San Bernardino Press_1/20/2025 by Beacon Media News

San Bernardino County board receives public survey on housing policy from residents

By Staff

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday held a public hearing on Tuesday to officially receive a survey to gather input from San Bernardino County residents on how to use federal grant funds for affordable housing.

Every five years the county’sCommunity Development and Housing Department is required to identify affordable housing and community development needs and prioritize projects to address shortfalls. This process establishes goals and specifies exactly how grant funds lead to increased affordable housing options for residents, which reduces homelessness and offers a range of social services to underserved communities over the next five years, officials said.

The hearing took place at the County Government Center in San Bernardino and was also open to residents via videoconference locations in Joshua Tree and Hesperia.

One resident who spoke at the hearing said results of the community survey on housing needs were not on the CDH’s website, and another hearing participant said the county’s outreach efforts in Bloomington could have been more robustly publicized.

“There’s just not enough community outreach to get enough community input,” he said.

Community Development and Housing Director Carrie Harmon gave a presentation on the community survey prior to the public comment portion of the hearing.

“Today’s hearing provided vital feedback from our citizens on affordable housing and community development needs across the county,” Harmon said in a statement. “Their input is important to us and will help shape the 2025 Consolidated Plan.”

Federal grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can be distributed to projects and activities in the unincorporated communities of the county as well as cities that include Adelanto, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Needles, Redlands, Twentynine Palms, Yucaipa and the Town of Yucca Valley, officials said. Chino Hills and Rancho Cucamonga also qualify for HUD funding.

The public hearing concluded the county’s efforts of obtaining citizen and stakeholder feedback to guide the use of federal funds for the Consolidated Plan. Prior efforts included a variety of approaches to achieve meaningful public engagement with residents and other stakeholders, including participation in various public meetings and events throughout the county, as well as the

release of a community-wide survey.

CDH staff attended 26 meetings and events in each region of the county. Events ranged from participating in “municipal advisory council meetings,” Continuum of Care Regional Steering Committee meetings and senior meal distribution programs in Bloomington, Joshua Tree, Crestline and other communities.

“These efforts resulted in the completion of over 1,600 surveys to help inform the development of the Consolidated Plan.

A separate stakeholder and service provider survey was deployed to capture feedback from a variety of stakeholder viewpoints, including fair housing/legal advocacy, housing, affordable housing, real estate and mortgage lending, community development and planning, transportation, education, homelessness, civic organizations,

services for low-income households, people with disabilities, seniors, children, domestic violence victims and others.

“I want to thank our residents and stakeholders for sharing their thoughts with us throughout this process,” Harmon said. “We are committed to enhancing the quality of life in our communities by meeting the county’s affordable housing and community development needs.”

County housing officials will return to the Board of Supervisors in March to present the draft Consolidated Plan and Action Plan for approval.

Last year, the county spent over $16.7 million in HUD grant funding for housing and community services, according to Harmon’s presentation Tuesday.

To view the Jan. 14 public hearing, visit sanbernardino. legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and go to agenda item 77.

Local health officials on Wednesday announced San Bernardino County’s first confirmed case of H5N1 bird flu in a domestic cat.

According to the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, the cat was one of three felines that consumed recalled raw milk from Raw Farm LLC. Two of the cats have died, and the third was hospitalized, treated and has recovered.

The cats’ owner did not test positive for H5N1 bird flu, and currently there are no reported human cases of bird flu in the county, officials said. Also, no person-to-person spread of the virus has been detected in California.

“The cats were not under the care of county services at the time of medical treatment,” according to the health department.

“While the risk of H5N1 bird flu to the general public remains low, this case, found in a cat, serves as a reminder of the importance of avoiding raw milk and ensuring safe practices when handling food and interacting with animals or their environments,” San Bernardino County Health Officer Dr. Sharon Wang said in a statement.

Public Health officials reported that “markers of H5 avian

San Bernardino County officials talk fire preparedness

ABy Staff By Staff

s wildfires devastate communities in Los Angeles County, top officials in San Bernardino County assured the public they are focused on the dangers of strong winds and preparing for the worst.

Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe and San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey had a conversation Tuesday about San Bernardino County’s state of preparedness, concerns being raised by county residents in the wake of the LA fires and what local residents can and should do to mitigate fire danger.

Rowe and Munsey noted the work the county has done with residents to be “fire-ready,” the availability of water in different parts of the county, the help San Bernardino County has provided to LA-area firefighting agencies, technology that significantly reduces response times and other topics, according to a county statement.

The county fire department “is working around the clock to support emergency operations in Los Angeles County,” officials said. “Since the early stages of both the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, San Bernardino County Fire crews have been actively involved in response efforts.”

San Bernardino County firefighting units aiding the effort in LA include three strike team leaders, two strike teams,

San Bernardino County supervisors attend a regular meeting. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County

Man who attacked motorists, bicyclist seeks psychological treatment

By City News Service

Asentencinghearing wassuspended Monday for a 30year-old motorist who perpetrated a series of unexplained attacks on fellow drivers and one bicyclist throughout Palm Springs and is now seeking another psychological evaluation to determine whether he’s eligible for treatment in lieu of prison.

A Riverside jury in March convicted Juaquin Mercer Moraga of Palm Springs of three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, two counts each of misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor vandalism, and one count each of felony vandalism and misdemeanor battery.

During a hearing Monday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, the defense submitted a motion to Riverside County Superior Court Emma Smith seeking an evaluation to determine whether Moraga is eligible for Mental Health Court, to which a defendant can be referred post-conviction, unlike mental health diversion, which requires an assessment ahead of trial proceedings.

The District Attorney’s Office did not object.

“This was an initial referral,” agency spokesman John Hall told City News Service. “This simply gives us a chance to review the case to see if the defendant is even eligible to participate (in Mental Health Court).”

