Rio Seco: An Expanded Investigation

A credible new lead—centered on Education Code and the collective bargaining agreement—has shifted the Rio Seco story. We are examining how decisions were made and whether the processes those rules require were followed. Earlier items are consolidated while this review proceeds.

The Case for the WNBA: Full Arenas, Real Rivalries, Stars Everywhere

You don’t have to be an NBA diehard. The WNBA already has full houses, bigger broadcast windows, charter flights, expansion on the calendar, and stars worth appointment viewing—here’s why to start watching now.

From Ice-Cream Social to Closed Campus: What Dehesa’s First Days Revealed

After the welcome went missing, Dehesa parents say safety and tradition took a back seat. Two days later, only silence—and unanswered questions—remain.

20 mph, No Rulebook: Santee’s Youth E-Bike Reality

From social feeds and neighborhood forums to doorbell video, the message is the same: stop reacting after crashes and set clear rules—age floor, training, and school-zone fixes the city can enact now.

The Sizzle Shack: A New Burger Royalty Emerges in East County

When In-N-Out’s heiress announced she was leaving California, burger lovers wondered who might rise to fill the symbolic void. Enter The Sizzle Shack: a fresh, family-owned burger joint in El Cajon serving up hand-ground beef, smashed patties, real-deal shakes, and what might just be East County’s new fry royalty. This isn’t fast food—it’s a legacy in the making, one patty at a time.

Method Musical Chairs: How Dehesa’s Enrollment Shuffle Fueled ADA Funding, Charter Growth, and Audit Flags

Dehesa’s enrollment skyrocketed—on paper. But the math doesn’t track. Resident students were displaced. Outsiders were brought in. Funding followed the fiction. At the center: inflated ADA, a $253K superintendent, and a board bound by family ties. Call it creative governance. Or call it what it looks like: Method Musical Chairs.

Adjacent, Apparently: How Dehesas Definition Could Cost Taxpayers Millions

Let’s talk about the word “adjacent.” It’s simple, right? You’d think so. But in the world of charter authorizing loopholes, definitions get stretched—then warped—until they snap.

To the Dehesa School Board Members

East of 52 is publishing this open letter on behalf of parents and community members who feel their voices have gone unheard. This letter represents a collective call for transparency, accountability, and the right to be involved in decisions that affect our children. A digital signable version is available for those who wish to add their name and send it directly to the Dehesa School Board.

The Tale of the Three Whites and the Two Phams — A one-school district. Five board members. Two families. And a growing rebellion.

In the rural hills outside El Cajon, where wildfire season sparks fear each summer, another kind of fire has begun to smolder. But this time, it wasn’t fireworks that started it — it was the slow burn of unchecked power, financial collapse, and a board so tightly held by two families that Dehesa parents have now sent up a smoke signal of their own.

Superintendent in One-School District Paid $2,522 Per Student Without Required Credential

A tiny school district in rural East San Diego County is paying a $252,000 salary to a superintendent overseeing fewer than 100 students — without a valid administrative credential. A closer look reveals a pattern of unchecked power, family-run governance, and public funds under questionable management.