Local Riverside County News

Moreno Valley College will present Legacy Award at Martin Luther King Jr. event

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 09:30:01 +0000

Kym Taylor, an African American parent involvement specialist for the Moreno Valley Unified School District, will be honored with Moreno Valley College’s Legacy Award at the college’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast and Scholarship Ceremony.

The breakfast, one of three the college holds yearly, will be held 7:30-9:30 a.m. Jan. 19 at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center.

Tickets are $65 for general attendees and $50 for enrolled students and can be purchased from the Admissions and Records office in the Welcome Center at the campus or by calling 951-571-6100. Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting the Riverside Community College District Foundation office at 951-222-8626.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast and Scholarship Ceremony will celebrate 11 years of supporting the achievement of high school and college students, social justice and the community.

Taylor, who has lived in Moreno Valley for nearly 40 years, was nominated for the award by Micki Grayson, director of the Office of TRIO Programs at Moreno Valley College.

“I nominated Kym Taylor because she has been an advocate for youth in the community and has helped shape generations,” Grayson said in a news release. “Taylor’s life poignantly answers a question posed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — ‘What are you doing for others?’”

Taylor came to Moreno Valley in 1985 and was a member of the inaugural graduating class of Canyon Springs High School in 1989. After graduating, she attended San Diego State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She went on to receive two master’s degrees in instructional and curriculum design educational counseling from National University.

After completing her studies, Taylor returned to Moreno Valley Unified School District in 1995 to teach. For nearly 30 years, she has served as an educator, both in and out of the classroom. She initially taught at Chaparral Hills Elementary School before moving to Badger Springs Middle School, and then Vista del Lago High School.

After teaching for eight years, Taylor moved into an educational counseling position at Valley View High School, and she has received a marriage and family therapist degree from California Baptist University.

Taylor is one of the co-founders of the Moreno Valley school district’s African American Advisory and African American Parent Advisory councils and she was part of the Riverside County African American Strategic Initiative to author the first blueprint for the county that has since been used as a model throughout the state, according to the news release.

She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and serves as first vice president and scholarship chairman for her chapter.

“For the past 25 years, Taylor has championed student development and leadership opportunities for local Black youth in the community and throughout the Inland Empire region,” Grayson said in the news release. “A student leader in Moreno Valley’s Black Student Union when she was growing up, Taylor wanted to give local youth the same opportunity to connect with mentors and leaders.

“She was not satisfied with only working with students at the schools where she worked, she wanted to expand the reach and started coordinating annual Black student conferences to help students learn about student advocacy and service. She has given countless hours of her time and financial resources to host these educational and student development opportunities,” Grayson said.

“Taylor, literally, has impacted generations in Moreno Valley, the Inland Empire, and beyond. This is not something she does, it is simply who she is.”

Man who killed aunt in 2018 Riverside shooting gets 98 years to life

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:59:22 +0000

A 42-year-old felon who fatally shot his aunt and seriously wounded an acquaintance during a dispute at a family banquet in Riverside was sentenced to 98 years to life in state prison on Friday, Dec. 29.

Abraham David Bonilla killed 39-year-old Beatrice Romo of Beaumont and shot her friend, identified in court documents only as “Tommy,” at the Elks Lodge on Brockton Avenue in 2018.

A Riverside jury in September deliberated one day before finding Bonilla guilty of murder, attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of controlled substances while armed, firearm assault, brandishing a gun and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka imposed the sentence required by law during a hearing Friday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The attack happened about 7 p.m. on June 30, 2018.

Riverside police investigators said Bonilla was among the attendees, and for several hours, nothing was out of order. But toward the end of the affair, an argument erupted between the defendant and another celebrant, at which point he brandished a .380 semiautomatic handgun at several partygoers, and then opened fire, according to police Sgt. Mike Crawford and prosecutors.

Romo and Tommy were struck, though the defendant did not intend to shoot his aunt when he started firing the compact pistol, according to the prosecution.

He fled the location immediately afterward.

A short time later, patrolmen learned that a man matching the shooter’s description had been involved in a wreck in the area of Fremont Street and Jurupa Avenue and was receiving treatment from paramedics. They went to the location and arrested Bonilla without a struggle.

In an interview shortly after the shooting, Romo’s husband, Ronnie Romo, remembered her as a supportive wife and Good Samaritan who stepped in front of the gunman while trying to break up the fight.

“My wife was loving, giving, awesome, amazing, beautiful, sexy. My wife was the woman men dream of, bro,” Ronnie Romo said.

She was born and raised in Riverside before her family moved to Beaumont 14 years ago, her husband said, to live in a safer place.

Corona Costco shooting jury hasn’t reached verdict, will resume deliberations Jan. 18

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 19:10:48 +0000

The jury weighing the evidence against the former Los Angeles Police Department officer who fatally shot an intellectually disabled man and wounded his parents in the Costco in Corona in 2019 could not reach a verdict on Friday, Dec. 29, and apparently needed clarification on several issues.

The panel will be off for more than two weeks and will resume deliberations on Jan. 18 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

It was not immediately clear Friday why jurors were taking such a lengthy break. A projected schedule for the trial that was posted on the first day, Dec. 6, anticipated that the case would conclude by Friday. It’s possible that jurors, who are typically told how long a trial is expected to last, had vacations or other commitments lined up.

The state Attorney General’s Office could not be reached for comment Friday, nor could Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy, who is the prosecutor, or defense attorney Michael Schwartz.

Online court records show that jurors submitted five questions to Superior Court Judge Jason L. Stone. The content of the questions was not listed.

Salvador Alejandro Sanchez, who was holding his 20-month-old son, acted in self-defense after Kenneth French slugged Sanchez in an unprovoked attack in the sausage samples line on June 14, 2019, Schwartz told jurors on Wednesday when they received the case. Sanchez, who was not in uniform, pulled out his service weapon and fired 10 times, striking French four times and his parents, Russell and Paola, once each.

Sanchez was seen in body-worn camera videos telling Corona police that he believed he had been shot.

Murphy, the prosecutor, argued that Sanchez overreacted and had he taken a moment to assess the situation, he would have understood that the danger to himself and his son had passed and that there was no reason to shoot. Murphy said Sanchez then realized his mistake and fabricated a tale about getting shot and being knocked unconscious to avoid prosecution.

Sanchez is charged with voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. He is out of custody after posting bail.

Corona Costco shooting jury hasn’t reached verdict, will resume deliberations Jan. 18

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 19:10:48 +0000

The panel will be off for more than two weeks and will resume deliberations on Jan. 18 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

The state Attorney General’s Office could not be reached for comment Friday, nor could Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy, who is the prosecutor, or defense attorney Michael Schwartz.

Online court records show that jurors submitted five questions to Superior Court Judge Jason L. Stone. The content of the questions was not listed.

Sanchez was seen in body-worn camera videos telling Corona police that he believed he had been shot.

Sanchez is charged with voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. He is out of custody after posting bail.

Corona Costco shooting jury hasn’t reached verdict, will resume deliberations Jan. 18

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 19:10:48 +0000

The panel will be off for more than two weeks and will resume deliberations on Jan. 18 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

The state Attorney General’s Office could not be reached for comment Friday, nor could Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy, who is the prosecutor, or defense attorney Michael Schwartz.

Online court records show that jurors submitted five questions to Superior Court Judge Jason L. Stone. The content of the questions was not listed.

Sanchez was seen in body-worn camera videos telling Corona police that he believed he had been shot.

Sanchez is charged with voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. He is out of custody after posting bail.

Looking ahead to the Inland Empire in the year 2048

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:42:26 +0000

Twenty five years from now, the Inland Empire will be home to more than 5 million people.

They will likely be surrounded by mountains that rarely see snow, and clustered more densely into downtowns near shops and mass transit.

By 2048, the region will have weathered another pandemic, but nothing so severe as the long-ago coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

The logistics industry will likewise have peaked in the Inland Empire decades before, but manufacturing, driven in large part by automation, will likely be part of the jobs landscape once again. And even white collar jobs will look different, as artificial intelligence is as much a part of everyday life as smartphones were 25 years before.

That’s the picture that emerges from a year of interviews with experts about what the Inland Empire will look like in 25 years, in the year 2048.

Continuing rapid growth

By 2048, Riverside and San Bernardino counties are expected to have a combined 5,692,922 residents, according to the California Department of Finance, up from 4,723,216 residents in 2023. Southern California’s millennials and Generation Z are expected to flock to the Inland Empire to to raise their families, causing the region to grow about twice as fast as the rest of Southern California as a result.

“The Inland Empire will be where the action will be, as the population will be there, the buying power will be there,” said Kome Ajise, executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments.

Almost a third of California’s growth over the next 25 years will occur in the Inland Empire alone, according to Department of Finance projections.

More urban, more densely populated

Although the single-family houses that have attracted residents to the Inland Empire for decades will still be around, according to experts, housing in the region will typically be more densely packed together in townhouses, apartments and condominiums.

“The lines between multifamily and single family will blur,” said developer Randall Lewis, executive vice president of Upland-based Lewis Management Corp.

Planned mixed-use developments in downtown Riverside, San Bernardino, Redlands and elsewhere will have people living and working near restaurants, shops and mass transit hubs.

A growing population — and the likely continuing inability of Los Angeles County to meet demand for affordable housing — will be driving this push for density, along with insurance companies raising rates in Inland foothills and desert regions as wildfires and flash floods become more of a problem as the region’s climate heats up.

Climate change

By 2048, the Mediterranean climate of the Inland Empire will have long since been replaced by something more resembling the climate of Phoenix or Las Vegas today.

“I think we need to get used to living on a planet that is not the planet we grew up on,” said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College.

Expect at least 30 days a year where temperatures exceed 102 degrees Fahrenheit, up from an average of seven days a year between 1985 and 2005, more heat waves and less relief at night, less snow pack and longer-lasting droughts, experts say.

Massive storms that bring blizzards or flash floods will still sometimes happen — hotter air can absorb more moisture — but changing weather patterns will mean they’ll be much less predictable.

And agriculture will need to switch to crops that require less water and are more tolerant of higher temperatures, Miller said, as more water alone will not save crops that evolved in cooler, wetter climates than the Inland Empire of 2048.

Automation and artificial intelligence

By 2048, automation and artificial intelligence will have helped to shape the economy, with almost two-thirds of jobs being affected by it, according to a University of Redlands study.

The logistics industry, which today makes up about 13% of all jobs in the Inland Empire, will largely be automated, according to University of Redlands professor Johannes Moenius.

Artificial intelligence will be coming for white collar jobs, meanwhile, impacting everyone from radiologists to lawyers providing routine legal services to entry level accountants. Data processing jobs and customer service representatives will likely be handled by artificial intelligence.

Future pandemics

A generation will have grown up since the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Residents of 2048 will likely have weathered at least one more pandemic, experts say, likely caused by humans encroaching into areas once the habitat of animals, but it’s unlikely to have been anywhere near as serious as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are not alone on this planet and we need to figure out how to share our environment with all the other species,” said Dr. Timothy Brewer, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at UCLA. “The more that we encroach on others’ habitats, the more likely we are to encounter something we haven’t seen before.”

Political polarization

The political polarization of 2023 will likely continue in 2048, at least among older generations.

“I look at the trend lines over the last couple of decades, and I see polarization accelerating along with the forces driving the polarization,” said Kamy Akhavan, the executive director of the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College Center For Political Future. “The idea of some sort of realignment seems less realistic.”

But younger generations, currently known as Generation Z and Generation Alpha, are less tribal in their politics, and more focused on issues, rather than party affiliation or individual politicians.

“The hope is that democracies can work through these things, even in tough times,” said Kevin Esterling, a professor of public policy and political science at UC Riverside, and the director of the university’s Laboratory for Technology, Communication and Democracy. “Maybe the fever breaks and people realize they don’t want to live like that any more.”

We’ll see in 25 years.

Looking ahead to the Inland Empire in the year 2048

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:42:26 +0000

Twenty five years from now, the Inland Empire will be home to more than 5 million people.

They will likely be surrounded by mountains that rarely see snow, and clustered more densely into downtowns near shops and mass transit.

By 2048, the region will have weathered another pandemic, but nothing so severe as the long-ago coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

That’s the picture that emerges from a year of interviews with experts about what the Inland Empire will look like in 25 years, in the year 2048.

Continuing rapid growth

Almost a third of California’s growth over the next 25 years will occur in the Inland Empire alone, according to Department of Finance projections.

More urban, more densely populated

“The lines between multifamily and single family will blur,” said developer Randall Lewis, executive vice president of Upland-based Lewis Management Corp.

Planned mixed-use developments in downtown Riverside, San Bernardino, Redlands and elsewhere will have people living and working near restaurants, shops and mass transit hubs.

Climate change

By 2048, the Mediterranean climate of the Inland Empire will have long since been replaced by something more resembling the climate of Phoenix or Las Vegas today.

“I think we need to get used to living on a planet that is not the planet we grew up on,” said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College.

Massive storms that bring blizzards or flash floods will still sometimes happen — hotter air can absorb more moisture — but changing weather patterns will mean they’ll be much less predictable.

Automation and artificial intelligence

By 2048, automation and artificial intelligence will have helped to shape the economy, with almost two-thirds of jobs being affected by it, according to a University of Redlands study.

The logistics industry, which today makes up about 13% of all jobs in the Inland Empire, will largely be automated, according to University of Redlands professor Johannes Moenius.

