Category: Inland Empire

For the 12th straight year, all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations are launching the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, including right here in the Inland Empire. The goal of the annual cause marketing campaign is to provide people facing hunger with access to the food and resources they need to thrive. Here’s how it works: The campaign will run in stores and online from March 1-March 31, with three ways for shoppers to participate: By donating at check-out in stores or clubs or round up at Walmart.com and the Walmart app. By purchasing participating products* in-store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com. For every purchase of a participating product, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent** of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America partner food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details. By donating at Feeding America’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign donation site at either www.feedingamerica.org/walmart or www.feedingamerica.org/samsclub Since its inception in 2014, the campaign has generated more than $206 million and helped

Facing a $24 million deficit in its electric utility, the Colton City Council held a special meeting on Feb. 24 to review an electric rate study and discuss potential rate increases, with implementation targeted for October 2025. The workshop, led by the city’s utility rate consultant Amber Gschwend, examined the cost of service and financial sustainability of the city’s electric utility. The study, which forecasts rates from 2025 to 2029, aims to align costs with expenditures while ensuring long-term reliability, safety, and compliance with state mandates. City’s Financial Challenges and Proposed Adjustments Colton’s last base rate increase occurred in 2009, with decreases in 2011 and 2013. Measure D implemented a rate freeze from 2016 to 2021, leaving the city with a $24 million deficit before the implementation of an 8.5 cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) in April 2023. Gschwend outlined that power costs increased by $17 million in a single year, further straining the city’s resources. To address these financial concerns, the study recommends no rate increase in 2025, instead utilizing reserves to cover costs. Incremental rate adjustments would follow: 3% in

Why Advocacy Matters Riverside faces critical challenges that require persistent, strategic advocacy to secure the resources and policies necessary for progress. Effective advocacy helps position our city and region to secure state and federal funding for local programs and projects. When we do not engage our legislators and support groups in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., we forfeit opportunities to influence legislation that impacts our city. Given the sometimes volatile nature of state and federal funding, it is critical for local leaders to seek broad-based support for achievable and impactful initiatives. The instability of state and federal support creates uncertainty, making local leadership more crucial than ever. That’s why I’ve worked relentlessly with our partners in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to help bring over $300 million to Riverside. But advocacy isn’t just about money—it is about ensuring our policies align with local needs so our community thrives. Recently, I was honored to be selected as Chair of the Big City Mayors, a coalition representing California’s 13 largest cities. In this position, I am amplifying Riverside’s voice to shape the policies that directly impact our residents. Advocacy

Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worthy of your attention in the next week. This guide is part of our mission to provide everyday Riversiders like you with the information to speak up on the issues you care about. City Council City Council will meet in closed and open sessions on Tuesday, Mar. 4, in an afternoon session at 1:00 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes: Honoring business leader Matt Webb for Webb and Associates’ 80th anniversary and Shirley Coates, President of the Society of Extraordinary Women, for Women’s History Month. Reviewing the City’s acquisition of approximately $55 million in grant funding during 2024 that added 14% to the city’s operating budget. Human Resources Board The Human Resources Board meets on Monday, Mar. 3, at 5:00 p.m. (agenda) to review the City’s Personnel Policies and Procedures and receive its annual financial update on the City’s finances. Transportation Board The Transportation Board Board meets on Wednesday, Mar. 5, at 5:30 p.m. (agenda) to review a request for speed humps on Green Orchard & Ramona and consider a 12-month traffic pilot project that would only allow right turns from Sixth Street onto Market Street to reduce collision rates and

Long-legged fillies and colts, galloping and leaping soon after birth, are adorning the corrals in Pomona. The W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona has welcomed seven new Arabian foals, born on campus since early February. A foal born last month at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona nibbles on the hand of student Josiah Riggs on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) A foal born last month at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona is led to its stall by Breeding Coordinator Rebecca Herrera on Monday, March 3, 2025. Seven Arabian foals have been born at the college since early February, with two more expected in early April. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) A foal born last month at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona is seen Monday, March 3, 2025, in a stall with its mother. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) A foal born last month at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse

