East County News Service
March 21, 2025 (Valley Center) – Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call yesterday reporting that a family member who recently passed away was buried on the family property in the 29000 block of Paso Robles Road, Valley Center. Deputies found a grave that appeared recent.
“Due to there being no record of the decedent's death, the Sheriff's Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation,” says Lieutenant Patrick Fox with the San Diego County Sheriff’s department.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 868-3200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
The USDA has cut funding for two programs that allowed schools and food banks to purchase fresh food from local farms, also halting deliveries to food banks.
By G. A. McNeeley
March 21, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Trump administration has cut two programs that provided more than $1 billion to schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and ranchers.
About $660 million of those funds were contained in the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), which provided funds to schools and child care facilities.
The rest of those funds were part of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), which provided funds to local food banks and other organizations.
State officials were notified on Friday, March 7, of the USDA’s decision to end these programs this year. More than 40 states had signed agreements to participate in previous years, according to the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and several state agencies. The USDA also notified states that it was unfreezing funds for existing LFPA agreements, but did not plan to carry out a second round of funding for fiscal year 2025.
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources confirmed it was notified on March 7, that the 2025 funding would be terminated within 60 days.
These cuts come as Donald Trump’s second presidential administration has cut federal spending and imposed tariffs, which forced food organizations and farmers to cut staff and halt investments.
What Do These Programs Do?
"This program will strengthen the food system for schools and childcare institutions by helping to build a fair, competitive, and resilient local food chain, and expand local and regional markets with an emphasis on purchasing from historically underserved producers and processors," the USDA website says on the LFS program's page. The LFS program helped build new income sources for local farmers and food producers.
The LFS program was also expanded to include child care centers, which was announced by the USDA in December 2024. "Families can feel good knowing their kids are eating food that was grown right in their own community," said then-Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Cindy Long.
The goal of the LFPA program is to "improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency," their website said.
LFPA agreements allow states, tribal and territorial governments to purchase food within their own communities (in the state itself, or within 400 miles of the food's destination). That food goes to food banks and organizations that feed people in "underserved communities," according to the USDA's website.
Both programs were introduced to respond to the impacts to the food supply chain brought on by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the USDA. By the end of 2024, food purchased through the program had been distributed at 7,900 food banks, food pantries, and communities in the U.S., the agency said.
In December 2024, the USDA announced a $1.13 billion investment for the programs. Of that funding, $471.5 million was slated for states and territories to "purchase local, unprocessed, or minimally processed domestic foods" to serve in schools participating in free or reduced-cost meal programs, and $188.6 million for child care centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Food banks have also been seeing demands (due to rising food prices) and Republicans in Congress are pushing to make significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
What Are the Officials Saying?
“These proposals would cause millions of children to lose access to free school meals at a time when working families are struggling with rising food costs,” said Shannon Gleave, the president of the SNA, in a press release. “Meanwhile, short-staffed school nutrition teams, striving to improve menus and expand scratch-cooking, would be saddled with time-consuming and costly paperwork created by new government inefficiencies.”
Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts, criticized the Trump Administration for cutting programs that would’ve provided $12 million in food-related funding for schools and food banks in her state.
In a press release, Healey said, “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have declared that feeding children and supporting local farmers are no longer ‘priorities’, and it’s just the latest terrible cut with real impact on families across Massachusetts”.
“There is nothing ‘appropriate’ about it. Trump and Musk are continuing to withhold essential funding in violation of court orders, and our children, farmers and small businesses are bearing the brunt of it,” Healey added.
An unnamed USDA spokesperson told Politico that funding for the programs, “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification”.
The spokesperson also said, “These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer affect the goals of the agency. LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements that were in place prior to LFPA 25, which still have substantial financial resources remaining, will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance.”
ECM spoke with the San Diego Food Bank, and asked them how these cuts would affect their budget, as well as their ability to provide food to their customers.
Cole Williamson (Vice President of Administration), told us in an email, “At the SDFB, we do not know precisely how changes to USAID or other Federal programs will impact us. We are working with State and Federal officials to figure that out. We will continue to monitor the developing situation and adjust as needed.”