Future pandemics

Political polarization

The political polarization of 2023 will likely continue in 2048, at least among older generations.

But younger generations, currently known as Generation Z and Generation Alpha, are less tribal in their politics, and more focused on issues, rather than party affiliation or individual politicians.

We’ll see in 25 years.

Deputies wound hiding man believed responsible for Home Gardens slaying

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:06:38 +0000

Riverside County sheriff’s deputies shot and wounded a homicide suspect on Thursday, Dec. 28, who had been hiding in a Home Gardens residence since a man was found slain outside that house earlier that morning, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Deputies were called to the 13400 block of Barker Lane in the unincorporated area east of Corona around 2:30 a.m. after someone reported hearing gunfire and finding a person lying outside the house The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators were continuing their work at the house when they learned that a suspect was hiding in the house. Sheriff Chad Bianco said in an email on Friday that deputies had conducted an initial sweep for victims and suspects but at the time lacked a warrant necessary to search areas not in sight of the officers.

Once that warrant was obtained, the SWAT team was called out, searched the house and found the suspect. That’s when he was shot. He was expected to survive, the Sheriff’s Department said. No deputies were reported injured.

The department did not immediately announce what prompted the deputies to fire as the investigation got underway.

The suspect had not been booked Friday afternoon and his name was not available. The victim’s name was not revealed Friday.

The involved deputies were placed on paid administrative leave per department policy. The slaying is being investigated by the sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit, and the shooting by the deputies is being investigated by the Riverside County Force Investigations Detail.

Deputies wound hiding man believed responsible for Home Gardens slaying

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:06:38 +0000

The department did not immediately announce what prompted the deputies to fire as the investigation got underway.

The suspect had not been booked Friday afternoon and his name was not available. The victim’s name was not revealed Friday.

When is it going to rain in the Inland Empire?

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:45:33 +0000

Expect rain, temperatures in the low to mid-60s and a slight chance of thunderstorms in Riverside and San Bernardino counties as we roll into New Year’s weekend.

According to the National Weather Service, skies will be partly cloudy Friday evening in Riverside and San Bernardino county valley areas, turning mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain and lows in the upper 30s to upper 40s.

The chance of showers on Saturday is 80% for inland areas with a slight chance of thunderstorms and highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. It will be mostly cloudy Saturday night with a 20% chance of showers and lows in the upper 30s to upper 40s.

It will be mostly cloudy Sunday morning — New Year’s Eve — becoming partly cloudy with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. New Year’s revelers will contend with a 40 percent chance of showers overnight and lows in the mid-30s to mid-40s.

On Monday — New Year’s Day — it will be partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and highs in the low to mid-60s. It will be partly cloudy, then mostly clear Monday night with lows in the mid-30s to low 40s.

Tuesday will be mostly sunny with highs in the low to mid-60s.

In the mountain areas, a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

On Friday night it will party cloudy with lows in the upper 20s to upper 30s.

There will be a 70% chance of showers Saturday in mountain areas with the snow level at 6,500 feet. There will be patchy fog with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs will be in the upper 40s to mid-50s.

It will be partly cloudy overnight Saturday in the mountains with lows in the upper 20s to upper 30s, with the snow level dropping to 6,000 feet. The chance of rain overnight is 20%.

On Sunday — New Year’s Eve — it will be partly cloudy in the mountains with highs in the mid-40s to low 50s. By the evening hours, there will be a 40% chance of rain with lows in the mid-20s to mid-30s with the snow level at 6,000 feet and dropping to 5,500 feet.

On Monday — New Year’s Day — in the mountains, it will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning and a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs will be in the upper 40s to mid-50s. The snow level will start at 5,500 feet, rising to 6,000 feet in the afternoon.

It will be partly cloudy Monday night in the mountain areas with a slight chance of showers in the evening, then mostly clear overnight with lows in the upper 20s to upper 30s. The snow level will be 6,000 feet.

When is it going to rain in the Inland Empire?

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:45:33 +0000

Expect rain, temperatures in the low to mid-60s and a slight chance of thunderstorms in Riverside and San Bernardino counties as we roll into New Year’s weekend.

Tuesday will be mostly sunny with highs in the low to mid-60s.

In the mountain areas, a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

On Friday night it will party cloudy with lows in the upper 20s to upper 30s.

It will be partly cloudy overnight Saturday in the mountains with lows in the upper 20s to upper 30s, with the snow level dropping to 6,000 feet. The chance of rain overnight is 20%.

Man who killed aunt in 2018 Riverside shooting gets 98 years to life

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:39:56 +0000

Abraham David Bonilla killed 39-year-old Beatrice Romo of Beaumont and shot her friend, identified in court documents only as “Tommy,” at the Elks Lodge on Brockton Avenue in 2018.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka imposed the sentence required by law during a hearing Friday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The attack happened about 7 p.m. on June 30, 2018.

Romo and Tommy were struck, though the defendant did not intend to shoot his aunt when he started firing the compact pistol, according to the prosecution.

He fled the location immediately afterward.

“My wife was loving, giving, awesome, amazing, beautiful, sexy. My wife was the woman men dream of, bro,” Ronnie Romo said.

She was born and raised in Riverside before her family moved to Beaumont 14 years ago, her husband said, to live in a safer place.

Watch for these Inland Empire residents in the 2024 Rose Parade

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 15:34:06 +0000

Marching in the Rose Parade is the golden cup for marching bands across the world. Teams send in audition tapes, photos and extensive applications hoping to be chosen to march down the streets of Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

This year, a Corona high school band, The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, will join the parade in its signature teal, silver and black uniforms for the third time.

The Sharks appeared in 2013 and 2018, led by band directors Joe Dudek and Kevin McGee, who will again lead the student musicians in the parade.

The band will join other Inland Empire entries, including the Norco Cowgirls Drill Team, the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Pipes and Drums Band and the float co-created by Cal Poly Pomona students.

Band Director Joe Dudek, right, conducts The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, as members perform for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The band is preparing for the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The saxophone quintet from The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, of Corona’s Santiago High School, performs Christmas songs for residents at Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The band is playing at nursing homes in Corona before taking part in the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The saxophone quintet from Corona’s Santiago High School performs Christmas songs for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The group, part of The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, is making special visits to nursing homes in Corona to prepare for the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rhianna Flores, 17, left, and Anastasia Miron, 16, of The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, perform for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The Sharks will march in the 2024 Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona applaud as they watch The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, perform Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The band is visiting nursing homes in Corona before it marches in the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Brass and saxophone quintet members from The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, play Christmas songs for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. Band members are preparing for the Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona applaud Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, as they listen to The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School. The band will participate Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, in the Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, play Christmas songs for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, a few days before the band marches in the Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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McGee and Dudek said the band will consist of 242 members, including the color guard, current band members and 35 returning alumni who will don the uniform again to participate in the tradition.

“You can feel the energy and electricity in the rehearsal,” McGee said. “The kids are working harder than they’ve worked before.”

Band members have put their noses to the grindstone the past year, the directors said.

The Corona @SantiagoSharks Marching Band is here at Disneyland. The band will participate in the 2024 Rose Parade. pic.twitter.com/zjMpKGWucb

— James H. Williams covers UCLA football (@JHWreporter) December 27, 2023

In the week leading to the parade, the band has played at Disneyland, performed as a community service at Corona nursing homes and took part in the annual pre-parade Bandfest at Pasadena City College.

The band will play music from its field show, including popular songs from the 1970’s “Takin’ it to the Streets” and “Listen to the Music” by the Doobie Brothers.

Santiago’s band will step off Monday, Jan. 1, as the 76th entry in the parade lineup.

The Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team, seen in the 2023 Rose Parade, are set to return for a 10th appearance in the New Year’s Day event on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. (File photo by by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Other Inland Empire participants include:

U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard from Barstow — Performing second, the guard is the Marines’ last mounted unit and has participated in the Rose Parade every year since 1985. The guard will follow the opening float from Honda and a flyover by the U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.
U.S. Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Camp Pendleton — They will be third in the parade. The band is made up of Marines from the 1st Marine Division Band, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band and Marine Band San Diego.
Norco Cowgirls Drill Team — The troupe will return for the 10th time, with 15 horsewomen, including 9-year-old Shae Cremo, the youngest member, who will be riding with her mother and sister. The team will be seventh in line.
Rancho Cucamonga Fire Pipes and Drums Band — Members will join Pipes on Parade: The Massed Pipes and Drums. Pipes on Parade consists of 10 bagpipe bands and 168 individuals from across Southern California. They will march behind Joel M. Daniel, a professional bagpiper. The bagpipers will be 10th in the lineup.
Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo — The campuses will return to Pasadena for the 75th year to honor the musical theme with a float titled “Shock n’ Roll: Powering the Musical Current.” Featuring animatronic electric eels, a manta ray and a giant clam, the float depicts a rocking party on the coral reefs as eels use their electric current to pose the guitars. The float will be the 19th entry.

An image of late Murrieta resident Lance “Bo” Chavez will appear on the Donate Life float during the 2024 Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Chavez died by suicide in September 2023 and his organs, tissue and eyes were donated. (Courtesy of L;ve Aloha Foundation)

OneLegacy Donate Life — The float will make its 21st appearance with an entry titled “Woven Together: The Dance of Life.” The float will display the faces of those who made organ, eye or tissue donations. This year, late Murrieta resident and Marines Corps veteran Lance “Bo” Chavez will be featured. Chavez’s heart was donated to an Army veteran, and his other organs, tissue, and eyes were donated after he died by suicide Sept. 19. The float will be 26th in the lineup.
Student musicians — Eight Inland Empire students will play with with the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band. Four Bonita Unified School District students will appear: Bonita High School seniors Aidan Millan (trombone), Lake Ericson (cymbals) and Tatiana Arreola-Chavez (mellophone). They will be joined by San Dimas High School junior Anthony Bailey (clarinet). Four Fontana Unified School District musicians will perform: Kaiser High School senior David Mireles (marching snare drum), sophomore Liliana Lobo (euphonium) and Jurupa Hills High School senior Antonio De La Torre (baritone sax) and sophomore Diego Muro (clarinet). The band has 215 musicians from the Pasadena City College Lancer Marching Band and high schools across Southern California. It will be the 51st entry.
City of Hope — T

Watch for these Inland Empire residents in the 2024 Rose Parade

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 15:34:06 +0000

This year, a Corona high school band, The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, will join the parade in its signature teal, silver and black uniforms for the third time.

The Sharks appeared in 2013 and 2018, led by band directors Joe Dudek and Kevin McGee, who will again lead the student musicians in the parade.

The band will join other Inland Empire entries, including the Norco Cowgirls Drill Team, the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Pipes and Drums Band and the float co-created by Cal Poly Pomona students.

Band Director Joe Dudek, right, conducts The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, as members perform for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The band is preparing for the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The saxophone quintet from The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, of Corona’s Santiago High School, performs Christmas songs for residents at Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The band is playing at nursing homes in Corona before taking part in the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The saxophone quintet from Corona’s Santiago High School performs Christmas songs for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The group, part of The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, is making special visits to nursing homes in Corona to prepare for the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rhianna Flores, 17, left, and Anastasia Miron, 16, of The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, perform for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The Sharks will march in the 2024 Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona applaud as they watch The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, perform Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The band is visiting nursing homes in Corona before it marches in the 2024 Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Brass and saxophone quintet members from The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, play Christmas songs for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. Band members are preparing for the Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona applaud Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, as they listen to The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School. The band will participate Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, in the Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks, from Corona’s Santiago High School, play Christmas songs for residents of Valencia Terrace Senior Living in Corona on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, a few days before the band marches in the Rose Parade. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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McGee and Dudek said the band will consist of 242 members, including the color guard, current band members and 35 returning alumni who will don the uniform again to participate in the tradition.

“You can feel the energy and electricity in the rehearsal,” McGee said. “The kids are working harder than they’ve worked before.”

Band members have put their noses to the grindstone the past year, the directors said.

The Corona @SantiagoSharks Marching Band is here at Disneyland. The band will participate in the 2024 Rose Parade. pic.twitter.com/zjMpKGWucb

— James H. Williams covers UCLA football (@JHWreporter) December 27, 2023

The band will play music from its field show, including popular songs from the 1970’s “Takin’ it to the Streets” and “Listen to the Music” by the Doobie Brothers.

Santiago’s band will step off Monday, Jan. 1, as the 76th entry in the parade lineup.

Other Inland Empire participants include:

U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard from Barstow — Performing second, the guard is the Marines’ last mounted unit and has participated in the Rose Parade every year since 1985. The guard will follow the opening float from Honda and a flyover by the U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.
U.S. Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Camp Pendleton — They will be third in the parade. The band is made up of Marines from the 1st Marine Division Band, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band and Marine Band San Diego.
Norco Cowgirls Drill Team — The troupe will return for the 10th time, with 15 horsewomen, including 9-year-old Shae Cremo, the youngest member, who will be riding with her mother and sister. The team will be seventh in line.
Rancho Cucamonga Fire Pipes and Drums Band — Members will join Pipes on Parade: The Massed Pipes and Drums. Pipes on Parade consists of 10 bagpipe bands and 168 individuals from across Southern California. They will march behind Joel M. Daniel, a professional bagpiper. The bagpipers will be 10th in the lineup.
Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo — The campuses will return to Pasadena for the 75th year to honor the musical theme with a float titled “Shock n’ Roll: Powering the Musical Current.” Featuring animatronic electric eels, a manta ray and a giant clam, the float depicts a rocking party on the coral reefs as eels use their electric current to pose the guitars. The float will be the 19th entry.