The eligibility hearing is slated for Feb. 10. Moraga,

who underwent psychiatric evaluations in advance of his trial, remains held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

He was arrested in June 2022 following the assault frenzy, which the defense argued occurred while he was in the throes of paranoid delusions.

According to a prosecution trial brief, on the afternoon of June 6, 2022, the defendant engaged in a bizarre string of actions, targeting at least eight people.

The first attack occurred just after 1 p.m. in the area of North Palm Canyon Drive and Vista Chino Road, where 68-year-old David Knowlton and his 66-yearold companion Mollie de la Cruz were heading out of Palm Springs to return to Newport Beach.

Moraga began tailing them, then played the passing game, placing his silver Lexus GS immediately in front of Knowlton’s car, forcing him to go around, prosecutors said. During this back-and-forth, Moraga threw objects at the vehicle, causing minor damage. When the victim pulled over to inspect the damage, the defendant stopped his Lexus in the same place, got out and shouted, “You’re not getting away with this!” the brief said.

Knowlton feared for his and his companion’s lives and attempted to speed away, but Moraga gave chase, pros-

ecutors said. The defendant finally stopped at Overture Drive and threw a metal pipe at the rear of the victim’s car as he headed toward Interstate 10.

The next round of roadway disturbances occurred between 6:40 and 6:52 p.m.

Thomas Gintz, driving his Range Rover SUV southbound on Avenida Caballeros, was passing East Tahquitz Canyon when Moraga, standing on the

shoulder of the road, swung a pole “at the passenger’s side of the Range Rover, causing a dent on the rear passenger door,” according to the brief. When the victim stopped to check the damage, the defendant confronted him, yelling “you’re not man enough” to use a gun, court papers stated. Moraga then accelerated toward Gintz, who had to “jump out of the way” to avoid being struck.

Two minutes later, near Sunrise Way and Tahquitz Canyon, Alex Lee was in his Jeep Gladiator and encountered Moraga going northbound on Sunrise, and when the Jeep approached, the defendant “swerved into him,” causing minor damage below the driver’s side door, according to the prosecution. The victim called police and continued toward home.

Two minutes after that at Sunrise and Ramon Road, Michael Maranhas, driving his convertible BMW with the top down, came across Moraga stopped in the middle of Ramon in his Lexus, forcing the victim to come to a stop. At that point the defendant threw his car into reverse and backed into the BMW twice, prosecutors said.

The victim sat shocked when Moraga jumped out of his Lexus, ran back and hit him in the face, shouting, “Don’t you follow me!” according to the brief.

Roughly three minutes later, a bicyclist, Christopher Hauser, riding in the 1300 block of East Barristo Road, near Palm Springs High School, was going westbound when he spotted Moraga’s Lexus on the opposite side of the corridor. The sedan suddenly accelerated, crossed over the median and came directly at him, going about 60 mph.

“The bicyclist said he had ... (to) jump out of the way to avoid being hit by the

speeding vehicle,” the brief said.

Two minutes later, George Sheer was at a 76 Station on South Palm Canyon Drive, filling up a Toyota Highlander rental vehicle, when he was suddenly accosted by Moraga, who accused the victim of “following me,” court papers said, adding the defendant kicked a dent in a rear side panel on the SUV and sped away.

The final attack occurred in the area Sunny Dunes Road and Ramon. Prosecutors said John Lindstrom was at the wheel of a Volvo when he spotted Moraga “standing in the middle” of South Camino Real. As he passed the defendant’s location, Moraga jumped into his Lexus and started chasing Lindstrom. Using evasive maneuvers, he was able to avoid contact with Moraga.

Police officers stopped the defendant, who had no prior felony convictions, and took him into custody without incident moments later.

According to the defense’s trial brief, psychiatric examinations indicated Moraga was suffering “major depressive disorder,” “cannabis use disorder” and post-traumatic stress disorder at the time.

“The (offenses) occurred when he was having paranoid delusions,” the attorneys wrote. “He thought the victims were attempting to investigate him.”

Felons charged with home invasion in El Cerrito

By City News Service

Apair of convicted felons accused of breaking into an El Cerrito home, pistol-whipping and holding up the occupants, were charged Wednesday with armed robbery and other offenses.

Ricardo Jose Gonzalez, 22, of Riverside, and 40-year-old Megan Alice Schuchman of Corona were arrested Friday following a weeklong Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the home invasion.

Along with robbery, the defendants are both charged with burglary and conspiracy, while Gonzalez alone is charged with firearm assault, being a felon in possession of a loaded gun and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a firearm

during a felony. Schuchman is separately charged with possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were slated to make a joint initial court appearance Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Gonzalez is being held in lieu of $155,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, and his co-defendant is being held on $30,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to sheriff’s Lt. Albert Martinez, the pair forced their way into a house in the 19000 block of Consul Avenue, near Grandview Street, on the afternoon of Jan. 3 and assaulted the two occupants, whose identities

were not disclosed. Gonzalez used his handgun to beat them, inflicting minor injuries, Martinez alleged.

He said after stealing various items, the defendants fled, and the victims immediately called 911. Neither required hospital treatment, the lieutenant said.

Detectives spent the ensuing days working to identify the alleged perpetrators, identifying Gonzalez and Schuchman, culminating in arrest warrants being served on them Friday. Schuchman was taken into custody without incident in Nuevo, and Gonzalez was arrested uneventfully in San Jacinto.

He has documented prior

Juaquin Mercer Moraga. | Photo courtesy of the Palm Springs Police Department/Facebook

convictions for identity theft, gang activity

being a felon with a gun. Schuchman has priors for identity theft, forgery and possession of controlled substances.

| Photos courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

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TLA, OC district attorneys want state prison sentence for looters

he district attorneys for Los Angeles and Orange counties Wednesday are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to convene a special legislative session to enact urgency legislation that would allow state prison sentences for looting during a local emergency.

The proposed legislation was submitted Monday to the state Legislative Council by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

It calls for the punishment for looting to be increased to between two and four years in state prison rather than a sentence as low as 16 months in county jail, and for the creation of a looting enhancement that could add between one to three years for any felony crime committed during a local emergency.

