Manufactures shift to producing personal protective equipment, B-1
Riverside County allows outdoor activities to reopen, with restrictions, C-1
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See the Anza Valley Outlook beginning on page AVO-1
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SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO April 24 – 30, 2020
Local Area food pantries need donations
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Volume 20, Issue 17
LE Storm hosts food giveaway for families affected by COVID-19
Tony Ault STAFF WRITER
The demand for food at the food pantries is continuing to rise as the Riverside County Public Health Agencies “Stay at Home” order reaches into a second month.
see page A-3
Local Agencies see drop in child abuse reports Will Fritz ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Coronavirus may be having an unintended effect on the number of reported instances of child abuse in the region. Calls to San Diego County’s Child Welfare Services Child Abuse hotline dropped in as mandatory stay-at-home orders started to take effect in March.
see page A-4
People stay in their cars as Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino’s Mobile Food Pantry loads food into trunks during a pop-up food distribution event open to anyone at the Lake Elsinore Diamond, April 17. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
Kim Harris MANAGING EDITOR
The Lake Elsinore Storm teamed up with Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino to provide
food for local families using the nonprofit organization’s Mobile Food Pantry, Friday, April 17. The food distribution pop-up event was attended by hundreds of families who all wore masks
and stayed in their cars while the food was distributed, was held from 8:30-11 a.m. Each family in attendance received the same amount of food, Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino said in
a press release. Mobile Food Pantry volunteers organized the groceries, which were provided free of charge to see GIVEAWAY, page A-2
COVID-19 testing expands, as some restrictions loosen
Education Local urgent care offers COVID-19 antibody testing Jeff Pack STAFF WRITER
United Medical Doctors Urgent Care in Temecula began conducting COVID-19 antibody testing Thursday, April 16, using test kits purchased from a leading development company in South Korea. see page B-5
Jeff Pack STAFF WRITER
Dr. Cameron Kaiser, public health officer for Riverside County, announced Thursday, April 16, that the county would be expanding testing for coronavirus to residents that have not shown symptoms in an effort to get more information about the virus. “We’re testing people already when they’re sick, but we need to understand how COVID-19 is affecting people who may generally feel well, including kids,” Kaiser said. “That’s going to be a key indicator for understanding how it spreads and knowing where our areas of concern are when we think about if and how much to open things again.” A fifth drive-thru testing site in Blythe was added recently with others located at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio see TESTING, page A-4
INDEX Anza Valley Outlook ......AVO-1 Business ............................... B-1
A health care worker administers a COVID-19 test at the drive-thru testing facility in Lake Elsinore. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
3 local artists make Top 20 on ‘American Idol’ Jeff Pack STAFF WRITER
Business Directory............... C-6 Classifieds ............................ C-5 Education ............................ B-4 Entertainment ..................... C-3 Faith ..................................... C-5 Health .................................. B-5 Local .................................... A-1 National News .................AVO-6 Opinion................................. C-5 Pets ..................................... B-6 Regional News ..................... C-6 Sports ................................... C-1 Wine & Dine ....................... C-4
Three area music artists have advanced to the top 20 of season 18 of “American Idol” on ABC. Two high school student vocalists, Olivia Ximines, 17, of Menifee and Makayla Phillips, 17, of Temecula, are competing alongside 23-year-old Murrieta singer songwriter Jonny West. The three artists have battled through the audition process, two rounds of Hollywood Week competitions, and the showcase week performances in Hawaii to reach the roster of 20 contestants. The competition resumes Sunday, April 26, and when it starts back up again, things will be a little different. Due to the coronavirus pandem-
Makayla Phillips, 17, of Temecula has advanced to the top 20 of season 18 of “American Idol” on ABC. Valley News/ABC/Eric McCandless photo
ic outbreak, the show was forced to split up all the contestants, sending them home for the foreseeable future and throwing the contest into doubt. However, the powers that be formulated a plan to have the contestants compete from their respective homes. It appears as though they will begin performances again Sunday and judges Lionel Ritchie, Katie Perry and Luke Bryant will be judging virtually from California and Nashville respectively. For 17-year-old Makayla Phillips, who once received the Golden Buzzer from “America’s Got Talent” judge Heidi Klum, competing and performing from home is a bonus. see IDOL, page A-6