Heated battle in Maine's same-sex marriage vote Oct 29, 2009
Gonzalez, a 22-year-old resident of Riverside County, raised $200 to travel from California to Maine for a "volunteer vacation" campaigning against the measure. Gonzalez is encouraged by the attitude in the Lewiston-Auburn area, known locally as L-A, compared with what he saw a year ago in Los Angeles, where voters strongly favored Proposition 8, the California measure that defined marriage as between a man and a women and outlawed same-sex marriage. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Delta water plan emerges for public to view Oct 28, 2009
"There are few, but also very significant, issues that need to be addressed before this is anything that anybody would bless as a deal," said Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta (Riverside County). Republican support is critical for the two-thirds vote to put a bond on the ballot to pay for the overhaul, which could include dam construction as well. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Stephens: High school football Oct 27, 2009
Poulos, a former head coach at Concord and assistant at Ygnacio Valley-Concord, Acalanes-Lafayette and the last five seasons at Southern Section power Vista Murrieta (Riverside County), has injected the spread option and evidently some pride into this once-powerhouse program. Sequoia, which boasts 1967 Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban as an alum, was 1-9 last year and 16-33-1 the previous five. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Are arson-related heart attacks murder? DA says yes Oct 26, 2009
Earlier this year, prosecutors in neighboring Riverside County won a death penalty conviction against Raymond Lee Oyler, an auto mechanic who set the 2006 Esperanza wildfire that killed five federal firefighters. Oyler is believed to be the first person in the U.S. to be convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in a wildland arson case. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Horse neglect - 29 seized Oct 25, 2009
On June 2, Riverside County Animal Control officers seized all of the Limonite Riding Stables' 29 horses on allegations of animal cruelty ... The sentencing of a Mira Loma woman who pleaded guilty to mistreating horses at her riding stable was postponed Friday after Riverside County Department of Animal Services officials requested $197,000 in restitution ... Caron faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison, but she likely will receive probation, a spokesman for the Riverside County... (Pet-Abuse.com)
Man Pleads Not Guilty In Crash That Killed Marine Oct 23, 2009
Judge Marshall Hockett set bail at $500,000 for Tinoco, a resident of Quail Valley in Riverside County. The following are comments from our users. (TheSanDiegoChannel.com, CA)
SC man drives 80 miles to give explosives to cops Oct 23, 2009
Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez says a hospital contacted authorities late Wednesday to report a patient with a hand injury. Authorities responded to the hospital and investigated the home of 23-year-old Benjamin Kuzelka in Lake Elsinore. (Fresno Bee)
Murder, Arson Charges in 2003 Calif. Fire Oct 21, 2009
Four months ago, a Riverside County man was sentenced to death for setting an October 2006 wildfire that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters who were trying to defend a remote home in the San Jacinto Mountains as Santa Anas whipped up a firestorm. In that case, Raymond Lee Oyler, 38, was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder. (CBS News)
State GOP tries to steal Dems' fire over water Oct 20, 2009
Protecting the smelt," Schwarzenegger told the party faithful at last month's state GOP convention in Riverside County. "Where are our federal judges protecting the farmers. I say to the federal government: Turn on the pumps. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Trademark dispute Monster trying to stomp out craft beer Oct 19, 2009
Based in Corona (Riverside County), Hansen sold over $1 billion worth of Monster drinks last year. The products carry a distinctive three-line logo designed to look like a claw mark. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Authorities search for missing 11-year-old girl Oct 16, 2009
-- Riverside County sheriff's investigators are asking for the public's help in locating an 11-year-old girl who went missing from her Lake Elsinore middle school the day before her birthday. Sheriff's officials say Jacqueline Loraine Miller attended classes Wednesday morning at Lakeland Village Middle School. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Calif. man who held woman in casket convicted Oct 11, 2009
A Riverside County jury convicted Mark Herbert Warren on Friday on charges of kidnapping for ransom, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon in the 2007 attack. Prosecutors say the 50-year-old Warren attacked the woman with a stun gun at her Riverside home, handcuffed her, covered her head with a hood and placed her into a casket-like box inside his van. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Man blows hand off at day care center Oct 9, 2009