USDA Halts Food Bank Deliveries
On Wednesday, March 19, Politico reported that the USDA halted millions of dollars worth of deliveries to food banks without explanation, according to food bank leaders in six states.
The USDA had previously allocated $500 million in deliveries to food banks for fiscal year 2025 through The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Now, the food bank leaders say many of those orders have been canceled.
For the Central California Food Bank, that means a loss of 500,000 pounds of expected food deliveries worth $850,000 just for April through July, according to co-CEO Natalie Caples.
Caples says that she has not received any assurances from USDA on whether the delivery cancellations are temporary.
The money that was clawed back came from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). It’s not clear how much of the $500 million for the emergency assistance program has been cut, but one USDA employee (granted anonymity to discuss private conversations), said the Trump administration has been trying to claw back CCC money that the Biden administration previously allocated in order to devote funds to other priorities.
USDA was supposed to spend $148 million of the $500 million this year to buy dairy products, eggs, blueberries and more. But last month, the department notified state agencies that it was canceling solicitations from suppliers, according to a February 20 email that Feeding America sent to its network of food banks (and was viewed by Politico).
“USDA has not yet announced plans to move forward with the canceled food orders,” the email states. “We believe the best approach is for network members to work through state agencies to obtain clarification from USDA.”
The emergency food assistance network gets its funding from a mix of money from the farm bill and through commodities USDA purchases. But the patchwork funding system has left the program unable to meet increasing hunger needs (especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent years of food inflation), anti-hunger advocates say.
The Biden administration responded to the demand on food banks by supplementing the emergency assistance funding with roughly $2 billion from the CCC fund in 2022 and 2023, then the additional $500 million in 2024.
Many of the organizations that rely on funding from the emergency assistance program were also receiving funding from the LFPA.
The clawbacks come as Congress is weighing shrinking the SNAP, which helps 40 million low-income Americans afford food. That could further exacerbate the pressure on food banks, which provide just one meal for every nine that SNAP supplies.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/11/usda-cuts-food-banks-schools
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/10/usda-cancels-local-food-purchasing-for-schools-food-banks-00222796
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/03/11/usda-food-bank-school-funding-cuts/82265217007/
https://schoolnutrition.org/sna-news/proposed-school-meal-cuts-prompt-nationwide-advocacy/
https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-denounces-president-trumps-decision-to-cut-12-million-in-federal-funding-to-feed-children-support-local-farmers-in-massachusetts
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/usda-halts-deliveries-food-banks-trump-00239453?cid=apn
Eligible low-income residents aged 55, older may receive funds for housing
Source: City of La Mesa and Jewish Family Services
March 21, 2025 (La Mesa) – The City of La Mesa and Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) are launching the City’s first-ever Older Adult Rental Assistance Program, assisting seniors aged 55 and older who are at risk of homelessness. The program, operated by JFS, will provide 40 participants with a $500 monthly housing subsidy paid directly to their landlords for 12 months and individualized case management. Applications are being accepted beginning the last week of March. Priority will be given to applications filed by April 4.
According to the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, nearly half of unhoused Californians are 50 and older, and more than 41% are experiencing homelessness for the first time in their lives.
"With many seniors on fixed incomes challenged by increasing expenses, this program serves as a vital lifeline,” said La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “The program will help rent-burdened older adults in La Mesa maintain housing stability and financial security, allowing them to age in place with dignity.”
Applicants must be 55 and older and reside in the incorporated area of La Mesa with a household income at or below 50% of the city’s median income. They must be currently spending at least half of their income on rent or be at risk of losing their housing. Their landlord must also be willing to participating in the program. Priority will be given to heads of household who are 65 and older and households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income.
Working closely with the City of La Mesa, JFS will provide monthly case management, creating individualized plans and assessing each participant’s needs at the end of the program.
To apply and learn more, visit www.jfssd.org/our-services/older-adults/la-mesa-older-adult-rental-assistance. Or call (858) 637-3217.
JFS staff are also available to answer questions, help determine eligibility and begin the application process during the following office hours, with appointments required:
- March 24, 1 to 4 p.m.
- March 26, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- March 27, 4-7 p.m.
Individuals can call 619-667-1322 to reserve a 20-minute appointment. All sessions are hosted at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center located at 8450 La Mesa Blvd.