OneLegacy Donate Life — The float will make its 21st appearance with an entry titled “Woven Together: The Dance of Life.” The float will display the faces of those who made organ, eye or tissue donations. This year, late Murrieta resident and Marines Corps veteran Lance “Bo” Chavez will be featured. Chavez’s heart was donated to an Army veteran, and his other organs, tissue, and eyes were donated after he died by suicide Sept. 19. The float will be 26th in the lineup.
Student musicians — Eight Inland Empire students will play with with the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band. Four Bonita Unified School District students will appear: Bonita High School seniors Aidan Millan (trombone), Lake Ericson (cymbals) and Tatiana Arreola-Chavez (mellophone). They will be joined by San Dimas High School junior Anthony Bailey (clarinet). Four Fontana Unified School District musicians will perform: Kaiser High School senior David Mireles (marching snare drum), sophomore Liliana Lobo (euphonium) and Jurupa Hills High School senior Antonio De La Torre (baritone sax) and sophomore Diego Muro (clarinet)

Here are the top 5 Inland Empire stories of 2023

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 11:44:02 +0000

It was a year of surprising news in the Inland Empire.

In 2023, political debate — from racial issues to the rights of LGBTQ students — dominated school board rooms that used to draw few spectators.

An unexpected snowstorm literally buried San Bernardino Mountains communities starting in late February.

At what often are routine calls lead to the on-duty deaths of at least five first responders. In addition, the final days of 2022 saw another deputy killed.

Here’s a look at the top five news stories of 2023 from across the Inland region.

Chino Valley Unified School District board meetings, including the Thursday, July 20, 2023, session at Don Lugo High School in Chino, became political battlegrounds in 2023. The board voted to OK a parental notification policy requiring schools to inform parents if their child is transgender. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Protesters express their concerns during a Temecula school board workshop on critical race theory at James L. Day Middle School in Temecula on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A supporter for gay and transgender student rights hands out pride flags before the Thursday, July 20, 2023, Chino Valley Unified School District board meeting at Don Lugo High School in Chino. The board approved a policy to notify parents if their child is transgender. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Temecula Valley Unified School District teacher Lisa Balka addresses the Temecula school board during its Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, meeting. School board sessions across the Inland Empire became battlegrounds over racial issues and LGBTQ students rights this year. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Schools become battleground for culture wars

What happened: The biggest Inland school fights weren’t on playgrounds in 2023.

From Chino Valley to Temecula, new conservative school board majorities thrust parents, students and teachers into culture wars with policies dealing with race and LGBTQ rights.

In Chino Valley, a policy requiring parents to be told if their child is transgender spurred copycats in Temecula, Murrieta and Orange — and a state lawsuit against the Chino Valley Unified School District that resulted in a preliminary court order to stop enforcement of the policy.

In Temecula, the rejection of a social studies curriculum that referenced LGBTQ civil rights icon Harvey Milk in supplemental materials prompted a public rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who threatened to send textbooks to Temecula and fine the school district $1.5 million before the board backed down.

Why it mattered: The controversies turned once-uneventful school board meetings into political backgrounds with protest signs, shouting matches, ejections of audience members and a strong police presence.

The boards’ supporters said conservative trustees were protecting children by keeping pornography and political indoctrination out of the classroom. Critics counter that the boards’ conservatives want to destroy public education and advance a far-right Christian nationalist agenda.

What’s next: In Temecula, board members will try to appoint someone to fill the seat of Danny Gonzalez, who was part of the conservative majority until his December resignation. An effort to force a recall election of conservative board President Joseph Komrosky continues.

In Chino Valley, conservative firebrand Sonja Shaw will start her second year as school board president, a departure from the previous practice of rotating presidential duties among trustees.

— Jeff Horseman

Stephen Calleros works to clear up to 6 feet of snow off the roof of Diane’s Saddleback Grill and Hotel in Lake Arrowhead on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Joe Salas digs outside his Lake Arrowhead home Saturday, March 11, 2023, after the record-breaking snowfall in recent weeks. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Armando Chavez tries to unbury a vehicle in Lake Arrowhead on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A woman walks Saturday, March 11, 2023, past snow piled high in Lake Arrowhead Village after record-breaking snow in recent weeks in the San Bernardino Mountains. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Snowstorms sock San Bernardino Mountains

What happened: In late February and early March, a blizzard that dropped up to 11 feet of snow in some places hammered San Bernardino Mountain communities, leaving residents trapped, businesses in shambles and officials scrambling.

Why it mattered: Though officials initially insisted everything was going well, internal documents and an after-action report from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department pointed to the county having trouble coordinating with other public agencies and elected officials. The report questioned whether the county’s emergency services operations — switched to county administrators’ control during the coronavirus pandemic — should again be overseen by first responders.

What’s next: The county was supposed to release its own report in mid-September. That document has been delayed twice and is now expected in January, a month shy of the storms’ one-year anniversary. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted warmer, wetter conditions this winter for much of the United States, including a chance for both in San Bernardino County.

— Beau Yarbrough

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco salutes Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, as the flag-draped casket of slain Deputy Darnell Calhoun is moved to a hearse for a procession from Murrieta to Rancho Cucamonga. (File photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Darnell Calhoun was killed Jan. 13, 2023. (Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)
racial issues to the rights of LGBTQ students — dominated school board rooms that used to draw few spectators.

RELATED: Here are the 100 best photos of 2023 from Inland Empire photographers

RELATED: 2023’s Inland Empire weird news: yellow dogs, Dodger tackles, culture wars

An unexpected snowstorm literally buried San Bernardino Mountains communities starting in late February.

At what often are routine calls lead to the on-duty deaths of at least five first responders. In addition, the final days of 2022 saw another deputy killed.

Here’s a look at the top five news stories of 2023 from across the Inland region.
- Chino Valley Unified School District board meetings, including the Thursday, July 20, 2023, session at Don Lugo High School in Chino, became political battlegrounds in 2023. The board voted to OK a parental notification policy requiring schools to inform parents if their child is transgender. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
- Protesters express their concerns during a Temecula school board workshop on critical race theory at James L. Day Middle School in Temecula on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
- A supporter for gay and transgender student rights hands out pride flags before the Thursday, July 20, 2023, Chino Valley Unified School District board meeting at Don Lugo High School in Chino. The board approved a policy to notify parents if their child is transgender. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
- Temecula Valley Unified School District teacher Lisa Balka addresses the Temecula school board during its Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, meeting. School board sessions across the Inland Empire became battlegrounds over racial issues and LGBTQ students rights this year. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
of
Expand
Schools become battleground for culture wars

What happened: The biggest Inland school fights weren’t on playgrounds in 2023.

From Chino Valley to Temecula, new conservative school board majorities thrust parents, students and teachers into culture wars with policies dealing with race and LGBTQ rights.

In Chino Valley, a policy requiring parents to be told if their child is transgender spurred copycats in Temecula, Murrieta and Orange — and a state lawsuit against the Chino Valley Unified School District that resulted in a preliminary court order to stop enforcement of the policy.

In Temecula, the rejection of a social studies curriculum that referenced LGBTQ civil rights icon Harvey Milk in supplemental materials prompted a public rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who threatened to send textbooks to Temecula and fine the school district $1.5 million before the board backed down.

Why it mattered: The controversies turned once-uneventful school board meetings into political backgrounds with protest signs, shouting matches, ejections of audience members and a strong police presence.

The boards’ supporters said conservative trustees were protecting children by keeping pornography and political indoctrination out of the classroom. Critics counter that the boards’ conservatives want to destroy public education and advance a far-right Christian nationalist agenda.

What’s next: In Temecula, board members will try to appoint someone to fill the seat of Danny Gonzalez, who was part of the conservative majority until his December resignation. An effort to force a recall election of conservative board President Joseph Komrosky continues.

In Chino Valley, conservative firebrand Sonja Shaw will start her second year as school board president, a departure from the previous practice of rotating presidential duties among trustees.

— Jeff Horseman
- Stephen Calleros works to clear up to 6 feet of snow off the roof of Diane’s Saddleback Grill and Hotel in Lake Arrowhead on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
- Joe Salas digs outside his Lake Arrowhead home Saturday, March 11, 2023, after the record-breaking snowfall in recent weeks. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
- Armando Chavez tries to unbury a vehicle in Lake Arrowhead on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
- A woman walks Saturday, March 11, 2023, past snow piled high in Lake Arrowhead Village after record-breaking snow in recent weeks in the San Bernardino Mountains. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
of
Expand
Snowstorms sock San Bernardino Mountains

What happened: In late February and early March, a blizzard that dropped up to 11 feet of snow in some places hammered San Bernardino Mountain communities, leaving residents trapped, businesses in shambles and officials scrambling.

Why it mattered: Though officials initially insisted everything was going well, internal documents and an after-action report from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department pointed to the county having trouble coordinating with other public agencies and elected officials. The report questioned whether the county’s emergency services operations — switched to county administrators’ control during the coronavirus pandemic — should again be overseen by first responders.

What’s next: The county was supposed to release its own report in mid-September. That document has been delayed twice and is now expected in January, a month shy of the storms’ one-year anniversary. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted warmer, wetter conditions this winter for much of the United States, including a chance for both in San Bernardino County.

— Beau Yarbrough
- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco salutes Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, as the flag-draped casket of slain Deputy Darnell Calhoun is moved to a hearse for a procession from Murrieta to Rancho Cucamonga. (File photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
- Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Darnell Calhoun was killed Jan. 13, 2023. (Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)
- metrolinktrains.com/rose-parade. Regular weekday service will resume on Tuesday. The $10 Holiday Pass will be available on Monday. It allows riders to take unlimited trips throughout the system for the entire day on which the pass is purchased. The $10 Holiday Pass can be purchased on the Metrolink Mobile App or at Station Ticket Machines under “special ticket options.” The Kids Ride Free on Weekends promotion is not available with the $10 Holiday Pass on Monday.
  
  LIBRARIES: Riverside County libraries will be closed Sunday and Monday. San Bernardino County libraries are closed Saturday through Monday. The A.K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands is closed Saturday through Monday.
  
  SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: Schools will not be in session.
  
  TRASH PICKUP: City of Riverside, Burrtec, Cal Disposal, CR&R, Redlands Solid Waste Trash & Recycling Services and Waste Management of the Inland Empire will not have service on Monday; service will be delayed by one day. Riverside County and San Bernardino County landfills will be closed Sunday and Monday.

What’s open and closed on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the Inland Empire

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 10:47:51 +0000

GOVERNMENT OFFICES: Federal, state, county and city offices will be closed; offices will reopen on Jan. 2. Most Redlands city offices and City Hall have been closed since Dec. 20 and will reopen Jan. 2.

MAIL DELIVERY: Mail will be delivered Saturday; there will be no delivery on Sunday or Monday.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: Most banks, savings and loans and credit unions will be open Saturday. All financial institutions will be closed Sunday and Monday.

STORES: Most will be open Saturday and Sunday but closing early on Sunday. Most stores will be closed Monday.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:

Riverside Transit Agency, Dial-A-Ride will run on a regular schedule Saturday. On Sunday RTA is offering free rides on all fixed-route and GoMicro buses after 2:30 p.m. Buses will not operate on Monday and will resume a regular schedule Tuesday. Administrative offices will be closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Customer Information Center will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and will be closed on Monday.

Omnitrans buses will run on a regular schedule Saturday and Sunday. Buses will not operate on Monday and will resume a regular schedule Tuesday. Administrative offices and Customer Service Center will be closed Monday.

Foothill Transit will run on a regular schedule Saturday and Sunday. Buses on Monday will run according to their weekend or Sunday Service schedules. All Transit Stores are closed Sunday and Monday. 800-RIDE-INFO will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

Metrolink will operate on a regular schedule Saturday. On Monday trains will operate on a weekend schedule with service on the Antelope Valley, Orange County, 91/Perris Valley, San Bernardino, Inland Empire-Orange County and Ventura Count lines with a $10 Holiday Pass. Arrow will also offer its weekend schedule with the same Holiday Pass. Metrolink will offer special service to Union Station connection to the Rose Parade on the Ventura County Line, Antelope Valley Line, Orange County Line, 91/Perris Valley Line and the San Bernardino Line. For schedule information go to metrolinktrains.com/rose-parade. Regular weekday service will resume on Tuesday. The $10 Holiday Pass will be available on Monday. It allows riders to take unlimited trips throughout the system for the entire day on which the pass is purchased. The $10 Holiday Pass can be purchased on the Metrolink Mobile App or at Station Ticket Machines under “special ticket options.” The Kids Ride Free on Weekends promotion is not available with the $10 Holiday Pass on Monday.

LIBRARIES: Riverside County libraries will be closed Sunday and Monday. San Bernardino County libraries are closed Saturday through Monday. The A.K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands is closed Saturday through Monday.

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: Schools will not be in session.

TRASH PICKUP: City of Riverside, Burrtec, Cal Disposal, CR&R, Redlands Solid Waste Trash & Recycling Services and Waste Management of the Inland Empire will not have service on Monday; service will be delayed by one day. Riverside County and San Bernardino County landfills will be closed Sunday and Monday.

What recent California crime trends say about what to expect in 2024

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:47:06 +0000

Two mass shootings. Brazen smash-and-grab thefts at luxury retailers. A violent robbery on the side of a busy freeway.

