Menifee, RCTC, Caltrans projects continuing with better weather

Tony Ault Staff Writer

Menifee reports a new project to install storm drains on Holland Road adjacent to a new 80unit residential housing project and motorists are to watch for intermittent traffic controls through the end of the month.

There are many other housing developments under construction in Southwest Riverside County that motorists may come across in their travels so caution is suggested going through those streets, particularly in Wildomar, Murrieta, Menifee, Winchester and San Jacinto.

In other Menifee projects, the Holland Road Overpass Capital Improvement Project has closed Holland Road between Hanover Lane and Antelope Road for the remainder of the project that is expected to continue for the next 17 months. Some lanes on the I-215 freeway may be affected from Newport Road to Scott Road. For additional information and to sign up for project updates, please visit www.hollandoverpass.com.

The developer of Cimarron Ridge continues installing underground improvements in the area of Valley Boulevard between McCall Boulevard and Ridgemoor Street. This portion of Valley Blvd. will be subject to lane closures during this work and traffic delays should be expected in the area through mid-May.

Paving work on Menifee’s Capital Improvement Project on Menifee Road between Holland Road and Camino Cristal is now completed. Work will continue in the roadway as the contract addresses manhole adjustments, traffic loop installation and roadway striping. Work is now expected to continue through the end of May.

Southern California Edison began trenching new power lines along Menifee Road, from Newport Road to Holland Road. Work is currently active during daytime and nighttime hours at the intersection of Newport and Menifee roads. Traffic control will be in place during project work. Message boards containing contact information for the project will also be placed in the project area. Completion of work in this area is now expected to continue through the end of May.

$1.1M paid to resolve ransomware attack on California county

SAN BERNARDINO (AP) — A

$1.1 million payment was made to resolve a ransomware attack on San Bernardino County’s law enforcement computer network, Southern California News Group reported.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced in April that a “network disruption” was being investigated by information technology staff and forensic specialists, and that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security were notified.

County spokesperson David Wert said the county paid $511,852 and the remainder was covered by insurance, the news group reported Thursday, May 4.

“The decision whether to render payment was the subject of careful consideration,” Wert said.

Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Gloria Huerta said an investigation is continuing to try to determine whether any information was stolen and whether the ransom payment can be traced to identify the hacker.

Sheriff Shannon Dicus said that public safety wasn’t compromised by the ransomware attack but it hindered some tasks.

Deputies, for example, could not access a system that provides information on whether a person is wanted for crimes elsewhere in the country, so they had to request that other agencies make the record checks, Dicus said.

Ransomware involves hackers essentially holding a computer system hostage by encrypting its files and demanding payment in exchange for the software key.

Traffic signal, median work and landscape improvements continue at McCall Boulevard and Ranch Road as part of the McCall Square project. The construction schedule for this project has been extended and is now expected to be fully completed by June 30. Intermittent traffic control will remain in place for the duration of the project. SoCal Gas Co. continues the installation of new gas pipeline infrastructure in the vicinity of Evans Road and Lazy Creek Road. Lane closures will remain in place for the next several months to support the project. For questions on the project/construction updates listed, please contact Philip Southard, Public Information and Legislative Affairs Officer, at 951-746-0654 or at psouthard@ cityofmenifee.us RCTC

The Riverside County Transportation Commission, during the nighttime hours, will be alternately closing lanes on eastbound and westbound Highway 60 in the Badlands between Moreno Valley and Beaumont at different times through May. The lane closures will allow crews to safely perform roadway repairs and restripe lanes. The construction is subject to change. Follow @60TruckLanes on social media for the latest project information.

RCTC, in partnership with Caltrans, widened a 4.5-mile section of Route 60 from Gilman Springs Road to 1.4 miles west of Jack Rabbit Trail in Riverside County’s Badlands between Moreno Valley and Beaumont. The project was within mountainous terrain with a curving alignment and steep grades. The project was designed to improve safety and efficiency of travel between the Coachella Valley and western Riverside County.

Caltrans

The California Department of Transportation continues work on State Route 74 in Riverside County from the Riverside and Orange County border to Monte Vista Street, just west of Lake Elsinore.

Crews will perform work in various locations throughout the project zone. One-way traffic control with escorts will be in place from 8 to 9:59 p.m. During the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the route will be closed to through traffic. Residents and commuters will need to utilize alternate routes to go around the closure each night beginning at 10 p.m.

Access through the work zone will be prohibited during the previously stated hours. Work will take place nightly, east of the county line on SR-74, Monday through Friday. Residents on Tenaja Truck Trail or west of Tenaja Truck Trail, including the Ortega Oaks RV Park and Campground and The Candy Store, will be directed to Lake Elsinore and will not be given access to go through to Orange County during the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Residents at Long Canyon and Decker Canyon will be directed to Lake Elsinore and will not be given access to go through to Orange County during the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Drivers may experience long waits and delays due to construction operations. Please wait for the designated escort through the construction zone.

Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com

The 2023 Safety Stand Down Quiz is live Test your knowledge on lithium-ion battery response

QUINCY, Mass. – In support of this year’s Safety Stand Down campaign, June 18-24, the Safety Stand Down Sweepstakes Quiz is live, featuring questions that reinforce key messages and practices behind this year’s theme, “Lithium-Ion Batteries: Are You Ready?”

Each year, the Safety Stand Down campaign and sweepstakes quiz are organized by the National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health & Survival Section, the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association, with the collective goal of focusing attention on a particular responder safety concern during the third week in June. This year’s Safety Stand Down works to help ensure that firefighters know how to safely handle lithium-ion batteries in a variety of situations and scenarios. In support of this year’s Safety Stand Down, emergency services personnel are encouraged to take and promote the quiz. Those who complete it by Wednesday, June 21, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time will be automatically entered in a sweepstakes where 200 randomly selected participants will win a limited-edition challenge coin commemorating the 2023 theme. The quiz is available on the Safety Stand Down website at http://www.SafetyStandDown.org

During the week of Safety Stand Down, fire departments across the country are asked to suspend all non-emergency activities and train on lithium-ion battery response; an entire week is provided to ensure that all shifts and personnel can participate. Leading up to Safety Stand Down, fire service leaders and training officers can visit the campaign website to access a wealth of information, training, and resources that can help prepare for these efforts. New content and event updates will be added to the website in the weeks to come.

Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, self-funded, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit http://www.nfpa. org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at http://www.nfpa.org/freeaccess. Submitted by National Fire Protection Association.