“We look forward to partnering with the City of La Mesa to run the Older Adult Rental Assistance Program. There is a great need for programs like these as studies show the number of older adults accessing homelessness services has more than doubled in the last seven years,” said JFS COO and incoming CEO Dana Toppel. “At JFS, we run a number of programs dedicated to supporting older adults’ health and well-being to assist them as they age in place with dignity. We are looking forward to continuing that mission through this innovative program in La Mesa.”
In addition to JFS’s On the Go rideshare, Fix It home modification, meal delivery, congregate dining and day center programs for older adults throughout San Diego County, the agency operates a privately funded Older Adult Rental Assistance Subsidy Pilot through its Center for Jewish Care. The pilot supports 27 Jewish participants at risk of homelessness with a $360 per month subsidy paid directly to their landlords for 12 months.
About Jewish Family Service of San Diego – Moving Forward Together
Founded in 1918, Jewish Family Service (JFS) is one of San Diego’s most impactful nonprofit agencies – providing resources and support to over 105,000 people every year. Through integrated services, the organization empowers people of all ages, faiths, and backgrounds to overcome challenges, set goals, and build more stable, secure, and connected lives. JFS is committed to helping individuals and families move forward, while developing innovative strategies to break cycles of poverty and strengthen our San Diego community.
East County News Service
March 21, 2025 (Lemon Grove) - On March 18, Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow issued a proclamation declaring March 30 as the “Lemon Grove Incident Day.” There will be a celebration on March 30 at 1:00 p.m. in front of the mural that tells the story of a historic school desegregation case victory for students in Lemon Grove nearly a century ago. The mural is on the side of the building at 7963 Broadway, Lemon Grove.
LEMON GROVE INCIDENT
March 30, 2025 marks the 94th anniversary of the first successful school desegregation case in the United States, in 1931, when Mexican-American parents challenged the Lemon Grove School District’s attempt to segregate their children. The case was called “Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District” and is often referred to as the Lemon Grove Incident. This was 23 years before Brown v. Board of Education case.
CELEBRATION
The celebration of the Lemon Grove Incident will take place in front of the mural on the side of 7963 Broadway. The proclamation will be presented by Pastor Anne Stapleton to Roberto Alvarez Jr, the son of the original plaintiff in the landmark case. At the event, Alvarez will retell the story and artist, Mario Chacon, will talk about the mural he painted back in 2022.
The celebration will be hosted by the new tenants moving soon into 7963 Broadway – Grace Communion Lemon Grove, with pastors Anne and Mark Stapleton.
GRACE COMMUNION OPENS NEIGHBORHOOD SPACE AT SITE OF MURAL
GC Lemon Grove believes all people are built for connection and is therefore building out the space to be called “The Neighborhood” which will host local events that help neighbors connect with neighbors.
Members of the City Council and Planning Commission will also be present.
Mexican food and drinks will be available for purchase at the Lemon Grove Incident Celebration to help support future community gatherings.
Source: California Attorney General's Office
March 21, 2025 (Oakland) - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert to customers of 23andMe, a genetic testing and information company. The California-based company has publicly reported that it is in financial distress and stated in securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue, which is a growing concern. Due to the trove of sensitive consumer data 23andMe has amassed, Attorney General Bonta reminds Californians of their right to direct the deletion of their genetic data under the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). Californians who want to invoke these rights can do so by going to 23andMe's website.
“California has robust privacy laws that allow consumers to take control and request that a company delete their genetic data,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.”
To Delete Genetic Data from 23andMe:
- Consumers can delete their account and personal information by taking the following steps:
- Log into your 23andMe account on their website.
- Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.
- Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page.
- Click “View” next to “23andMe Data”
- Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
- Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.
- Click “Permanently Delete Data.”
- Confirm your request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.
To Destroy Your 23andMe Test Sample:
If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe, but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under “Preferences.”
To Revoke Permission for Your Genetic Data to be Used for Research:
If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw consent from the account settings page, under “Research and Product Consents.”
