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Santee
Lakeside

Communities
Santee/Lakeside

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Read more about WELCOME, SANTEE & LAKESIDE RESIDENTS!
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San Diego County Board of Supervisors
Joel Anderson
Paloma Aguirre
Monica Montgomery Steppe
Jim Desmond
Terra Lawson-Remer

News
Politics and local government
Communities
Deserts
Mountains
North County Inland
Rural communities
Cities
Lemon Grove
Santee/Lakeside
La Mesa/Mt. Helix
El Cajon
San Diego inland and college communiites

East County News Service Feb. 20, 2026 (San Diego County) — There's one week left to tell San Diego County officials what you want to see, including ways they can better pull back the proverbial curtain on local government. With a comprehensive survey launched earlier this year, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors -- Paloma Aguirre (District 1), Joel Anderson (D2), Terra Lawson-Remer (D3), Monica Montgomery Steppe (D4) and Jim Desmond (D5) -- are looking at a public outreach initiative aimed at reimagining how the public interacts with the group tasked with governing the county's $8 billion-plus budget. The survey can be accessed here, with a Feb. 27 deadline for input.

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Read more about And the survey says... County Supervisors looking for input
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La Mesa
Santee
Green Street Projects
new traffic signals in Lakeside and Fallbrook
road upgrades in Valley Center
stormwater filtration project in Fallbrook.

News
Communities
North County Inland
Cities
Santee/Lakeside

By Donna Durckel, County of San Diego Communications Office Photo: rendering of final road improvements February 12, 2026 (San Diego) - The Board of Supervisors approved three major infrastructure projects to improve safety, mobility and sustainability in unincorporated communities: new traffic signals in Lakeside and Fallbrook, road upgrades in Valley Center and a stormwater filtration project in Fallbrook.

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Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD)
Santana High School
Santana HS 2001 shooting

Crime Beat
Education
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

February 10, 2026 (Santee) -- Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Kirsten Vital Brulte has sent a letter to District Attorney Summer Stephan expressing full support for her appeal of the San Diego Superior Court’s decision to grant a recall and resentencing hearing for Charles “Andy” Williams, the perpetrator of the 2001 Santana High School shooting.

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Read more about GUHSD Superintendent backs DA’s appeal against potential release of 2001 Santana shooter
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Fido Fest
San Diego Humane Society
Santee Town Center Community Park

Events
Festivals of the Month
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

Photos and story by Karen Pearlman Feb. 10, 2026 (Santee) – It's time to grab your canine friends and their leashes for the dogstravaganza that is Fido Fest. The city of Santee's annual soirée with all things canine will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year at the event set for Saturday, Feb. 28 at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive. Fido Fest started out as a somewhat modest local gathering of dogs and their human friends but has become a huge draw for four- and two-legged visitors from East County and beyond. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Santee's Town Center Park will become a dog-centric playground, featuring everything from high-energy agility courses to the adopt-don't-shop headquarters of "Adoption Alley."

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Read more about A decade of dogs: Fido Fest celebrates 10th anniversary
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Lakeside
Plane lands on highway 67
State Route 67

News
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

Photo via CalTrans camera

February 7,2026 (Lakeside) -- A small plane has made an emergency landing on State Route 67 south in Lakeside at Winter Gardens Blvd., Cal Trans reports. Traffic is backed up to Mapleview, with the plane blocking the right lane and shoulder.

A SIG alert has been issued.

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Lakeside
Lakeside Union School District
LUSD sexual misconduct

Crime Beat
Education
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

January 28, 2026 (Lakeside) – Kent Cable, 55, an employee of the Lakeside Union School District in a non-teaching role, has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a minor. Charges include three counts of sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger and four counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under age 14.

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Lakeside
SWAT arrest Lakeside

Crime Beat
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

File photo via San Diego County Sheriff’s SWAT detail

January 28, 2026 (Lakeside) – Sheriff’s deputies from the Lakeside substation and the San Diego County Sheriff’s SWAT team assisted Los Angeles Police officers to take a “suspected armed and dangerous felony warrant suspect into custody,” according to Lieutenant David Perkins, Lakeside Sheriff’s substation.

