Our deserts section covers the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Borrego Springs, Ocotillo, Ocotillo Wells and Jacumba.
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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.
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San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson holds up his senior parking pass at Mt. Woodson Gateway County Preserve in Ramona. (Photo courtesy Joel Anderson Facebook page)
East County News Service
April 10, 2026 (San Diego County) — While parking prices across the region seem to be climbing faster than a fit hiker scaling Iron Mountain, local seniors can count on San Diego County to give them a break on vehicle parking fees.
San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson sent a notice this past week on his social media account reminding those 62 and older that they are able to get free day-use parking at local parks.
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April 6, 2026 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Martin Eder sent in this photo, taken along Interstate 8 just west of Jacumba near the San Diego-Imperial County line, after he attended the Magical Mystery Beatles tribute music festival at De Anza Springs Resort.
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Photo: proposed Starlight Solar site, via County of San Diego
April 4, 2026 (Boulevard) – Should a 588-acre solar project with one of the state’s largest battery energy storage sites be built near rural Boulevard, a small town located in a very high fire hazard zone? The County Planning Commission may vote May 8 on the Starlight Solar project, which supporters say is needed to help meet state and county green energy mandates.
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April 3, 2026 (Jacumba Hot Springs) - Sunny, mild desert weather sets the stage April 4 and 5th, for a stellar weekend full of music, outdoor fun and fantastic food, a new shop opening and more. The weekend’s events include a Beatles tribute music fest and campout, bathhouse bazaar, Easter Brunch, and an herbalist’s new shop opening.
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March 28, 2026 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- East County’s abuzz with a Beatles invasion. De Anza Springs Resort, a high desert retreat, welcomes the public to the Magical Mystery Campout and Beatles Fair, a two-day festival on April 4 and 5. The weekend will feature multiple Beatles cover bands, hiking, swimming in indoor and outdoor mineral pools and a spa, stargazing, and Beatles memorabilia.
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March 27, 2026 (San Diego County) -- On the eve of what many are calling the largest civil mobilization in American history, in "No Kings" protests, the official stance from regional law enforcement has been clear and public-facing.
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March 24, 2026 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Performance art and music will collide and combine in concert in the high desert this spring as the Karnival of the Arts (KOTA) West returns to the DeAnza Springs Resort.
The festival, which has spent half a decade establishing a "West Coast home" in southeastern San Diego County, centers on a unique "triple-decked" stage production and will go from 4 p.m., April 30 through 4 p.m., May 3.
The design allows for simultaneous live painting, flow arts and musical performances, and this year features headliners Thundersmack (Leo P of Too Many Zooz and Michael Wilbur of Moon Hooch) and electronic multi-instrumentalist Vincent Antone.
"Our event highlights art like no other," says KOTA co-founder and producer Miguel Munoz. "Starting with triple decked stages for simultaneous live painting and dance/flow performances right along side regional favorite bands and international headliners."
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Photo of Lake Murray on March 17 by Karen Pearlman
East County News Service
March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- Baby, it's hot outside!
An unusually powerful high-pressure system has settled over Southern California, ushering in a period of dangerously hot conditions that threaten to shatter both daily and monthly temperature records across San Diego County.
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for the desert regions beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, and extending through 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21.
The NWS warns that residents in the low deserts should prepare for blistering highs between 104 and 112 degrees Fahrenheit, with the most intense heat expected on Thursday and Friday. Overnight relief will be minimal, as temperatures are only projected to dip into the mid-70s.
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March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- As the marine layer thins and temperatures climb across the region, San Diego’s original residents are beginning to stir.
From the coastal sage scrub of Torrey Pines to the rocky canyons of Mission Trails Regional Park, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake is officially back on the move, the County of San Diego warns.
Rattlesnake season in Southern California typically spans from March through October, but experts warn that the peak "shaking" occurs between April and June.
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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.
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
March 2, 2026 (El Cajon) -- More than 400 business and nonprofit leaders, community advocates and public officials gathered at Sycuan Casino Resort last Saturday for the 114th Annual East County Honors Awards Gala.
Hosted by the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce, the event continues to be more than a formal dinner, it also acts as a fundraiser for the nonprofit that represent the diverse business community of the East County region, including El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Rancho San Diego, Alpine, Spring Valley and Jamul.
The organization also maintains strong partnerships with other chambers in Santee, La Mesa, Lakeside, Julian, Borrego Springs, Ramona and Poway.
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March 1, 2026 (Borrego Springs) -- The Borrego Art Institute is marking the 20th anniversary of its Annual Plein Air Invitational this month.