Under GIPA, California consumers can delete their account and genetic data and have their biological sample destroyed. In addition, GIPA permits California consumers to revoke consent that they provided a genetic testing company to collect, use, and disclose genetic data and to store biological samples after the initial testing has been completed. The CCPA also vests California consumers with the right to delete personal information, which includes genetic data, from businesses that collect personal information from the consumer.
To learn more about the CCPA, please visit here.
County’s Planning Group to hear controversial proposal on April 18
Story and photos by Karen Pearlman
Photo,left: Valle de Oro Community Planning Group members during packed hearing on Cottonwood Sand Mine
March 20, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – More than 100 residents who would be most affected by the proposed Cottonwood Sand Mine gathered in force Tuesday, March 18 at the Rancho San Diego Library to let the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group know they don’t want it in their neighborhood.
After listening to more than two dozen people share their concerns, the community planning group voted 11-0 to recommend opposing the project that would see 214 acres of the former 280-acre Cottonwood Golf Course along Willow Glen Drive in Rancho San Diego turned into a digging site for sand mining for at least 10 years.
The group also voted 10-1, with one abstention, to not agree with a design exception review to waive the undergrounding overhead utilities along Willow Glen Road.
Next step: County Planning Commission hearing April 18
Oday Yousif, chairman of the Valle de Oro planning group, said he would be submitting a formal recommendation on behalf of the organization and those it serves, to not approve the sand mine Major Use Permit application to the San Diego County Planning Department by the March 23 due date before the item is heard at the April 18 meeting.
That recommendation, along with a recommendation from the county’s Planning Department Services, will be presented to the county’s five-member Planning Commission. The County Planning Commission will then decide on whether to approve or not approve the sand mine operation permit application.
The County Planning Commission meets monthly to consider land use projects affecting unincorporated areas of the county. Its next me
eting is March 21, but the meeting for the sand mine item has been set for 9 a.m., Friday, April 18 at the County Operations Center Hearing Room on Overland Drive.
Photo, right: Valle do Oro Community Planning Group Chair Oday Yousif, left, looks on as County Land Use Planner Chris Jacobs gives presesntation.
Residents share concerns during crowded meeting
Residents at the meeting expressed concerns ranging from environmental, health and safety issues related to the silica dust being kicked up during the process, as well as traffic impacts, especially for emergency safety needs. Among those there to listen was applicant representative Brice Bossler and County Land Use Planner Chris Jacobs.
San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District Director Theresa McKenna said that in 2022, then-Fire Chief Criss Brainard provided comments the county on the district’s concerns about the project related to emergency response time delays.
“Increased heavy truck traffic and slowing during construction all have the potential of increasing emergency response times,” McKenna said. “In our letter to the County, the Fire District requested health and safety concerns be mitigated for the benefit of the community, since even short delays can mean the difference between life and death.”
Detractors say that the project is inconsistent with both the County General Plan and Community Specific Plan. The Rancho Specific Plan identifies the golf course serving as a buffer area and providing a larger setback to sensitive habitat areas.
They also say that a final Environmental Impact Report has not been shown, so they are working off information culled from the Draft EIR, first circulated in 2021.
The site is in the middle of the Rancho San Diego region, and shares borders with homes, and is near schools and businesses.
Dr. Bob Foster (photo, left), a retired physician, said he is “extremely concerned about the negative health effects of this sand mine idea.”
“I’m adamantly opposed to it,” Foster said. “I think it's a horrendous plan that this is come up with and I want to be clear that we’ve got to do everything we can to stop this from ever becoming a reality. It’s a danger to those kids who have to walk to school every day across the clouds of smoke and sand that are going to be expelled from the sand mine operation. It’s just appalling to me that this plan has actually gotten to this level.”
The site also runs along the Sweetwater River watershed --a nearly 230-square mile region that goes from the Cuyamaca Mountains out to San Diego Bay. Groundwater from its lower basin is also linked to the watershed. The site is upstream from a federal wildlife preserve.
Sweetwater Authority, which oversees the water in the region, has expressed concern in the past about the project’s impact on water levels and quality.
Josan Feathers (photo, right), a registered Civil Engineer and member of the Valle de Oro Cottonwood Subcommittee, posed 
some rhetorical questions to those in attendance.