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La Mesa
El Cajon
Santee
Lakeside
Lemon Grove
kratom
kratom sales

News
Crime Beat
Communities
Lemon Grove
Santee/Lakeside
La Mesa/Mt. Helix
El Cajon

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

January 24, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – An investigation by East County Magazine has found kratom and synthetic kratom (7-OH) products for sale locally in every East County city, despite the fact that it’s illegal in California to sell or manufacture kratom for consumption. The ban is due to risk of addiction, serious harm, overdose or death, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Kratom can also cause liver toxicity when used with alcohol.

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Read more about Kratom, banned by California, is still for sale in East County stores including synthetic versions linked to numerous deaths
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Santee
Woodspring Suites

Business and Labor
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

By Mike Allen

January 19, 2026 (Santee) -- Santee’s newest hotel came in handy for a few local families who needed a temporary home because their regular abode sustained serious damage.

“One guest stayed for two weeks because their house flooded, and another stayed three weeks because their house caught fire,” said Jesse Duenas, general manager of the Woodspring Suites on Mission Gorge Road near the confluence of SRs 52 and125 that officially opened before New Year’s Day.

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Read more about New Woodspring Suites now Santee’s largest hotel
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Santee
bank robber arrested in Santee

Crime Beat
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

January 16, 2026 (Santee) – Bruce Clark Furze, 31, was arrested last night while trying to cross the international border pedestrian port of entry at San Ysidro. He is being charged with robbing the Chase Bank on Town Center Parkway in Santee on Monday, January 12, according to Sergeant Justin Crews with the San Diego County Sheriff’s criminal intelligence unit.

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U.S. Racewalking
USA Track & Field
Olympics 2028

Sports
Santee/Lakeside

Percy Karlstrom, winner of the chamionship racewalk in Santee

Photos and story by Mike Allen

January 14, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s reputation as a world-class venue for race walking was burnished again Jan. 10 when it hosted the 2026 USATF Marathon Race Walk Championship in and around the Trolley Square Mall. It was the 13th consecutive time -- and the 15th overall -- the city has hosted championships in the sport, which has one event -- the half marathon -- in the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic Games, being held in Los Angeles. “This is an unbelievable honor for Santee, which as a city is just 46 years old!" said Santee Mayor John Minto. "We love being the 'Race Capital of the United States.' They (race walkers) fly under the radar but they are among the toughest and most uniquely talented athletes that there are in all of sport.” While Los Angeles is certainly in mind for the best competitors, most of the race walkers' sights were more focused on making the United States team that will vie for medals at the World Team Race Walking Championships in Brasília, Brazil, scheduled for April 12, and the 2026 Senior Pan-American Athletics Championships, to be held the last week of June in Medellin, Colombia.

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Read more about Champion racewalkers return to Santee
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Lakeside
motorcycle fatality Lakeside

News
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

January 12, 2026 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man, 55, died at the scene of an accident at 5:50 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10. The man, who was not identified, was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on El Monte Road at Omas Dirt Road in Lakeside when he veered off the roadway and struck a metal utility pole.

He was ejected off the motorcycle, striking a wooden fence post.

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Santee
Santana High School
Santana High School shooting

News
Crime Beat
Education
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

By Miriam Raftery

January 8, 2026 (Santee) – It’s been 25 years since 15-year-old Andrew “Andy” Williams shot and killed two students and injured 13 other people at Santana High School in Santee. He was sentence to 50 years to life in prison. But due to a new state law allowing juvenile offenders with life sentences to petition for resentencing, a Superior Court judge has granted a request from Williams’ attorney for a resentencing hearing that is expected to lead to his release, potentially with two years’ probation, over the objections of District Attorney Summer Stephan, who plans to appeal the ruling.

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Read more about Santana shooter granted resentencing hearing, may soon be freed
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San Diego Automotive Museum
IGNITE Academy
Balboa Park
Badas Burgers

News
Features, Food & Fun
Features
Events
Communities
Cities
Santee/Lakeside

Evening event at new IGNITE Academy campus (see photo, left, showing students from the academy) will support automotive career training for local youth East County News Service Jan. 7, 2026 (Santee) -- The San Diego Automotive Museum will host its first Garage Night from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the recently opened IGNITE Academy campus, 8630 Argent St. in Santee. The evening event will invite the community to experience an evening of food, drinks and vintage automobiles while supporting the Museum's workforce development initiative. Attendees will have the chance to tour the academy campus, view vehicles owned and maintained by program participants, and learn about student achievements since the program's launch.