Featuring 16 nationally recognized artists and a series of public competitions, the month-long programming will culminate in the "Art for Everyone" spring fundraiser and auction on April 4.
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Station is still streaming online, but restoring broadcast signal requires urgent funding for engineering, equipment, and a possible new site
East County News Service
February 28, 2026 (Descanso) – “The tower where KNSJ rented space since beginning broadcasting on July 4th, 2013, is now a crumpled pile of steel and cabling,” states a press release from KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, which airs the East County Magazine radio show. “Our volunteers have confirmed that the American Tower Company's tower on Monument Peak at 6,200 ft. elevation collapsed in the February winter storm due to severe ice accumulation and wind.”
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By Karen Pearlman, with photos by Karen Pearlman and Miriam Raftery
Feb. 22, 2026 (San Diego County) -- With an early wildflower bloom in Borrego, now is a perfect time for a day trip through San Diego County’s beautiful backcountry, including mountain and desert destinations.
Making the pilgrimage to the destination that is the Anza-Borrego Desert area can also include stops along the way there, and back, especially if you take a different way to your starting point.
When you arrive, the park has two visitor centers where you can get wildflower maps and information on current wildflower blooms, trails and more. The the main visitor center is at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s headquarters at 200 Palm Canyon Drive but there’s also one inside a shop on Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs at 587 Palm Canyon Drive.
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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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By Robin Joy Maxson, Chair, Association of Planning Groups – San Diego County and Board Member, SANDAG Board of Directors
February 18, 2026 (Ramona) -- Many people do not know, or realize, that if you live outside the city limits you are a resident of the unincorporated area. This means you do not have a city hall, you do not have a city council and you certainly do not have a mayor. When you want to address your local government you have to go to downtown San Diego - to the County Board of Supervisors! Many large communities are in this category: Alpine, Fallbrook, Lakeside, Ramona, Valley Center to name a few of the 107 unincorporated communities.
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February 16, 2026 (Borrego Springs) – Heavy winter rains have brought an early start to wildflower blooming season in the Anza Borrego Desert. During a trip there on Super Bowl Sunday, I found flower fields abloom with purple verbena on Henderson Canyon Road, as well as some white evening primroses, purple lupine and various yellow blossoms all against a dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains.
Desert dwellers say that more rains in recent days have resulted in even more flowers blooming over the past week, leading to hopes of a possible super bloom.
If you go, here are some tips.
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Feb. 1, 2026 (Borrego Springs) – K-RAM 90.5 FM is hitting the airwaves this week.
After years of radio static, the new station out of Borrego Springs will start broadcasting to the greater San Diego County desert community starting Wednesday, Feb. 11. Its license was granted March 19, 2025.
Gabriel Wisdom, a legendary San Diego radio figure from the 1970s at KGB-FM in San Diego and at KMET Los Angeles, is behind the launch of KRAM 90.5 FM. The FCC licensed non-commercial station is in the old Wells Fargo bank building at Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, an unincorporated community of about 3,100 adjacent to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
K-RAM has a partnership to rebroadcast KPBS-FM out of San Diego. The station will also serve as a critical node for emergency information if cell towers or landlines fail during storms, wildfires, earthquakes or other crises.
KPBS Chief Marketing Officer Heather Milne Barger said that the station will not have Borrego-centric news, talk and weather but is "very interested in receiving tips from the Borrego area that we can include in our news coverage by the KPBS newsroom, and highlight area events."
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Jan. 23, 2026 (San Diego County) -- More attention to security needs and new chips are making a difference in the safety of electronic benefits cards, also known as EBT cards.
San Diego County officials report that enhanced security measures and new chips have led to an 84 percent reduction in EBT card thefts affecting the county’s CalFresh, CalWORKs and General Relief recipients.
Nearly a year ago, the California Department of Social Services issued new EBT cards with chips similar to those in many credit cards. The card expiration date, card security code and all personal information also were moved to the back side of the card. Prior to the shift to improve security, California EBT cardholder information was traditionally printed on the front of the card.
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Jan. 22, 2026 (Borrego Springs) -- The rugged beauty of the Anza-Borrego Desert will take center stage as the Anza-Borrego Foundation kicks off the 20th anniversary edition of the Anza-Borrego Desert Photo Contest.
The event starts the afternoon of Jan. 31 with the judge's critique at Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center. Winners will have their photographs shown at the 2026 Photo Contest exhibit, where the community and visitors will get to enjoy the desert through the eyes of the region’s most talented photographers.
The month-long celebration of visual storytelling begins with a day of reveals and expert insights, culminating in a gallery show that supports the continued preservation of California’s largest state park.