The measure would also designate looting as a serious offense under California’s Three Strikes Law, require suspected looters to go before a judge instead of being allowed to be cited and released, and to make looting ineligible for diversion, which allows defendants to eventually have

By City News Service

their crimes erased from their record under current state law.

It would also create a new looting crime of trespass with intent to commit larceny and allow prosecutors to punish thieves who are sifting through the ashes of burned homes to search for valuables, which is not a currently a crime under state law.

“There is a special place in jail for those who exploit the vulnerable in the wake of deadly fires,” Hochman said in a statement Tuesday. “As hundreds of thousands of families face the unimaginable anguish of fleeing their homes, uncertain whether they’ll ever return, the last thing they should fear is the added trauma of criminals preying on their misfortune.”

Spitzer voiced similar sentiments.

“Criminals are circling like (the) vultures they are to pick through the ashes looking to steal anything of value,” the Orange County district attorney said.

“Current law falls woefully short for punishing these scavengers who are nothing more than grave-

robbers, stealing the last remaining possessions from those who have already lost everything, including their own lives,” he added, noting that he and Hochman are

urging the governor and the state Legislature “to enact this urgency legislation and help hold these criminals accountable for their crimes.”

US Attorney Martin Estrada of Central District resigns

U.S. Attorney Martin Estradaannounced Tuesday that he will resign his position as chief prosecutor for the Central District of California, the nation’smost-populous federal district.

While serving as the top federal law enforcement officer in the Los Angelesbased district since September 2022, Estrada oversaw more than 500 prosecutors and staff who serve almost 20 million people in the seven counties that comprise the district.

Estrada tendered his resignation to President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday, and he concluded his service on Friday.

“As the child of immigrants from Guatemala, neither my family nor I could ever have believed that I would one day have the opportunity to serve as United States Attorney in service to the greatest country in the world,” Estrada

said in a statement. “To say that serving in this position has been an honor would be a profound understatement.

Giving back to the community where I grew up and that

I love so dearly — and doing so alongside such talented and generous attorneys and staff — has been the greatest privilege of my life.”

Details on why Estrada

resigned were not provided.

Among his office’s most significant cases, Estrada obtained a RICO conspiracy conviction and 13-year prison sentence for former Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar; a dozen-year prison sentence for former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan; and a bribery and fraud conviction and a three-and-a- half year prison sentence against longtime politician Mark RidleyThomas.

Estrada also focused on hate crimes, civil rights, violent crime, national security, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, corporate fraud and financial crimes, and environmental justice. He was nominated by Biden in June 2022 and sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California in September 2022.

Estrada received his undergraduate degree from UC Irvine, and his law degree from Stanford Law School.

By City News Service

Authorities displayed these tools and other items allegedly used in an Altadena house burglary. | Images courtesy of Los Angeles and Orange counties

Former U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California

US Justice Department, OCDA reach agreement on informants usage

By City News Service

The U.S. Department of Justice and Orange County District Attorney’s Office have reached an agreement on prosecutors’ use of jailhouse informants following an investigation triggered by the misuse of snitches in the prosecution of the worst mass killer in county history.

The agreement, reached Tuesday, comes two years after the release of a Justice Department report sharply critical of the use of informants by sheriff’s investigators and prosecutors that came out of the case against Scott Dekraai in the Seal Beach hair salon massacre.

Dekraai avoided the death penalty as a result of the misconduct and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty.

The Department of Justice began the investigation into the use of informants Dec. 15, 2016.

The misconduct in the Dekraai case involved placing informants near the defendant to solicit incriminating statements even though he was represented by an attorney, which is illegal.

The agreement comes as a San Diego County Superior Court judge overseeing an evidentiary hearing alleging misconduct in a Sunset Beach murder from 1988 is expected to soon rule whether the case will be thrown out or sanctions will be placed on prosecutors.

The case against Paul Gentile Smith in the 1988 killing of 29-year-old Robert Haugen was reassigned to San Diego County Superior Court Judge Daniel B. Goldstein because the claims of governmental misconduct involve Orange County Superior Court Judge Ebrahim Baytieh when he prosecuted Smith.

The reforms agreed to include more training of investigators and prosecutors regarding the dos and don’ts of using informants as well as creating an easier-to-use database of information for defense attorneys to search.

The agreement also continues a Conviction Integrity Unit that will consider cases involving potentially wrongful convictions or factual innocence and adds a requirement that it include a defense attorney or former judge.

The agreement also continues policies and procedures for the transfer of cases from one prosecutor to another that “require the transferring prosecutor to submit a formal memorandum in qualifying cases detailing case status, disclosures made to the defense, any contemplated use of custodial informants or sources of information at the jails, and any discussions with defense counsel about possible settlement.”

The District Attorney’s Office has also agreed to “complete a comprehensive historical case review to identify and review prior investigations and prosecutions involving custodial informants or sources of information at the jails to determine whether any remedial or corrective action is necessary,” but it is short on details.

The review will include a review of a so-called special handling log, which has been a bonanza of evidence for defense attorneys like Scott Sanders of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, who represented Dekraai, as they challenge convictions stemming from evidence including informants. The analysis will include the years 2015 through 2022. The reforming of organiz-

ing documents and evidence could be a relief to defense attorneys, some of whom have regularly complained in court that they have been given voluminous amounts of evidence that is difficult to search through for relevant information.

The disorganized flow of evidence became a central theme in the Smith evidentiary hearing with Goldstein expressing surprise at how dysfunctional it had gotten.

The District Attorney’s Office will also continue to participate in joint audits with the Sheriff’s Department to “ensure records on (informants) at the jails are complete and consistent across the agencies,” according to the agreement. The audits should be done annually.