Benjamin Kuzelka, 23, remained hospitalized and his mother and brother were arrested and jailed, Riverside County authorities said. Authorities went to the home after a hospital reported late Wednesday that Kuzelka had walked in and said he had shot himself in the hand, but the wound was inconsistent with that type of injury, sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said. (MSNBC -- Crime)
Calif. Family Accused of Making Bombs at Pot Farm Oct 9, 2009
The home is on a cul-de-sac in a remote area of Riverside County about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles ... Riverside County court records show Benjamin Kuzelka has a string of convictions for drunken driving and drug possession dating back several years. (Fox News)
El Centro’s Jon Edney withdraws from state Assembly bid Oct 3, 2009
Also, he said it didn t appear as though his candidacy was a priority for either the state or Riverside County Republican parties ... We were very disappointed to hear that councilman Edney dropped his bid to represent the people of the 80th Assembly in the state Legislature, Kenneth Minesigner, chairman of the Republican Party of Riverside County, said. (El Centro Imperial Valley Press, CA)
Cops: Unsolved 1981 Triple Murder in Calif. Was Hit Job Oct 3, 2009
The reservation is located near Indio, in a rural area of Riverside County about 130 miles southeast of Los Angeles ... The arrest warrant for Hughes was issued in August by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department after a joint investigation with the state attorney general's office, said Evan Westrup, a spokesman for the state attorney general ... The state is taking the lead in prosecuting the case because Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco is a distant cousin of Hughes. (Fox News)
DA related to suspect, abstains from murder case Oct 2, 2009
The state attorney general will prosecute a ministry director accused in a 1981 triple murder because the Riverside County district attorney is a distant cousin of the defendant. Spokesman John Hall said Thursday that District Attorney Rod Pacheco is a second cousin to James "Jimmy" Hughes, who was arrested Saturday in Miami on an outstanding fugitive warrant. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
First-time home buyer tax credit set to expire Sep 30, 2009
Ken Calvert, R-Corona (Riverside County), mirrors a bill sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
California GOP sees hope on the horizon Sep 30, 2009
(09-28) 04:00 PDT Indian Wells, Riverside County -- California Republicans begin the 2010 campaign season with something many considered unthinkable just a few months ago - hope that they can win a major statewide race ... "He'll be less relevant next year," said Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert (Riverside County). (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
Electric cars could create 400 jobs Sep 26, 2009
CT&T will establish facilities that will manufacture as well as market, sell and repair the cars in other areas of the country, beginning with Greenville, S.C., and Riverside County, Calif. "Seven or eight" sites throughout the area are being considered, said Dennis M. Davin, director of Allegheny County Economic Development. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
GOP to assess governor hopefuls at convention Sep 24, 2009
Instead, expect them to pitch their plans to fix California's economy with ideas that are heavy on tax cuts and scaled-back government regulation, ideas that will find much love at the convention in Indian Wells (Riverside County. . (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
Winds, heat stoke Southern California wildfire Sep 24, 2009
Elsewhere in California, a fire that burned close to homes in the Riverside County city of Norco was just a black scar on the land by Wednesday morning, with no smoke or flames apparent. Meanwhile, the hot, dry and windy weather increased fire activity northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains, where remnants of a month-old, 251-square-mile wildfire are still smoldering. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
More Valley crews fighting SoCal fire Sep 24, 2009
Local crews are also helping fight a 150-acre fire threatening about 30 structures in Riverside County, Christopherson said. Crews battle fire north of Millerton Lake. (Fresno Bee)
* California wildfire rages on, burning thousands of hectares in Ventura hills Sep 24, 2009
A blaze that ignited in Riverside County, 65km east of Los Angeles, burned 65 hectares. It was about 60 percent contained and no homes had been lost. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
New Wildfire Erupts In Windy SoCal Sep 23, 2009
Another fire broke out in hills above homes in the Riverside County city of Norco, 40 miles east of Los Angeles. The city of about 26,000 is set in rolling terrain with hundreds of acres of parkland and horse trails. (KSBW 8, CA)
New al-Qaeda video predicts Obama fall Sep 23, 2009