“Would you trust an applicant or engineers who missed the need for an additional 3.5 million tons of backfill? Would you trust the same applicant to excavate 79 acres downstream of the 30-year-old Steele Canyon Bridge (in Jamul) and about 100 acres upstream up to 40 feet below the ground surface?”
Feathers said that the development proposes to backfill the river “with excavated materials they can’t sell.”
“This project can potentially taint and pollute the drinking water that flows into the Sweetwater Reservoir which serves almost 200,000 South Bay residences, potentially endangering and impacting them, as well as the wildlife in the area,” she said.
The developer’s view
The developer of the land at the golf course, New West Investment, has said previously that the project is needed to supply sand for local building and infrastructure projects, and its presence will mean avoiding the cost of importing sand.
Areas included within the project boundary that are not disturbed by mining would be subject to habitat improvement through removal of invasive species in the river channel (if necessary) or would be left in their current condition including the existing Sweetwater River channel. (See map of project site, left)
The project would also make certain improvements to Willow Glen Drive prior to beginning mining operations.
New West Investment and Los Angeles-based investor Michael Schlesinger purchased Cottonwood in 2015, four years after the golf course filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Representatives for the project were asked to weigh in the following day, and provided only a brief statement.
“The Cottonwood Proposal would ultimately transform a defunct golf course property into 200 acres of permanent, preserved open space for the community to enjoy,” the statement reads.
“In the near-term, it would provide critically needed sand supplies for housing and infrastructure projects through a phased approach that reduces community concerns around views. Creating a local sand supply at Cottonwood is a win for the San Diego region because it would reduce the increased costs and environmental damage caused by trucking sand in from outside the region and Mexico.”
Schlesinger has been planning to mine the site of the former Cottonwood Golf Course since 2018. He bought the property in 2015.
He had also purchased the Escondido Country Club in 2012, then shut down the golf course and worked to build nearly 400 homes on the site. Involved in several legal battles related to that, the homes were eventually built and are now known as the master planned Canopy Grove.
What happens if it’s approved?
While the new EIR has not been released, as originally filed, the proposal explains the plan to mine 4.7 million cubic yards with nearly 3.8 million cubic yards (or 5.7 million tons) of washed concrete sand (construction aggregate) produced over 10 years. It will be done in phases with reclamation planned after each phase for a total of 12 years of activity.
The extraction process would occur in three phases over the span of 10 years and the cleanup, equipment removal and final reclamation would occur in the fourth phase over two years.
Sand excavation and processing would occur between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with trucking operations for material sales and backfill import from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Stop Cottonwood group mobilizes opposition
Elizabeth Urquhart, who has spearheaded the Stop Cottonwood Sand Mine efforts, spoke passionately at the meeting and presented evidence she said “shows the continued sand mine Major Use Permit application is unsuitable for approval” based on myriad factors, “including impacts on the surrounding environment neighborhood character and public facilities.”
The stopcottonwoodsandmine.com site has been active since the beginning of the issue, and through its work, a large number of Rancho San Diego’s nearly 21,000 residents have signed petitions and have packed public meetings through the years to oppose the project.
After the meeting, Rancho San Diego resident Anne-Marie Jacques said residents “feel like the developers don’t give a crap that this project just doesn’t make sense in this community, and they’re hoping we just give up.”
“Communities like RSD don’t need a sand mine because it wouldn’t add anything of substance or value to us,” she said. “They’re only looking out for their bank accounts not the people who live, work and go to school in the area.”
By Miriam Raftery
March 21, 2025 (Borrego Springs) – An international aerobatics competition will be held at the Borrego Springs airport Thursday through Saturday, April 10-12, organized by the International Aerobatic Club’s Chapter 36. A highlight for viewers is Saturday’s four-minute freestyle flights set to music, usually involving smoke, flown by top pilots, IAC36 president Bryan Jones advises.
Thursday is practice and registration, while Friday features contest flights all day long.
You can also stop by the Propeller Bar and Grill, where you can enjoy food and drinks plus a rooftop deck to view the flying.
The IAC Chapter 36 is based in Borrego Springs and promotes precision aerobatics through coaching, competition and comraderie. The Borrego airport boasts the world’s finest, permanent surface-waivered aerobatics box.