There will also be at least one “stakeholder” meeting with the Department of Justice that includes sheriff’s officials, public defenders and private defense attorneys “to

informant manual that strictly governs the use of jailhouse informants, including the provision that a jailhouse informant cannot be used without the express consent of the district attorney.

“Under my direction, OCDA has made a broad series of additional proactive reformative measures to improve OCDA operations, including changes to its management structure, policies, training, supervision and staffing.”

Spitzer said the agreement will “continue advancing our progress toward lasting, positive change. The signing of this agreement marks a significant milestone in resolving the eight-year DOJ investigation into the prior administration’s use of custodial informants through collaboration and cooperation with our federal partners.”

discuss changes to policies, training, and practices related to this agreement.”

District Attorney Todd Spitzer has 45 days to designate someone in the office to make sure the agreement is complied with and the Department of Justice will conduct a “baseline compliance assessment within six months.”

Spitzer said in a statement that he “made it unequivocally clear when I ran for Orange County District Attorney in 2018 that I would not tolerate the ‘win at all costs’ mentality of the prior administration. My prosecutors will not violate the Constitution and the rights of defendants in order to get convictions and the rights of victims as well as defendants will be protected.”

Spitzer noted that the Department of Justice investigation “was ongoing when I was elected District Attorney and upon taking office in January 2019, I began making immediate reforms, including adopting a new jailhouse

Spitzer said he was “incredibly proud of the work that we as a team have done over the last six years to implement the positive, sustained reforms necessary to prevent the sins of the past administration. This work is a clear reflection on our continuing dedication to the just, honest, and ethical administration of the law.

“I am grateful for the partnership of the U.S. Department of Justice and its recognition of our unrelenting proactive approach to addressing these issues and safeguarding against violations of the United States Constitution. The rule of law must be followed without exception. Without it there can be no trust and there can be no justice. Today marks a significant achievement in restoring the public trust.”

Sanders said he had little faith the agreement would achieve any reform.

“My greatest concern about the settlement agree-

ment is that it will create the false impression that the somehow justice has been achieved,” Sanders said. “It has not. Despite the tremendous importance of the DOJ’s 2022 report, which corroborated all of the allegations we presented in People v. Dekraai regarding the systemic violations of defendants’ constitutional rights, there are enormous problems that this resolution does not address.

“The first is that the investigation and litigation by our office since 2022 has revealed that the scope and scale of the misconduct is far greater than what was documented by the Justice Department and in Dekraai.

“Second, if justice is the objective, we are from reaching it. At this moment, there exists no government or privately-funded effort to identify and litigate informant-related misconduct. Without this support, far too many defendants are destined to die in prison without ever learning how their rights were violated. No one should be satisfied with that outcome.”

Defense attorney Joel Garson, who was instrumental in exposing the jailhouse phone scandal in which inmates calls were improperly recorded, said the agreement appears to “have no teeth to it and is not enforceable. ... And there’s a major party missing from that agreement and it’s the sheriff’s department. They can play shenanigans, hiding stuff and using it for other purposes and get it to the District Attorney’s Office surreptitiously.”

Still, Garson noted, Spitzer “has made progress and I like the fact they appear to be transparent, but I can’t really see what this agreement does when either party can cancel it.”

Scott Evans Dekraai. | Photo courtesy of the Seal Beach Police Department

On-location production in 2024 falls short in LA region

By City News Service

While overall film production grew by 6.2% in the fourth quarter of 2024, data showed an overall 5.6% decrease compared to 2023 as the industry continues to recover from ongoing challenges, officials said Wednesday.

The LA region had a total of 23,480 shoot days in 2024 compared to 24,873 in 2023, according to FilmLA, a film office for the city and county of Los Angeles, as well as other local jurisdictions.

The office published the data as part of its 2024 On-Location Production Report, which defines a shoot day as one crew’s permission to film at one or more defined locations during any 24-hour period.

Overall production in the Greater Los Angeles region increased by 6.2% from October through December 2024 with 5,860 shoot days and gains across all categories except one. Reality TV continued to lag behind and experienced its ninth consecutive quarter of yearover-year decline.

Production in 2024 fell behind 2023 levels as a result of combined effects from runaway production, industry contraction and “slower-

than-hoped-for post-strike” recovery, according to the film office.

Officials said 2024 became the second least productive year, ahead of only 2020 when production was severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The report showed reality TV production decreased by 45.7% in the fourth quarter to 774 shoot days, and finished the year down by 45.9% to 3,905 shoot days.

Feature film and television drama categories had an increase in production as a result of independent studio activity, FilmLA noted.

Feature film production increased by 82.4% in the fourth quarter to 589 shoot days, and increased by 18.8% overall in 2024. The film office cited the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit for driving 19.2% of quarterly category activity.

Scripted television drama production increased to 528 shoot days in the fourth quarter compared to 2023 figures. The film tax credit helped producers and sustained 19.5% of all on-location TV drama production.

Commercial production increased in the fourth

quarter by 2.3%, but annual production levels were flat with a small 1.7% decrease year-over-year.

The “other” category, such as still photography, student films, documentaries, music and industrial videos, increased by 6.1% to 2,912 shoot days in the final quarter of 2024. Annual figures in this category remained close to 2023 data.

FilmLA expects the new year to be a good one for the entertainment industry as Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an expansion of the film tax credit program from $330 million to $750 million per year.

“As we await signs of continuing business growth in 2025, it is important that we recognize that no aspect of life in Greater Los Angeles is unaffected by recent fire events and the heartbreaking loss of lives, homes, businesses and cherished community spaces,” Paul Audley, president of FilmLA, said in a statement.

“Many who participate in the region’s entertainment economy are directly affected by this tragedy; and many places beloved by nationwide audiences may never return to the screen,” he added.

Mental health helpline seeks to expand to help fire victims recover

By Suzanne Potter, Producer, Public News Service

Mental health groups are stepping up to help victims of the Los Angeles area wildfires deal with the extreme stress brought on by the disaster.

