Swimming pools fill a need and provide a splash of income, B-4
Prep football season gets underway with Week Zero games, C-1
A
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SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO August 27 – September 2, 2021
Local SJ Council censures jailed council member
VISI T
T HE NEW
AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
myvalleynews.com
Volume 21, Issue 35
TVHS students rally against racism, hate in support of VVHS students
Tony Ault STAFF WRITER
Kim Harris MANAGING EDITOR
While elected San Jacinto city Councilmember Joel Lopez, who refuses to resign his post, sits in jail awaiting trial on felony domestic violence charges, San Jacinto City Council took action to censure him during its Aug. 17 meeting.
A group of Temecula Valley High School students held a rally outside the school Monday, Aug. 23, to support cheerleaders and others from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley after unprovoked racial slurs were allegedly yelled at the VVHS cheerleaders by TVHS students during the Friday, Aug. 20, game. About 50 students took to the streets outside the high school bearing signs with messages condemning the alleged racist actions that read “I stand with the Valley View Cheer Team,” “All Students Deserve to Feel Safe” and “Hate Has No Home Here.” Temecula Valley Unified School District representative Laura Boss confirmed that an investigation is underway into the incident. “Temecula Valley Unified School District is aware of allegations regarding the use of raciallycharged language and racial slurs at a football game on August 20, 2021, at Temecula Valley High School,” Boss said in a written statement to Valley News. “It was reported that this involved comments and behavior towards students of Valley View High School, the visiting school from Moreno Valley Unified School District.” Boss said TVUSD “embraces diversity and strongly condemns
see page A-4
Health COVID hospitalizations continue to rise Kim Harris MANAGING EDITOR
COVID-related hospitalizations have ticked up again in Riverside County to 557 with the addition of 173 new patients over the past week, according to the Riverside University Health System. An additional nine patients were reportedly placed in intensive care units for the week ending Aug. 20. see page B-5
INDEX
see RALLY, page A-2
Anza Valley Outlook ......AVO-1
A group of Temecula Valley High School students hold a rally outside the school Monday, Aug. 23, to support cheerleaders and others from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley after unprovoked racial slurs were yelled at the cheerleaders by TVHS students during the Friday, Aug. 20, home game.
Business ............................... B-6 Business Directory............... B-6 Calendar of Events .............. B-2 Classifieds ............................ C-7 Courts & Crimes ................. C-8 Education ............................. C-4
Valley News/Scott Padgett photo
Entertainment ..................... B-1 Faith ..................................... C-5 Health .................................. B-5 Home & Garden .................. B-4 Local .................................... A-1 National News ...................... C-7 Opinion................................. C-5
Menifee celebrates the Students told to stay community’s new 101-foot home for not wearing tall firefighting ladder truck masks
Regional News ..................... C-6
USPS Postal Customer
VALLEY NEWS
Sports ................................... C-1
Harrison Hall, 4, is all smiles and decked out in a child-sized turnout outfit with a Menifee firefighter at the wheel of the city’s new 101-foot ladder truck. Harrison hopes he will be a real firefighter someday. Valley News/Tony Ault photo
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT #234
Tony Ault STAFF WRITER
The city of Menifee’s elected officials, firefighters and dozens of residents witnessed a formal
ribbon cutting ceremony for a new 101-foot, $1.2 million fire ladder truck strongly enhancing the growing community’s fire protection see FIRE DEPT, page A-6
Springs Charter School students Victoria and Drew Nelson have been told they cannot return to in person learning after the siblings refused to wear a mask at school due to their religious beliefs Aug. 19. Valley News/Courtesy photo
Kim Harris MANAGING EDITOR
For Springs Charter School students Victoria and Drew Nelson school has always been a good experience. The siblings are well known at the school for their positive attitudes and ex-
ceptional work ethic, but thanks to an incident that occurred at the Temecula school Thursday, Aug. 19, the two students won’t be returning to the school anytime soon. According to Gary Nelson, his see STUDENTS, page A-7