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Lake Jennings
Lake Jennings Campground
new moon fishing
new moon

Features
Events
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service Jan. 3, 2025 (Lakeside) — San Diego County anglers should worm their way into their tackle boxes and grab their lanterns for one of the region’s most anticipated winter traditions. From 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, Lake Jennings will host its first "New Moon Fishing" event of the year, offering a rare opportunity for nighttime access to one of Lakeside’s most scenic reservoirs. Lake Jennings leaders said that to ensure a productive night for all skill levels, the lake will be freshly stocked with 1,500 pounds of Rainbow Trout.

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Photo of the Week
great blue heron
birds

Best Photos from our Readers and Staff
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

January 3, 2026 (Lakeside) - Scott Lagace Photography sent in in this beautiful image of a Great Blue Heron at Lake Jennings in Lakeside.

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron native to North America, with height up to 54 inches and a wingspan of 66 to 79 inches—a maximum of more than seven and a half feet.

While its primary diet is fish, this large heron also eats amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and even small mammals.

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News
Education
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

By Karen Pearlman Dec. 30, 2025 (Lakeside) – Looking to reclaim local classrooms from a rising tide of student misconduct, the Lakeside Union School District Board of Trustees earlier this month passed a sweeping resolution aimed at curbing bullying, “death notes” and chronic defiance. Lakeside Union School Board member Andrew Hayes championed the policy, adopted Dec. 11, and said that it marks a significant shift toward “firm and enforced” disciplinary standards. Hayes said the changes are long in coming, as educators across the country have been grappling with a post-pandemic behavioral crisis which has left far too many teachers feeling vulnerable, and at the same time seeing parents demanding a return to order. The push for the new framework was spearheaded by Hayes, who cited a disturbing trend of “bullying, aggression, and any act that endangers the safety of others.” The resolution specifically highlights the emergence of “death notes” as a point of concern, a chilling example of the increased severity of behavioral infractions facing local staff.

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Read more about Lakeside school district moves to stop bullying, defiance and more
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Santee
Wendy Kaserman

News
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

By Mike Allen

December 21, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s new city manager says she’s still getting up to speed in her new position, but there’s one item that puzzles her: her new office comes with a couch.

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Santee
Santee Community Center
Santee City Council

News
Homes
Politics and local government
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

By Mike Allen

Image: rendering of new community center

December 15, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s City Council has unanimously approved a contract to build its long-planned Community Center next to the Cameron YMCA for a total cost of $26.8 million, or $3.3 million more than the city staff’s estimate given in April.

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Santee
Sharp Rees-Steely
possible armed man at Sharp Rees-Steely

News
Crime Beat
Health/Fitness
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

Man detained due to mental health crisis; no weapon found

Photo by Patrick Ward

December 14, 2025 (Santee) – Sheriff’s deputies evacuated the Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group building on Cuyamaca Street in Santee yesterday afternoon, after receiving multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting a possible armed person.

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Lakeside Fire Protection District
Jeff Reyes
Shawn McKenna
Lakeside heroes

News
Wildfire and Emergency News
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

Photo: Chief Don Butz, left, and Batallion Chief Eric Stamm commend firefighter/paramedic Jeff Reyes

View video by Shiloh Ireland

By Shiloh Ireland

Miriam Raftery contributed to this report

December 10, 2025 (Lakeside) – Lakeside firefighter/paramedic Jeff Reyes acted “without hesitation, drawing on instinct, training and sheer courage” to save the life of Captain Steven Russo, who fell through the floor of a burning building, said Lakeside Fire Protection Chief Don Butz during a ceremony yesterday recognizing Reyes’ heroism.

Engineer Shawn McKenna was also recognized for his critical role in transmitting the emergency message and facilitating the rescue.

Crews were battling a two-alarm commercial building in March when Russo fell through a hole in the floor, not realizing the fire was directly underneath him, according to Battalion Chief Eric Stamm. He called the situation “perilous” adding, “Jeff grabbed Captain Russo and pulled him out of the floor.”