The California Parent and Youth Helpline is beginning to work at evacuation centers and is looking to partner with community or government entities to provide victims with emotional support.

Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of Parents Anonymous, which runs the helpline, said people can call, text or live chat with a trained counselor.

“That emotional support really needs to be handled by an experienced professional, who’s trained to listen and to help people deal with the immediate angst and depression,” Pion-Berlin asserted. “Because they don’t know where to turn.”

The helpline is open 12 hours a day at 877-427-2736 to guide people through the chaos, desperation and fear. And the group’s website caparentyouthhelpline.org will also connect people to ongoing online support groups.

Pion-Berlin pointed out Parents Anonymous would like to expand if fire relief funding becomes available. However, the service may be in jeopardy, because Gov. Gavin Newsom left the helpline out of his January budget proposal.

Now, with entire neighborhoods wiped out, she said the need for mental health assistance is greater than ever.

“Because they no longer have their community. They never don’t have their school, they don’t have the safe place they lived in,” Pion-Berlin outlined. “They’re displaced, and the impact is devastating.”

Parents Anonymous is asking lawmakers to continue to support the helpline as they negotiate the final budget this spring. The California Parent and Youth Helpline received a two-year appropriation of $4.7 million in the 2023 budget. If it is not renewed, the funding will run out this summer.

Disclosure: Parents Anonymous contributes to Public News Service’s fund for reporting on Children’s Issues, Family/Father Issues, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, visit https://www.publicnewsservice.org/dn1.php.

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SUMMARY ORDINANCE NO. 1024

Rosemead City Notices

A SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 1024 ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, FOR THE APPROVAL OF ZONE CHANGE 23-01, AMENDING THE ZONING MAP TO IMPLEMENT THE HOUSING ELEMENT REZONING EFFORTS FOR THE 2021-2029 PLANNING PERIOD

SUMMARY ORDINANCE NO. 1024

On December 10th, 2024, the City Council of the City of Rosemead introduced only, at first reading, Ordinance No. 1024. On January 14, 2025, the City Council adopted the second reading of said ordinance, approving Zone Change 23-01, amending the Zoning Map to implement the Housing Element rezoning efforts for the 2021-2029 planning period The following is a summary of Ordinance No. 1024

Ordinance 1024 (Zone Change 23-01)

Zone Change 23-01 would amend the City’s Zoning Map to change the zone of the parcels listed in the table below:

Site Address/ Intersection

North San Gabriel Blvd. /Darlington Ave.

5271002053 Medium Commercial with Residential/Commercial MixedUse Development & Design Overlays (C-3/RC-MUDO/DO)

Starting a New Business?

North San Gabriel Blvd./ Darlington Ave.1024

9238 Lower Azusa Rd.

9200 Lower Azusa Rd.

9201 Lower Azusa Rd.

3606 Rosemead Blvd.

9536 Valley Blvd.

500 Montebello Blvd.

Environmental Determination

5271002054 C-3/RC-MUDO/D-O

8592016010 C-3/RC-MUDO/D-O

8592016039 C-3/RC-MUDO/D-O

8592019061 Light Manufacturing (M-1)/RC-MUDO/D-O

8594023026 Medium Commercial with Freeway Corridor Mixed -Use –Block Overlay (C-3/FCMU-B)

8593002038 C-3/RC-MUDO/D-O

5271002052 C-3/RC-MUDO/D-O

The City of Rosemead acting as a Lead Agency, has completed an Initial Study in accordance with The City Council hereby determines that Zone Change 23-01 is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) because the project is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. It can be seen with certainty that the proposed project, Housing Element Rezoning Efforts, will not have a significant effect on the environment. The Housing Element Rezoning Efforts includes changes to the City’s General Plan and Zoning Map to implement the City’s certified Housing Element, as required by State law. No development projects are proposed as part of the Housing Element Rezoning Efforts. Furthermore, each future development proposal on any of the Housing Element Rezoning Effort sites will have to go through their own environmental analysis pursuant to CEQA to evaluate potential impacts specific to that proposal. Passed, Approved and Adopted on the 14th day of January 2025 by the following vote:

Ayes: Armenta, Clark, Dang, and Low Noes: None Absent: Ly Abstain: None

The full text of Ordinance No. 1024 is available for inspection during regular business hours at the City Clerk’s Office (8838 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California 91770) Monday – Thursday 7:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. or at www.cityofrosemead.org.

DATED THIS 20th DAY OF JANUARY 2025

Ericka Hernandez, City Clerk City of Rosemead 8838 E. Valley Boulevard

Publish January 20, 2025

ROSEMEAD READER

SUMMARY ORDINANCE NO. 1025

A SUMMARY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING ROSEMEAD MUNICIPAL CHAPTER 3.24 (PURCHASING SYSTEM), AMENDING CHAPTER 3.28 (PUBLIC PROJECT BIDDING PROCEDURES) TO PROVIDE INFORMAL BIDDING PROCEDURES UNDER THE UNIFORM PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION COST ACCOUNTING ACT (SECTION 22000, ET SEQ. OF THE PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE) AND OTHER RELATED ACTIONS

On December 10th, 2024, the City Council of the City of Rosemead introduced only, at first reading, Ordinance No. 1025. On January 14, 2025, the City Council adopted the second reading of said ordinance, amending and restating both Chapter 3.24 (Purchasing System) and Chapter 3.28 (Public Works Bidding Procedure). Chapter 3.24 and Chapter 3.28 of the Municipal Code are being amended to modernize the procurement practices, align policies with industry standards, streamline approval processes and enhance operational efficiencies and improve accountability and oversight.

Passed, Approved and Adopted on the 14th day of January 2025

by the following vote:

Ayes: Armenta, Clark, Dang, and Low

Noes: None

Absent: Ly

Abstain: None

The full text of Ordinance No. 1025 is available for inspection during regular business hours at the City Clerk’s Office, 8838 E. Valley Blvd. Monday –Thursday 7:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. or at www.cityofrosemead.org.