For a full schedule of events, visit https://iac36.org/ .
East County News Service
March 20, 2025 (El Cajon) – The City of El Cajon announces the launch of “Via San Diego El Cajon,” a new app-based, on-demand transit program designed to expand transportation access for residents and visitors. Service went live on March 17, and all rides are free for the first month.
Via San Diego allows anyone within the El Cajon service zone to book a shared ride in the app (available in the App Store and Google Play) or by calling 619-413-9986. With the program, residents can affordably and conveniently reach local destinations like work, shopping, education, appointments, regional transit hubs, and more without needing a private car.
How does it work?
- Once someone books a ride, Via’s technology matches them with other riders headed in the same direction into one small electric vehicle – creating quick and efficient shared trips.
- Riders are directed to “virtual bus stops” (typically a short walk away from their pick-up and drop-off location), which minimizes detours and keeps trips running smoothly for everyone.
- The program will operate Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free ride period ends April 17, after which trips will cost $2.50 each.
- Riders with mobility issues can request door-to-door services and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
“Via is thrilled to partner with the City of El Cajon to launch this zero-emission, tech-enabled micro-transit program as part of the broader Via San Diego platform,” said Brian Nelson, West Coast Partnerships Lead at Via. “The debut of Via San Diego will transform how the El Cajon community moves – whether that’s commuting, connecting with other transit options, or reaching important local opportunities.”
El Cajon’s decision follows a similar initiative by City Heights and North Park Main Street, which launched the “Mid-City GO” program using the same Via San Diego app in January. Via San Diego El Cajon is funded by a $1.5 million award from the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Pilot Program, with additional support from the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program.
ABOUT VIA: Founded in 2012, Via pioneered the TransitTech category by using new technologies to develop public mobility systems — optimizing networks of buses, shuttles, wheelchair accessible vehicles, school buses, autonomous vehicles, and electric vehicles around the globe. Building the world’s most efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation network for all riders — including those with limited mobility, those without smartphones, and unbanked populations — Via works with its partners to lower the costs of public transit while providing transportation options that rival the convenience of a personal car while reducing the environmental impact. At the intersection of transportation and technology, Via is a visionary market leader that combines software innovation with sophisticated service design and operational expertise to fundamentally improve the way the world moves, providing technology in 700 communities and more than 35 countries and counting.
ABOUT THE CLEAN MOBILITY OPTIONS PROGRAM: Clean Mobility Options (CMO) is funded by California Climate Investments and the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Clean Transportation Program. CMO, a California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission project, is a statewide initiative that provides funding for zero-emission shared mobility options to under-resourced communities in California. CMO is available throughout California to all eligible disadvantaged and low-income communities and tribal governments to increase access to safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable transportation options. For more information, visit cleanmobilityoptions.org.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA CLIMATE INVESTMENTS: California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in underserved communities.
ABOUT CEC’s CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM: California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program is investing more than $1 billion to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission transportation infrastructure and support in-state manufacturing and workforce training and development
East County News Service
March 20, 2025 (Ramona) -- The Ramona Valley Vintners Association and the Ramona Chamber of Commerce invite you to Cheers to the Valley Wine Festival on Saturday, April 5 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Begent Ranch (18528 Highland Valley Rd., Ramona).
The event includes catered small bites, arts and craft vendors, live music by a local artist, unlimited tastings from nine local wineries and a complimentary tasting glass.
For tickets and lists of participating wineries and vendors, visit https://ramonachamber.com/cheerstothevalley
By G. A. McNeeley
Photo courtesy of Brian McNeeley
March 19, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise by more than 40%, on top of already steep price rises in 2024. While egg producers blame bird flu outbreaks, the Justice Department this month announced an investigation into whether egg producers might be sharing information and engaging in price gouging, ABC News reports.
President Donald Trump’s campaign platform including a pledge to bring down inflation including egg prices, but so far, prices continue to skyrocket. Now, the administration is offering its first details on its plan to fight avian flu and ease costs.
With an emphasis on farms tightening their measures to prevent avian flu’s spread, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest another $1 billion on top of the $2 billion it has already invested, since the outbreak first began in 2022, AP reports.