The message also featured several appearances of Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki, an American who grew up in Riverside County and converted to Islam and joined al-Qaeda. He was charged with treason in 2006 and there is a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. (Florida Today)
State of emergency declared in wildfire Sep 23, 2009
Second fire in Riverside County expected to be contained by Wednesday morning ... A second fire, in Riverside County, was expected to be contained by Wednesday morning, said Capt. Mitch Wesche of the Riverside Fire Department ... Riverside County is southeast of Ventura County. (CNN)
New wildfires erupt in windy Southern California Sep 23, 2009
Another fire broke out in Riverside County, 40 miles east of Los Angeles, and burned from the city of Riverside into the city of Norco and toward adjacent Corona before nearing containment at 120 to 150 acres, said Norco Fire Chief Jack Frye. Flames burned near homes, but none were lost despite gusts of up to 45 mph, he said. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
Woman killed in Riverside County hit-run Sep 22, 2009
-- Police in Perris have arrested a driver suspected in a deadly hit-and-run in Riverside County. Police say Ignacio Villasenor, 25, of Menifee was taken into custody Monday for investigation of felony hit-and-run. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Fire danger up as California turns windy, dry Sep 22, 2009
Firefighters quickly stopped the spread of a wildfire that broke out in Riverside County on Saturday, but not before it destroyed 12 structures and forced the evacuation of about 30 homes ... Eighty miles southeast of Los Angeles, a 340-acre fire that destroyed eight homes in the Vail Lake area of Riverside County during the weekend was fully contained. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Residents evacuated by Ore. fire begin going home Sep 22, 2009
Authorities say they have stopped the progress of a wildfire in Riverside County but not before it destroyed 12 structures and forced the evacuation of about 30 homes ... Authorities say they have stopped the progress of a wildfire in Riverside County but not before it destroyed 12 structures and forced the evacuation of about 30 homes ... Riverside County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the 340 acre-fire is 50 percent contained and should be surrounded by Sunday evening. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Fire crews battling blaze outside of Geyserville Sep 22, 2009
Riverside County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the blaze that consumed 340 acres east of Temecula near Vail Lake was surrounded on Sunday night. Herrera says residents have been allowed to return to the approximately 30 homes near Highway 79 that were evacuated Saturday afternoon when the fire broke out. (Fresno Bee -- State)
SoCal wildfire contained after burning 8 homes Sep 21, 2009
Riverside County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the blaze that consumed 340 acres east of Temecula near Vail Lake was surrounded on Sunday night ... Riverside County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the blaze that consumed. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Authorities Mopping up at Southern Calif. Wildfire Sep 21, 2009
Riverside County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the 340 acre-fire is 50 percent contained and should be surrounded by Sunday evening. The wildfire broke out shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday in the Cleveland National Forest near Temecula. (Newsmax)
Suspect killed, deputy wounded in Compton gunfight Sep 21, 2009
Sheriff's deputies have arrested nine people in an alleged kidnapping-for-ransom of a 20-year-old man from his mother's Riverside County home. Investigator John Negrete said Wednesday that four suspects broke into the Eastvale home on July 1, tied up the man and his mother and stole a large amount of cash. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Homes Evacuated as Wildfire Burns in Southern California Sep 20, 2009
Authorities say a wildfire has burned at least two structures and 200 acres of brush in Riverside County near Vail Lake, and about 30 rural homes have been evacuated. County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the fire started at about 4 p.m. Saturday in the Cleveland National Forest in the Temecula area, where the temperature is in the mid-90s. (Fox News)
Skydiver Killed, Another Injured After Parachutes Collide Sep 19, 2009
Authorities say a skydiver has been killed and another suffered minor injuries after their parachutes collided during a jump in Riverside County. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says one parachute lost its lift after being hit by the other Friday afternoon near Lake Elsinore. (Fox News)
Skydiver falls to death, another hurt in Calif. Sep 19, 2009
