Summer BBQ, Open House and Pilot Meetup June 14 at Gillespie Flight Center Celebrates America’s 250th anniverary 26
By Miriam Raftery June 10, 2026 (El Cajon) – Pilots, aspiring pilots, friends and family are invited to a summer barbecue, open house and pilot meet up at Gillespie Flight School this Sunday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary including our past, present and future freedom to fly. Free burgers, hot dogs and cold drinks will be provided, plus the event includes a flight credit raffle and opportunities to learn about Gillespie Flight School’s training program. Printer-friendly version
26 viewsWhere Dreams Soar: New Gillespie Flight Center 18
By Miriam Raftery Photo: Owner Paul Kassel If you’ve ever longed to learn to fly, or if you’re a pilot seeking to upgrade your skills to fly for commercial airlines, you can make your dreams take wing at Gillespie Flight Center in El Cajon. “My father was a pilot and my father-in-law was a pilot.. I’ve always been wanting to fly since I was very young,” says Paul Kassel, founder of Gillespie Flight Center. So when he inherited an old Piper from his father-in-law, he sold it and bought his own plane, soon fulfilling his dream. Printer-friendly version
18 viewsIt’s a sign of the times – LA MESA now up on La Mesa Boulevard 50
Story and photos by Karen Pearlman June 9, 2026 (La Mesa) — One day before the city of La Mesa unveils a “Bill Walton Way” street sign near Helix High, community members gathered in the La Mesa Village for a sign Walton would have loved — the long-awaited downtown district sign archway on La Mesa Boulevard at Palm Avenue. Following about eight years of planning, community fundraising (to the tune of $400,000) and anticipation, the massive Downtown La Mesa District Sign was officially presented to several hundred members of the public late Tuesday afternoon. More than a standard municipal marker, the archway serves as a mosaic of the city’s residents and businesses as well as its fans from across San Diego County. The structure’s two massive support columns are visually anchored by a “Community Quilt” featuring 1,512 hand-painted 4-inch by 4-inch tiles. The sign and tiles became reality thanks to the community, and particularly because of the work of the La Mesa Village Association and the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation, said La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis, creating “a distinct focal point that will help define the village for years to come.” Printer-friendly version
50 viewsECM’s World Watch: U.S. and international news 33
This week’s World Watch features top U.S. issues including inflation and falling wages, a court blocks payoffs to January 2 insurrectionists, the SAVE Act fails passage, judges block key immigration policies, an ICE agent is arrested, administration corruption evidence mounts, mail-in voting issues raised, depletion of U.S. weapons stockpiles, plus top international stories. Printer-friendly version
33 viewsEast County Roundup: local and statewide news 28
June 9, 2026 (San Diego) – Top regional and state stories include La Mesa transit issues, security for houses of worship, efforts to save a foster care center good news for local winemakers, a lawsuit and voter rejection of an AI data center in Imperial County, ballot protections, a proposal to reintroduce grizzly bears in Calif., a UC push to restore standardized testing, a hot supervisorial race, money in politics controversies, and more. Printer-friendly version
28 viewsReading Cinemas closes at Grossmont Center; AMC to renovate and reopen movie theater in 2027 37
By Miriam Raftery June 9, 2026 (La Mesa) – AMC has announced that it will acquire and fully renovate the movie theater space long occupied by Reading Cinemas at Grossmont Center, though the site won’t reopen until early next year. Printer-friendly version
37 viewsGrossmont High honors alumni astronauts with campus mural 50
Photo courtesy of ABC 10 News, an ECM news partner East County News Service June 9, 2026 (El Cajon) – Students at Grossmont High School have a towering reminder that when it comes to achieving their ambitions, they can reach for the stars. A new mural honors three alumni who became astronauts: Bill Anders, Ellen Ochoa and Rick Sturckow. The mural’s backdrop features the iconic Apollo 8 “Earthrise” photo taken by Anders. Printer-friendly version
50 viewsHealth and Science Highlights 34
June 9, 2026 (San Diego) –Read updates on the Ebola outbreak, abortion drug restrictions, infant deaths tied to parents refusing Vitamin K shots, gabapentin controversy, colorectal and breast cancer screenings, measles, pushback on AI data centers, privacy and surveillance issues, a breakthrough to make plastic biodegradable, self-driving vehicle flaws, and explosion of a Blue Origin rocket. Printer-friendly version
34 viewsTarget recalls baby wipes due to contamination with bacteria that can cause life-threatening sepsis and pneumonia 32
By Miriam Raftery June 8, 2026 (San Diego County) – Target has recalled Up & Up baby wipes, both fragrance-free and cucumber-scented, after consumers reported infections in infants and testing by the United States Food and Drug Administration found contamination with Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia gladioli. These bacteria can cause localized or systemic infections capable of spreading into the bloodstream, which can result in life-threatening sepsis and/or pneumonia. The products were sold at Target stores nationwide and on Target.com. The recall includes packages in various sizes. Customers have reported discoloration of products, skin irritations, and infections. If used on broken skin, the FDA says, the risks are greater for newborns, babies and young children — those for whom baby wipes are primarily designed — as they have still-developing immune systems. Printer-friendly version
32 viewsRabies on the rise: 14 rabid bats found in San Diego County this year: latest cases include Santee, Zoo, and Safari Park 61
East County News Service June 7, 2026 (San Diego) – County health officials are warning residents to avoid touching wild bats, due to an increase in rabies cases locally. You don’t have to be bitten to contract rabies, which is deadly virtually 100% of the time without prompt treatment and vaccination. Saliva on an infected bat’s fur can enter a cut or scrape, infecting a person – or transmit the disease if the person touches their eyes, nose or mouth. If a rabies vaccine is administered immediately after exposure, before neurological symptoms begin, the vaccine is nearly 100% effective at preventing rabies. Printer-friendly version
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