Gas at $6.37, a Missing Predator, and Recalled Cheese: San Diego's High-Stakes Sunday

A City on Alert: What Residents Need to Know Right Now

San Diego County woke Sunday to three overlapping emergencies demanding immediate public attention: a recalled raw-milk cheese linked to an E. coli outbreak that has already sickened two local children, an at-large sexually violent predator who removed his GPS monitoring device two days ago, and a small brush fire in El Cajon that authorities warn is not fully extinguished. Layered over all of it, fuel prices have risen nearly every day for six weeks and now sit within striking distance of an all-time county record.

The breadth of the morning's alerts reflects a region managing both acute crises and slow-burning pressures simultaneously — from the refrigerator to the gas pump to the beachfront, where a Coastal Flood Advisory is set to take effect Monday morning and run through Wednesday.

E. Coli in the Cheese Aisle, a Fugitive Predator, and a Brush Fire Still Smoldering

The San Diego County Health Department has issued a formal warning over recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers raw-milk cheese tied to an active E. coli outbreak. Two county children, both under age five, are among three California patients identified in a multistate case count that has reached 13 confirmed infections across 10 states; the reported average patient age is five years old. The recall covers four products — medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack — in both retail sizes (eight-ounce and 16-ounce) and five-pound wholesale loaves used in food-service settings. County Public Health Officer Sayone Thihalolipavan's guidance is unambiguous: do not eat the cheese, throw it out immediately. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, and in severe cases progresses to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure. Young children, elderly people, pregnant people, and immunocompromised individuals face the highest risk.

Simultaneously, San Diego County Sheriff's deputies are actively searching for Merle Wakefield, 69, a sexually violent predator enrolled in California's conditional release program. His GPS monitoring device entered what authorities describe as 'Tamper Mode' at approximately 3:30 a.m. Friday in Rancho Bernardo; when Liberty Health Care personnel followed up, the device had been removed. Wakefield is described as five feet ten inches tall, roughly 230 pounds, with brown eyes. The Sheriff's Office is explicit: do not approach him, do not attempt to contact him — call 911 immediately upon sighting. Two days have passed since the GPS alert, a significant window that prompted rapid escalation by the department.

A third public-safety event unfolded Saturday when the Forester Fire burned near La Cresta Road and Old Bend Road in the La Cresta area of El Cajon. Authorities contained the blaze at nearly one acre and designated Granite Hills High School at 1719 East Madison Avenue as an evacuation point. The immediate danger appears managed, but officials caution that 'nearly one acre contained' is not the same as extinguished. Residents in the La Cresta corridor are advised to keep AlertSanDiego active through at least the next 48 hours; warm, dry conditions with the potential for wind shifts — the exact pattern that has transformed small fires in previous years — remain in place through the end of September.

Adding to the week's law-enforcement picture, San Diego Police conducted their annual College Area enforcement operation, yielding 40 felony arrests according to a September 25 city update. The operation is a recurring targeted sweep in neighborhoods around San Diego State University; the city's public release did not include a charge breakdown.

Council Eyes a Bird-Habitat Battle, While Hazardous Surf Threatens the Coastline

The City Council convenes Monday in a special session — closed session and public comment at 10 a.m., followed by a public meeting at 2 p.m. — with a notable environmental appeal on the agenda. A proposed 2,653-square-foot single-family home above a garage at 11370 Paymogo Court in Rancho Peñasquitos has drawn a challenge from an appellant arguing that approved tree removal would harm bird and wildlife habitat. The case exemplifies the recurring tension along San Diego's urban-wildland interface: private landowners' right to build on approved residential parcels versus documented ecological concerns. How the Council adjudicates habitat disputes at the individual-project level shapes precedent for future applicants and appellants alike.

The Monday consent agenda carries 14 items, including board appointments and reappointments to the Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention, the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System Board of Administration, the Senior Affairs Advisory Board, the Youth Commission, and the Climate Advisory Board. The regular Council schedule resumes Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with an adjourned Public Facilities Financing Authority session also at 2 p.m. Both sessions are accessible in person at 202 C Street, 12th Floor, or online. The County Board of Supervisors holds no regular meeting this week, but a virtual public information session on the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships annual performance and evaluation report runs Tuesday from 5 to 6 p.m. — an opportunity for residents tracking affordable-housing development to pose direct questions to county staff.

At the coastline, the city has a Beach Hazards Statement active through 5 a.m. Monday, after which a Coastal Flood Advisory takes effect and runs through 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 30. The advisory signals the potential for minor coastal flooding in low-lying areas near the water — not merely large surf, but water reaching areas that do not typically see inundation. Beachgoers, surfers, people who frequent jetties or coastal cliffs, and property owners in low-lying coastal zones should plan accordingly. The advisory's three-day duration indicates forecasters are treating the coastal flood risk seriously.

Gas Prices Inch Toward an All-Time County Record

San Diego County's average price for self-serve regular gasoline reached $6.371 per gallon Saturday — a 4.5-cent jump in a single day — leaving the county just 6.3 cents below the all-time county record of $6.434 set October 5, 2022. According to AAA and Oil Price Information Service data, prices have risen on 38 of the last 39 days, accumulating a cumulative increase of 68.9 cents per gallon over that span. At the current pace, the record could fall this week.

The practical weight of the run-up extends well beyond the pump. For a driver filling a 15-gallon tank weekly, the 68.9-cent-per-gallon increase represents roughly $10 more per fill compared to mid-August — more than $500 annualized if the trend stopped today, which it has shown no sign of doing. Delivery businesses, contractors, landscapers, and food-service suppliers are all absorbing materially tighter margins. For households in East County and inland communities — where driving distances to work tend to be longer and transit options thinner — this constitutes a budget-level event, not merely an inconvenience.