DATED THIS 20th DAY OF JANUARY 2025

Ericka Hernandez, City Clerk City of Rosemead 8838 E. Valley Boulevard

Publish January 20, 2025

ROSEMEAD READER

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF CARMELLA PISCITELLI

Case No. 25STPB00205

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of CARMELLA PISCITELLI

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Michael Piscitelli in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Michael Piscitelli be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s lost will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. Copies of the lost will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on Feb. 20, 2025 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 5 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner:

JOHN S MORRIS ESQ SBN 173014

MORRIS & MORRIS

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

150 N SANTA ANITA AVE STE 300

ARCADIA CA 91006

CN113260 PISCITELLI

Jan 16,20,23, 2025

ARCADIA WEEKLY

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

JOSEPH L. WARREN CASE NO. 25STPB00303

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of JOSEPH L. WARREN.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by PAULA J. BRADLEY in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that PAULA J. BRADLEY be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/10/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 4 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

WILLIAM R. REMERY - SBN 89897 REMERY LAW FIRM 1955 W GLENOAKS BLVD GLENDALE CA 91201

Telephone (818) 558-5909 1/16, 1/20, 1/23/25 CNS-3886889# ROSEMEAD READER

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: WILLIAM ALFRED PHILLIPS CASE NO. 24STPB10807 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of WILLIAM ALFRED PHILLIPS.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ELIZABETH AGUILERA in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that ELIZABETH AGUILERA be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/19/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 5 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate

LEGALS

the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

Glendale City Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF GLENDALE NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FY 2025-2026

Request for Proposals (RFP) for One-Stop Operator for The Verdugo Jobs Center, Glendale, CA

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Glendale will be accepting applications for eligible Workforce Development funded projects or services for the next Fiscal Year, July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026 which will be released on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

PROPOSAL: The Verdugo Workforce Development Board (VWDB) plans to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, for One-Stop Operator services, for the Verdugo Jobs Center, including all of its partners.

The VWDB plans to select an agency or an individual consultant as the One-Stop Operator for the Verdugo Jobs Center located in Glendale, CA. Services will be performed beginning July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026 with option to renew annually through June 30, 2029.

The One-Stop Operator services is funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) through an award totaling $50,000 (100%) with $0.00 (0%) from non-federal sources.

To receive the RFP and its attachments, visit: https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/community-services-parks/verdugojobs-center/workforce-development-board/public-notices or https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/City_of_Glendale/Workforce_Operator

Proposals are due by Friday March 7, 2025, at 5:00 pm via Zoom Grants https://www. zoomgrants.com/zgf/City_of_Glendale/Workforce_Operator

The VWDB reserves the right to cancel any solicitation by written notification to those who request RFPs.

If there are questions regarding this request for proposal, contact Diana Montecino at DMontecino@GlendaleCa.Gov.

Publish January 20, 2025

GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

Burbank City Notices

NOTICE CITY OF GLENDALE NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FY 2025-2026

Request for Proposals (RFP) for One-Stop Operator for The Verdugo Jobs Center, Glendale, CA

The One-Stop Operator services is funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) through an award totaling $50,000 (100%) with $0.00 (0%) from non-federal sources.

Proposals are due by Friday March 7, 2025, at 5:00 pm via Zoom Grants https://www. zoomgrants.com/zgf/City_of_Glendale/Workforce_Operator

The VWDB reserves the right to cancel any solicitation by written notification to those who request RFPs.

If there are questions regarding this request for proposal, contact Diana Montecino at DMontecino@GlendaleCa.Gov.

Publish January 20, 2025

BURBABK INDEPENDENT

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JOHN RUDE CASE NO. 25STPB00223

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of JOHN RUDE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by KYM BENNETT in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that KYM BENNETT be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

Attorney for Petitioner

ROZSA GYENE, ESQ. - SBN 208356 LAW OFFICES OF ROZSA GYENE

450 N. BRAND BLVD., SUITE 600 GLENDALE CA 91203

Telephone (818) 291-6217

1/16, 1/20, 1/23/25

CNS-3886231# GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF DENIS LEE BASTIAN CASE NO. 25STPB00282

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: DENIS LEE BASTIAN

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CLEMENT A. BASTIAN JR. in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CLEMENT A. BASTIAN JR. be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with full authority . (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on 02/11/2025 at 8:30AM in Dept. 44 located at 111 N. HILL ST. LOS ANGELES CA 90012 STANLEY MOSK COURTHOUSE.

Attorney for Petitioner: BRITTANY BRITTON (SBN:303084) 2312 W. OLIVE AVENUE, SUITE D, BURBANK, CA 91506 (626)3905953, Telephone: 6263905953 1/16, 1/20, 1/27/25 CNS-3886811# BURBANK INDEPENDENT *10080

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: COLLIN CHOE CASE NO. 24STPB14554

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of COLLIN CHOE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by LISA CHOE DABROWSKI in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that LISA CHOE DABROWSKI be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/07/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 44 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on FEBRUARY 5, 2025 at 8:30 A.M. in Dept.: “2D” located at: 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Stanley Mosk Courthouse

OTHER CALIFORNIA statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a formal Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

MARC S. ROTHENBERG, SB# 72448

THE LAW FIRM OF MARC S. ROTHENBERG 4326 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 92807

PNSB# 107443

Published in: Belmont Beacon

Dates Pub: January 16, 20, 23, 2025

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

SARAH ANN MATTHEWS

CASE NO. 25STPB00406

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of SARAH ANN MATTHEWS.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by LINDA SZKLARSKI in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that LINDA SZKLARSKI be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mail-ing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

Attorney for Petitioner

JOHN L SHAW - SBN 58283 LAW OFFICE OF JOHN L SHAW 5816 TEMPLE CITY BLVD. TEMPLE CITY CA 91780

Telephone (626) 286-3710 1/20, 1/23, 1/27/25 CNS-3887463# PASADENA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Jennie Martin Stewart aka Jennie Ann Martin-Stewart Case No. PROV2500034