Skydiver killed in Riverside County. Authorities say a skydiver has been killed and another suffered minor injuries after their parachutes collided during a jump in Riverside County ... -- Authorities say a skydiver has been killed and another suffered minor injuries after their parachutes collided during a jump in Riverside County. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Stater Bros. Announces America's Largest Supermarket Chain Sponsored Event Sep 18, 2009
was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, California, and has grown steadily through the years to become the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County, with annual sales in 2008 of $3. 74 billion. (PR Newswire)
Legislature passes watered-down prison plan Sep 13, 2009
Senate GOP leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta (Riverside County) criticized the plan for containing "conservation methods that won't work and a bond package that gives ephemeral promises of water storage while including the wish lists of some of the most extreme environmentalists.". While the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund expressed support, the Sierra Club took a hard-line position against it. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Capitol Sex Scandal Sep 12, 2009
Miller was elected to the Assembly in 2008 to represent the 71st Assembly District, which takes in much of western Riverside County and the eastern edge of Orange County. Copyright 2009 by and. (KCRA 3, CA)
Man nabbed after trying to 'scare' lesson into cat Sep 11, 2009
A man has admitted letting hundreds of feral dogs and cats roam his Riverside County property and kill each other. Elisao Jimenez of Temecula entered the plea to three counts of animal cruelty on Wednesday. (Fresno Bee)
Assemblyman quits after scandal Sep 10, 2009
Duvall made the comments to Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona (Riverside County), also a member of the Assembly Ethics Committee. Miller said he "really wasn't paying attention" to what Duvall was saying and did not alert the Ethics Committee about it. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Fresno tries to stamp out pot dispensaries Sep 5, 2009
But he sent clear signals Wednesday that he was leaning toward granting the city's request for an injunction, based on a recent appellate ruling in another medical marijuana case in Riverside County. "The conclusion looks virtually inescapable at this point that the operation of a medical marijuana dispensary in violation of the zoning ordinance is something that this court would be required to enjoin," the judge said. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Wildfire Was Arson Sep 5, 2009
Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Michael Hestrin, who has prosecuted wildfire arson cases, said it depends what kind of evidence investigators gather in the current fire to make a decision to file murder charges. "An arsonist could be responsible for all the consequences that his act set in motion," Hestrin said. (Fox News)
Jobless Benefits to Expire for 1.3 Million Sep 4, 2009
Trying to maintain a good attitude is key, said Mike Allen of Riverside County, Calif. who received about 13 weeks of unemployment benefits earlier in the year. (CBS News)
Editorial: Get it straight, Schwarzenegger Sep 4, 2009
During a March 2007 tour of a state prison in Riverside County, Schwarzenegger welcomed the threat of a court-imposed prison population cap: "I like the idea of a federal judge threatening us, because this is the only way that in our Capitol there will be action created.". Just two weeks ago, after touring the Chino prison where a major riot occurred, he said: "The reality is that California's entire prison system is in a state of crisis. It's collapsing under its own weight.". (Sacramento Bee -- Opinion)
Credit Extension Offered to State Fund Policyholders Affected by Northern and Southern California Wildfires Sep 3, 2009
The fires are spread from as far north as Siskiyou County to Riverside County in Southern California. By Tuesday, there were seven major fires across the state. (PR Newswire)
Who's to blame for the mortgage crisis? Sep 3, 2009
While the stories of Denzel Mitchell and Patricia McNair made me want to weep, the film's most memorable images stem from the Sisyphean task of Jared Dever, a bright and handsome local official in Riverside County, Calif. whose job is to control the county's mosquito epidemic, largely caused by the fetid, abandoned swimming pools behind foreclosed suburban homes. (Salon)
California fires threaten thousands of homes Sep 2, 2009
In all, nearly 6,000 firefighters were battling seven major wildfires between Siskiyou County and Riverside County on Monday. Dry conditions. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Assembly OKs stripped-down prison bill Sep 2, 2009
Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona (Riverside County), likened the bill to setting "off a nuclear bomb in California.". But Democrats countered by accusing Republican lawmakers of "fear mongering," adding that the bill would not only save money for the cash-strapped state, but allow the prison system to put more focus on violent criminals. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Authorities say shooting of three was self-defense Sep 1, 2009
