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.

East County News Service

March 16, 2026 (East County) -- An evening of music, storytelling and community will be the draw in La Mesa later this month.

The Ira Aldridge Repertory Players will be presenting “Sanctified in Swing” starting at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 28 at Spacebar Café & Wine Bistro, 7454 University Ave., in La Mesa. Doors open at 6 p.m., organizers say.

The event will include poems written by Calvin Manson as well as jazz, blues and R&B vocal music by Leslie Green and Roosevelt Carter -- all Lemon Grove residents.

Green will light up the stage with a powerful voice flowing through jazz, blues, and R&B, rich with soul, warmth, and the power to lift every heart. She will be joined by Carter, known for his velvet smooth, rich and warm voice.

Residents, gardeners should take precautions to protect against deadly disease transmitted by snails, slugs, and animals that ingest them

By Miriam Raftery

March 9, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a brain-eating parasite, has been found for the first time in San Diego County. It can be transmitted to humans, pets and wildlife with potentially deadly results. It was found in 10 opossums taken in by wildlife rescuers across the county that were euthanized after falling ill. The locations where the opossums were found include La Mesa, the College Area, Bonita, Peñasquitos, Cardiff by the Sea, Carlsbad, Point Loma, and San Diego. In addition, rat lungworm was also found in three rats and a wallaby at the San Diego Zoo.

Sycuan Casino Resort hosted the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce's 114th annual East County Honors Awards Gala over the weekend.

Photos and story by Karen Pearlman

East County News Service

Feb. 26, 2026 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Police Department is sounding the alarm to the community about rising thefts of recent models of Jeeps.

The police department shares that residents in La Mesa as well as surrounding East County neighborhoods need to be informed of a sophisticated spike in vehicle thefts targeting high-end, newer-model Jeeps.

They say that thieves are pivoting from traditional "smash-and-grab" tactics to high-tech electronic hacking that allows them to drive away in a stolen vehicle in under three minutes.

The primary targets are 2020 and newer Jeep Wranglers and Jeep Rubicons.

Unlike older theft methods that involved hotwiring or physical damage, tech-savvy criminals are using portable electronic devices often marketed as locksmith tools to bypass security. By accessing the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic port, thieves can communicate directly with the car's computer.

Once connected, the device "tricks" the vehicle into thinking a new key is being programmed. Within moments, the thief has a fully functional electronic key fob, allowing them to start the push-to-start engine and drive away without ever having the original key.

Source:  California Highway Patrol

February 11, 2026 (La Mesa) - On February 11, 2026, the California Highway Patrol, in conjunction with Helix Charter High School and La Mesa Police Department will be conducting a simulated drunk driving crash as part of the Every 15 Minutes program. The crash will be staged on Highlander Way and will begin at approximately 10:27 am. The mock crash will take place for approximately one hour; however, Highlander Way will be closed for several hours to allow for scene set-up and breakdown. During the mock crash, there will be a high concentration of emergency vehicles in the area. We would like to ensure that the public is aware this is a mock emergency incident, and that no real emergency exists. Numerous pre-designated students will be pulled from class and at the same time a mock obituary will be read by law enforcement personnel to the class. These students represent the number of people who will be seriously injured or killed at the hands of a drunk driver while they are in school that day.

East County News Service

“This is so critical to La Mesa and to our businesses.” - Councilmember Laura Lothian

By Armando Rasing II

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Outdoor dining at Hacienda Cazadores

February 1, 2026 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted unanimously last Tuesday to adopt a new sidewalk dining policy in commercial zones, also reporting progress in meeting climate action goals.

The city temporarily allowed increased flexibility for outdoor dining areas in 2020 to help support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new sidewalk dining policies will take into effect on March 12, allowing businesses to maintain that flexibility with updated guidelines.  

East County News Service

January 26, 2026 (La Mesa) - San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa invites you to enjoy an evening of wines paired with artisan gourmet chocolates by Swete Petite Confections on February 12 and 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. 

The winemaker and chocolatier will be on hand to guide you through the five pairings sure to satisfy your sweet tooth as well as cravings for award-winning locally crafted wines. 

For more information and tickets ($60), or to RSVP, visit https://www.sanpasqualwinery.com/.