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Jennie Martin Stewart aka Jennie Ann Martin-Stewart

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Lucrezia Underwood in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Lucrezia Underwood be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on 02/24/2025 at 9:00 AM in Dept. F2. located at 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, Ca 92335. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/10/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 4 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner JOHN P. POXON, JR. - SBN 106200 GORTON, JANOSIK & POXON LLP 909 EAST GREEN STREET PASADENA CA 91106

Telephone (626) 795-2933 1/16, 1/20, 1/23/25 CNS-3886790# GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF LUPE VERGARA, JR. CASE NO. 25STPB00114

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of LUPE VERGARA, JR.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by RICHARD VERGARA in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that RICHARD VERGARA be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/14/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 2D located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

Attorney for petitioner:

4 new inductees join Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame

Four new members were inducted into the Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

John White, Laurilie Jackson, Adolfo Íñiguez Lomelí and Gloria Greer were recognized as some of the region’s most accomplished media professionals, joining the inaugural class of 2024.

The ceremony, emceed by KESQ anchor Karen Devine, was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas resort.

Former New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet was a featured speaker and discussed his initiative to bolster investigative reporting in local communities.

Additionally, several local journalists were announced as award recipients. The foundation’s journalist of

the year honor went to NBC Palm Springs anchor Olivia Sandusky, Desert Sun newspaper staffers Taya Gray and Jennifer Cortez and College of the Desert freelance reporter Jodeci Alocer.

White, who has spent the last quarter century at KESQ, started his broadcast career in 1991 at KNWZ radio. After a first introduction with KESQ and brief stint with a Pennsylvania CBS affiliate, White has reported on wideranging events from the signing of the PACT Act to the burn pit-related cancer diagnosis of local veteran Jennifer Kepner. He has received a Pacific Southwest Emmy Award in 2016 and Golden Mic in 2021, in addition to multiple Emmy nominations.

Jackson, an accom-

By Staff and City News Service

plished media professional and academic, is a College of the Desert professor, Cal State San Bernardino guest lecturer and KESQ anchor. Her career includes stops in Florida and Virginia, later including a leadership position at Palm Springs Women in Film and Television and an advisory role for Women Leaders Forum.

She has also earned several accolades, including the WLF’s Helene Galen Excellence in Education Award and the College of the Desert’s 20-Year Service to Education Award.

Lomelí has been a “La Poderosa” 96.7 FM morning personality for nearly three decades. He has spent the vast majority of his career in the region, known for his characters on the morning

Oshow “El Show del Greñas,” which he hosts.

According to organizers, Lomelí gained the ability to manipulate his voice for the different characters after undergoing tonsil surgery as a child.

Greer, a posthumous honoree, covered regional notables as part of her “Stars on the Desert” column for the Press-Enterprise, in addition to writing for Variety, Newsweek, The Associated Press and Town and Country Magazine. She also adapted the column to local ABC and NBC affiliates, appearing on the nightly news for more than 25 years for the latter, in addition to her work as an editor and TV producer.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducted Greer into its

Silver Circle in 2006, nine years before her death at age 87.

Individual tickets to the event, which included parking and food, were

Organizers call for participants in upcoming date festival parade

rganizers called out to local residents and community groups Thursday to join the parade lineup at the 77th annual Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.

A county tradition, the 2025 Riverside County Presidents Day Grand Parade is set for Feb. 17 at 9 a.m, according to county Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, who suggested school groups, equestrians and classic car enthusiasts as examples of

potential parade entrants.

The parade will step off at the intersection of Miles Avenue and Deglet Noor Street in downtown Indio, and will take a new route due to construction on Oasis Street, according to city officials. The procession will continue east on Miles Avenue to Towne Street, south to Highway 111 and west to the Riverside County Fairgrounds.

Organizers said Highway 111 will be the best viewing

influenza have been detected in wastewater surveillance in the cities of Ontario and San Bernardino.”

While there is no immediate cause for the public to be concerned, “the detection highlights the importance of wastewater monitoring as an early warning tool. It enables public health officials to implement preventative measures and coordinate responses to potential

By City News Service

location along the new route for spectators.

“The Date Festival Parade is one of our community parades, and it’s one of the favorite events of the Fair that I remember going back to elementary school,” Perez said. “As part of our Riverside County Fair and expanding the reach so more families and more generations experience the Date Festival, we want to get more cities and communities all throughout the

county represented.”

This year’s festival, extended to 13 days from 10 in 2024, will take place Thursdays to Sundays between Feb. 13 and March 2, as well as Presidents Day.

City officials have already confirmed the return of mainstay attractions such as a demolition derby, monster truck show and rodeo, in addition to the usual variety of rides, food and live concerts.

Bird flu

threats to human and animal health.”

The H5N1 virus has also been detected in Riverside County “and previously in San Bernardino County from different utilities,” officials

Individuals and groups interested in marching can apply to participate at datefest.org/p/about/ parade.

said. While the findings do not indicate active human infections, they serve as an early warning apparatus for public health preparedness.

The California Department of Public Health has

By City News Service

announced a voluntary recall of specific lots of raw milk produced Raw Farm LLC. Consumers were urged to return remaining products to the store where the items were purchased, and retailers have been instructed to remove the possibly viruscarrying products from shelves.

More information on bird flu is available online at cdph.ca.gov.

Revolution Stage Co. debuts Tony-winning musical ‘Spring Awakening’

R evolutionStage Companypremiered itsproductionof “Spring Awakening” Wednesday evening.

An eight-time Tonywinningcoming-of-age story, including a victory for Best Musical in 2007, “Spring Awakening” follows a group of teenagers in 19th century Germany as they deal with the complications of adolescence, burgeoning sexuality and societal expectations. Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s Grammywinning score leans heavily into alternative rock, mirroring some of the characters’ rebellious nature. The contemporary music and choreography create a juxtaposition with the show’s period setting.

