Knee Deep in the Hoopla: From coast to coast, Temecula is well known, A-3
Community mourns sudden loss of local youth football coach, B-10
VALLEY
A
NEWS
August 7 – 13, 2015
Local
Stalled project at center of plan to open region’s first Catholic high school
Section
www.myvalleynews.com
Volume 15, Issue 32
I-15 Brew Festival is awash in suds and fun
Tim O’Leary Staff Writer A proverbial match made in heaven could lead to the opening of the region’s first Catholic high school within a year. see page A-7
Education
TVUSD names Legg as Margarita Middle School’s new principal TEMECULA—The Temecula Valley Unified School District’s Board of Education has announced the hiring of Duane Legg to serve as principal of Margarita Middle School.
Shane Gibson photo
Fire breathing performer “Arabian MK” blows a plume of fire into the air while I-15 Brew Festival guests look on. See more photos on page A-5.
The sky is the limit for drone based businesses
see page B-4
Home & Garden
Citrus pest threatens area trees Kim Harris Managing Editor A pest known as the Asian citrus psyllid has made its way into Southern California, threatening citrus trees throughout the area. The only way to control the pest is to treat or remove the trees, according to Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program representative Bob Atkins.
see page B-7
Michael Loeschnig, co-founder of Skyphotos Aerial Photography launches his GPS waypoint navigated drone at Town Square Park in Murrieta. Shane Gibson photo
Kim Harris Managing Editor We’ve all seen them, those tiny mechanical airplanes buzzing through the air taking photos and video from their cruising altitude
Sports
TYB League offers ‘Fall Ball’ for all, including middle schools Joey Sanchez Intern The Temecula Youth Baseball league will soon be in full swing again and is still signing up players and managers for the 2015 fall season. This year, TYB will be the only organization locally in Temecula that will be offering fall baseball as Little League sent out a message to all of its patrons last week that they had to cancel their fall season due to low registration numbers. see page B-11
of next to nothing at local parks, in neighborhoods and at other various places and events throughout the Temecula Valley. But what happens when something that was once the favored present under a fully decorated Christmas tree by little
boys around the world evolves and becomes a high flying, precision instrument that even adults love? Drones that were once considered super secret spy equipment used by the military to snoop on its enemies has now become a
commonplace sight and businesses are sprouting up all throughout Southern California and the nation utilizing the technology to turn a profit. Used for everything from photography and video to delivering packages, drones are quickly becoming the way of the future according to SKYPHOTOS Director of Operations and Co-founder Michael Loeschnig. “The most enjoyable thing is seeing the technology grow each day,” he said. “Amazon and other companies are seeking drone deliveries. There are so many doors opening up for drone use and we try to emphasize on the positive things that drones are doing versus so much of the negative we hear in the news.” Loeschnig said that it brings him joy to hear of stories where drones are being used in “humanitarian efforts, law enforcement and search and rescue missions.” “There was a recent story of a San Diego man who was in the Otay Mountain area (near the Mexican border) who had brought his drone out to fly for recreation purposes. He happened to come across Border Patrol agents who
MVHS student athlete takes his own life JP Raineri Sports Editor Earlier this week Murrieta Valley High School Principal Eric Mooney, Athletic Director Darin Mott and Coach George Wilson met with members of the faculty as well as the Nighthawk football team to share the sad news that Nighthawk junior Diego Villareal took his own life on Sunday, Aug. 2. Villareal was a member of the Nighthawk football team and school and district administrators and counselors joined the team to talk with the student athletes about the loss of their teammate. Monday morning practice was cancelled and the team members were encouraged to spend the time together on campus. Mooney called MVHS parents during the morning hours on the same day to inform them of Villareal’s passing. The school also posted the following information to its website: “The death of a student impacts students in a variety of ways. Students may be sad and withdrawn,
they may appear not to be affected, they may wish to think about it privately, or they may want to talk about their feelings. Mooney encouraged the students to be open in their communication with one another and he recommended parents and guardians give their teens opportunities to express their feelings and discuss the loss with people in their support system. “If parents observe any behavioral or emotional changes in their teen, that could be an indication that he or she is having difficulty coping with this loss. School counselors will be available to speak with students in the days and weeks ahead. If parents or guardians have any questions or concerns, they are encouraged to contact one of
see STUDENT, page A-3 For reasons still unknown, Murrieta Valley High School junior, Diego Villarreal, who was also a member of the Nighthawk Football program, took his own life on Sunday, Aug. 2. Terina Matthews photo
see DRONES, page A-6