No major new real estate or employer announcements emerged in sources reviewed through Saturday. The broader business environment heading into Q4 carries significant headwinds: Stone Brewing's previously reported WARN notices, ServiceNow's layoffs, and now fuel costs approaching an all-time county record. Should the $6.434 threshold fall this week, it would become a legitimate economic and political story, generating pressure on the mayor's office, the Board of Supervisors, and state legislators representing San Diego districts — even if near-term policy responses have limited effect on what happens at the pump.

Grossmont Grabs a Win, Santee Stays Quiet

East County's most notable development Saturday came on the football field: the Grossmont Griffins defeated West Hills 40 to 33 in a game played in Santee. Quarterback Tyler Holmes accounted for five touchdowns in the win. Grossmont enters upcoming league play against El Cajon Valley and Granite Hills with momentum, and high school football in this region carries genuine community weight — stadiums in Santee and El Cajon draw packed crowds on Friday and Saturday nights that reflect how central prep sports are to East County identity.

Santee's community calendar includes a Miniature Paint Workshop today at HobbyTown Santee at 9747 Mission Gorge Road; the listing does not include a specific start time, so prospective attendees should confirm directly before heading over. Looking to Wednesday, September 30, Santee Seniors 55+ will host AARP Music and Health Jam Sessions at 10 a.m. in Building 8P at Santee City Hall, 10601 Magnolia Ave. Drivers in Santee should also note that road work on Annandale Way, Griffith Park Way, St. Andrews Drive, and Wigwam Court was scheduled through Friday; the city has not formally confirmed full completion, so residual conditions — striping work, raised utility covers, or access constraints — may still be present along those corridors this weekend.

Padres Lock In Home-Field Advantage — But Don't Overlook the Cubs

Saturday's 10-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks did something concrete for the Padres: it secured the number four NL playoff seed and locked in home-field advantage for a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs. All games in the series — whether it goes two or three — will be played at Petco Park. Game one is Tuesday, September 29. The Padres entered Sunday with a regular-season record of 89 wins and 71 losses, second in the NL West. Manny Machado was central to Saturday's win, and with the series format fully determined, the city is primed for a genuinely electric Tuesday night.

A separate and painful sports note: San Diego FC drew Austin FC 3-3 Saturday, but the circumstances of that draw sting. Austin scored three times in the final 17 minutes, with Brandon Vázquez converting in the 73rd minute and Christian Ramírez adding goals in the 82nd and 87th. Late-game collapses of that nature raise questions not just about the result but about fitness and defensive discipline in the closing stages of matches — a pattern that has produced both promise and significant frustration across San Diego FC's season.

The home-field advantage framing for the Wild Card Series deserves scrutiny, however. Best-of-three formats compress variance in ways that reduce the structural benefit of playing at home: in a seven-game series, crowd energy compounds over multiple games; in three games, a single dominant pitching performance can flip the series before that factor accumulates. The Cubs arrive as a team that won enough games to reach the postseason in a competitive NL, with experienced roster depth suited to high-pressure short series. Critically, pitching assignments for Tuesday's game one had not been confirmed in sources reviewed Sunday morning. The Padres' bullpen also worked through a 10-7 game Saturday. Three factors worth monitoring as early indicators of how favorable San Diego's position truly is: confirmed starting pitchers for both teams and their recent workload numbers; the Padres' bullpen availability following Saturday; and the early innings of game one itself, since teams that fall behind first in a three-game series face immediate, compounding pressure regardless of venue.

A Packed Sunday Calendar, Warm Weather, and the Week Ahead

San Diego's Sunday events calendar is genuinely crowded. The 15th Annual San Diego International Dragon Boat Race runs all day at North Tecolote Shores at Mission Bay. CRSSD Festival Fall 2026 occupies Waterfront Park at 1600 Pacific Highway from noon to 10 p.m. The Hillcrest Farmers Market runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with road closures affecting University Avenue and Center Street. The Del Sur Fall Festival goes noon to 6 p.m. at 16112 Paseo Del Sur, and the San Diego Spirits Festival runs 1 to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. Collectively, these events affect traffic throughout the central city; extra travel time is warranted around Mission Bay, the Waterfront, and Hillcrest. The Beach Hazards Statement remains active through early Monday, so coastal conditions today are not normal — stay back from hazardous surf zones, jetties, and cliffs.

The 48-hour weather outlook is warm and dry inland, hazardous at the coast. Sunday's forecast calls for a high near 80 degrees Fahrenheit with an overnight low around 69. Monday looks similar — near 80 with a cooler low around 64 — before Tuesday comes in slightly cooler at a high near 77. The Coastal Flood Advisory activates Monday at 5 a.m. and runs through Wednesday at 5 p.m.

The week's news calendar carries several appointments worth tracking. Monday's City Council special session at 2 p.m. features the Rancho Peñasquitos habitat appeal. Tuesday brings the regular Council session, the county's CDBG virtual public information session at 5 p.m., and Padres Wild Card game one against the Cubs at Petco Park. The open public-safety questions carrying the most urgency into Monday: any update on the search for Merle Wakefield; new information from county health on the E. coli cases and whether additional children have been affected; and gas prices, which — if the county average crosses $6.434 — will break a record set in 2022 and trigger real political pressure. Pitching announcements for Tuesday's playoff opener, expected today or Monday, will serve as the clearest early signal of where the Padres-Cubs series is truly headed.