In 2023, crime made headlines, fueled Facebook fights — and was an important story for residents and business owners all over Southern California.

Reported violent crime in the state is at its highest since roughly 2008, and California consistently outpaces national trends as violent crime has increased since 2020 while nationally it has started to decline, according to federal data.

While data from the past few years has shown an increase in violent crime and retail theft, some experts and law enforcement leaders had differing opinions on what may change — or stay the same — in 2024.

California an outlier for violent crime

In general, across the state, violent crime had been steadily declining since a historic high in the early 1990s. Numbers began to stagnate, then slowly increase, around 2014. Trends for homicides and rape have followed national trends with an uptick during the pandemic years, but declines in 2022. However, some specific types of violent crime have ticked up since the pandemic: Aggravated assault, retail theft, and motor-vehicle theft are all on the rise.

In 2022, California averaged 499.5 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people, while the U.S. was at 380.7 per 100,000. Although California has mostly matched national violent crime trends since 2014, there has been a widening gap in recent years, which an analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California attributed primarily to a rise in aggravated assault.

“We have experienced some of the most unusual years for almost anyone alive,” said Magnus Lofstrom, policy director of criminal justice and a senior fellow at the institute. “Aggravated assault is definitely what’s on my radar, definitely more than any other crime.”

That analysis found that before the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravated assault was 6% higher in California than it was in the rest of the country. However, in 2022, aggravated assaults were 24% higher in the state.

Aggravated assaults and retail crime have become major sticking points for some politicians and law enforcement representatives labeling Southern California as a crime hub. In a televised debate earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that California residents were fleeing the state in droves because public safety is “catastrophic.” Former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso said, during a debate, that crime in the city was worse than it’s ever been.

From 2013 to 2022, aggravated assaults in Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties collectively rose from around 33,000 to more than 60,000, according to state data. Aggravated assaults using firearms nearly doubled, surpassing 14,000 reported crimes.

Broad data on crime in 2023 will likely become available sometime in the summer. For now, policy experts and departments are looking at preliminary data to monitor trends.

Lofstrom said that in 2024 factors like police staffing and the idea of community policing could have major impacts on some kinds of crimes. He also cited drug abuse, gang activity and fluctuations in the economy as possible factors in the popularity of retail theft.

“When we look back on this year, we’re not seeing evidence that retail theft in L.A. is reversing that increasing trend, so that area is one where we could see improvement,” Lofstrom said. “When we look next year, we need to look at things like policing recruitment and retention challenges, and policing strategies.”

Will the root causes of retail theft change in 2024?

Some law enforcement leaders have insisted that some major factors involved in retail crime will not change in 2024.

It’s difficult to pin down specifically what has led to the increase. Whether or not violence occurred during an incident can impact how retail theft is reported. For example, if multiple crimes occur during a retail theft, such as assault, the most violent crime is the one that will be reported.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League — the union representing rank-and-file LAPD officers — laid blame for California’s retail-theft reputation partially with Los Angeles County’s “Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols.” Otherwise known as the zero-cash bail policy, it rolled out earlier this year. The policy has been the subject of significant criticism and an injunction filed against L.A. County in October, but a study from the Superior Court found that the policy has actually helped reduce re-arrests.

MORE INFORMATION: More San Gabriel Valley cities back effort to stop zero-bail policy in LA County

“The consequence of the policy has led to more smash-and-grab robberies across the city,” the Protective League said in an August statement, “and suspects become repeat offenders when incidents are charged as misdemeanors (instead of felonies).”

Riverside police Chief Larry Gonzalez specifically mentioned Proposition 47, a ballot measure passed by California voters in 2014 that lowered some property crimes valued less than $950 to a misdemeanor, and classified some drug charges as misdemeanors as well. Gonzalez credited Proposition 47 with an increase in repeat offenders that are arrested by his officers again and again.

“For us, there hasn’t been in a huge spike in violent crime, but the property crime is what we continue to see skyrocket in communities,” Gonzalez said. “People are just very brazen, they take what they want and walk out, whether it be a Home Depot or a Walmart.”

Gonzalez’ position was echoed by Adam Bercovici, a retired LAPD sergeant who has a private-security company. Bercovici said that when crime policies are reversed or weakened, people in criminal circles will use that to their advantage.

“The sentencing structure is so that people who do these things understand that they may not get a hard sentence,” Berovici said. “It’s a crime of opportunity, and of risk versus reward.”

Gonzalez agreed that looking forward, many in law enforcement see repeat offenders as a possible cause of rising crime.

“I think the issue is that it’s a revolving door in the jail system right now,” he said.

There is not significant proof, though, the zero-cash bail policy had a real impact on arrests in Los Angeles. According to data released by Los Angeles County Superior Court in October, less than 3% of more than 5,000 people booked for a crime in the first three weeks of the month re-offended after their release.

Many law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD and the LA County Sheriff’s Department, have established task forces looking to clamp down on retail theft. LASD reported in October that the department’s task force had arrested 89 people for retail theft in just five weeks, and recovered $370,000 in stolen goods.

LAPD data found that in the year ending in October, robbery decreased by 4.2%, and motor-vehicle theft decreased by 4.5%. In 2022, according to the Protective League, California saw a 28.7% jump in retail crime.

There are positive trends.

Larceny theft has remained relatively flat compared to 2013, from 252,997 to 250,794. Shoplifting and purse-snatching has been nearly cut in half.

Police departments say they remain focused despite challenges

Gonzalez said that even with retention and hiring challenges, his officers remain positive, and he does not see a loss in morale having an impact on police work.

“These guys don’t worry about how long someone will stay in jail,” he said. “They aren’t demoralized. We’re still constantly booking people in jail.”

Changes in this year’s trends are very possible. The California Highway Patrol has received several hundred million dollars to bolster retail-crime prevention, and the agency has arrested more than 1,000 people.

Some trends, like a decrease in young people committing violent crime, have given researchers hope.

Lofstrom was clear, though — researchers don’t have a crystal ball.

“Crime, and crime statistics, are functions of so many things,” Lofstrom said. “We have to think about factors that can help with predictions.”

Riverside County restaurants shut down by health inspectors, Dec. 20-28

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:24:29 +0000

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Riverside County health inspectors from Dec. 20 to Dec. 28.

Mariscos Francisco, 91280 Second St., Mecca

Closed: Dec. 20
Reason: Insufficient hot water

This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published the following week.

Source: Riverside County Department of Environmental Health

— Ian Wheeler

Both sides claim win in court battle over ballot designation in Inland Empire House race

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 16:20:19 +0000

Both sides are claiming victory in a court battle over former federal prosecutor Will Rollins’ ballot designation in the upcoming primary election for an Inland Empire seat in the House of Representatives.

Rollins, a Democratic lawyer hoping for a general election rematch against incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, wanted to be listed as a “counterterrorism attorney” or “counterterrorism advisor” on the March 5 primary ballot, when candidates from all parties face each other under California’s modified election rules. Rollins spent five years in the federal prosecutor’s office and currently advises clients on antiterrorism rules.

Riverside County GOP chairman Matthew Dobler and his lawyers cried foul, claiming in a lawsuit against the state secretary of state — who oversees elections — that the designations were an attempt to fool voters into thinking Rollins still worked for the government and still has something to do with counterterrorism efforts.

The California Elections Code allows candidates to use up to three words to describe their “principal profession, vocation or occupation” on the ballot, provided it is “factually accurate” and not “confusing nor misleading.”

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Shelley Anne W.L. Chang this week agreed Rollins’ proposed designations could confuse voters and ruled he should be listed as a “counterterrorism law attorney.”

“The court finds that both the designation of ‘counterterrorism attorney’ and ‘counterterrorism advisor’ would be confusing or misleading to the voters, and therefore are not permissible ballot designations,” Chang wrote.

“There is no evidence before the court that Rollins’ current principal profession can be accurately described as ‘counterterrorism attorney’ as the court finds this designation suggests Rollins is currently serving as a government attorney, specializing in the area of counterterrorism and prosecuting terrorist activities on behalf of the government,” the judge wrote.

Chang added that “counterterrorism advisor” fell short because there is no evidence that his position as a college guest lecturer on counterterrorism qualified as his principal profession.

Both sides quickly sent out statements to the media applauding Chang’s decision.

“This ruling proves what we’ve been saying all along: Will Rollins is a perpetual liar who cannot be trusted to tell Californians the truth,” Calvert campaign spokesman Calvin Moore said in a prepared statement. “The fact that a court was forced to correct Rollins for lying to and misleading voters is a major red flag that he is not who he says he is. Rollins knows the only chance he has is to lie.”

Calvert was not a party to the lawsuit.

Ben Petersen, Republican Party western press secretary, added, “Will Rollins is a lying liar who lies. Riverside County families cannot trust Rollins, especially now that a court has ruled he attempted to mislead voters on the ballot.”

In a statement via email, Rollins cited his former role as a federal prosecutor in the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section of the National Security Division, “taking on ISIS, the Sinaloa cartel, Al Qaeda terrorists, and Iranian nationals who violated U.S. sanctions.”

“Ken Calvert may be scared of talking about law enforcement experience in this race, but I’m not,” Rollins said. “I’ve continued to build my legal practice around that experience, and I’ll bring it with me to Congress to support our law enforcement officials, not defund them like Calvert has.”

Coby Eiss, Rollins’ campaign manager, said the court ruling “confirms what we knew all along.”

“This absurd lawsuit was nothing more than a politically inspired partisan attack to distract voters from seeing Will’s experience in counterterrorism on the ballot,” Eiss said. “But the truth is that Republicans and Democrats alike in California’s 41st know that Ken has failed the law enforcement community.”

It is common for political candidates to file lawsuits challenging ballot designation language during election season.

Candidates often are sensitive to how opponents describe themselves, because that description — often neutral-sounding terms like “small business owner” or “educator” — might be the only information a voter knows about a candidate before casting a ballot.

The lawsuit is an early skirmish in what promises to be a costly and bitter election battle in the 41st Congressional District, which takes in Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Indian Wells, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Menifee, Norco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Wildomar and parts of Corona, Eastvale and Riverside.

Rollins ran previously against Calvert in 2022 and lost by 4 percentage points.

Staff Writer Jeff Horseman contributed to this report.

Fireplace wood-burning ban extended for Southern California

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:45:58 +0000

LOS ANGELES — A ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning in much of Southern California has been extended through Friday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area, air quality regulators said.

The residential wood-burning ban, which began on Christmas Day, will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Friday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and all of Orange County.

The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the high desert, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service also are exempt from the requirement.

Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as asthma.

Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text at www.AirAlerts.org.

Fireplace wood-burning ban extended for Southern California

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:45:58 +0000

Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as asthma.

Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text at www.AirAlerts.org.

Defense in Costco voluntary manslaughter case says shooter was protecting his toddler

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 09:59:53 +0000

Defense attorney Michael Schwartz projected onto the courtroom screen a photo of Salvador Alejandro Sanchez carrying his 20-month-old son, Noah, in the Costco in Corona on June 14, 2019. Moments later, intellectually disabled 32-year-old Kenneth French would punch Sanchez to the floor, prompting the off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer to fatally shoot French and wound his parents.

“This is what this case is really about,” Schwartz told jurors during the second day of closing arguments of Sanchez’s trial at Larson Justice Center in Indio on Wednesday, Dec. 27. “The most vulnerable person there. A parent defending his child.”

The jurors began deliberations Wednesday in the monthlong trial. They will decide whether Sanchez, 33, is guilty of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm. He faces up to 33 years in prison if convicted on all counts, said the prosecutor, state Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy.

Schwartz described the confrontation as a “very fast, very shocking, very traumatic event.”

Sanchez was heard in body-worn camera footage telling Corona police officers that he believed he had been shot by French and knocked unconscious in the sausage samples line in the deli.

Murphy, in his closing argument, said Sanchez should have taken the time to assess the situation. If he had, he would have realized that he was punched and not shot and would not have used deadly force.

But Schwartz said the shooting was legally justified because Sanchez had to act quickly to protect himself and his son.

“The prosecution says he needs to confirm the need for deadly force before using it,” Schwartz said. “It sounds nice. It speaks against the reality of the situation. You don’t have time in the moment to confirm the actual threat. Here’s the kicker: If the beliefs were reasonable, the danger does not need to actually exist. Confirming it is actually the opposite of what the law says. If the danger was real, meaning Ken French had a gun, and you take time to confirm it, you’re dead.”

Schwartz said jurors should not convict Sanchez on the assault charges because he was focused on shooting Kenneth French in order to eliminate the threat to himself and his son and that the parents inadvertently got in the way of the volley of 10 shots that were fired in a matter of seconds.

Schwartz also said the fact that Sanchez did not fire all 13 rounds in his service weapon was proof that he did not intend to kill. He reminded jurors of testimony that indicated once Sanchez realized the threat had ended, that it would still take a second for him to stop shooting. During that time, multiple shots could be fired.

Schwartz repeatedly questioned prosecution evidence. He projected a bowl and package of Frosted Flakes on the screen and compared an insect falling into the bowl to the prosecution’s case, saying some of it was tainted by the introduction of facts that were not proven.

“If the bowl of cereal is infested, you have to throw out the full box,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said the prosecution did not prove the shooting was unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.

“That is the mountain they have to climb. And they are not even close,” Schwartz said. “The law says ‘What did he know in that moment?’”

