Escondido “Trump house” owner dies after vicious attack; veteran with PTSD charged 5
By Miriam Raftery May 26, 2026 (Escondido) – Army veteran Kerry Sheron, 69, proudly displayed American flags and Trump banners outside his Escondido home. Now he is dead of injuries sustained in a savage attack by a fellow veteran who reportedly suffered from PTSD. Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, the Navy veteran arrested for the assault, is a registered Republican who also supported President Donald Trump, a friend told the California Post. Butler’s family said he was medicated and suffering from debilitating mental illness. Printer-friendly version
5 viewsLemon Grove bird sale ban heading to November ballot after 3-2 vote 24
By Karen Pearlman May 25, 2026 (Lemon Grove) — Lemon Grove voters will have the final say this November on a measure that would end commercial bird sales in the city, replacing them with a rescue-only model that requires pet stores to source birds exclusively from animal shelters, humane societies or nonprofit rescue organizations. The Lemon Grove City Council voted 3-2 last Tuesday, May 19, to place a citizen-led initiative to ban the commercial sale of birds on the November ballot. Printer-friendly version
24 viewsHarbison Canyon man sentenced to 216 years in prison for brutal murder of Samuel Holthaus and other violent crimes 15
East County News Service Photo: Victim Samuel Holthaus, courtesy of the District Attorney’s office May 26, 2026 (San Diego) – Kenneth McNally Jr., 42, has been sentenced to 216 years in prison for murdering Samuel Holthaus, 59, and committing a series of other violent crimes in Harbison Canyon in 2023. According to the prosecution, McNally strangled Holthaus with an electrical cord and buried him in a shallow grave. He also attempted to strangle a former roommate, fired shots into a vehicle, and threatened another man at gunpoint. Printer-friendly version
15 viewsGhost guns seized in Spring Valley after SWAT team operation 346
East County News Service Photo courtesy of San Diego County Sheriff May 25, 2026 (Spring Valley) – A Spring Valley man who is prohibited from owning firearms has been arrested after a search found un-serialized “ghost” guns, ammunition, and gun parts in various stages of manufacture. Printer-friendly version
346 viewsTroubling details emerge on teen shooters in Islamic Center attack 101
By Philicia Tonangoye Photo by Leonard LMT, creative commons 4.0 via Wikipedia: San Diego Islamic Center, hours after the shooting The deadly attack at San Diego’s Islamic center on Monday was planned by two teens who met online and became radicalized in a hate speech forum. The pair eventually took their own lives after shooting and killing three men at the region’s largest mosque. Printer-friendly version
101 viewsECM World Watch: national and global news 67
May 25, 2026 (San Diego) – Top stories reporting in other media in the US include rising inflation, weakening of the Voting Rights Act, a fund that could reimburse Jan. 6 rioters, court rulings on tariffs and humanities grants, ICE funding of police, and insider trading allegations. Global headlines include the U.S. indicting Cuba’s former ruler, plans stalled to reopen Strait of Hormuz, a South American oil spill, and Russia threatening new strikes in Ukraine. Printer-friendly version
67 viewsReader’s Editorial: National Military Appreciation Month–an opportunity to advance protections for toxic-exposed veterans 59
By Christina Johnson May 24, 2026 (San Diego) — Essentially, the ties between San Diego County, California, and the armed forces have never been confined to uniforms, deployments, or ceremonial tributes alone. In many ways, the region has grown alongside the military sector itself—honed by generations of Navy personnel, aviation crews, shipyard workers, veterans, and their families who helped make the county one of the most concentrated military communities. Regrettably, that long-standing presence has also carried less visible consequences that often receive far less public attention—most notably illnesses attributed to prolonged toxic exposure. Printer-friendly version
59 viewsLemon Grove Pride Drag Brunch coming on June 6 60
East County News Service May 24, 2026 (Lemon Grove) — J Lau Farrow-Halston of Escondido Drag is hosting the Lemon Grove Pride Drag Brunch next month. The 2 1/2-hour show will include performances by Amore Envy, Gabby Link Aux and Drag Latina’s Rosalinda and will be held starting at noon on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 11 a.m. at El Cata Mariscos Sushi & Cortes at 8099 Broadway in Lemon Grove. Printer-friendly version
60 viewsTeachers’ union endorses challengers for controversy-mired Grossmont Union High School District board 282
By Alexander J. Schorr May 24, 2026 — Grossmont Education Association (GEA), the teachers’ union in the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) has endorsed a slate of three challengers running against controversial incumbents for the district’ s board of trustees. The endorsed slate includes Jeneé Littrell for area 3 against incumbent Gary Woods, Steve Mull for area 4 against Robert Shield, and Pete Mergens in area 5 against Jim Kelly. GEA has withheld endorsements from the previously backed incumbents due to allegations of severe ethical misconduct, election manipulation, and a breakdown in district labor relations. Photo: Left to Right: Pete Mergens, Jeneé Littrell, and Steve Mull Printer-friendly version
282 viewsLa Mesa City Council approves e-bike safety law for children under 12 88
By Paul Levikow May 23, 2026 (La Mesa) — The La Mesa City Council voted 4-1 on May 12 to adopt a new electric bicycle safety ordinance prohibiting children under age 12 from operating Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes within city limits. Councilmember Laura Lothian cast the lone dissenting vote. The ordinance was adopted under California’s San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program authorized through Assembly Bill 2234 and will take effect 30 days after adoption. For the first 60 days after the law takes effect, La Mesa Police Department officers will issue warnings only. After that educational period, violations may result in a $25 administrative citation. Parents or guardians can avoid paying the fine if the child completes an approved electric bicycle safety training course within 120 days of the citation. Printer-friendly version
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