The main reason egg prices have climbed (hitting an all-time average high of $4.95 per dozen) is that more than 166 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the virus’ spread when cases are found. Most were egg-laying chickens. Just since the start of the year, more than 30 million egg layers have been killed.
However, new research by Food and Water Watch suggests that major egg corporations might also be using the avian flu as an excuse to raise the price of eggs, the Guardian reports.
The Price of Eggs Is Rising
The USDA is predicting that the cost of eggs will go up by 41.1% this year.
Prices have more than doubled since before the outbreak began, costing customers at least $1.4 billion last year, according to agricultural economists at the University of Arkansas. Some customers are even paying more than a dollar per egg (over $12 a dozen) in some places.
Rollins acknowledged that it will take some time before customers see an effect at the checkout counter. It takes infected farms months to dispose of deceased birds, sanitize their farms and raise new birds.
“It’s going to take a while to get through, I think in the next month or two, but hopefully by summer,” Rollins told AP News.
What Is The Administration’s Plan?
The plan calls for $500 million investment to help farmers bolster biosecurity measures, $400 million in additional aid for farmers whose flocks have been impacted by avian flu, and $100 million to research and potentially develop vaccines and therapeutics for U.S. chicken flocks, and explore rolling back what the administration sees as restrictive animal welfare rules in some states, such as California’s cage-free requirement, a humane animal treatment measure that was approved overwhelmingly by voters. However, increasing crowding by keeping poultry in cramped cages could actually increase spread of the disease.
The USDA has already paid farmers roughly $1.2 billion for the birds they had to slaughter, AP reports. The additional aid will continue going to those payments, and help farmers bring in new flocks more quickly.
The administration is in talks to import about 70-100 million eggs from abroad in the coming months, Rollins said. But there were 7.57 billion table eggs produced in the U.S. last month, so those imports don’t appear likely to make a significant difference in the market.
Trump administration officials have suggested that vaccines might help reduce the number of birds that have to be slaughtered when there is an outbreak. However, no vaccines have been fully approved for widespread use in poultry, and the industry has said the current prototypes aren’t practical because they require individual shots for each bird. Plus, vaccinated birds could jeopardize exports, since some countries have restrictions.
Fired Workers Are Being Rehired
Rollins said she believes the USDA has enough staff to respond to avian flu, even after all the cuts to the federal workforce at the direction of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Will we have the resources needed to address the plan I just laid out? We are convinced that we will… as we realign and evaluate where USDA has been spending money, where our employees are spending their time,” Rollins told AP News.
Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar said the new plan is an important step, but the USDA needs to confirm it rehired everyone involved in the avian flu response who was mistakenly fired.
“At a time when producers are already grappling with the bird flu, the public is facing high prices, and all Americans are on edge about what broader spread of this virus could mean, the last thing the administration should have done was to eliminate these positions,” Klobuchar told AP News. “USDA must rehire these crucial personnel immediately.”
The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government’s response to the ongoing avian flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years.
A USDA spokesperson said the department “continues to prioritize the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)” and several key jobs like veterinarians, animal health technicians and other emergency response personnel involved in the effort were protected from the cuts. Some employees of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) were also eliminated.
“Although several APHIS positions supporting HPAI were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” the department spokesperson told AP News.
Politico and NBC News reported that the jobs that were eliminated were part of an office that helps oversee the national network of labs the USDA relies on to confirm cases of avian flu and other animal diseases. It wasn’t immediately clear how many workers the department might be trying to rehire, or if any of them worked at the main USDA lab in Ames, Iowa.
Avian Flu Is Affecting Egg Production
Egg and poultry farmers have already been working to protect their birds by making workers change and shower before entering barns, using separate sets of tools, and sanitizing any vehicles that enter farms. The challenge is that wild birds easily spread the virus.
The department has already done biosecurity reviews on about 150 farms and only one had an outbreak afterward, the USDA said, so officials believe more can be done to protect birds and they are going to make those reviews available to more farms. Any farm that has an outbreak has to undergo a biosecurity audit, and the government will help pay up to 75% of the needed biosecurity improvements.