36 of the biggest concerts and tours coming to Southern California in 2024

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 07:16:59 +0000

While 2023 ushered in record-setting concert tours from acts such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, multi-evening runs by artists like The Cure and Neil Young, and milestone-marking celebrations from icons such as Willie Nelson and AFI, next year’s concert schedule is shaping up to be equally as thrilling.

Megastars like The Rolling Stones, Bad Bunny, Madonna, Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Blink-182, Bruce Springsteen and more are all hitting Southern California stadiums, arenas and outdoor amphitheaters in 2024.

Here are 36 of the biggest concert tours on their way. While additional shows are sure to be announced in the coming months, all of these concerts are currently on sale. Ticket prices vary, and some events are already sold out, but most tickets can still be found through secondary sellers.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (pictured performing in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2023) rescheduled dates at Pechanga Arena in San Diego on March 25 and Kia Forum in Inglewood on April 4 and 7, 2024. (Photo by Liselotte Sabroe, AFP via Getty Images)
Olivia Rodrigo (pictured performing at iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball at Kia Forum on Dec. 01, 2023) will launch her tour at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms on Feb. 23 and warp it up at Kia Forum in Inglewood on Aug. 23-14. (Photo by Kevin Winter, Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Blink-182 (pictured performing during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 14, 2023 in Indio) will play Petco Park in San Diego in June and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in July, 2024. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer, Getty Images for Coachella)
Alanis Morissette (pictured performing at the Times Square New Year’s Eve 2020 Celebration on Dec. 31, 2019 in New York City) will bring her Triple Moon Tour to Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms and Kia Forum in Inglewood in August 2024. (Photo by Noam Galai, Getty Images)
Madonna (pictured performing in Colombia on April 30, 2022) will bring her Celebration Tour to Kia Forum in Inglewood March 4-5, 7 and 9 and Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms on March 13, 2024. (Photo by Fredy Builes, AFP via Getty Images)
The Rolling Stones (pictured performing in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany on July 27, 2022) will headline SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on July 10 and 13, 2024. (Photo by Ina Fassbender, AFP via Getty Images)
The Eagles (pictured performing in Las Vegas in 2019) are out on The Long Goodbye Tour which will hit Kia Forum in Inglewood Jan. 5-6 and 12-13 and Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms on Jan. 16, 2024. (Photo by Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Musician Saul Hernandez of the Mexican band Caifanes (pictured performing during the Cordillera music festival in Bogota on Sept. 24, 2022) will team up with Cafe Tacvba for several shows including the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms and North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista in June 2024. (Photo by Raul Arboleda, AFP via Getty Images)
There are numerous big-name artists coming to Southern California in 2024 including rising country star Zach Bryan (left); pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo (center); and The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (right). (Photos by Jason Kempin, Getty Images; Kate Green, Getty Images; Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
Gloria Trevi (pictured performing during the Besame Mucho music festival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023) is set to embark on the Mi Soundtrack World Tour hitting the Honda Center Feb. 2, Acrisure Arena Feb. 9 and Crypto.com Arena Sept. 14…(Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
P!nk (pictured performing on stage at the Paris La Defense Arena in Paris on June 20, 2023) is bringing the Summer Carnvial tour to Dodger Stadium on Sept. 15. (Photo by Anna Kurth, Getty Images)
Melanie Martinez (pictured performing onstage during iHeartRadio Hot 99.5’s Jingle Ball 2023 at Capital One Arena on Dec. 11, 2023 in Washington, DC) will headline the Acrisure Arena on May 14, Kia Forum on May 15 and the Honda Center on June 27…(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Bad Bunny (pictured performing at the Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables, Florida in Oct. 2023) is bringing the Most Wanted Tour to Crypto.com Arena on March 13-15…(Photo by Marta Lavandier, Associated Press)
Pitbull (pictured performing during The Trilogy Tour at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023) is bringing The Trilogy Tour along with Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin to Acrisure Arena Feb. 2 and the Honda Center Feb.3. (Photo by Nhat V. Meyer, Bay Area News Group)
Enrique Iglesias (pictured performing during The Trilogy Tour at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023) is bringing The Trilogy Tour alongside Pitbull and Ricky Martin to Acrisure Arena Feb. 2 and the Honda Center Feb.3. (Photo by Nhat V. Meyer, Bay Area News Group)

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JANUARY

Eagles

Los Angeles rock band the Eagles are out on their final tour dubbed The Long Goodbye. The group will be joined by Steely Dan and have multiple Southern California dates in 2024. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5-6 and 12-13 at Kia Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. Tickets start at $149.50 at Salvador Sanchez fatally shot 32-year-old Kenneth French and wounded his parents after the intellectually disabled man slugged Sanchez in the deli of the Costco in Corona in 2019, Sanchez not only panicked, he also fabricated a narrative intended to show he acted reasonably and to therefore avoid criminal charges, a prosecutor said Tuesday, Dec. 26.

Videos of Sanchez’s statements to authorities both immediately after the shooting and two months later revealed his “lies,” Deputy state Attorney General Mike Murphy said during closing arguments of Sanchez’s voluntary manslaughter trial at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Sanchez is also on trial on two counts of assault with a firearm for wounding Russell and Paola French. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“He told police he had been shot in the head, he believed Kenneth was hunkered down and he believed Kenneth was armed with a gun. But none of those beliefs was true. Nor were they the result of a reasonable interpretation of the circumstances. Rather they were the result of the defendant’s irrational projection of his own fears and his own failure to reasonably see and hear the facts that were right in front of him,” Murphy told jurors.

Sanchez told Corona police who arrived four minutes after the off-duty shooting that he believed he had been knocked unconscious with his 20-month-old son in his arms while he and the Frenches waited in line for sausage samples. He thought he had awakened to see Kenneth in a fighting stance. Sanchez, as French’s parents pushed their son away and pleaded “Don’t shoot,” fired 10 times from his service weapon.

Sanchez was not in uniform.

Murphy said Sanchez should not have fired within what testimony indicated was 3-4 seconds of being hit.

“The defendant needed to take a few moments to see if he had a gunshot wound and realize he did not and a moment to reasonably assess the situation and look and hear what was going on in front of him and realize the Frenches did not present a threat at that moment. That’s what a reasonable person would have done in those circumstances. A reasonable person would not have decided it was necessary to shoot 10 rounds in a Costco and kill Kenneth French and shoot his parents,” Murphy said.

Sanchez’s statements and actions when police arrived after the shooting reflected clear thinking and were not those of a person who had been knocked unconscious, Murphy said. Sanchez clearly answered officers’ questions and did not appear disoriented. He was not injured, Murphy told jurors.

At the scene, Sanchez told officers that “I saw a flash and I felt my head knocked off,” according to body-worn camera video. He didn’t tell officers he saw a gun, Murphy said.

But two months later, in a videotaped statement to investigators at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Sanchez said, “I saw someone holding a gun up to my head. The pain that I felt was absolutely searing. I thought I was shot. I was shot.” The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the case after the county grand jury declined to indict Sanchez.

Murphy, with the state Attorney General’s Office, which filed the criminal case, said the statements about someone holding a gun and him thinking he was shot are evidence that Sanchez was building a new narrative.

But Sanchez’s attorney, Michael Schwartz, said that by two months later, everyone knew that French was unarmed and that the statement was not a lie, but simply Sanchez’s recollection.

Schwartz began his closing argument late Tuesday and was scheduled to resume it Wednesday morning.

He said it was unreasonable for Murphy to say that Sanchez should have taken more time to assess the situation.

“The prosecution says he needs to confirm the need for deadly force before using it,” Schwartz said. “It sounds nice. It speaks against the reality of the situation. You don’t have time in the moment to confirm the actual threat. Here’s the kicker. If the beliefs were reasonable, the danger does not need to actually exist. Confirming it is actually the opposite of what the law says. If the danger was real, meaning Ken French had a gun, and you take time to confirm it, you’re dead.”

Climate change will reshape the Inland Empire by 2048

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:08:44 +0000

Today, 2023 is going down as the hottest year on record.

Twenty-five years from now, 2023 is likely to go down as one of the coldest years in decades.

“Unfortunately, we know” what climate conditions in the Inland Empire will look like in 2048, said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College. “For more than a decade now, we’ve known what it’s going to look like.”

Between 1985 and 2005, there were an average of seven days a year in the Inland Empire where temperatures were over 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the next 25 years, Miller said, experts expect there to be at least 35 days a year that hot.

This year, Phoenix had 55 days where temperatures topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit, including 31 days in a row over the summer.

“The Saguaro cactus were boiling on the inside and dying,” Miller said.

Phoenix’s year is a preview of what the Los Angeles region will look like within the next 25 years, he said.

Instead of it being too hot for Saguaro, the National Park Service has warned that nearly all of Joshua Tree National Park may be too hot for Joshua trees to grow by the end of the 21st century.

“I think we need to get used to living on a planet that is not the planet we grew up on,” Miller said.

But not everyone is so pessimistic about the future of the Inland Empire.

“There’s people who live in Phoenix. That’s warmer than where we are,” said Francesca Hopkins, an associate professor of climate change and sustainability at University of California Riverside, who is more upbeat about the future. “I think we need to have a hopeful outlook, because a lot of people don’t have a choice” about living here.

She agrees that the Inland Empire is going to continue heating up through 2048, with temperatures typically four to five degrees Fahrenheit higher, with summer highs around 115 degrees. But, she said, the region can adapt, just as residents of Las Vegas and Phoenix have.

Still, Hopkins’ biggest concern about the Inland Empire’s climate future is extreme heat.

“We’re already one of the hottest regions of the state and we’re just going to have even more extreme heat going forward,” she said. “The heat waves are going to be more severe. We’re going to get less relief at night. And we’re going to have more heat waves.”

Air-conditioning will help for those who have access to it. Mostly.

“One can say ‘well, I have air conditioning; I’m going to be fine in my house,’” Miller said. “But the heat in the house is pumped out of the house to cool the house down. So where does it go? It stays.”

And nighttime temperatures won’t drop as much as they once did, offering little relief for sweltering communities.

Hopkins particularly worries about unhoused residents, people living in trailer parks, and farm workers and others who work outside all day.

Traditionally, wealthier cities and neighborhoods in Southern California were insulated from some aspects of extreme weather by their landscaping, which provide shade and cool their neighborhoods down.

But a UC Riverside study published this fall suggests that this “luxury effect” is no longer able to keep up with the extreme temperatures now hitting Southern California.

“The effect of income, as a mediator of heat, was decreasing,” said Dion Kucera, a post-doctoral researcher at UC Riverside, and a co-author of the study. “Wealthy regions are getting hotter, just as poor regions are getting hotter.”

Hopkins thinks there’s still going to be a role for landscaping cooling down Inland Empire communities, even if it’s more water-conscious than the lawns and greenery that many areas have today.

“It is really still valuable to have outdoor public spaces that are shaded,” she said. “Continuing to have shade trees will be very important. I think it’s important to think about what sort of shade trees we can plant now that will still survive in the future.”

And there will be greenery in some less-welcome places.

White Christmases were already a rarity in Southern California when Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas” in 1940 — in La Quinta, according to some accounts — including lyrics about how sunny and green Beverly Hills is in December. By 2048, Miller said, the San Gabriel Mountains will be permanently snow-free, impacting area water supplies even as much of the year is hotter and drier.

In December 2023, residents of San Bernardino Mountain communities are still recovering from a devastating winter storm that dumped up to 11 feet of snow on the mountains in February and March. Storms like that will still happen, just less frequently and less predictably, according to Miller.

“We’re going to get years like last winter,” he said. “They’re just going to be fewer and far between.”

The weather outlook in 2048 will be for more and longer-lasting droughts but also more intense rainstorms dumping more rain over shorter periods, leading to flash flooding, according to Miller. And of course, there’s the ever-present threat of wildfire, which will just get more common in the Inland Empire over the next 25 years.

“For those who live in the deserts and the foothills, all of these forces also accelerate the number and intensity of wildfires,” Miller said.

And that means home insurers will likely end up reshaping where people can afford to live in California.

“In the Inland Empire, the draw is affordable housing, whether it’s the mountains, the desert or the foothills. But those are going to be the places most heavily impacted,” Miller said. “Why would I buy a house in a place where the water rights are not assured and I can’t get fire insurance?”

Expect to see more “in-fill” housing, increasing the density of existing residential areas instead of extending further into wildfire-prone foothills and deserts.

The American Southwest “exploded” in population after World War II, Miller said, based on factors that are no longer true.

“Cheap energy and cheap water are gone,” Miller said. “We’ve had a good run. But the run we’ve had was dependent on conditions that no longer exist.”

And that’s going to have repercussions for the Southern California’s business climate.

“The very drivers of this region’s economy, which was largely pushed by agriculture, logistics and the tourism industry, are all going to be damaged by these climate changes,” Miller said.

And warehouses are making things worse, he said, with truck traffic putting more air pollution into the air, as well as creating large areas of man-made materials that absorb and radiate heat in neighborhoods.

Agriculture, which is using the majority of California’s water supply, won’t be able to continue to do business as it has, and will likely need to switch to crops that require less water and are more tolerant of higher temperatures, according to Miller.

“It’s going to be just too hot,” he said. “You can pour as much water on crops as you want, but if they’re burning on the inside, it’s not going to help.”

The Inland Empire won’t be alone in grappling with these changes. Miller predicts that by the end of the century, New Hampshire will have a climate similar to North Carolina’s today.

