Communities

East County News Service

March 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove Historical Society’s “History Alive” lecture series continues this Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. with local author Sandra Bonura speaking about her new book, Empire Building: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2025 (Lakeside) – Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call reporting that a toddler was not breathing last night at 8:53 p.m. in the11600 block of Camino Del Tierra, Lakeside.

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By Miriam Raftery

March 29, 2025 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Councilmember Laura Lothian will host a town hall community discussion on a battery storage facility proposed on El Paso St. The town hall will take place Wednesday, April 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Brew Coffee Spot, 6101 Lake Murray Blvd.

Heartland Fire Chief Brent Koch, Heartland Acting Fire Marshall Rebecca Winscott, and La Msa Director of Community Development Lynette Santos will also participate in the discussion.

Battery storage facilities are key to expanding renewable energy production such as wind and solar energy, enabling power to be utilized even when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.

But lithium ion battery storage facilites have also sparked fires, most notably a fire at a large battery storage site in Otay Mesa, where some nearby businesses had to evacuate for two weeks.

By Miriam Raftery

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Photo courtesy of Sky 10 via ABC 10 News, an ECM news partner

March 28, 2025 (El Cajon) – Federal immigration authorities raided the San Diego Powder and Protective Coatings company on Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon yesterday afternoon.  A search warrant accuses the company of hiring undocumented workers, as well as fraud and misuse of visas, ECM news partner 10 News reports.

East County News Service

Photos by Karen Pearlman

March 29, 2025 (Santee) - Mary Hennessy, the 90-something owner of Mary's Donuts, grabs a sweet treat during her business's 40th anniversary bash Saturday morning, March 29. 

Hennessy, who plied the donut trade at a Winchell's Donuts, bought the former Zona's Donut Shop with her husband, and opened the original Mary’s Donuts and Coffee in 1984 on Mission Gorge Road in Santee. After a lease dispute with her landlord, Hennessy moved the popular donut spot just a few blocks away to a nearby strip mall along Carlton Hills Boulevard. Hennessy still oversees operations.

By Karen Pearlman

March 27, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) --  Public water utility entity Helix Water District isn’t just about water – it’s also about energy, power and air.

On Tuesday, the district with roots dating back to 1885 got on board with the future, breaking ground at its El Cajon operations center as part of the district’s transition to a zero-emission vehicle fleet through electrification.

The $11 million electrification project will install nearly 90 high-speed vehicle chargers at the district’s operations center.

By Karen Pearlman

Photo:  Rabbi Scott Meltzer said his synagogue in San Diego has twice been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.   

March 26, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon City Council took a step toward condemning hate by unanimously voting for a resolution to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism.