Welcome to The La Mesa Times. Our goal is to bring strong, impactful reporting to La Mesa and to greater East County. Community news is vital to its residents: Large media outlets don’t cover niche, hyper-local news, but it impacts you and your neighbors. We cover what’s happening at city hall and in our schools, tell stories about interesting things your neighbors are up to, and what to do and eat around town.

I founded The La Mesa Times after spending more than a decade working as a reporter around the world. I am also the publisher of The Coronado Times, a trusted publication that informs and connects residents of the Crown City. While living in La Mesa but reporting in Coronado, I realized there was a gap in the news coverage in East County.  I was constantly turning to Google and social media with questions whose answers I couldn’t find. Ahead of local elections, I couldn’t find much information about candidates or propositions, nor about the stances of current city council members. As my children approached school age, I realized I knew little about the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. If I ever saw police cars bolting down the street, I could never find a news source that would tell me why. We need a strong, reliable, online source of news.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how strong community news can connect people. I’ve written articles about neighbors helping each other, about small business owners’ struggles and triumphs, and, indeed, about less pleasant news that residents should be aware of. I’ve watched communities grow closer, learn more about each other, and become more civically engaged due to local press. As a La Mesa homeowner, I wanted to bring the same to our community. Story ideas? Email manager@lamesatimes.com.