And Rust Belt cities, which saw populations plummet in the late 20th century, will rebound, he says, as access to the Great Lakes, with 20% of Earth’s fresh water, will be increasingly important in a hotter, drier world. And climate change will make the Great Lakes’ infamous winters milder as winters get warmer.

But climate patterns won’t settle down anywhere in the United States during the 21st century, according to Miller.

“I think any grandchild you love will wonder, in time, what the hell you were doing,” Miller said. “Or rather, what you were not doing.”

In comparison, Hopkins remains somewhat optimistic about Californians’ ability to adapt and mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

“We have the technology,” Hopkins said. “We can do this.”

And if she’s right, and humans figure out ways to adapt, while minimizing further damage by switching away from the use of fossil fuels, that could also mean solving one of Southern California’s most persistent problems.

“If we manage to address climate change and reduce fossil fuel pollution, it’s going to have a huge impact on our air quality,” she said.

Temecula investigation leads to arrests in 40 burglaries; alcohol and medications were taken

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:53:08 +0000

An investigation into thefts of high-end liquor during store burglaries in Temecula led to the arrests of members of a crew believed to be responsible for thefts of more than $200,000 of liquor and prescription drugs during about 40 burglaries of businesses and pharmacies in Southern California, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says.

Four suspects in the thefts are tied to a Los Angeles gang and were selling the stolen items, the Sheriff’s Department said in a Dec. 22 statement.

The arrests followed an investigation that started on July 23 at a business on the 39000 block of Winchester Road in Temecula. Deputies investigating there learned a burglary occurred involving multiple thieves entering the business after hours and stealing several bottles of high-end, expensive alcohol, authorities said.

Another alcohol burglary was reported on Sept.17 at the same business with similar suspect descriptions, the sheriff’s statement said. On Sept. 24, several pharmacies were hit by burglars throughout Southern California, with the burglars matching the same description stealing numerous bottles of medication, the Sheriff’s Department said.

During an investigation involving other agencies across Southern California, authorities connected the burglary crew to around 40 burglaries throughout Southern California, including Riverside County, deputies said.

The Sheriff’s Department did not immediately provide information on exactly when and where the 40 burglaries occurred.

The burglaries resulted in $200,000 of high-end alcohol and prescription medication being stolen and caused $50,000 worth of damage, Friday’s statement said.

On Dec. 21, authorities served search warrants in the 100 block of 91st Street in Los Angeles, the 4000 block of Nicolet Avenue in Los Angeles and the 13000 block of South Largo Avenue in Compton, the Sheriff’s Department said.

During the search, investigators found evidence connecting the four suspects to the string of burglaries, including clothing, bottles of stolen prescription medication and high-end alcohol, the statement said. Six firearms were recovered during the search, including unserialized guns, or ghost guns, and a gun with an altered serial number.

All four suspects were arrested or were already in custody in other cases. In the string of 40 burglaries, they face charges including organized retail theft, grand theft, burglary and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

Anyone with additional information about the case can contact sheriff’s Investigator Jeffrey Andrews at (951) 696–3000.

Suspects wanted for setting stolen boat on fire behind Corona supermarket

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 02:51:46 +0000

Police are searching for suspects who allegedly stole a boat and set it on fire in a Corona parking lot.

On Dec. 11, Corona police responded to reports of a boat fire behind a Von’s supermarket at 369 Magnolia Avenue sound 4:10 p.m.

Arriving officers found the 23-foot boat engulfed in flames. Authorities discovered the boat had been reported stolen from a Corona residence.

The suspects fled the scene of the fire before officers could arrive.

Witnesses told police they saw three Hispanic male suspects inside a pickup truck that was parked at the Von’s gas station minutes before the blaze. One of the suspects reportedly had facial tattoos.

Surveillance video from nearby traffic cameras captured the suspects' vehicle towing the boat eastbound on Ontario Avenue about 15-20 minutes before the fire was ignited.

Surveillance video captured a suspect truck towing a stolen boat moments before it was found engulfed in flames in Corona on Dec. 11, 2023. (Corona Police Department)

The vehicle is described as a newer model, black Chevrolet or GMC 2500 diesel pickup truck with extended tow mirrors and no front license plate.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Fire Investigator, John Brown, by email at john.brown@coronaca.gov or by phone at 951-736-2218.

Authorities are also interested in reviewing any photographs or videos taken by the public of the fire.

Burrtec Offers To Pick Up Old Christmas Trees

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 02:41:18 +0000

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – If you don’t want to leave home, Burrtec is offering to pick up any undecorated Christmas Trees over the next few weeks.

They’re asking neighbors to place the tree next to your trash barrels and they’ll take care of it.

They are asking if you have a tree over 6ft that you cut it in half, but a reminder that the pickup schedule will run one day late this week.

Where To Drop Off Your Christmas Tree For Recycling

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 02:37:15 +0000

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – If you’re looking to get rid of your live Christmas tree, here’s a look at some drop-off spots in the county into the New Year.

The Riverside County Blythe Landfill and Lamb Canyon Landfill in Beaumont will be accepting trees until January 6th.

The Oasis Landfill will also be open to trees through January 3rd.

21 of the biggest conventions coming to Southern California in 2024

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 10:11:16 +0000

It’s going to be another busy year for the convention industry in 2024 and there’ll be an event for just about every interest.

Whether you’re a fan of anime, horror, music, TV shows, TikTok, fashion, drag culture or even cats, there’s a convention out there for you.

Here’s a list of the 21 biggest events coming to Southern California next year.

In the Gaslamp Quarter just outside the San Diego Convention Center on Saturday, July 23, 2022 in San Diego, CA., Anya Aston from Fallbrook portrays a cyborg character for Comic-Con fans outside the convention. It returns July 25-28. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
CatCon, the world’s largest cat-centric culture event at the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday, June 29, 2019 in Pasadena, California. It returns Aug. 3-4 (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Pennywise poses for a photograph during Midsummer Scream at the Long Beach Convention Center on Friday, July 28, 2023. The horror convention returns July 26-28. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
A meet up of cosplayers who combined X-Men and Sailor Moon gather for a picture outside WonderCon in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, March 24, 2023. WonderCon returns March 29-31. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fans are welcomed to L.A. Comic Con at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. The event returns Oct. 4-6. (Photo by Diya Chacko)

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Animé Los Angeles 19

Cosplay, anime professionals, and an exhibition floor of merch, concerts, a masquerade. Basically all the anime pop culture your large-eyed avatar could desire.

When: Jan. 4-Jan. 7

Where: Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

Tickets and more info: $100 for full event, $35 Thursday and Sunday, $45 Friday. Discounts available for child with a parent, students, and military. Go to Animelosangeles.org for tickets, programming details, and more.

Anime Impulse LA 2024

Influencers, online streamers, cosplayers, and more. Anime Impulses promises fun for newcomers and otakus alike. What’s an otaku? If you don’t know, you aren’t one.

When: Jan. 13-14

Where: Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona

Tickets and more info: $40 for a two-day pass. For more information and tickets go to Animeimpulse.com

The NAMM Show 2024

The massive music industry tradeshow returns to January for the first time since the pandemic. While it’s not fully open to the public, there are sometimes opportunities for the public to get a glimpse of the action at the convention center and surrounding hotels.

When: Jan. 25-28

Where: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 Katella Ave., Anaheim

Tickets and more info: NAMM is primarily open to NAMM members, music educators, students, media, influencers, bloggers, engineers, producers, and live event professionals. But there are a few ticketed events that are open to the general public. Go to namm.org for all the details.

Xenites Reunion Weekend

Some people really, really loved the TV series “Xena: Warrior Princess,” which ran for six seasons from 1995-2001. This is their convention, a celebration of all things “Xena,” with Lucy Lawless, who starred as Xena, and Renee O’Connor, who played Gabrielle, among the confirmed attendees.

When: Jan. 26-28

Where: Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank

Tickets and more info: Weekend passes range from $179 for general admission to $709 for the Gold VIP package. Preferred single-day tickets are $45 for Friday and $120 each for Saturday and Sunday. General admission single-day tickets are $35 for Friday and $90 each for Saturday and Sunday. For tickets and details go to creationent.com.

Creep I.E. Con

All things horror are at this convention, including a walk-thru haunt, a horror prop museum, arcade games, hundreds of vendors selling all types of spooky wares and celebrity appearances. This year, expect to see actors from the original “Scream” film including Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Skeet Ulrich.

When: Feb. 2-4

Where: Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario.

Tickets and more info: $25-$55 at creepiecon.com.

Gallifrey One 2024

Pack up the Tardis and set the dial for LAX when this long-running Doctor Who fan convention opens its doors. Tons of stars including Derek Jacobi, Alex Kingston, Billie Piper will be there for this year’s con titled Gallifrey One Miracle on 34th Street in honor of its 34th anniversary.

When: Feb. 16-18

Where: Marriott Los Angeles Airport, 5855 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles

Tickets and more info: Adult weekend passes are $125, teen weekenders are $75, and child weekend tickets are $30. Go to Gallifreyone.com for tickets and details.

WonderCon

The little brother of San Diego Comic-Con has all the same things, just on a slightly smaller scale. What does mean? You can cosplay, shop, attend panels and screenings, and do it all without the massive crowds that Comic-Con can attract.

When: March 29-31

Where: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim.

Tickets and more info: Early-bird weekend passes are $125 until Jan. 10, and $141 after that. Single-day passes are $47 for Friday, $57 for Saturday, and $40 for Sunday. Discounts are available for juniors aged 13-17, seniors and military. Go to comic-con.org/wc for tickets and details.

Comic Con Revolution

The Inland Empire’s largest pop culture and comic book convention returns with special guests including a trio of voice actors from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” including Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein, as well as the fixin’s you’d expect at a good-sized con.

When: May 18-19

Where: Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario

Tickets and more info: Weekend adult passes are $48, while single-day adult tickets are $32.50. Weekend teen passes are $43, while single-day teen tickets are $27. Premium weekend passes in a host of different configurations range from about $100 to $500. For tickets and details go to Comicconrevolution.com.

Monsterpalooza

Celebrating 15 years, this convention focuses on monsters, the art of makeup and special effects with celebrity guests, a monster museum and makeup demos. Celebrities attending this year include Doug Bradley from “Hellraiser,” David Howard Thorton from “Terrifier,” and Tony Todd from “Candyman.”

When: May 31-June 2

Where: Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena

Tickets and more info: $35-$190 at monsterpalooza.com.

Anime Riverside

Who says you have to drive all the way to L.A. to get your anime fix? Anime Riverside is back, and while details are still surfacing you can bet that in addition to cosplay and cool merch there’ll be anime creators and voice actors on hand.

When: June 1-2

Where: Riverside Convention Center, 3637 Fifth Street, Riverside

Tickets and more info: No ticket information yet but check back at animeriverside.com for details as they’re revealed.

VidCon Anaheim 2024

All those short videos you’ve been watching on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and elsewhere? Yeah, you. We know what you’re doing when you’re supposed to be working. Well, tons of the creators and influencers who make them will be here, and the fans, too.

When: June 26-29

Where: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim.

Tickets and more info: Four-day passes are on sale now for $110. Individual fan passes are not yet available. VidCon also has four-day passes for aspiring creators for $155 and an industry pass with top access for $699. Go to Vidcon.com/anaheim for ticket and program details.

Anime Expo

Anime Expo bills itself as the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America, which after 33 years of conventions, it probably is. If you want to really dive into the deepest end of the anime ocean, this is where you want to swim.

When: July 4-7

Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

Tickets and more info: Programming and ticket details is still to come. Check back at Anime-expo.org/ax for updates.

RuPaul’s DragCon Los Angeles 2024

To quote RuPaul, our ultimate queen, “We’re all born naked and the rest is just drag.” So are you ready to slay? RuPaul’s annual celebration of all things drag is where you want to werk it, girl!

When: July 19-20

Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

Tickets and more info: Still too soon to decide what to wear – or for ticket and program information – so keep checking LA.rupaulsdragcon.com.

San Diego Comic-Con International

The OG of ’em hasn’t seen as much Hollywood presence the last two years. Will more distance from the pandemic give the studios confidence to come down? Or will Comic-Con continue to return closer to its comic book and fan culture roots? Stay tuned!

When: July 25-28

Where: San Diego Convention Center, 111 Harbor Drive, San Diego

Tickets and more info: Comic-Con badges have already sold out, which isn’t to say you absolutely cannot find a way in this year. It’s just gonna take some effort. For all the details go to comic-con.org.

Midsummer Scream

This is the biggest horror convention around, attracting about 40,000 people to the Long Beach Convention Center. Besides celebrity appearances, vendors and cosplayers, fans of horror can walk through several haunts, see films, check out panels and hear what other major haunts, like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, have planned for the year.

When: July 26-28

Where: Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

Tickets and more info: $35-$140 at midsummerscream.org.

CatCon

Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Cat celebrities, cat contests, cat costumes and much more. Taylor Swift wore her cat on the cover of Time when she was named the magazine’s person of the year. The cats are winning.

When: Aug. 3-4

Where: Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena

Tickets and more info: I asked my cats about tickets and not one of the four knew a thing. Darn cats! Keep checking catconworldwide.com for updates on tickets and programs.

D23 Expo

This one’s for Mickey and Minnie, and Donald and Goofy. This one’s for boys and girls of all ages, who, when they wish upon a star, still believe that dreams really do come true. Oh, and it’s also for people who like Dole Whips.