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East County Advanced Water Purification Program
Santee

News
Green Scene
Communities
Rural communities
Santee/Lakeside

By Mike Allen

Photo: Education Center at AWP plant

December 5, 2025 (Santee) -- Three years into construction, the massive East County Advanced Water Purification Program is approaching the finish line late next year when the region’s sewage now being treated at Point Loma will be pumped to a new Santee plant and converted to drinkable, purified water.

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Read more about East County AWP construction boosts cost, but officials say recycled water supply is worth the price
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East County Rivers and Lakes
East County Regions

Communities
Santee/Lakeside
VISIT EAST COUNTY
Our Regions
Rivers and Lakes Region

By Karen Pearlman and Miriam Raftery

Overview: San Diego County's beautiful coastline often steals the spotlight, but the eastern side of the county offers a serene and varied landscape. Our Rivers and Lakes region encompasses eastern portions of the San Diego River, which flows from its headwaters in the mountains to the sea, along with reservoirs, many parks, rocky crags, and our county’s only natural lake.

This area also celebrates its wild west roots, offers many nature trails as well as contemporary comforts, providing a wealth of recreational opportunities here.

From the bird-laden banks of the San Diego River in Lakeside to the popular Lake Murray Reservoir, the waterways and places around them continue to draw visitors with their inviting features. The County also operates numerous parks in the Lakeside area, including some with rugged terrain and adventures awaiting visitors.

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Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD)
librarians
teacher-librarians
teacher-librarian removal

News
Education
Communities
Rural communities
Santee/Lakeside
La Mesa/Mt. Helix
El Cajon

“They meant to hurt us, but they’re hurting our kids.” –Jason Balisteri, Mount Miguel history teacher and former teacher-librarian

By Armando Rasing II

Photos, left: protest signs at GUHSD board meeting when the majority voted to fire all teacher-librarians.

November 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) - The 2025-26 school year marks the first school year that the Grossmont Union High School District doesn’t have a teacher-librarian for any of its nine schools, following mass layoffs.

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Lakeside
Spirit of Christmas
Lakeside Spirit of Christmas
Lakeside Historical Society

East County Shopping & Business Directory
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

Nov. 25, 2025 (Lakeside) -- The heart of cozy Lakeside will transform into a hub of festive activity next month, anchored by two of its warmest community traditions: the annual "Spirit of Christmas" celebration and the return of the popular "Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Resale Shoppe."

Sponsored by the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce, the Spirit of Christmas event will include two all-day events, lasting from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both., Saturday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 19.

From 3 to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, Maine Avenue will be temporarily closed to traffic and transformed into an old-fashioned Christmas celebration, complete with the sights, sounds and scents of the season.

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Joseph Veizaga
Joey Veizaga
Santee

Crime Beat
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

November 20, 2025 (Santee) – Superior Court Judge Johnetta Anderson has sentenced Joseph "Joey" Carlos Veizaga to a term of seven years in state prison after he was found guilty of domestic violence causing great bodily injury to his wife. Veizaga is the owner of Mr. Joey’s Music Store in Santee and fo9under of Los Reyes del Ritmo, a Gypsy Kings-style band.

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Santee
reckless driving Santee

Crime Beat
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service

November 19, 2025 (Santee) -- A reckless driving suspect struck multiple vehicles while leading Sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit from Santee to San Diego on November 18th.

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San Diego County Board of Supervisors
land use
Spring Valley
Casa de Oro

News
Green Scene
Homes
Politics and local government
Communities
Mountains
Rural communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service Nov. 14, 2025 (San Diego County) -- The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is continuing a critical conversation about the future of housing and development in the unincorporated areas of the county, including Spring Valley, Lakeside and Casa de Oro. The Board of Supervisors will discuss land use legislations at its meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. The meeting is in person at the County Administration Center and can be accessed as well online. County staff will be presenting information to set the stage for major decisions coming in the 2026-27 fiscal year that will affect where and how new homes and buildings are built.

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County of San Diego
East County transportation

News
Politics and local government
Communities
Santee/Lakeside

East County News Service Nov. 4, 2025 (Lakeside) – The County of San Diego Planning & Development Services (PDS) is inviting all Lakeside residents and community stakeholders to a public meeting to discuss local transportation needs and potential solutions. The meeting, set for 5:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the Lakeside Community Center, is part of the "Lakeside Mobility Options Via Efficient Solutions" (MOVES) program, a component of the County’s broader Community Based Transportation Program.