Semifinal round knocks out all but one; Orange Vista finals bound, C-1
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Lake Elsinore area students honored in October, C-5
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SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES November 24 – 30, 2023
Local News CHP seeks public’s help on fatal pedestrian incident on Lake Elsinore freeway on-ramp
VISI T myvalleynews.com
Volume 23, Issue 47
8th Annual Austin Gorrell Memorial Baseball Classic held for area teams
Valley News Staf f
Late Sunday night, Nov. 19, a pedestrian was fatally struck in a hit-and-run incident on an Interstate 15 on-ramp, prompting an extensive investigation by the California Highway Patrol. see page A-8
Local News Children suffer in school bus collision, DUI suspected
TEMECULA – On Friday, Nov. 17, at approximately 3:25 p.m., a three-vehicle traffic collision occurred on Butterfield Stage Road just north of Pauba Road in the unincorporated area of Riverside County. see page A-8
A Murrieta Mesa player slides in safely at home plate in their opening game of the 8th Annual Austin Gorrell Memorial Baseball Classic, which took place November 17-21. See the story and more photos on page C-2. Valley News/Furubotten Photography
TVUSD hires new superintendent Jessica Ussher Valley News Investigative Repor ter
INDEX Anza Valley Outlook ......... D-1 Business ............................B-7 Business Directory .............B-7 Calendar of Events .............B-4 Classifieds .........................C-7 Education ..........................C-5 Entertainment ...................B-5 Faith................................. D-5 Health ...............................B-1 Home & Garden ................B-6 Local ................................A-1 National News ...................C-7 Opinion.............................C-7 Real Estate ........................B-8 Regional News ...................C-6
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Sports ................................C-1
Dr. Gary Woods was selected to be the new TVUSD superintendent. Valley News/Courtesy photo
The Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to hire Dr. Gary Woods as its new superintendent during the Nov. 14 regularly scheduled board meeting. The vote comes after a nationwide search, followed by narrowing the candidates who applied to a field of finalists and interviews by the board. “I could not be more satisfied with the rigorous process undertaken by the board in selecting Dr. Woods for appointment as the next Superintendent of our district,” said Dr. Joseph Komrosky, President of the TVUSD Board of Trustees. “Dr. Woods is highly qualified for this position and certainly demonstrated through this
process a passion for advancing the educational well-being of our community’s children. I cannot wait for the TVUSD community to get to know Dr. Woods and see him in action.” Komrosky’s views were shared by the board majority members Danny Gonzalez and Jennifer Wiersma who spoke of Dr Woods’ tenacity, fitting credentials and experience for the position. Gonzalaz said, “This is exactly what this district needs.” However, the two minority board members were critical of the selection process and alleged a lack of transparency throughout the deliberations. Board member Steven Schwartz said that although it was stipulated in the contract, the board signed with the firm Hazard, Young and Associates (HYA), as see TVUSD, page A-2
Holt Ministries and Cornerstone Church gives away 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to Valley families Tony Ault Staf f Writer
On Saturday, Nov. 18, the Lake Elsinore Elks Lodge in Wildomar was the site of hundreds of family cars being ushered through its parking lot to pick up fully stocked boxed Thanksgiving holiday meals with Butterball turkeys and all the trimmings. Families welcomed the efforts of more than 50 volunteers handing out the 1,000 boxes of Thanksgiving holiday meals to families across the Valleys. The volunteers from Holt Ministries, Cornerstone Church, the Elks and others were rewarded with the smiles and a sincere “thank you” from those receiving the boxes and their own personal feeling of the true thankfulness in giving. The Thanksgiving meal giveaway is perhaps the largest in the valley and the result of a message from God, says Davis Holt, Holt Ministries Evangelist, who for the past nine years has seen the turkey meal giveaway grow from just a see GIVEAWAY, page A-7
Elks and Holt Ministry volunteers Wayne and Sue Zamora, Toni Hench, Renee Punzel and Charlotte Myers load a complete Thanksgiving meal with a Butterball turkey and pumpkin pie to a happy family’s car Nov. 18 at the Wildomar Turkey Giveaway. Valley News/Tony Ault photo