Johanna Wright had lived in San Bernardino’s Meadowbrook Park for about six months. In mid-January, the city conducted a sweep of the park, removing tents and other belongings and evicting the homeless residents while pledging assistance. But the help the former Meadowbrook resident said she had been promised never materialized, and now she’s worse off than before. “They just took us like a bunch of animals and threw us in a cage and then released us again. That’s how I feel,” said 52-year-old Wright, who’s been homeless for three years. According to city officials, addressing the needs of the 100-plus residents evicted as part of the Meadowbrook cleanup is a complex process. “Everyone’s willing to accept the motel room, that’s not the problem,” said Cassandra Searcy, the city’s deputy director of housing and homelessness. Getting all participants to follow the rules is the challenge, she said. “The responsibility has to be on that person. They have to be ready, they have to be ready. And everybody’s not.” Johanna Wright, 52, who has been homeless for three years, stands outside a San Bernardino convenience store with

The Ovitt Family Community Library in Ontario is celebrating Read Across America this week with events through Friday, March 7. Events are taking place this week across the Inland Empire and the country in honor of Dr. Seuss. The week-long commemoration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, encourages children to embrace reading, a city news release says. RELATED: How Dr. Seuss and Read Across America day intersect At the Ovitt library, 215 E C St., the daily afternoon family-friendly events include meeting local authors, Bingo for Books, Paws to Read and a book slumber party. Cataleya Martinez picks out a book with Andrea, her 7-month-old daughter, after winning during the library game Bingo for Books on Monday, March 3, 2025, at the Ovitt Family Community Library in Ontario. (Photo by John Valenzuela, Contributing Photographer) Kaylani Gonzalez, 5, of Ontario, looks for a book to take home on Monday, March 3, 2025, after winning in a game of Bingo for Books at the Ovitt Family Community Library in Ontario. (Photo by John Valenzuela, Contributing Photographer) Joseph Macias, 5, of Ontario, looks through his new book on Monday, March

After being eliminated from the CIF Southern Section Playoff Tournament, the Bears return to their home gym on Tuesday for the first round of the CIF State Playoff. Poly (22-10) will face off against Carlsbad’s Sage Creek High (21-9). This game will sell out! Get your tickets ASAP. Go Bears!

On a perfect Friday afternoon, on February 28, the last day of Black History Month, The Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, the Riverside African American Historical Society, and Riverside Parks co-sponsored the dedication of a tablet commemorating Booker T. Washington and Frank A. Miller’s ascent of Mt. Rubidoux. Representatives of the City, community groups, and, local churches gathered near the summit of the mountain. Some went up in vans, but most of the people walked the road to the top for the unveiling ceremony. Along with the incredible view, the effort spent to get to the summit dominated the conversation. It was a reminder that Frank Miller invited Booker T. Washington, On a nationwide fundraising tour for the Tuskegee Institute, to walk with him to the summit. Why was it so important for Miller that Washington saw Riverside from atop the Mount? In his speech during the ceremony, Councilmember Philip Falcone talked about the magical draw of the mountain. “There’s something about this place that this is the gravitational pull of Riversiders up this mountain sometimes every day, sometimes more than once a day. There is something about this ground, this

The Riverside City Council voted unanimously last Tuesday to purchase a vacant commercial building in Arlington Village, marking the city’s first step toward creating a dedicated redevelopment fund to support future revitalization efforts throughout Riverside. City Manager Mike Futrell calls the $1.9 million acquisition of the former auto parts store at the corner of Van Buren and Magnolia “unique” and potentially transformative for the Arlington area. “This is something unique that this city, and I don’t believe many cities have done since the dissolution of the redevelopment agency well over 10 years ago under Governor Brown,” Futrell said. “That is proactively take a piece of privately owned property which is in such distress that it will never change absent some outside force acting upon it.” The 8,550-square-foot building at 9518 Magnolia Avenue sits at what many consider the busiest intersection in Riverside, where Magnolia Avenue meets Van Buren Boulevard. The property includes 65 dedicated parking stalls and features 74 feet of frontage on Magnolia Avenue. The council approved $1,895,000 for the purchase price and an additional $300,000 for associated costs, including tenant improvements. The funds

