
East County Magazine

Get RAMped up and ready for a new radio station out of Borrego Springs
Graphic courtesy Ram Media Foundation By Karen Pearlman Feb. 1, 2026 (Borrego Springs) – K-RAM 90.5 FM is hitting the airwaves this week. After years…

La Mesa City Council unanimously approves changes to sidewalk dining guidelines
“This is so critical to La Mesa and to our businesses.” – Councilmember Laura Lothian By Armando Rasing II Photo by Miriam Raftery: Outdoor dining…

Treat your sweetheart to Valentine’s chocolate and wine at San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa
East County News Service January 26, 2026 (La Mesa) – San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa invites you to enjoy an evening of wines paired with artisan gourmet chocolates by Swete Petite Confections on February 12 and 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Printer-friendly version

Immigration arrests quietly surge by 1,500% in San Diego: ‘I feel the temperature rising’
By Wendy Fry and Natasha Uzcategui-Liggett, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Photo: members of Unión del Barrio gather by flashlight in the predawn hours before patrolling the Linda Vista neighborhood in San Diego on Jan. 13, 2026. The group by alerts residents to the presence of ICE agents in the community. Photo by John Gastaldo for

Immigration arrests quietly surge by 1,500% in San Diego: ‘I feel the temperature rising’
By Wendy Fry and Natasha Uzcategui-Liggett, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters . Sign up for their newsletters. Photo: members of Unión del…

Outrage over Minnesota killings of citizens by federal agents grows; NRA, politicians on left and right weigh in
By Miriam Raftery Screenshot from bystander’s video: Border Patrol agent takes aim at Alex Pretti, a VA nurse who was shot nine times at point-blank…

Thousands of San Diegans join marches to support Minneapolis
By Brooke Binkowski, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association Photo: Hundreds marched on Sunday in an interfaith show…

Thousands of San Diegans join marches to support Minneapolis
By Brooke Binkowski, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association Photo: Hundreds marched on Sunday in an interfaith show of support for people on the ground in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego January 26, 2026 (San Diego) – San Diegans joined marches all over the county on Sunday, offering a show of

A sweet and Grand (Avenue) time in Escondido with the Chocolate Festival
East County News Service Jan. 22, 2026 (Escondido) – Wrappers will crinkle and corks will pop next month along Grand Avenue in Escondido. The Escondido Chocolate Festival is set for Feb 7, turning the city’s historic downtown into a literal moveable feast for those with a sweet tooth, a penchant for chocolate pairings and an appreciation for local flair. Hosted by the Escondido

Fort Cross brings ‘Old Timey’ adventure to Julian region
East County News Service Jan. 22, 2026 (Santa Ysabel) – A family farm in the Julian mountains is bringing back its popular guided tour that brings rustic adventure and recreation education to the outdoors. Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures will host its popular Farm Tour Adventure on Jan. 31, a high-energy, two-hour guided circuit at its farm, nestled in the scenic landscape of
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Local leaders voice concerns over Afghans facing threats to safety amid new restrictions in wake of D.C. National Guard shooting
By Miriam Raftery Photos: Tazheem Nizam, CAIR San Diego executive director, and Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac December 17, 2025 (San Diego) – Local community leaders who have worked to help Afghan refugees are speaking out over new restrictions imposed on Afghan immigrants following the shooting of two National Guard member in Washington D.C. on November 26 by Rahmanullah Lakanal,

County share: Sustainability hacks during the holiday season
Sustainable gifts are always in. Photo from Pexels.com East County News Service Dec. 10, 2025 (San Diego County) — Going green and being sustainable poses some challenges, and can be especially difficult to navigate during the holiday season. Gving and receiving gifts and packages of all makes and models — and most come with wrapping of all types — plus

Gifts and love from The Karen Cooper Foundation for dogs at the San Diego Humane Society
Photo from The Karen Cooper Foundation gift sharing for dogs courtesy San Diego Humane Society East County News Service Dec. 9, 2025 (San Diego) — Christmas arrived a few weeks early for more than 600 dogs at the San Diego Humane Society. Thanks to the generosity of The Karen Cooper Foundation, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, every dog under the SDHS’ care received

Buon appetite! New Gino & Gianni’s Pizzeria by Mamma Mia in La Mesa offers artful and delicious dining experiences
By Heidi Hope December 2, 2025 (La Mesa) – Gino & Gianni’s Pizzeria by Mamma Mia, a new pizza restaurant in La Mesa, evokes Italian ambience from delicious food to images of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel paintings on the ceiling. As a huge pizza enthusiast, I appreciated the variety of pizzas on their menu. I savored the Mamma Mia Signature, consisting of

East County Magazine’s “Feasting and Merrymaking” holiday party December 7
December 1, 2025 (La Mesa) – ‘Tis the season to be jolly—so East County Magazine is hosting a “feasting and merrymaking” holiday party this Sunday, December 7 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at a private Mt. Helix home. The party is open to all subscribers—and subscriptions to our e-newsletter is free! Subscribe. Cost is just $20 and bring a

Destination East County: Dreamy December events to remember
East County News Service Listen to an audio version of this story. November 30, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – ‘Tis the season to be jolly—and there’s plenty of merry events coming up in December across East County! Festivities include a stage production of “’‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” in La Mesa, Pine Valley’s Camp Christmas holiday lighting extravaganza, the

Holiday season safety tips & reminders from the California Fire Foundation and PSA program
Source: California Fire Foundation November 29, 2025 (San Diego) – The holiday season is a time of joy, family gatherings, and cherished traditions. As families across California prepare for festive celebrations, it’s essential to prioritize safety—especially in a state prone to wildfires. Here are some key holiday safety tips from the California Fire Foundation: 1. Kitchen Safety The kitchen is

Artists from St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center to show off skills
East County News Service Nov. 28, 2025 (El Cajon) — The holiday spirit is already brightening up downtown El Cajon, with St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center and its Sophie’s Gallery again central to the vibe. Next month, St. Madeleine Sophie’s is inviting the community to meet and discover the creative talents of some of its artists while giving an

New City Sinfonia and Downbeat Big Band swing into the holidays with Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker
East County News Service Nov. 25, 2025 (El Cajon) — The sounds of the holiday season will get a swinging upgrade next month, as the New City Sinfonia and the Downbeat Big Band team up for a special performance featuring Duke Ellington’s jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic, The Nutcracker Suite. Organizers of the Dec. 10 event at Grossmont

It’s Thanksgiving, take our annual cook-safely quiz!
By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office Image credit: Shutterstock November 24, 2025 (San Diego) – Thanksgiving! For home chefs, it’s the Oscars, the Super Bowl, the biggest, feast-i-est day of the year. And the quickest way to ruin the occasion would be to serve your family and friends heaping platefuls of something that could make them sick
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.