shut down between Steele Canyon and Lyons Valley Road.

Structures are threatened and vehicles are being escorted out to evacuate.  If you are evacuatiing from Jamul, use Otay Lake Rd., Proctor Valley ro Japatul Valley Rd.

November 21, 2023 (Santee) -- A woman has been arrested in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a child in Santee.

On Monday, November 20 just before 6 p.m., a woman tried to remove a one-year-old child from a shopping cart in the 100 block of Town Center Parkway. The suspect was not successful, since the child was secured in the cart with a lap belt. She then took off on foot heading south toward Mission Gorge Road. Despite a thorough search of the area by Sheriff's Deputies and a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter, the suspect was not located.

Detectives from the Santee Sheriff's Station immediately began investigating the incident. On Tuesday, November 21 around 7:30 p.m., detectives arrested Isela Ortega, 21,  in the 400 block of Orsett Street in Chula Vista.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San DIego Online News Association

Photo:  Rep. Sara Jacobs speaks on the House floor this week. Screenshot from video

November 20, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) - Rep. Sara Jacobs on Saturday criticized plans by Israel to expand the war against Hamas terrorists into southern Gaza, calling instead for a bilateral ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages.

Parade site claims event will return in 2024, but city manager says foundation is “defunct” ; tax records reveal financial troubles

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2023 (El Cajon) – For the fourth year in a row, there will be no Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon. An ECM investigation into the El Cajon Valley Mother Goose Parade Association reveals troubling findings, including financial losses, consulting fees paid out with no tangible results, the association's donation page taken down, and no apparent fundraising events. The parade association’s officers have refused  to respond to media questions.

The El Cajon Valley Mother Goose Parade Association website claims, “This beloved event shall be re-imagined as a new classic in 2024.”  If true, why wouldn't they respond to media inquiries to publicize ways that the public could support the parade?

The parade, a tradition since 1947, has long been billed as the largest parade of its type west of the Mississippi. It went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.  In 2022, the website announced cancellation of a live parade due to “unprecedented staffing, logistics and supply chain challenges” but promised that the annual tradition” will be back bigger and better than ever in 2023.” 

That didn’t happen, and the lack of transparency raises serious questions over whether there will be a parade in 2024, or ever again--unless the public steps forward to save the parade and provide a fairy-tale resolution.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Councilman Gary Kendrick with his late dog, Ocho.

November 15, 2023 (El Cajon)—By a unanimous vote,  El Cajon City Council members approved allocating $30,000 for the Humane Society to provide shelter for dogs belonging to homeless people for up to 30 days, providing the person enters a program for the homeless. The individual can choose any homeless program, in El Cajon or elsewhere, to help them get off the streets.  The measure also funds up to $2,000 in veterinary care per pet.

“It’s removing one more barrier to getting people off the street,” says Councilman Gary Kendrick, who introduced the measure, noting that local homeless shelters won’t accept pets.  “A lot are saying, `I don’t want to lose my dog, so I won’t go into a program.”

The homeless person can retrieve their dog from the Humane Society after they complete a program in 30 days, or sooner if they choose.  “They can leave the program and get their dog bag at any time,” assures Kendrick, a dog owner.

A new law requires K-12 schools to add media literacy to curriculum for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies. Among the lessons will be recognizing fake news.

By Carolyn Jones, Cal Matters

Photo:  St. HOPE Public School 7 Elementary in Sacramento used some of its stimulus funds to buy laptops for students. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

 November 15,2023 (Sacramento, CA) -- Pushing back against the surge of misinformation online, California will now require all K-12 students to learn media literacy skills — such as recognizing fake news and thinking critically about what they encounter on the internet. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom last month signed Assembly Bill 873, which requires the state to add media literacy to curriculum frameworks for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies, rolling out gradually beginning next year. Instead of a stand-alone class, the topic will be woven into existing classes and lessons throughout the school year.

By Miriam Raftery

November 14, 2023 (San Diego) – San Diego Padres chairman and owner Pete Seidler, beloved by fans for investing in star players and bringing the team to the National League Championship playoffs last year, died today at age 63.

Asked by a reporter last year about the Padres’ 2023 payroll, Seidler replied with a smile, ”I kind of like spending money. You can’t take it with you." 

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the family’s plan is for the Padres to remain in Seidler’s family for generations.

Padres CEO Erik Greupner stated in a press release that the Padres are mourning the loss of their “beloved” chairman, whom he recalled as a “kind and generous man” devoted to his family as well as for having a “heartfelt compassion for others, especially those less fortunate.  His impact on the city of San Diego and the baseball world will be felt for generations. His generous spirit is now firmly embedded in the fabric of the Padres.”

By Miriam Raftery

November 12, 2023 (Campo, CA) – A former Los Angeles Police Department officer convicted of rape was arrested by Border Patrol agents on November 6 in Campo for human smuggling. The convicted felon was also in possession of a ghost gun.

A local resident reported seeing human smuggling near the border involving an older model SUV. A agent responded and found a vehicle matching the description. The driver told the agent that he was an LAPD lieutenant and presented what appeared to be an LAPD badge, according to a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Department’s San Diego sector.

The agent saw four people in the back seat of the SUV and conducted an immigration inspection. The individuals, three women and a man, told the agent that they had recently crossed the U.S./ Mexico border illegally. The agent placed the driver and passengers under arrest and transported them to a nearby Border Patrol station.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 9, 2023 (San Diego) - The Board of Supervisors voted to continue a temporary program set to expire in 2024 that supports home cooking as a small business. It also expanded the earning potential for its participants.