When: Aug. 9-11

Where: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim

Tickets and more info: To keep up with what the Rock, who starred in Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” is cookin’, go to tultimatefanevent.d23.com for updates on ticketing and programs.

Creep I.E. Aftermath

This is the sister event to the annual Creep IE Con, with a more general pop culture twist, but sill lost of horror all around. There’s no information yet on the specifics, but expect celebrities, cosplayers, vendors and films.

When: September, but no specific dates announced

Where: Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario

Tickets and more info: Prices have yet to be announced, but last year tickets were $30-$55 for general admission at creepiecon.com.

Horrorcon LA

Horror meets sci-fi at this two day convention that features horror and sci-fi film and TV celebrities, exhibitors and live performances.

When: Sept. 14-15

Where: LA Convention Center, 1201 S Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

Tickets and more info: $31-$57 at horrorconla.com.

L.A. Comic Con

Los Angeles’ pop culture and comics convention returns about two months earlier in the year than in the recent past. Still a little early for details on guests and programming, but these folks do a very nice job with all the con details.

When: Oct. 4-6

Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

Tickets and more info: Tickets are not yet on sale. Check Comicconla.com for details and future ticketing opportunities.

ComplexCon

A cutting edge fashion show and mall meets a hip-hop concert and modern art show. Come here to see surprise drops and collaborations by high-end and up and coming shoe and fashion companies.

When: No set date yet, but it usually takes place in November

Where: Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

Tickets and more info: Last year tickets were $115-$625 at complexcon.com.

Lawsuits? Lithium? Legislation? These climate stories shaped Southern California in 2023

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 07:00:54 +0000

Southern California got a welcome reprieve from being on the front lines of climate change in 2023, with a wet winter and relatively mild summer buffering us from the deadly wildfires and extreme weather that plagued so much of the warming planet this year.

Our state – along with some local governments, regulators and activists of all stripes – also made big moves over the past 12 months to try and rein in global warming.

Some of those efforts got weakened or killed along the way, though, while the fate of others remains unclear.

As the year winds down, here’s a look back at how five major climate and environment stories shaped Southern California in 2023.

1. Cleaning up dirty industries

California lawmakers passed landmark legislation aimed at reducing emissions from big companies this year, while local regulators pushed policies to clean up warehouse operations, new buildings, commercial kitchens and more.

Most notably, California will become the first state to require companies with annual revenues of more than $1 billion to publicly report how much greenhouse gas they generate thanks to passage of Senate Bill 253. Lawmakers also approved a bill that will require oil companies to take out bonds to pay the full cost of plugging abandoned oil wells. But they shot down legislation that would have given Californians who live near wells and who develop certain health conditions the right to hold oil companies liable.

Efforts to require a buffer between new warehouses and homes failed at the state level. But the South Coast Air Quality Management District started cracking down on local warehouses that aren’t complying with a 2021 rule requiring them to offset emissions caused by truck trips. That rule recently survived a challenge in federal court, while the Environmental Protection Agency is poised to make it federally enforceable.

In August, the air quality district also made Southern California the first region in the country to pass a rule that will require dozens of food manufacturers to begin replacing gas-powered ovens with cleaner electric models.

Some local cities and counties also adopted regulations that take things further. Irvine, for example, recently joined a handful of L.A. County cities in banning gas-powered lawn equipment. The city also passed a rule in the spring requiring most new buildings to be all-electric, though a federal ruling against a similar policy in Berkeley has thrown that policy into question.

2. What water woes?

This time last year, a megadrought that started in the West in the late 1990s had spiked, triggering unprecedented water restrictions throughout Southern California. And forecasters were largely predicting it would get worse in 2023.

Instead, the state experienced record snowpack, while some communities received more rain than they’d seen in years. That wreaked havoc on some San Bernardino Mountain communities, where a bungled government response left some people trapped in their homes for days. But it also caused local lake and reservoir levels to rise dramatically, with no part of California under drought conditions for the past couple months.

While those conditions erased water restrictions, state lawmakers made permanent a rule that says most businesses and public agencies can’t use potable water on ornamental lawns. They’re citing long-term trends that suggest California overall will continue getting hotter and drier.

Such predictions also prompted California regulators to recently give water agencies the green light to recycle wastewater into drinking water.

Meanwhile, California, Nevada and Arizona in May reached a historic agreement to use less water from the overdrafted Colorado River through 2026. But a long-term fix is needed, with states still working on that plan.

3. Young people take action

As they have long been doing around the world, young Southern Californians took a strong stand against climate change in 2023.

Earlier this month, a group of 18 young people – half of whom are local and climate leaders in their own right – sued the EPA for not doing enough to protect them from harmful greenhouse gas emissions. It comes on the heels of a judge in August issuing a landmark ruling in favor of young people who sued Montana over that state’s fossil fuel-favoring laws.

High school- and college-aged folks gathered in Costa Mesa in early fall for the first Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. Students built and showed off sustainable homes, with a team from an alternative school in Salinas taking the top prize.

Some local young people spent the year working as fellows in the growing California Climate Action Corps. And teams of high schoolers from Pasadena and Palmdale qualified to race halfway across the country in September in solar-powered cars they built.

4. Clean energy and transportation projects advance

Thanks largely to record levels of funding from the Biden administration’s infrastructure and inflation reduction acts, 2023 was a good year for renewable energy and transportation projects in Southern California despite a tightening state budget.

The mineral-rich stew surrounding the Salton Sea holds one of the world’s largest lithium deposits, per a federally funded study that was recently released. And three companies made (somewhat delayed) progress this year on efforts to begin extracting that lithium to help build batteries for electric vehicles and more.

Port of Long Beach officials in late spring detailed years-long plans to build the largest facility in the nation designed to assemble offshore wind turbines, with a public meeting set for Jan. 10.

One of the region’s largest energy storage projects recently came online in Stanton thanks to a boost from federal infrastructure funds, with 15,540 batteries now helping to make the state’s evolving grid more stable and flexible.

Several companies advanced local efforts to make flying more sustainable. World Energy is converting a former Paramount petroleum refinery into one of just a few plants worldwide that turns used cooking oil and tallow into cleaner-burning, more climate-friendly jet fuel. And Hawthorne-based Universal Hydrogen is replacing jet engines with powertrains fueled by hydrogen fuel cells.

Speaking of hydrogen, California was selected to receive up to $1.2 billion to become a “green hydrogen hub.” The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are expected to get millions for hydrogen-powered equipment, with funds also targeted at controversial plans to make the Scattergood Power Plant near Playa del Rey runs on blended hydrogen fuel.

After a rocky start to the year filled with investigations and audits, 2023 is ending on an encouraging note for Orange County Power Authority. The agency, which gives residents an option for cleaner electricity, has now earned a vote of confidence from local lawmakers and environmental groups.

It wasn’t all good news on the clean energy front, though. After rules from the California Public Utilities Commission kicked in this April that reduce how much new rooftop solar owners are paid for exporting energy to the grid, industry officials say installations fell off a cliff and layoffs have begun in the state’s previously booming solar sector.

5. Residents fight for protections

Residents of communities across Southern California fought hard this year against projects that they say jeopardize their health and quality of life, with some wins, some losses and some up in the air.

Activists celebrated in Moreno Valley this fall after a court ruled in their favor and blocked a new 396,000-square-foot warehouse project.

Following years of action by residents near the western border of the San Fernando Valley, regulators announced cleanup work is expected to start this spring on the Santa Susana Field Lab, where radioactive pollutants, chemicals and explosives were dumped for decades.

After Jurupa Valley residents protested new hazardous waste being trucked to the city’s notorious Stringfellow Acid Pits, state lawmakers passed a bill limiting what materials can be stored there.

In Orange County, a plan to dig an underwater pit at the bottom of Newport Harbor and bury contaminated soil there is on hold following pushback from residents and environmental groups.

Citing fire and aesthetic concerns, some Riverside County residents have asked the state to reconsider allowing Southern California Edison to install new overhead transmission lines along the Santa Ana River. State regulators will now have to decide whether it’s worth making Edison customers pay to bury the lines, with news expected in early 2024.

4 accused of stealing over $200,000 worth of merchandise in Southern California

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 04:40:15 +0000

Four suspects were arrested in connection with at least 40 burglaries across Southern California.

The suspects were identified as:
-Aaron Kincy, 24, of Los Angeles
-Corey Christopher, 24, of Compton
-Rasheed Reed, 23, of Compton
-Armaun Yerger, 23, of Compton

On July 23, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglary in Temecula. The suspects entered the business and stole several bottles of high-end alcohol.

On Sept. 17, authorities said the same suspects burglarized the same store and stole the same items. The burglars also targeted several businesses in Riverside County and other nearby counties that day.

A few days later on Sept. 24, the suspects allegedly burglarized several pharmacies where the same suspect descriptions were given by victims. The thieves took numerous bottles of medication during the theft, deputies said.

After an extensive, multi-agency investigation, authorities discovered the suspects had stolen over $200,000 worth of high-end alcohol and prescription medication during a variety of thefts. They caused over $50,000 in damage during the burglaries as well, officials said.

Four suspects were arrested in connection with 40 burglaries across Southern California and an estimated theft of $200,000 worth of high-end alcohol and prescription medication. (Riverside County Sheriff's Department)

The suspects are allegedly associated with a Los Angeles-based gang and were selling the stolen items for profit.

On Dec. 21, several search warrants were served at residences in the 100 block of 91st Street in Los Angeles, the 4000 block of Nicolet Avenue in Los Angeles, and the 13000 block of South Largo Avenue in Compton.

During the search, deputies found evidence connecting all suspects to the string of burglaries, including clothing, several bottles of stolen prescription medication, and high-end alcohol. Six firearms were found during the bust which included ghost guns and a firearm with an altered serial number.

Along with the four suspects, an additional person, 20-year-old Kamron Williams, was also arrested for violating probation.

Kincy and Christopher were booked on several counts of organized retail theft, grand theft, burglary and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

Kincy is being held on $1 million bail and Christopher is being held on $500,000 bail.

Reed and Yerger were already in custody at the time and additional warrants were issued for their involvement in this case.

No further details were released as the investigation remains ongoing.

“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has zero tolerance for these offenses,” deputies said. “We will continue to work proactively with our allied agencies, loss prevention partners, and the District Attorney’s Office to combat organized retail crime.”

Anyone with additional information about the case can call Investigator Jeffrey Andrews of the Southwest Station’s Robbery/Burglary Suppression Team at 951-696–3000.

Riverside man dressed as clown arrested for armed robberies

Sat, 16 Dec 2023 05:59:20 +0000

A man dressed as a clown was arrested in connection with a series of armed robberies targeting convenience stores in Riverside.

The suspect was identified as Jesse James Swanson, 23, by the Riverside Police Department.

On Aug. 26 at around 4 a.m., Swanson robbed a Circle K store on the 1600 block of Main Street.

He was wearing a clown mask and armed with a handgun during the incident, police said.

A week later on Sept. 2, Swanson entered the same Circle K store and robbed the employees at gunpoint, authorities said.

Jesse James Swanson, 23, in photos from the Riverside Police Department.
Suspected getaway driver, Daniel William Clark, 56, in a photo from the Riverside Police Department.
Jesse James Swanson, 23, in photos from the Riverside Police Department.

Five days later, he targeted a 7-Eleven store on the 1100 block of West La Cadena Drive, according to police. It's unclear how much money the suspect escaped with or the type of merchandise he may have taken.

An accomplice who drove a getaway car during the robberies was identified as Daniel William Clark, 56.

Clark was arrested on Nov. 15 and booked on charges of conspiracy, weapons violations, and robbery. Detectives also discovered a firearm during Clark’s arrest.

On Dec. 13, Swanson was located and taken into custody. He was arrested on charges of armed robbery, weapons violations, and possession of stolen property. He is being held on $100,000 bail.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information can contact Detective William McGuigan at 951-353-7103 or WMcGuigan@RiversideCA.gov.

Anonymous tips can be emailed to RPDTips@RiversideCA.gov.

Local Doctor Shares Health Tips Following Influenza Death

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 04:06:05 +0000

Flu season has arrived.

Compared to the past few years, it came much earlier and is affecting more people.

And, there’s a reason.

“What we’re seeing now is what I like to refer to as catch up viruses,” Eisenhower Health Tennity Emergency Department Medical Director Euthym Kontaxis explained. “People that were isolated and were not exposed to anything, young people particularly, they’ll catch it this year or last year, because they’ve been isolated. Now they’re getting exposed and they’re getting a double dose you might say of a viral exposure…You might be getting three or four this year that you might not have gotten in 2021.”

This year, the flu season started to pick up in October before many people decided to get their flu shots.

But, it’s not too late.

“You can get your flu shot all the way up till February, March,” Dr. Kontaxis said. “If you are someone who might be at risk or are somebody who is able to take the flu shot, and most people are, you should get it.”

Riverside County reported its first influenza death Tuesday.

A Coachella Valley child under the age of 5 died after contracting influenza A and reportedly didn’t have any underlying health conditions.

This raised concerns for many about this flu season, but health experts say dying from the flu is extremely rare.

“Just remember that when you hear about these isolated incidences of death or some severity, they aren’t common and that’s why they’re news,” Dr. Kontaxis continued. “Don’t panic or get anxious and make it the basis for all your decision making.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, influenza doesn’t fall in the top ten leading causes of death in California which includes heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

So as the flu season is well underway, one way to prepare is to be aware.

