By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2018 (Boulevard) – On Friday, Judge David Gill approved placement of Michael Joseph Martinez at 2135 McCain Valley Road in Boulevard, a small town in San Diego's East County, starting in late April. Martinez has been in  state mental hospital since 2009 but was approved last year for release. He was committed as a sexually violent predator and has been diagnosed with a pedophilia and personality disorder.

By Miriam Raftery

March 13, 2018 (La Mesa) – After 14 years as Superintendent of the La Mesa0Spring Valley School District, Brian Marshall will retire on December 31^st, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Marshall has a long career in East County and San diego.  After receiving his Masters of Arts degree in Educational Administration from San Diego State University and a teaching credential at the University of San Diego, he became vice principal of Lakeside Middle School in 1993 and in 1995 was named principal of Tierra del Sol Middle School in the Lakeside Union School District.

By Mary Harris

Photo courtesy SimonP on Wikipedia

March 12, 2018 (Alpine) - The next meeting of the Alpine Community Plan Update is around the corner. Look for information that will be posted soon here on ACN. People living in Alpine need to attend and let their county representatives know what is on their mind. Let your voices be heard loud and clear ! Tell them what YOU want and what you don't want.Some say that in the next twenty years, Alpine's population may double. Development is on the rise. What do you want to see preserved in Alpine ? What do you value here enough to fight for?

Update March 11, 2018:  "Bubbles" has been found in a canyon near the pet store from which she escaped.

By Miriam Raftery

March 8, 2018 (Spring Valley) – “Bubbles,” a 35-pound, 5 and a half feet long black-throated monitor lizard has been missing from Mike’s Pets at 8300 Paradise Valley Road in Spring Valley since Sunday, March 4^th.

According to reports on 10 News and Patch.com, Bubbles was last seen on a security camera strolling from his cage that he had apparently slipped out of through a small opening, toward the back door of the shop.

By Miriam Raftery

March 6, 2018 (Alpine) – A SWAT team was called out to Alpine yesterday for a domestic violence incident in which a woman had barricaded herself into a bedroom with two shotguns, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to Sergeant Alex Navarro.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!  Type in “Sports” as your donation!

Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories!

Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity?  Comment on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Check out our sports section for more sports stories!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

March 2, 2018 (San Diego) - Steele Canyon.  Eastlake.  Spring Valley.  Chula Vista.  Both making the trek to inner city San Diego to Mission Bay High School for the CIF Open Division Championship.  The Cougars finished the season 12-6-6 overall and 3-2-3 in the Grossmont League.  Compare that to the Titans’ 18-5-3 overall record and impressive undefeated 9-0 record in league, and this was sure to be a wild ride.

Penn Gaming parts ways with tribe; SEC filing cites concerns over unpaid loans

By Miriam Raftery

March 1, 2018 (Jamul) – In a press release issued tonight, the Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation, a wholly owned entity of Jamul Indian Village, announced termination of Penn Gaming and a transition to a new management team at the Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego, which will be rebranded as Jamul Casino.

The JIVDC press release describes the transition as a “natural next step toward economic self-sufficiency for JIV.”  Penn Gaming’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 018 does affirm that the decision for Penn’s local entity, San Diego Gaming  Ventures LLC, to cease management of the casino effective May 28, 2018 is a “mutually agreed” upon decision. 

But the filing also indicates serious financial difficulties, including outstanding loans that Penn suggests it may be unable to collect.  The filing states:

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Alex Tardy, National Weather Service San Diego

February 28, 2018 (San Diego) -- Another winter storm is set to swoop in Thursday night through Saturday from the Pacific Northwest, bringing potentially heavy rain and more mountain snow.  Winds could pick up too through mountain passes and desert slopes, too.

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2018 (Boulevard) – The Boulevard Planning Group meets Thursday, March 1^st at 7 p.m. in the Boulevard Fire Training Room, 33919 Ribbonwood Road, Boulevard.  The board is expected to take action on proposed release of a sexually violent predator on McCain Valley Road.

The board will also receive updates and hold discussions on issues including Supervisors’ climate action plan, Tule Wind noise complaints, Protect Our Communities’ appeal challenging federal approval of Tule Wind phase II, and revival of two solar projects formerly proposed by Soitec. Rugged Solar has been taken over by Clean Focus and Tierra Del sol Solar has been taken over by Invenergy and renamed Boulevard Solar.

East County News Service

February 27, 2018 (Ramona) --  Indivisible Ramona invites the public to attend an evening of presentations on the “Changing Faces of Agricultures”, including farm labor, and its impact on the economy of San Diego County tonight, Tuesday, February 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Ramona Library Community Room, 1275 Main St., Ramona, CA 92065. 

Attendees will hear from two expert speakers and Congressional candidates about San Diego County agriculture productions of more than $1.7 billion and agricultural exports from and through the county at more than $18 billion and how immigration, housing, NAFTA and other key issues could have an impact. Both Republican and Democratic candidates running for Congress in District 50 have been invited to participate and offer comments.

By Jonathan Goetz

February 22, 2018 (Spring Valley) – Approximately 30 community members turned out at a meeting of the Spring Valley Revitalization Steering Committee Thursday, where Supervisor Dianne Jacob received an update from community and law enforcement.

The agenda covered a wide range of topics, from new parks and a community garden to  helping homeless youths and updates on community festivities.

East County News Service

February 18, 2018 (Campo) -- The Easter Bunny will board the train at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum’s depot in Campo on March 24^th, 25^th and 31^st to visit with passengers as the train travels through San Diego’s beautiful east-county mountains.  

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

February 10, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- Legislation introduced by State Senator Ben Hueso aims to expand a successful “promise zone” program originally used to improve inner city areas in the city of San Diego.  If enacted,  Senate Bill 635 would allow blighted rural and tribal communities as well as cities with populations under 200,000 people to also apply for promise zone designation.

By Miriam Raftery

February 7, 2018 (Jamul) – What could be more romantic than a Valentine’s dinner at a French restaurant?  Fabrison’s Country French Cooking in Jamul is offering two dinner packages for you and your sweetheart on February 14. Choose from Country French fancy at $50 a person or Country French Rustic at $35 a person.

Each includes a three-course meal with multiple options.  Bon appetit!

By Miriam Raftery

February 6, 2018 (Alpine) – The California Highway Patrol is warning motorists about a series of accidents caused by 50-pound bricks that authorities believe were left intentionally on Interstate 8 in Alpine, NBC 7 news reports.