When 11-year-old Solei Lockett stepped up to the microphone, she took a deep breath. Then she confidently recited the poem “Hey Black Child,” by Eugene Perkins. Solei was one of many students who stood on the auditorium stage at the annual Black History Bee in San Bernardino. In a format similar to a spelling bee, they fielded questions about the worlds of entertainment, politics, science and more — all reflecting the contributions and accomplishments of the Black community. Some contestants were asked to recite poems. “It’s a chance to highlight the students, a chance for them to shine and a chance for them to show us who they are,” Allynn Scott, an executive secretary for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, said. For 42 years, the Delta Rho Chapter of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. has hosted the bee in the district, where Black students make up 9.7% of the population. Jones Elementary School student Solei Lockett recites a poem as teammate Kenia Sandoval watches Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, during the 42nd annual Black History Bee at Indian Springs HIgh School in

A procession of the faithful greeted clergy and lay ministers on Ash Wednesday in Upland. The annual mobile service Wednesday morning, March 5, at St. Mark Episcopal Parish marked the beginning of Lent for commuters and others who could not attend a church service later in the day. Marking the forehead with a cross made of ashes is a traditional practice for many Christians on Ash Wednesday, signifying the start of a six-week period of penance leading up to Easter. Layman Serena Beeks of St. Mark’s Episcopal Parish waits to greet drivers during the “Ash and Dash” drive-through Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Upland. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Layman Serena Beeks and John Flasher of St. Mark’s Episcopal Parish greet drivers during the “Ash and Dash” drive-through Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Upland. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Layman John Flasher of St. Mark’s Episcopal Parish distributes ashes during “Ash and Dash” drive-through Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Upland. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) St. Mark’s Episcopal Parish greets

It may be a bit rainy, and that may affect the vendors on Main, but even if the outdoor events aren’t happening, the Museums and Galleries will be open. Grab an umbrella and embrace the romance of a puddle-stomping saunter from exhibition to exhibition. The Cheech Make sure you head upstairs at the Cheech for the new exhibit Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory. Mesa-Bains has been an influential artist for over fifty years, lending her unique vision to both the Women’s and Chicano movements through her art and activism. The large-scale installations explore femininity, culture, and religion. The pieces can be appreciated at scale, but your eye will be drawn to the intricacies. Some of the larger pieces contain hundreds of smaller items. The exhibition as a whole feels like a walk-through collage, unified and bold but rich in detail. RAM Joel Sternfeld: On this Site – Riverside Art Museum & The Cheech “Joel Sternfeld: On This Site” presents American landscapes with hidden histories, running from January 25 to July 6, 2025, in the Members Gallery. Sternfeld subverts traditional aesthetics by documenting ordinary locations that have

Riverside churches will observe Ash Wednesday this week with a variety of services, offering traditional ash impositions across denominations and languages to mark the start of Lent. All Saints Episcopal Church offers Ash Wednesday services with the Imposition of the ashes at 7:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 7:00 p.m. St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church provides Ash Wednesday Masses at 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m., and a bilingual Mass at 7:00 p.m. Communion services with ashes are held at 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. St. Anthony Catholic Church hosts Ash Wednesday services including Mass and imposition of ashes at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Angelus prayer and imposition of ashes at 12:00 p.m., and imposition of ashes from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Queen of Angels Catholic ChurchOffers multiple Ash Wednesday services: 7:00 a.m. (Spanish), 9:00 a.m. (English), 12:00 p.m. (Bilingual), 4:00 p.m. (Spanish), 5:00 p.m. (English), 6:30 p.m. (Spanish), and 8:00 p.m. (Spanish). First United Methodist Church of Riverside conducts Ash Wednesday 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. Christ’s Chapel Anglican Church holds Ash Wednesday services at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church offers a

