View South Africa video

View Zulu Nyala video

September 7, 2023  (La Mesa) –Tickets are now on sale for our “Taste of Africa” event!  The festivities will be Sunday, October 8 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center in the Arbor Room (4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941).

Join us for a fun-filled evening including tastes of African cuisine from local African restaurants and caterers, African dancers and drummers, DJ and dancing, speakers including wildlife conservation leader Coe Lewis of NSEFU and Assembly member Akilah Weber, Africa videos Community Champion awards, raffle, live and silent auction.

The grand prizes are six-night photo safari packages for two at Zulu Nyala - a fabulous private wildlife preserve in South Africa! Other live auction prizes include a larimar bracelet, wine basket, hand-crafted ukelele with African theme, camping gear, and more.

Our raffle and silent auction is huge with many gift certificates and gift baskets from local restaurants, stores, wineries and other vendors, as well as hand-crafted African items and more.

Suggested attire:  African themed (animal print fabric, traditional African, safari wear, or tropical)

Get tickets now! We are nearly sold out.  Questions? Call 619-698-7617

Restaurant to be featured at East County Magazine’s “Taste of Africa” Oct. 8

By: Jessyka Heredia

September 29, 2023 (City Heights) -- Ethiopian cuisine is known for spicy meats and savory vegetable dishes. Red Sea Restaurant located at 4717 University Ave in City heights has authentic cuisine and a traditional experience the diner might have if they had traveled all the way to Ethiopia. Red Sea restaurant is the oldest Ethiopian restaurant here in San Diego, according to its website. Look no further for a true Ethiopian delight!

East County News Service

September 30, 2023 (El Cajon) – The East County Economic Development Council is excited to announce the return of its annual East County Manufacturing Expo in collaboration with the national Creators Wanted campaign. This year's theme, "Explore, Create, and Innovate - What Does A Future In Manufacturing Look Like?" promises to bring together industry leaders, educators, and aspiring creators on October 3rd, 2023.  

East County News Service

September 30, 2023 (El Cajon) –  A homeless sex offender exposed himself to a  66-year-old woman waiting at a bus stop in El Cajon on Sept.22 at 1 p.m.

According to Lt. Jeremiah Larson, the suspect told the woman he would not hurt her. The victim ran towards people nearby and asked for help to call police. Officers arrived and arrested  ClarenceWhite,62, for indecent exposure.

By Michelle Rains

September 29, 2023 (Ramona)-- As the owner of a bar and restaurant in Ramona, I can personally attest to how difficult California’s business environment can be. Starting a business involves balancing budgets, building customer relationships, hiring and training quality employees, creating a welcoming environment; these are the challenges I signed up for. However, in California, there is an added level of difficulty complying with the many different laws and regulations that can dictate a business’s everyday operations.

East County News Service

 

September 28, 2023 (Spring Valley) -- A man is in custody in connection with a shooting in Spring Valley. The shooting happened on September 4 around 1:00 a.m. near the 10000 block of Chavacan Lane. 

Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station arrived at the location and found over a dozen gun casings, along with multiple bullet holes to a nearby home. No one was hurt

By Miriam Raftery

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Trump Tower in New York, Creative Commons 3.0 image by Bin im Garten

September 29, 2023 (New York, NY) --  Donald Trump and his sons Eric and Don Jr. stand to lose their business empire, after New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ruled that the company repeatedly violated the state’s fraud laws. The judge found that the Trumps  inflated the value of their assets by billions of dollars to get favorable loans and insurance terms, while claiming far lower values on the same properties when it suited them to do so.

For example, Trump valued his Mar-a-Lago golf club at $714  million on his annual financial statements, even though a tax assessor estimated its value at must $18 million. Trump even listed the size of his Mar-a-Lago  penthouse at 30,000 square feet, instead of its actual size—just 10,000 square feet, according to the civil fraud lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Judge Engoron has ordered business certificates for Trump’s New York properties cancelled and ordered independent receivers be appointed within 10 days to manage dissolving the companies, which could include selling off the assets. Trump could be entitled to money from any such sale.

September 28, 2023 (Jamul) -- Connie Nierodzinski will be celebrating 90 years of life in December. She and her late husband, Joe, celebrated 61 years together and were long-time residents in Jamul since 1963. She and Joe established their home in the back country hills of Lawson Valley, where they raised eight children. Connie was a long-time member of the St. Pius X Catholic Church and participated in many church-sponsored parades and gymkhanas.

 In 1991, Connie was nominated by Bud and Blossom Snively and honored by the community and County Supervisor Diane Jacobs as Woman of the Year for her 25 years of leadership at the helm of the robust Jamul Chaparros 4-H Club founded in 1970. The youth organization flourished and was well recognized over the years throughout San Diego County.  

Connie inspired volunteerism, community, and hard work. As a mother of a busy household and leader of a very active youth organization, her skills as a teacher, seamstress, homemaker, medic, goose whisperer, chicken-feather plucker, goat catcher, pig wrangler, hair braider, cheese maker, tortilla roller, food preservationist, driver of the big red truck, farmer and gardener were always at the ready.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Gene Carpenter

September 28,2023 (La Mesa) – Last night, the La  Mesa City Council voted 4-1 to ask staff to prepare a revised RFP (request for proposals) for digital billboards, with Councilman Jack Shu opposed.

The action reverse a July 25 vote, when Council rejected a similar proposal by a 3-2 vote. The major difference? The new plan would provide that any revenues the city receives off digital billboards for the first five years would be spent equally on police, fire protection, and the arts, said Councilman Colin Parent, who introduced the revised measure.

Several people showed up before the meeting with protest signs, such as “Keep digital billboards out of  La Mesa,” though some others spoke in support.

By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 28, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- The Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) program that supports people confronting mental health struggles is getting a multi-million-dollar boost. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Trustee Gary Woods has drawn heat for his comment sugesting that a mental health services provider axed by the district after a public comment over counseling of LGBTQ+  students did not reflect "East County values."

September 27, 2023  (El Cajon)—Two trustees, a candidate, parents and students are speaking out to sharply criticize the Grossmont Union High School District’s board majority for voting against renewing a contract with San Diego Youth Services, the district’s long-time mental health services provider.

SDYS provided two programs for the district:  on-site clinicians seeing students referred by teachers over mental health concerns, and a suicide prevention program.

The action came after a July 20 board meeting at which Cajon Valley School Board Member Anthony Carnevale told GUHSD trustees that he had asked the chief executive director of SDYS whether students could receive talks or referrals on gender-change surgery and transition. Carnevale stated, “He did not answer my question and asked if I did not want LGBTQ+ students receiving care.”  Carnevale said his district had ended its contract with the organization, NBC San Diego reports.