“Shaking, chills, sore throat, cold congestion, wheezing later on and high fever at the beginning. You feel miserable, Dr Kontaxis said. “Most people do just fine with it and it’s a reassuring thing that we need to tell people.”

Dr. Kontaxis went on to say Tylenol and Advil are the best over-the-counter medications to take for the flu.

He wanted to remind parents that any child under the age of 16 should not take Aspirin as it can result in a devastating illness called Reye’s syndrome.

Experts say the only time a visit to the emergency room would be necessary is if you have underlying health conditions and feel symptoms like shortness of breath, weakness and dehydration.

The best ways to avoid the flu is by taking care of yourself and washing your hands frequently.

Procession honors Southern California Air Force major killed in Osprey crash

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Loved ones gathered for a final salute to an Air Force major killed in an Osprey crash in Japan.

The Nov. 29 airplane crash killed eight service members in Yakushima Island, including U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, a Southern California native.

A procession to honor Unrath took place Wednesday from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside.

A flag-draped casket was unloaded from an aircraft and placed into a hearse as a long line of servicemembers stood at attention.

Community members and residents were also seen lining the streets in solidarity.

“They need all the support we can give them right now.,” said Sue Holley, a Riverside resident. “He deserves all the respect I can give him and just by standing here is my way of giving my respect to the man.”

U.S. Air Force Major Luke Unrath, 34, was one of eight U.S. military service members killed in an Osprey crash on Nov. 29, 2023. (Unrath Family)
U.S. Air Force Major Luke Unrath, 34, was one of eight U.S. military service members killed in an Osprey crash on Nov. 29, 2023. (Unrath Family)
A procession to honor Luke Unrath took place on Dec. 13, 2023 from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside. (KTLA)
A procession to honor Luke Unrath took place on Dec. 13, 2023 from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside. (KTLA)
The eight eight U.S. military service members killed in an Osprey crash on Nov. 29, 2023. (U.S. Air Force)
In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, Aviation Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Nicholas Hawkins, signals an MV-22 Osprey to land on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on May 17, 2019. When the U.S. military took the extraordinary step of grounding its fleet of V-22 Ospreys this week, it wasn't reacting just to the recent deadly crash of the aircraft off the coast of Japan. The aircraft has had a long list of problems in its short history. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley/U.S. Navy via AP)
In this photo provided by Japan Coast Guard, debris believed to be from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft is seen off the coast of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. A crew member who was recovered from the ocean after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying six people crashed Wednesday off southern Japan has been pronounced dead, coast guard officials said. (Japan Coast Guard via AP)
A procession to honor Luke Unrath took place on Dec. 13, 2023 from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside. (KTLA)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 photo, a Japanese Self-Defense Force photographer runs by a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft during the Japan-U.S. bilateral military exercise called "Forrest Light" at Aibano training site in Shiga prefecture, western Japan. U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircrafts participated in a Japan-U.S. bilateral military exercise for the first time in Japan Wednesday, aiming to ease long standing anger over the heavy presence of American troops on Okinawa. (AP Photo/Koji Ueda)

Unrath was among eight airmen who died when their U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed during a routine training mission. After an extensive search, the bodies of seven crew members were recovered by divers from the sunken wreckage so far.

Unrath was a CV-22 pilot and a flight commander based at Japan’s Yokota Air Base. He began active duty in 2014 and was assigned to the 21st Special Operat

Child is First Flu-Related Death in the Valley

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 03:20:50 +0000

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – Officials say the child was under the age of 5 and tested positive for Influenza A.

They also report the child did not have any underlying health conditions.

It’s the first flu death reported in the valley this season.

County health officials are urging all residents 6 months and older to take protective measures against the flu including vaccination, hand washing and watching for commonly known symptoms.

Kaiser Permanente Collect Over 1,200 Holiday Gifts For 11th Annual Holiday Toy Drive

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:11:44 +0000

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians across Riverside County collected over 1,200 holiday gifts for kids and teens for their annual holiday toy drive.

The toys were distributed by a community partners, Think Together, a nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs.

Toys were distributed to several schools across the county, including our local Julius Corsini Elementary School in Desert Hot Springs.

Suspects arrested for stealing over $3,000 worth of sneakers in Corona

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 02:50:10 +0000

Four suspects were arrested after allegedly stealing over $3,000 worth of sneakers from a Corona shoe store.

The male suspects were identified as James Sanders, 42, Miracle Partee, 22, and two juveniles — a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, according to the Corona Police Department.

On Dec. 2, the group of thieves entered a WSS Shoe Store on the 1100 block of West Sixth Street at around 12:55 p.m.

The suspects entered the shop and began grabbing pricey sneakers and valuable shoes, police said.

The group left the store with around $3,000 worth of merchandise and fled the scene in a getaway car.

Officers eventually spotted the suspects’ vehicle on the westbound lanes of the 91 Freeway near Valley View Drive in La Mirada.

Four suspects were arrested after stealing over $3,000 worth of shoes from a WSS shoe store on Dec. 2, 2023. (Corona Police Department)
A WSS shoe store on the 1100 block of West Sixth Street in Corona, California. (Google Earth)

The four suspects were eventually stopped and taken into custody. The stolen shoes were recovered during the arrest and returned to WSS.

Photos from the arrest show several large bags filled with boxes of stolen sneakers. One of the stolen items includes Nike Jordan Jumpman MVP sneakers worth a retail price of around $165.

All suspects were charged with grand theft, authorities said.

“We would like to thank our partners from the numerous Orange County agencies who assisted with this incident,” said Corona police.

Christmas decoration thieves caught on video

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 01:11:17 +0000

As Southern Californians prepare for the holiday season, Christmas Grinches targeting Riverside County homes remain at large.

On Dec. 1 at around 4:30 a.m., Alexandra Falcon’s surveillance video caught at least two suspects trespassing on her property on Calle Vejar in Moreno Valley.

“A group of guys were on my lawn and on my neighbor's as well and they had unplugged from the extension chord on two of our inflatables,” Falcon said.

The woman’s security cameras captured at least two people stealing large, pricey Christmas decorations from the homes on her street.

“We had a singular reindeer, like a Rudolph reindeer, and then we had a Santa,” Falcon said.

Video from Falcon and her neighbor across the street shows a man approaching Falcon's home, then walking away. Minutes later, he returns to grab the holiday inflatables from her front lawn and calmly walks away.

Surveillance video captures two thieves stealing large, pricey Christmas decorations from a Moreno Valley neighborhood on Dec. 1, 2023. (Alexandra Falcon)
Surveillance video captures two thieves stealing large, pricey Christmas decorations from a Moreno Valley neighborhood on Dec. 1, 2023. (Alexandra Falcon)
Surveillance video captures two thieves stealing large, pricey Christmas decorations from a Moreno Valley neighborhood on Dec. 1, 2023. (Ashley Weaver)
Residents in a Moreno Valley neighborhood are upset after thieves stole large, pricey Christmas decorations from their front lawns on Dec. 1, 2023. (KTLA)
Surveillance video captures two thieves stealing large, pricey Christmas decorations from a Moreno Valley neighborhood on Dec. 1, 2023. (Ashley Weaver)

“I was shocked,” Falcon said. “I was like, ‘This can’t be real.’”

Her next-door neighbor’s surveillance video shows the two suspects walking away while their hands are filled with stolen decorations.

Another neighbor who was also victimized said the theft, especially during the holidays, is upsetting.

“It hurts,” said Ashley Weaver, whose decorations were stolen. “It’s sad.”

Weaver's family is new to the neighborhood and has only lived on the street for five months.

“We love Christmas and having a kid makes it even better,” Weaver said.

She said decorating for the holiday season with her 10-month-old son was a special time. She invested in a giant LED inflatable of Santa and a reindeer.

After the thieves stole her inflatable, Weaver decided to remove another large decoration she had — an 8-foot holiday lamp post — into her garage for safety.

“It just sucks,” she said. “Buy your own stuff. Let people have their Christmas and show their Christmas spirit in their own way.”

Neighbors on the street remain concerned and angry at the targeted theft.

“People work hard for these things,” Weaver said. “They’re not cheap.”

For Falcon, she has since purchased a new lawn decoration and said she refuses to let the thieves take the fun out of her holiday festivities.

“We’re going to get past this,” Falcon said. “We’re going to put up another one.”

The victims said they've been monitoring resale sites to see if the suspects will attempt to sell the stolen decorations.

COVID fraudster stole $2.8M, gets 3.5 years in prison

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 18:04:18 +0000

A Riverside County woman was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for scamming more than $2.8 million in fraudulent unemployment benefits.

Sasha Lizette Jimenez, 26, was sentenced to 41 months in prison and will have to pay $2.3 million in restitution, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release.

She pleaded guilty in May to a count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud after she "admitted that she fraudulently obtained UI benefits from the EDD, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits intended for individuals who were unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic," the release said.

Jimenez and her confederates stole identities from people who were dead, lived outside California or were otherwise ineligible for those benefits.

While $2.8 million was issued to these fake beneficiaries, Jimenez withdrew about $2.3 million, resulting in the restitution amount she must repay, prosecutors said.

Jimenez also participated in a separate check fraud scam with her boyfriend, 26-year-old Meshach Samuels, though he also joined her in the unemployment fraud. He was sentenced in October to 90 months in federal prison.

Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Riverside County Observes Giving Tuesday

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:02:39 +0000

Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season today! The community embraces this day for year-end giving, to support many different nonprofits helping those in need around the community and the world. There are an abundance of local organizations that need support. The Coachella Valley Cat Club, the Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Center and many others are embracing the help of Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday is observed annually on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and serves as a reminder of the positive impact made by giving back to those in need.

Riverside County community residents are encouraged to find a cause that is meaningful, and the website https://www.givingtuesday.org/ has a list of organizations looking for help.

For more information on how to donate to the Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Center, click the link below. https://pegasusridingacademy.org/

Average Riverside County Gas Price Falls 1 Cent

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 19:50:23 +0000

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped 1 cent to $4.982, its 46th decrease in the last 47 days.

The average price is 7.4 cents less than one week ago, 65.8 cents lower than one month ago and 36.8 cents cheaper than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has dropped $1.391 since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price dropped for the 48th consecutive day, falling eight-tenths of a cent to $3.345. It is 6 cents less than one week ago, 25.6 cents lower than one month ago and 41.4 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped $1.671 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.

“GasBuddy counts 11 states where average prices are below $3 per gallon, with several more to join this week,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations.

Riverside County Gas Prices Still Falling

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:29:50 +0000

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped six-tenths of a cent Tuesday to $4.992, its 45th decrease in the last 46 days.

The average price is 8.3 cents less than one week ago, 65.9 cents lower than one month ago and 36.8 cents cheaper than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has dropped $1.381 since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price dropped for the 47th consecutive day, falling 1.2 cents to $3.353. It is 5.5 cents less than one week ago, 25.6 cents lower than one month ago and 42 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped $1.663 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.

“Even in California, the nation’s most expensive gasoline average will fall below $5 in the next 48 hours. Gasoline demand has struggled in recent weeks, falling not only due to the seasonal nature, as Americans drive less as the weather gets colder, but it appears there may be some economic headwinds entering the equation as well.”

Riverside County Gas Prices Inch Up, Breaking Long Streak of Decreases

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 19:58:12 +0000

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County inched up one-tenth of a cent Sunday to $5.006, breaking a streak of 43 consecutive increases.

The average price dropped $1.146 during the streak, including 1.6 cents Saturday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The streak followed a run of 22 increases in 24 days totaling 86.6 cents, and was the longest since a 48-day streak from July 5-Aug. 21, 2022, totaling 97.3 cents.

The average price is 8.7 cents less than one week ago, 71.5 cents lower than one month ago and 36.3 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped $1.367 since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price dropped for the 45th consecutive day and the 53rd time in the last 55 days, falling seven-tenths of a cent to $3.369. It has dropped 51.2 cents over the past 55 days, including 1.4 cents Saturday.

The national average price is 5.2 cents less than one week ago, 27.7 cents lower than one month ago and 41.4 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped $1.647 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.

“We still need to cast a wary eye on global events, which may roil the oil market and spike prices,” said Andrew Gross, an AAA national public relations manager. “But domestic gas prices are amid their usual seasonal swoon. Pump prices have fallen or remained flat every day since September 19.”

Average Riverside County Gas Price Drops To Lowest Amount Since Aug. 3

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 20:36:21 +0000

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped Friday for the 42nd consecutive day, decreasing 2.2 cents to $5.021, its lowest amount since Aug. 3.

The average price has dropped $1.13 over the past 42 days, including 1.3 cents Thursday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The streak follows a run of 22 increases in 24 days totaling 86.6 cents.

The streak of decreases is the longest since a 48-day streak from July 5-Aug. 21, 2022, totaling 97.3 cents.

The average price is 10.6 cents less than one week ago, 76.8 cents lower than one month ago and 36 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped $1.352 since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.

“Gas prices are still about 60 cents more per gallon than the lowest 2023 prices at the start of this year,” said Doug Shupe, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s corporate communications manager.

“Many drivers should be able to find gas stations near them with prices near or under $4.50 a gallon.”

The national average price dropped for the 43rd consecutive day and 51st time in 53 days, falling 1.1 cents to $3.39. It has dropped 49.1 cents over the past 53 days, including four-tenths of a cent Thursday.

The national average price is 4.8 cents less than one week ago, 29.2 cents lower than one month ago and 41.3 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped $1.626 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.

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