By Mike Allen
Photo by Scott Lagace: Santee firefighters saved the life of an unconscious woman during a July 2024 fire that engulfed her mobile home, also administering oxygen to save a cat.
March 14, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee knows it has to be better when it comes to providing fire protection to its residents, and after a sales tax-funded plan for new fire stations failed in November, its City Council made improving that essential service as its top priority.
In fairness, the Council was already focused on getting a couple of new stations to double the current number—two—to serve a population of more than 60,000.
It was building a temporary station off Olive Way where it formerly used to keep its maintenance operations, and was planning a new station in the north part of the city. Yet the Council was hoping the half-cent hike to local sales taxes would finance the improvements. Not so fast, said voters who rejected the plan.
At its March 12 meeting, the Council set building new fire stations—along with finding new ways to pay for them--as its No. 1 goal from a list of ten.
By Karen Pearlman
Photo via San Diego County Sheriff: Homeless encampment fire in Santee, February 2025
March 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- With an estimated one out of every five fires in San Diego County started in encampments where homeless individuals congregate, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson has said enough is enough.
“Nobody has a right to burn my constituents’ homes down, whether they intend to or not,” Anderson said, two days after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to update the county’s Unsafe Camping Ordinance. It would apply to property that the county owns or leases and specified areas such as parks, open space and certain public works facilities.
At their meeting on Tuesday, March 11, the supervisors voted 4-0 to empower appropriate authorities “to ensure public safety and do more than just cite repeat offenders,” Anderson said. A final draft ordinance is expected to be presented by county staff to the board in about two months, when a final vote will take place.
By Miriam Raftery
Photo by Anne Meador: Federal workers protest at Capitol (CC by NC-ND)
March 14, 2025 – Two federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration’s mass firing of federal workers was illegal. Both judges ordered thousands of probationary fired workers rehired, at least temporarily, though the two rulings differed on the scope of agencies affected. Combined, the two rulings order that 18 agencies immediately rehire those fired, affecting a broad range of jobs from national park rangers to Veterans’ Administration workers and many more.
The judges also issued scathing rebukes of the purge of agencies done by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and accused the administration of lying when it claimed the firings were based on performance issues, since many of the laid-off workers had extremely positive performance reviews.
U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup in San Francisco called the mass terminations a “sham.” He stated in open court, “It is sad, a sad day, when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie. That should not have been done in our country.”
LIVESTREAMING UPDATE: For those unable to attend in-person, here are platforms where organizers plan to livestream this event:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/indivisiblencsd/
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@indivisiblencsd
- Youtube Live - https://www.youtube.com/@IndivisibleNCSanDiego
- Twitch.tv - https://www.twitch.tv/indivisiblencsandiego;
By Miriam Raftery
March 14, 2025 (Escondido) – After weeks of rebuffed requests for Congressman Darrell Issa (R-48)to hold a community townhall to discuss constituents’ concerns, activists have scheduled an “Empty Chair Town Hall” at the California Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event, hosted by Dr. Allison Gill from the "Mueller, She Wrote" podcast, will provide constituents with the opportunity to voice questions and concerns they would typically address directly to their congressional representative, particularly regarding potential cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Veterans Services.
Following recommendations outlined in the "Indivisible Guide" (indivisible.org/resource/guide), this Empty Chair Town Hall is part of a nationwide effort encouraged by Indivisible National during the congressional recess from March 13-23.
"When our elected officials refuse to engage with their constituents, democracy suffers," said Pamela Albergo of Indivisible North County San Diego. "Rep. Issa hasn't held a town hall since 2017, but the concerns of his constituents haven't gone away."
Update January 7, 2025 A GoFundMe site has been set up to help the victims' families with funeral costs, emotional support, and legal costs to pursue justice.
East County News Service
January 6, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The victims of a fatal pedestrian crash on New Year’s Day in Lemon Grove have been identified as Nadia Charles and Junior Joseph Juste. Both 20 years old, they were cousins who immigrated here from Haiti last year in hopes of a better life in the United States, after surviving earthquakes,poverty, violence and political instability in their homeland.
By Alexander J. Schorr
Photo, left, via Grossmont Education Association: angry crowd turns back on Acting Superintendent Sandra Huezo and the GUHSD board
An open letter sent to California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff
By Chuck Brown, Spring Valley
March 13, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - The House passed legislation to fund the government through Sept. 30 and thereby avert a shutdown at the end of this week.
By Karen Pearlman
Photo, left, by Miriam Raftery: El Cajon's downtown district
March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – A new city vibe is expected to come to the more than 100-year-old city of El Cajon.
Earlier this month, the Downtown El Cajon Business Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting a safe and prosperous downtown El Cajon, announced that it had hired New City America to lead a renewal effort in the area.
The group that helped revitalize Little Italy is being tapped to be executive director of the group and work to make downtown El Cajon a vibrant community hub.
By Miriam Raftery
March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – Four members of El Cajon’s City Council yesterday voted to send letters of support for H.R. 1680 to its author, Colorado Republican Gabe Evans, and ask local Congressman Darrell Issa to co-sponsor the bill--even though the text of the bill has not yet been released.
The only description on the Congressional website states that the measure will “amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to expand the prohibition on State noncompliance with enforcement of the immigration laws, and for other purposes.” But according to Congress.gov, no text of the bill has yet been submitted to the Legislative Analyst. So we don’t know how the bill would affect immigrant enforcement locally, nor what “other purposes” might be included.
Two members of the public spoke, both opposed to the action.
Rebecca Branstetter called the bill “a pig in a poke” since there’s no text on the Congressional website yet. “If we can’t read and understand the text of the bill, we can’t know what Council is asking for in its letter to Darrell Issa.” She asked that the measure be tabled until text is available for residents and Councilmembers to review.
By Miriam Raftery
March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council yesterday voted to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the sale of vaping or e-cigarette devices disguised as other products.