The vast majority of avian flu outbreaks have been on factory farms where hundreds of thousands (or sometimes millions) of egg-laying hens are caged in close proximity, creating ideal conditions for the rapid spread of infectious diseases.
If one hen is infected, federal regulations call for the entire flock at the affected site to be killed – due to the risks posed by the deadly and highly contagious virus to other poultry, animals and humans, further disrupting supply and increasing costs.
So far, 70 human cases have been confirmed in the US. One person has died and another three have required hospital treatment. Almost 1,000 cattle herds have been infected, and more than 54 million birds have been affected in the past three months. The virus has also been detected in almost every US territory.
Almost 631 million eggs were produced in January 2025 (nearly 10% fewer than January 2022, as flock sizes continue to drop). The USDA tracks pullets (the chicks hatched to replace egg-laying hens) which have been below the five-year average most months since the outbreak began in February 2022.
Corporations Are Also To Blame
While avian flu has been a principal driver of rising egg prices, the highly concentrated egg market may also be contributing, according to an analysis by Food and Water Watch (FWW).
“Bird flu does not fully explain the sticker shock consumers experience in the egg aisle… corporate consolidation is a key culprit behind egg price spikes,” Amanda Starbuck told The Guardian.
“Powerful corporations that control every step of the supply chain (from breeding hens to hatching eggs to processing and distributing eggs) are making windfall profits off this crisis, raising their prices above and beyond what is necessary to cover any rising costs,” Starbuck added.
The analysis found that in some regions, prices were going up even before the new strain of the deadly H5N1 virus had affected poultry flocks and reduced egg production. Even as egg production recovered in 2023, prices did not come down.
The country’s largest egg producer, Cal-Maine, boasted a sevenfold increase in gross profits in 2023, after increasing prices above rising costs despite its flocks not being affected by avian flu during that period.
Cal-Maine, which produces one in every five eggs eaten in the US, issued shareholder dividends totaling $250 million in 2023 – 40 times more than the previous year. The company sold 7% more eggs in 2024 (compared with 2021) and tripled its profits over the same period, according to company filings.
“The working class is struggling to afford groceries while companies like Cal-Maine are raking in huge profits and rewarding their shareholders,” Democratic congressman Ro Khanna told The Guardian. “The Trump administration has the power to lower grocery bills, but instead they are imposing blanket tariffs on allies, firing federal workers who are trying to prevent the bird flu, and putting billionaires over ordinary Americans.”
The top five egg companies own almost half (46%) of all egg-laying commercial hens. Headquartered in Mississippi, Cal-Maine is the only publicly traded US egg producer, and has 75% more hens than the next largest company.
In its financial documents, Cal-Maine suggests egg prices are outside the company’s control: “We do not sell eggs directly to consumers or set the prices at which eggs are sold to consumers.” But many of its customers rely on Cal-Maine for the majority of their egg needs, according to company filings, so the price it sells its eggs factors into grocery store prices.
Lakeside egg rancher speaks with ECM
East County Magazine spoke with Frank Hilliker, co-owner of Hilliker’s Ranch Fresh Eggs in Lakeside.
Hilliker said that while his business doesn’t have the avian flu, “it’s driven prices of eggs so high that a bunch of people don’t want to buy.”
Regarding the many chickens killed nationwide due to exposure to avian flu, Hilliker said, “When you take that kind of supply off the market,” it will heavily affect the production of eggs, as well as their prices.
Hilliker said bird flu has actually increased demand, forcing rationing of sales per customer. “We’ve always sold eggs at the farm, and we’re not selling any more eggs out of the farm now than before, but we have more customers.” He added that they also “put limits on what people can buy,” which make it so they’re, “able to spread it out a little bit more that way.”
The farm has capacity for 30,000 chickens, according to Hiilliker. As for steps being taken to prevent bird flu from infecting his flocks, Hillkier explained the farms’ health and safety protocols. “We’re locked down in our chicken areas. Everything that goes through the gates where the chickens are, is disinfected,” which includes people and equipment, he said.
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/record-egg-prices-usda-bird-flu-virus-92e9f5fbc4e0a792be484a4aee5b9c16
https://apnews.com/article/usda-firings-doge-bird-flu-trump-fdd6495cbe44c96d471ae8c6cf4dd0a8