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Jan. 22, 2026 (Borrego Springs) – Community members and golf enthusiasts are hitting the links at the de Anza Country Club next month for the 27th annual Borrego Springs Golf Classic.
Chaired by Martha Deichler and Kathryn White, the event is a vital fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, with every dollar raised going directly toward supporting the Borrego Springs Branch.
The event starts at 8:30 a.m. for signups and breakfast with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start on Friday, Feb. 20. The deAnza Country Club is at 509 Catarina Drive in Borrego Springs.
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Jan. 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson is looking for residents to help in the county's annual Point-in-Time Count, the one-day evaluation and counting of the region's population of those experiencing homelessness.
Every year, Anderson joins hundreds of residents and county employees in waking before the sun rises to take part in the snapshot of the county’s homeless population.
This year’s regional effort will take place from 4 to 8 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 29.
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Jan. 9, 2026 (San Diego County) -- Detra Williams has been appointed as San Diego County's next Chief Deputy of Tax Collection, succeeding Chief Deputy David Baker, who has retired.
Williams was appointed to the position effective Jan. 6. County Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Cohen announced the appointment on Jan. 6.
Williams has worked for the County of San Diego for nearly 35 years. She spent more than 20 years in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office and held leadership roles in the District Attorney’s Office and other County departments.
In October, the County Board of Supervisors had selected Williams and three other finalists, including Cohen and Baker, as candidates to fill the role of Treasurer-Tax Collector during a public hearing.
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December 4, 2025 (Ranchita) – An 8-year-old girl has died and seven other people injured, including children, in a multi-vehicle collision Sunday afternoon, November 30 on San Felipe Road south of Montezuma Valley Road. Alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol.
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December 4, 2025 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- On Sunday, December 7 from 4 to 7 p.m., Jacumba Hot Springs’ newest gallery introduces the watercolors of Descanso artist Charlotte Hickcox, along with the creations of Jacumba’s Linda Churchill in an evening exhibit sure to amaze. Refreshments will be provided.
Jacumba Art is located at 44608 Old Highway 80, 91934 in Jacumba.
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December 4, 2025 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Jacumba Hot Springs, a scenic outpost in East County’s high desert region, hosts its monthly street bazaar this Saturday Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the site of its historic Old Bathhouse. About an hour’s drive from San Diego along I-8 and Old Highway 80, the oak and boulder-studded landscape attracts travelers to a region growing with activities and interest.
Since 2021, as part of a town revival project, the local vendors, artists, crafters and junk dealers gather monthly, offering herbal and mushroom products, woodcraft, paintings, garden plants, jewelry, handcrafted knives, clothing and collectibles.
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A coyote peers out from near Cowles Mountain in 2023. Photo by Karen Pearlman
Dec. 4, 2025 (San Diego County) -- San Diego County officials are sharing information in response to a recent coyote attack that took place in the Westview UTC mall parking lot on Nov. 25.
The coyote attack injured two children and has prompted a coordinated response by the county and partner agencies to ensure public safety.
The coyote has since been euthanized, county officials say. The animal tested negative for rabies.
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The Anza-Borrego Desert in inland San Diego County is captivating with its beauty and expansiveness, humbling and powerful in its quietness. A landscape of extremes -- sun-scorched earth and hidden blooms, rugged canyons carved by time, and sudden spring wildflowers when the rain gods have been kind -- the desert has a raw quality that strips everything down to the essentials of light, shadow, stone and sky.
Our desert region includes Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, famous for its spring wildflowers and rugged terrain; the city of Borrego Springs, the nation’s first “Dark Sky” community ideal for stargazing; Agua Caliente State Park, known for its thermal pools; Ocotillo Wells, a wildly popular draw for off-road vehicles; and Jacumba Hot Springs, a town that has reinvented itself and become a destination on its own merits.
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East County News Service
San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson holds up his senior parking pass at Mt. Woodson Gateway County Preserve in Ramona. (Photo courtesy Joel Anderson Facebook page)
By Miriam Raftery
By Rebecca Person
By Rebecca Person
East County Magazine
East County News Service
Photo of Lake Murray on March 17 by Karen Pearlman
Photo courtesy County of San Diego
East County News Service
Station is still streaming online, but restoring broadcast signal requires urgent funding for engineering, equipment, and a possible new site
By Karen Pearlman, with photos by Karen Pearlman and Miriam Raftery
East County News Service 
By Robin Joy Maxson, Chair, Association of Planning Groups – San Diego County and Board Member, SANDAG Board of Directors
Graphic courtesy Ram Media Foundation
East County News Service
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East County News Service
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