Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

La Mesa Council asks staff to weigh options to expand parking in downtown village 44

  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 commission rode through downtown in a golf cart, looking for hidden spaces that could be converted to parking. Printer-friendly version

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Fiery collision kills Julian man, injures four others 44

  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

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Spring Valley arson suspect arrested 83

  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

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Escondido “Trump house” owner dies after vicious attack; veteran with PTSD charged 59

  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

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Lemon Grove bird sale ban heading to November ballot after 3-2 vote 49

  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

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Harbison Canyon man sentenced to 216 years in prison for brutal murder of Samuel Holthaus and other violent crimes 35

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

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Ghost guns seized in Spring Valley after SWAT team operation 363

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

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Troubling details emerge on teen shooters in Islamic Center attack 119

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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ECM World Watch: national and global news 79

  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

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Reader’s Editorial: National Military Appreciation Month–an opportunity to advance protections for toxic-exposed veterans 71

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

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