The Riverside County district attorney's office said Monday that a judge in Murrieta ordered 32-year-old Ronald Douglas McGowan to trial after a preliminary hearing on 12 felony counts, including rape, forcible rape, assault with a deadly wea 00004000 pon and assault causing serious bodily injury ... The Riverside County district attorney's office said Monday that a judge in Murrieta ordered 32-year-old Ronald Douglas McGowan to trial after a preliminary hearing on 12 felony counts, including... (Fresno Bee -- State)
Out of the Shadows Aug 31, 2009
What happened at Bear Stearns or at Goldman Sachs affected the mosquito levels in Riverside County, California (the insects breed with special fecundity in abandoned swimming pools). With a rare cohesive power, the Cockburns fill in the lines of connection. (New Yorker)
San Bernardino County wildfire forces evacuations Aug 31, 2009
Edison announced Tuesday that it's made a deal with Arizona-based First Solar, Inc. to build plants near Desert Center in Riverside County and Stateline in San Bernardino County. When the plants are completed in 2015, they'll provide up to 550 megawatts of electricity. (Fresno Bee -- State)
* California firefighters wage fierce wildfire battles Aug 31, 2009
Southeast of Los Angeles in Riverside County, a 9km2 fire in a rural area of the San Bernardino National Forest was 10 percent contained, Forest Service spokeswoman Norma Bailey said. To the north, in the states coastal midsection, a 24km2 fire threatening Pinnacles National Monument kept 100 homes under evacuation orders near the Monterey County town of Soledad. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Click to read:Wildfire Prompts Thousands of Evacuations Aug 30, 2009
Southeast of Los Angeles in Riverside County, a 3-square-mile fire in a rural area of the San Bernardino National Forest was 10 percent contained. Crews aided by aircraft were working to build a line around the fire, which was burning in steep, rocky terrain in Beeb Canyon, according to Forest Service spokeswoman Norma Bailey. (CBS News)
California firefighters battle fierce wildfires Aug 30, 2009
Southeast of Los Angeles in Riverside County, a 3. 5-square-mile fire in a rural area of the San Bernardino National Forest was 10 percent contained. (Boston Globe)
More than 1,500 ordered to flee Calif. wildfires Aug 29, 2009
To the west, in the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside County, another fire had blackened about 1 1/2square miles by Thursday evening and prompted authorities to issue a voluntary evacuation of 12 homes in the area near Hemet, said Forest Service fire spokeswoman Anabele Cornejo. She said about five people had left and that the fire was 5 percent contained. (AZCentral -- News)
Report: Faulty fire investigation led to execution Aug 27, 2009
Hillman fled his home during the execution of a search warrant more than two weeks ago and has been a fugitive ever since, Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco said ... Hillman fled his home during the execution of a search warrant more than two weeks ago and has been a fugitive ever since, Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco said. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Ex-funeral home owner charged in scam Aug 27, 2009
Wyskiver was released from Riverside County jail April 13 and her next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, court and jail records show. Investigators ask that anyone who thinks they may be victims of the alleged scam call the state Department of Insurance at 909-919-2200. (FOX 11, AZ)
Man with severed tongue faces rape trial Aug 26, 2009
The Riverside County district attorney's office said Monday that a judge in Murrieta ordered 32-year-old Ronald Douglas McGowan to trial after a preliminary hearing on 12 felony counts, including rape, forcible rape, assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury. Prosecutors said one of the victims bit off part of McGowan's tongue in self-defense during a June 5 rape at her apartment. (MSNBC -- Crime)
California property values drop for first time since 1933 Aug 26, 2009
The assessed valuation in the other nine counties declined: Riverside County (-10. 5 percent), followed by Sacramento (-7. (San Jose Business Journal, CA)
Rising frustrations over slow mortgage relief Aug 21, 2009
Since then, hes never missed a payment on the three-bedroom home in Riverside County, Calif. he said, though it's lost about half its value since he bought it in 2005 for $418,000. (MSNBC -- Business)
State senate backs inmate-reduction plan Aug 21, 2009
"You have the gall to put a felon on there?" Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta (Riverside County) asked Democrats during the spirited and contentious debate. Close vote. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
11-foot python unexpected guest for Calif. family Aug 20, 2009
Riverside County family gets unexpected guest as 11-foot Burmese python slithers into yard. Associated Press Last updated: 1:15 p.m., Tuesday, August 18, 2009. (Albany Times Union)
