By Miriam Raftery

January 6, 2019 (La Mesa) – At the La Mesa City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 19^th, Mayor Mark Arapostathis will deliver his state of the city speech. Afterwards, the Council agenda includes several hot topics.

Council will hear a report on the independent investigation into a controversial use of force by a La Mesa Police school resources officer at Helix High School in January of last year. A video showed the officer knocking a handcuffed female student to the ground.  According to the city, the student declined to speak with the independent investigator and has filed a lawsuit against La Mesa.  

Council will also hear results of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program and vote on whether to accept the report, which includes a 2019 work plan and ranked list of streets for traffic calming measures.

Council will also hear appeals involving two medical marijuana dispensary applications. 

By Janis Mork and Miriam Raftery

Julian Rudd-Falls, Mark Gavit also contributed to this report

January 15, 2014 (La Mesa)- Students, faculty and community leaders turned out to celebrate yesterday’s dedication of the new performing arts complex at Helix Charter School.  The new center features a spacious theater, a black box room for smaller productions, dance room, a digital music lab, choir room, scene shop, and prop storage.

The dedication opened with students playing bag pipes and included the official ribbon cutting by Helix executive director Dr. Mike Lewis, a tour, speeches by education leaders and elected officials, and a dramatic musical performance from some of the students. 

“This landmark facility will benefit our students for many years,” said Grossmont Union High School District  (GUHSD) Superintendent Ralf Swensen.

February 14, 2013--(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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• Ramona solar farm wins approval (UT San Diego)
• RCPG Chair says County getting mixed signals from Ramona residents on housing projects (Ramona Patch)
• Ruling puts SD pension overhaul in doubt  (U-T San Diego)
• Local DMV Staffers Were Bribed $100,000 for Driver’s Licenses, Feds Say (La Mesa Patch)
• San Diego Hospice faces critical moment (U-T San Diego)
• Boxer Wants Probe Into Equipment Problems At Troubled San Onofre Nuclear Plant
• Helix Star RB Michael Adkins Will Play Football for the Colorado Buffaloes (La Mesa Patch)
• Santee Farmer’s Market to move west (Santee Patch)
• Council acting on well at Town Center despite other claims to water  (Santee Patch)

STATE

• Christopher Dorner's charred body is positively identified  (Los Angeles Times)
• Controller: California is $4.3 billion ahead of forecast in January (Sacramento Bee)
• Governor Brown, Republicans float proposals to change fire fees (Sacramento Bee)
• California Seeks To Adopt Nation's Toughest Gun Laws (KPBS)
• Environmental groups, unions team up to resist CEQA push (Sacramento Bee)
• Many in Calif. Rely On Contaminated Water Sources (KPBS)
• Delta Smelt Deaths Means Less Water for Central and Southern California (KPBS)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

November 1, 2012  --  (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• The end is near (Turko Files helps bring end to Alpine Blvd. repaving nightmare)
• The Mayoral candidate scorecard, general election edition (Voice of San Diego)
• For Filner, it’s always sunny in San Diego  (Voice of San Diego)
• Filner’s travel becomes campaign issue(UT San Diego)
• The 2012 elections:  vital issues that affect Latinos (San Diego Free Press)
• Supervisors could end $1,000 limit on contributions (KPBS)
• Helix Highlander band takes first place (La Mesa Today)
• Tesla stores challenge auto dealerships (U-T San Diego)
• ACLU sues over photo restrictions at border (Sacramento Bee)
• Spring Valley grocery worker is poster child for New York Times story (La Mesa Patch)
• From Sex Dolls to Staged Garbage: The Election's Worst Campaign Dirt

STATE

• Debunked: 6 lies that Biotech and Big Food are telling voters about Prop 37 (San Diego Free Press)
• CA Charter schools grow to over 1,000 for 2012-13 (U-T San Diego)
• Court says Arizona group must provide information in CA election (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

September 6, 2012  --  (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 top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• La Mesa-Spring Valley schools face cuts of $12.5 million  if tax vote fails (La Mesa Patch)
• Wages in San Diego not rising fast enough (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa City Council Candidates (La Mesa Courier)
• 10 privatization fact checks (Voice of San Diego)
• 21 homes red-tagged: What to expect from classic Brawley earthquake swarm  (NBC)
• Recruiting allegations haunt Helix, defending state football champions (Mt. Helix Patch.com)

STATE

• California jobs picture brightens (Sacramento Bee)
• Gov. Brown promotes Prop 30, warns of devastating cuts to education if it fails (Santee Patch)
• Most tax deals die as GOP stands united (UT San Diego)
• Self-driving cars approved by California legislature (CNBC)
• California way behind Germany in solar development (KCET)
• Three races could tip the balance of power in state Legislature (Sacramento Bee)
• U.S. Chamber launches ad attacking California budget, economy (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

• Regional Chamber of Commerce paints hopeful picture of economic recovery (Ramona Patch)
• SD Unified bringing back all laid off teachers (Voice of San Diego)
• Switching on SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink (UTSanDiego)
• New initiative launches in San Diego to reclaim science’s role in policy decisions (KPBS)
• Helix leader Rani Goyal got $56,000 severance in settlement deal (La Mesa Patch)
• The Starting Line: SDG&E’s Trojan Horse (San Diego Free Press)
• UT CEO’s last media company sold interviews (CityBeat)
• Man fatally stabbed in unincorporated La Mesa (La Mesa Patch)

• California Dems resist Gov. Brown’s welfare plans (San Jose Mercury News)
• California schools facing shorter year (Sacramento Bee)
• Viewpoint: Voters have a right to know how much loopholes are costing state (Sacramento Bee)

• Community meeting discussing Quail Brush Power Plant Feb. 28 (Santee Patch)
• Grossmont expands school enrollment choices for some (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego Gas & Electric wants you to pay for its negligence (San Diego Reader)
• Nature reclaims local cold war relic (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Hunter introduces bill to name Ramona Post Office after Mac McWilliams (Ramona Patch)
• Helix claims Hills League title with tiebreaking victory over Grossmont (La Mesa Patch)
• Veterans recover from war wounds on the farm (MSNBC)
• SDPD Oversight Board Faces Favoritism Accusations
   

• Prop 8 backers seek review of gay marriage case (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry Brown:  California to reopen trade offices in China (Sacramento Bee)

December 3, 2011 (San Diego East County) -- Beginning December 6, the schools in the Grossmont Union High School District will be presenting their winter concerts. Each school has a different program, and has different features highlighted. Many schools will have band, choir, and orchestra performances. While individual schools will have dance, clubs, guitar, or performances unique to the school.

by Christopher Mohr

October 25th, 2010 (La Mesa) - Domination. That word best describes how the Highlanders of Helix High School played last Friday night (10/22) in their homecoming game at Jim Arnaiz Field against the Foothillers of Grossmont High School. Not only did the Foothillers not score in this game, they could not get a first down from their own effort until near the end of the third quarter. The Highlanders' offense was as good at scoring points as their defense was at denying them and the end result was a 41-0 blowout win.