The City of Riverside hosted community members at the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center (NAIC) groundbreaking ceremony. This pioneering project combines solar technology with farming to create climate-resilient agricultural systems. The ceremony took place Tuesday, March 4, at 900 Clark St., marking the start of construction on the 8.8-acre site that will transform vacant land into a hub for sustainable agriculture. “Riverside has a deep agricultural history as the birthplace of the citrus industry,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson says. “The NAIC is an opportunity to show the same level of leadership on ag issues into the coming century.” The project embraces agrivoltaics—using solar panels above farming fields—and solar PV greenhouses that generate renewable energy while supporting food production. Phase 1 of the multi-phase project includes approximately 50,000 square feet of solar PV greenhouses, 14,000 square feet of agrivoltaics, and a 14,000-square-foot solar PV pole barn. The initial phase also features a 30-plot community garden, outdoor farmer training facilities, trails, 450 trees, and basic utility and water infrastructure. When additional funding becomes available, Phase 2 will enclose the solar PV pole barn to create a co-work learning

Journalists covering disasters in Hemet may need permission in advance if city leaders approve a proposed resolution that’s drawing criticism from media organizations and First Amendment advocates. As drafted, the resolution would require the city to issue press credentials to journalists before they could gain access and report from the scene of a fire, flood or other disaster. It would be the first such policy among cities in the Inland Empire, if approved. At a Feb. 25 Hemet City Council meeting, City Attorney Steven Graham told the audience that an individual who identified himself as a member of the media showed up at a fire near Stoney Mountain Ranch. “He did not have any credentials, issued either by a press agency, by another jurisdiction, certainly not by the city because we don’t issue those yet,” Graham said. “We do recognize the valuable role of the media,” he added, “and we do recognize the changing times here. However, this is not a free-for-all. We don’t need looky-loos, we don’t need people who are untrained, we don’t need people who are going to be dangerous to themselves or

The month of February brought rain, mud, the continued high price of eggs and high school sports championship games. Our photographers captured these events every day. Here are the 45 best photos chosen by The Press-Enterprise, The Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Redla nds Daily Facts photographers. UC Riverside staff members strike over unfair labor practices as members of UPTE (University Professional and Technical Employees) and AFSCME 3299, representing UC service and patient care workers, march together across campus on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) UC Riverside staff members strike over unfair labor practices as members of AFSCME 3299, representing UC service and patient care workers picket along campus on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Riverside. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Students are reflected in a window as they move across the Cal Poly Pomona campus on beautiful spring-like day, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announces his intention to run for Governor of California at a press conference in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Photo by

It’s easy for me to find a reason to avoid going to the gym for a workout each morning, although after learning about Riverside’s Isaac S. “Ike” Logan, my attitude has changed, a little. I was impressed with how Logan rarely failed to answer the bell, in a manner of speaking, for his nearly 30 years of morning exercise. Between 1910 and 1938, Logan became known far and wide as the “alarm clock of Riverside,” according to one writer. With only a few exceptions, he would hike daily to the top of Mount Rubidoux just before 7 a.m. and pierce the morning air, ringing the bell at the top seven times. Logan actually had to use a hammer in later years to ring the bell after vandals stole the clapper. He would tell you it was exactly 1,910 steps from his house on Seventh Street, today’s Mission Inn Avenue, to the top of the mountain, matching the year he began his regular morning treks. Logan, a native of Nova Scotia, was certainly a fitness fanatic, and he’d relate to anyone who’d listen about his theories

Railroads and railroad travel were a large part of Frank A. Miller’s life. During his early life in Tomah, Wisconsin, his father, C. C. Miller, did railroad survey work. Frank joined his father in survey work when he was old enough. They often traveled by rail throughout the state.   The year 1869 marked a major triumph in railroad travel. The transcontinental railroad was completed, joining the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad in Utah. Now, people could go from coast to coast by train in a much shorter time and much easier travel conditions. Five years later, Miller’s first grand adventure on the rails was in 1874, when the family left Tomah, Wisconsin, to move to Riverside, California. They went by rail from Chicago to Omaha, Nebraska, where they transferred to the new Union Pacific, taking them across the plains and into the mountains. Finally reaching Oakland, the family took a ferry to San Francisco and then a ship to Los Angeles.   From Los Angeles, they traveled by train to the end of the line, which at that time was Spadra, west of