Temecula Valley News

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High School football season gets underway with Zero Week action, B-1

Clay Walker brings down the house at Galway Downs, C-2

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Serving Temecula , Murrieta , L ake E lsinore , M enifee , Wildomar , H emet, San Jacinto and the surrounding communities September 1 – 7, 2017

Local Residents speak up in federal water rights case

www.myvalleynews.com

Volume 17, Issue 35

Hatch Chile Festival spices things up in Old Town Temecula

Tony Ault TAULT@REEDERMEDIA.COM

More than a dozen Anza Valley residents trekked down to the 9th U.S. District Court in San Diego Wednesday, Aug. 23, and for the first time pleaded to the magistrate judge to lift stays on a 10-year-old water rights settlement case. see page A-3

Local Lake Elsinore Council questions TUMF fees Tony Ault TAULT@REEDERMEDIA.COM

Although the Western Riverside County Council of Governments has reduced some of its Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees this year, some members of Lake Elsinore City Council remain dissatisfied with its expenditures. see page A-5

Nate Garcia packages a fresh batch of charred Hatch chiles from the roaster during the New Mexico Hatch Chile Festival in Old Town Temecula, Aug. 27. See more photos on page A-7. Shane Gibson photo

Health Cancer task force aims to increase accessibility of care TEMECULA – Accessibility to cancer care for patients in southwest Riverside County is being evaluated by a Regional Cancer Services Task Force comprised of elected officials and representatives from throughout Riverside County. see page B-5

Entertainment Masterchef takes Luciano to mountains Stephanie Lai VALLEYSTAFF@REEDERMEDIA.COM

Team captain Dino Luciano brought the heat in Masterchef bringing him to the top 7 contestants earlier this week, farther than any local contestant has made it in the popular FOX network reality cooking competition. see page C-3

Murrieta couple enters ‘not guilty’ plea in child abuse case Kim Harris VALLEYEDITOR@REEDERMEDIA.COM

A Murrieta couple entered a “not guilty” plea Thursday, Aug. 24, in the child abuse case against them. Benjamin Matthew Whitten, 33, and his live-in girlfriend, Jeryn Christine Johnson, 25, both made their court appearances in person as they entered their pleas at their arraignment hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta Thursday, Aug. 24. The couple was charged with torture and cruelty to a child resulting in great bodily injury, as well as a slew of other charges. First responders were called about 10 a.m. to the couple’s Murrieta residence at 24001 Verdun Lane, near Mountain Pride Park, regarding a child in medical distress Tuesday, Aug. 15. The child, Whitten’s 5-year-old biological son, Feno, was malnourished and suffering from severe injuries that required immediate medical attention, according to

see ABUSE, page A-5

Benjamin Matthew Whitten, 33, appears at an Aug. 24 arraignment to enter his plea at the Southwest Justice Center. Whitten is charged with torture, cruelty and a variety of other related charges resulting in great bodily injury to his 5-year-old son who is currently on life support. Shane Gibson photo

Caltrans reviews new changes to the Florida Avenue raised median strip project during Open House Tony Ault TAULT@REEDERMEDIA.COM

INDEX Local ................................A-1 Sports ..............................B-1 Education ........................B-4 Health............................... B-5 Business ...........................B-6 Entertainment.................C-1 Calendar of Events .........C-4 Dining ..............................C-5 Wine Country .................C-6 Real Estate ......................D-1 Home & Garden..............D-1 Pets...................................D-5 Business Directory..........D-5 Opinion ...........................D-6 Blotter...............................D-6 Classifieds........................D-7

Caltrans District 8 Director John Bulinski talks with AMR Operations Manager Jack Hansen Jr. about the new synchronized emergency vehicle signal preemption that will be installed during the planned Florida Avenue raised median strip project that will begin in late 2018. Tony Ault photo

Caltrans District 8 Director John Bulinski joined a cadre of Caltrans engineers, Aug. 24 to update Hemet residents and city officials of the transportation agency’s plans to construct raised medians along the length of Florida Avenue from West Acacia in Hemet to the Ramona Expressway in 2018. Caltrans’ $9.5 million highway safety project quickly brought criticism from city engineers, councilmembers, local businesses and the chamber of commerce who saw portions of the median strip cutting off motorists trying to get to their businesses when it was announced to Hemet city officials late last year. Caltrans was confronted with consternation for not giving the

see FLORIDA, page A-6


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