Curtains opened at 7 p.m. Wednesday, with nine additional performances scheduled through Jan. 30.

A full list of showtimes can be viewed at revolutionstagecompany.com.

$195.

Randy Lovely, president of the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation, poses with Norma Greer Fishkind and Ann Greer, daughters of the late Gloria Greer, a Coachella Media Hall of Fame inductee.

| Image courtesy of Revolution Stage Co.

| Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival

Brothers sentenced to life in prison for killing man outside Perris store

By City News Service

Twobrotherswho murdered a man during a robbery outside a Perris convenience store were both sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Edgar Sanchez Ortega, 26, and Bryan Ortega, 21, both of Perris, were convicted in October of first-degree murder, robbery, attempted robbery and a specialcircumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery. Bryan Ortega was additionally found guilty of sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the slaying of 25-year-old George Torres of Moreno Valley.

During a hearing Friday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jason Armand imposed the sentences required by law on the pair.

According to a trial brief filed by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, the defendants went on a robbery spree that began shortly after 1 a.m. on Nov.

26, 2021, when they spotted a man walking through a field on Wells Street in Perris. Bryan Ortega got out of his brother’s four-door sedan and accosted the victim, shouting, “What’s up, homie?” the brief said.

The victim, identified in court documents only as “M.F.,” later told sheriff’s investigators that he was immediately frozen with fear when the man walked up to him, racked the slide on a 9mm handgun and “pushed the barrel against the side of his head,” court papers said.

“Bryan said, ‘Strip off all your clothes,’” the brief stated. “M.F. hesitated ... and when he did that, Bryan struck him with the gun on the side of the head and said, `Get naked. I’m for real. I’ll kill you.’ M.F. therefore complied. Bryan pistolwhipped him again after he took his clothes off, and the victim went down to his knees.”

Ortega grabbed the man’s clothes and mobile phone,

which doubled as a wallet, and jumped back into his brother’s car, then the pair sped away, prosecutors said. M.F. walked to a Circle K and sought help.

Only 20 minutes later, the defendants drove to an am/pm convenience store/ gas station at 4040 Perris Blvd. and began inhaling drugs or vapors via balloons while sitting in Edgar Ortega’s vehicle, according to the prosecution. The men saw Torres pull into the parking lot in his Honda sedan and decided to rob him and his male friend, identified only as “J.N.”

After J.N. got out of the passenger side of the Honda and went into the store to buy cigarettes, Edgar Ortega backed his sedan into the parking stall immediately adjacent to the victim’s car. When J.N. returned and sat down in the Honda, Bryan Ortega stepped out of his brother’s vehicle, pulled his 9mm handgun and told J.N. and Torres, who was at the wheel, “Give me everything

DA’s Bureau of Investigation sets up anti-price gouging hotline

By City News Service

you got,” according to the brief.

J.N. complied, handing over his cigarettes and cash, but Torres refused, prompting Ortega to demand that the victim hand over his sunglasses. The young man balked and instead grabbed a pistol that he’d hidden in the Honda and fired at Ortega, who “then

began shooting into the car multiple times,” the brief said.

Torres was hit by several bullets and died at the scene.

J.N. was not wounded. The defendants fled as witnesses called 911.

Central Homicide Unit detectives reviewed storefront security surveillance camera images that morning

and quickly identified the brothers as the assailants, also linking them to the assault and robbery of M.F., culminating in the men’s arrests without incident at a Santa Ana hotel the same day. Neither defendant had documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

three type 1 fire engines, one type 6 brush patrol, one hand crew, three water tenders, one dozer and Urban Search and Rescue Regional Task Force 6, according to the county. Strike team leaders, engines and hand crews have been engaged in firefighting operations, while the search and rescue task force is doing searches for casualties.

An anti-price-gouging hotline set up by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation is active as of Thursday.

The number was established to report suspected instances of price gouging following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency on Jan. 7 due to wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a statement from the DA’s office published Wednesday evening. In a state of emergency, prices on “essential goods or services” may not be raised more than 10% as a form of consumer protection, the office stated. Transactions on food, water, pet food, flashlights, medicine, sanitary products, toiletries, diapers, medical supplies, emergency supplies and lodging are all subject to the policy, among other items.

Residents can make a report at 888-814-8450 or online at oag.ca.gov/contact/consumercomplaint-against-business-or-company.

“County Fire remains fully staffed and ready to respond to all emergencies,” officials said.

Rowe and Munsey also highlighted resources the county offers to residents at Prepare.sbcounty.gov and Sbcfire.org/readysetgo. To sign up for emergency alerts, go to oes.sbcounty.gov.

“With fires, power outages, and strong winds

happening now, it’s more important than ever to prepare,” according to the county. “By getting ready for these risks, we can reduce their impact and keep our families and communities safe.”

Officials provided these fire-preparedness tips:

“Make a Plan: Create an emergency plan for your family. Know your evacuation routes, have a way to communicate, and agree on a meeting place if you get separated.

“Pack a Go Bag: Put together a bag with things you’ll need in case you need to leave quickly. Include items like medications, important papers, cash, clothing and other essentials. Keep it in an easy-to-reach spot.

“Stay Informed: Keep track of the weather, evacuation orders and emergency alerts by checking local news, social media and official websites.

“Strong winds and fires have caused power outages in the area. To be ready for situations like this, here are a few more tips:

“Stock up on non-perishable food, water and emergency supplies.

“Have flashlights, extra batteries and a batterypowered radio.

“Make a family emergency communication plan.

“Keep flammable materials away from your home and clear vegetation.”

Rowe and Munsey’s talk is available for viewing on the county’s YouTube page.

Edgar Sanchez Ortega, left, and Bryan Ortega. | Photos courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

This is the top of the local complaint form for residents to report price gouging. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office

A San Bernardino County firefighter battles flames during recent wildfires in Los Angeles County.

| Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County Fire / Facebook