El Cajon sanctuary lawsuit against California draws national attention 44
By Paul Levikow May 26, 2026 (El Cajon) — Weeks after the City of El Cajon filed a lawsuit challenging California’s sanctuary state law, the political and legal aftershocks continue to reverberate far beyond East County. What began as a local dispute has quickly escalated into a nationally watched test of federal versus state authority, drawing sharp reactions from residents, elected officials, legal advocates, and law enforcement agencies. Printer-friendly version
44 viewsReader’s Editorial: Mayor Wells’ sanctuary suit, in a city of immigrants, attacks law that protects residents 11
By David Myers (photo, top) May 26, 2026 (El Cajon) — Bill Wells is the mayor of one of the largest refugee resettlement cities in the United States, and he has spent years treating that fact as a political opportunity rather than a sacred trust. City Of El Cajon. He recently announced a lawsuit — drafted by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute — attacking California’s sanctuary law, as ECM reported. He called it “one of the most important days of my life.” That sentence is the indictment. The most important day of the mayor of El Cajon’s life is not a budget that lifts a refugee family out of poverty. Not a Chaldean kid sworn in as a citizen. Not a public-safety success his officers can be proud of. It is a press conference with a Trump operative at his shoulder, attacking the laws that protect his own neighbors. Printer-friendly version
11 viewsLa Mesa Council asks staff to weigh options to expand parking in downtown village 172
By Miriam Raftery May 27, 2026 (La Mesa) – La Mesa City Council members voted unanimously last night to ask staff to analyze four proposed options to increase parking in the downtown village. The proposals came after Councilmember Laura Lothian, Vice Chair Lauren Cazares and a parking commissioner rode through downtown in a golf cart, looking for hidden spaces that could be converted to parking. Printer-friendly version
172 viewsFiery collision kills Julian man, injures four others 60
East County News Service May 27, 2026 (Julian) – A head-on collision on May 25 shortly before 7 p.m. on Pine Hills Road, just north of Deer Lake Park in Julian, resulted in one death and injuries to four other people. Printer-friendly version
60 viewsSpring Valley arson suspect arrested 92
East County News Service May 26, 2026 (Spring Valley) – Sheriff’s deputies used a drone to tract down a suspect reportedly seen setting a fire that caused evacuation of homes in Spring Valley last night. Printer-friendly version
92 viewsEscondido “Trump house” owner dies after vicious attack; veteran with PTSD charged 72
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
72 viewsLemon Grove bird sale ban heading to November ballot after 3-2 vote 62
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
62 viewsHarbison Canyon man sentenced to 216 years in prison for brutal murder of Samuel Holthaus and other violent crimes 48
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
48 viewsGhost guns seized in Spring Valley after SWAT team operation 377
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
377 viewsTroubling details emerge on teen shooters in Islamic Center attack 130
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
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