Photo courtesy Kaiser Permanente Southern California Instagram

By Karen Pearlman

April 21, 2026 (La Mesa) -- When he was a teenager growing up in Muncie, Indiana, Charles Hamori performed his first successful medical diagnosis -- on himself.

Hamori was 14 when he correctly identified his own appendicitis, and it was at that moment (or soon thereafter) a doctor was born.

"With my first diagnosis of appendicitis, my mom ignored it and my sister cried wolf," Hamori said, laughing. "But what I remember most about that is that many times, most times, your patients are going to tell you what they have, what's wrong, if you take the time to listen. That (appendicitis incident) influenced how I listen to my patients today."

With nearly 30 years at Kaiser Permanente as a physician and surgeon under his medical belt, Dr. Charles J. Hamori, a Mount Helix resident, has reached one of the true pinnacles of American medical leadership.

Soroptimist International of Valley de Oro recognizes women overcoming extraordinary obstacles to build better lives through education

By Henri Migala

Photo:  Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award winners.  Seated (left to right): Dr. Peggy Fischer, DVM, Valley de Oro Club Chair; Tenisha Back row (left to right): Sue Bucheman (member); Nancy Waters (member); Kayleen; Susie Hoolihan (Club Treasurer); Metilde; Rasha; Flor; Lorena

April 19, 2026 (Rancho San Diego) -- On the evening of Monday, April 13, 2026, a small but mighty corner of East County came together at Hooley’s Rancho San Diego to celebrate something truly meaningful: the courage, determination, and dreams of eight remarkable local women. Soroptimist International of Valley de Oro (SI/VdO) held its annual Live Your Dream Awards presentation, honoring this year’s recipients and shining a light on the transformative power of education.

By Philicia Tonangoye

Image:  tangerines, via Bing (cc) 

April 18, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – The Mexican fruit fly quarantine has reduced donations of fresh produce to local food pantries, since organizations such as Produce Good mainly rely on backyard harvests to help community members in need. Home growers are not allowed to move their backyard products in the 82-square-mile quarantine area, meaning that these organizations may have to import products from other parts of San Diego or take donations directly from people outside the quarantine area who are willing to give.  

East County News Service

April 14, 2026 (Boulevard) -- The Backcountry Resource Center in Boulevard will be busy this Wednesday, April 15 hosting the first-ever Mountain Empire Art Show 2026, opening at 4 p.m. and the Boulevard-Jacumba Town Hall Event at 6:30 p.m.

The first annual Mountain Empire Art Show  is an act of advocacy for the vibrant and sometimes hidden gem of the art community of the high desert east county region. Sixteen artists will show at the Backcountry Resource Center, gathered by the curation of Mara Harris who enthusiastically organized the show as an act of community activism.

Harris is also a resident on Jewel Valley Road the primary location for the Starlight Solar Project slated for Boulevard. 

The art show theme is "Artists Activate Aliveness!" It is a direct response to the east desert communities' concern of the impact of the growing number of industrial solar, battery, and wind turbine projects in the Mountain Empire region.

East County News Service

April 13, 2026 (Lemon Grove) -- The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Division is holding a public event aimed at bridging the gap between life behind bars and life as a productive neighbor.

From 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 14 at the Lemon Grove Library, the community is being invited to meet the team dedicated to ensuring that when individuals leave custody, they stay out.

While vocational skills get people hired, the Sheriff’s Department is also focused on the internal work required to prevent a return to custody.

During the event, guests can explore tables that highlight the department's Career Technical Education programs and meet our community partners who support successful reintegration.

There will be an overview presentation that shares a clear picture of the services, programs, and supports our team provides, along with how these efforts contribute to a successful return to our communities.

East County News Service

April 11, 2026 (Borrego Springs) - The San Diego Superior Court has ordered the conditional release of Sexually Violent Predator Gary Snavely.  The California Department of State Hospitals has recommended the placement of Snavely at 3406 Running M Road in Borrego Springs  He was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with two girls ages 8 and 9 between 1982 and 1986.

The Padres will sport their new "City Connect 2.0" uniforms with a special patch on the arm tonight at home against the Colorado Rockes. Photo courtesy San Diego Padres

East County News Service

April 10, 2026  (San Diego) — The San Diego Padres might just be starting to pick up some steam.

In a finish that felt more like end-of-season heroics instead of an April extra-inning game, Padres infielder Xander Bogaerts sent a 1-2 slider over the left-field wall at Petco Park for a walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning of Thursday night's game against visiting Colorado, giving the Padres a thrilling 7-3 victory over the Rockies.

The Padres are now at 7-7, tied for second place with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West, as they continue play against the Rockies, who are in San Diego all weekend.

April 9, 2026 (San Diego) -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Trump's VA killed a home loan program. Vets are now losing their homes because of it (NPR)
• Eligible young men will automatically be registered for US military draft later this year (NY Post)
• Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi after criticism over Epstein docs  (USA Today)
• Trump administration can't make colleges provide race-related data, judge rules (Reuters)
• Looking to limit birthright citizenship, Trump turns to an 1884 Supreme Court ruling against a Native American man (NBC)
• Judge deals Trump setback in civil suits over Capitol riot        (Politico)
• Board of Immigration Appeals transforms law behind the scenes  (NPR)
• Judge sides with New York Times in challenge to policy limiting reporters’ access to Pentagon (AP)
• Judge orders Trump administration to bring back DACA recipient deported to Mexico (Politico)
• Prosecutor conceded lack of criminal evidence in Federal Reserve investigation, transcript shows ((AP)
• US Treasury plans to put Trump's signature on new paper currency in first for sitting president (AP)
• Judge Halts Construction of Trump’s White House Ballroom (Associated Press)
• Epstein survivors sue Justice Department and Google over release of private information (CNN)
• Beer cans, helium balloons and mortgages: Unexpected costs of war  (NPR)
• Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone (AP)

• WORLD
• G7 agrees to secure Strait of Hormuz but only after war in Iran ends  (Euro News)
• Israel says it will begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as US prepares for Iran ceasefire talks  (CNN)
• Trump compares attack on Iran to Pearl Harbor in meeting with Japanese PM (BBC)
• Exclusive: US can only confirm about a third of Iran's missile arsenal destroyed (Reuters)

By Alex J. Schorr

April 9, 2026 — As of yesterday, the United States and Iran have agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, with the agreement aiming to pause hostilities that began on February 28. Pakistan-mediated talks are scheduled to begin in Islamabad on Friday April 10, to seek a permanent settlement.  The fragile cease-fire comes after Trump posted a threat on social media Tuesday stating that a “whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz.

Additionally, a big point of contention has also emerged concerning Lebanon. While Pakistan and Iran maintain that the truce includes "Lebanon and elsewhere,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump have stated that the ceasefire does not cover Lebanon, where Israel has significantly intensified its attacks against Hezbollah.