Category: Inland Empire

Lead pipes were banned in the United States in 1986. But dozens of Inland Empire school districts still had lead showing up in their drinking water in the past decade. California published its final report on lead in school drinking water in 2020. At that time, 18 of the Inland Empire’s four dozen districts and other education agencies had lead in campus drinking fountains or sinks, according to the State Water Resources Control Board’s last listing. The California Department of Public Health warns that lead exposure can harm a child’s nervous system and brain. Impossible to see, smell or taste, it can cause anemia. And very high levels can result in organ damage and lead to seizures or death. After testing, all these districts fixed the problems by replacing pipes, shutting off drinking fountains and adding filters to sinks. Still, many Inland students in recent years likely drank water with lead levels higher than the recommended standard. One of two new water fountains that replaced those with excessive levels of lead are seen at Victoriano Elementary School in Moreno Valley on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

Claudia grew up in Arlington Heights, but it wasn’t until the Mission Inn reopened in the early 1990s that she truly fell in love with Riverside’s history. That passion for local heritage stayed with her through a 35-year career in the insurance industry, where she rose to an executive role leading a nationwide operation. After decades of long hours and commuting to Orange County, Claudia retired and turned her focus to family and community. Inspired by her siblings’ “Walk of the Week,” she set out to visit all 149 of Riverside’s Cultural Landmarks—an accomplishment she now proudly claims. She deepened her involvement by joining the Old Riverside Foundation, Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, Riverside Museum Associates, Mission Inn Foundation, and Riverside Historical Society. She also became a member of the Riverside Woman’s Club and the City of Riverside’s Nonprofit Collaborative, staying engaged in preserving the city’s cultural legacy. Claudia and her husband raised their daughter here, and she’s proud to see her carry on their family’s Riverside pride—just as she once did, exploring a city that has always felt like home. What does Riverside mean to

A new California law is changing the way we park near crosswalks—and if you drive in Riverside, you’ll want to take note. As of January 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 413 (AB 413), also known as the “daylighting” law, is in effect. The goal? To make intersections safer for pedestrians by increasing visibility at crosswalks. Under this new law, parking is no longer allowed within 20 feet of any crosswalk—whether it’s marked or unmarked. If the crosswalk has curb extensions (those sidewalk bump-outs designed to slow traffic and shorten crossing distances), the no-parking zone extends to 15 feet. The idea is simple: fewer cars blocking sightlines means drivers can better see pedestrians stepping into the street, reducing accidents and close calls. For Riverside, where busy streets and pedestrian-heavy areas like downtown, Brockton Arcade, and university districts see a lot of foot traffic, this law could make a real difference. City officials are still working on the specifics of enforcement, but as in other cities across California, drivers should expect citations if they park too close to a crosswalk—even if there’s no red curb or sign marking

The City of Riverside Public Library is expanding access to books with the introduction of a new locker service at seven convenient locations throughout the city. The library held a ribbon cutting ceremony in the breezeway of the Main Library to celebrate the launch of the Library Locker program. The service enhances accessibility for patrons with a streamlined process for retrieving reserved materials. By placing lockers in community locations, the library extends its reach beyond traditional branch hours. Library Director Erin Christmas, who spoke at the ceremony, emphasized the convenience of the new system. “We understand that our community members have busy lives,” said Library Director, Erin Christmas. “These book lockers provide a flexible and convenient way for everyone to enjoy the resources our library offers. We’re bringing the library closer to where people live and spend their time.” The process is designed for simplicity: patrons can browse the library’s online catalog, select their desired book, and choose a locker location for pick-up. Once the book is ready, they receive an email or text notification, and can then retrieve their item using their library card

Hundreds converged in front of SpaceX’s Hawthorne headquarters on Saturday afternoon, March 1, to protest Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, along with decisions taken by the Trump Administration. The rally, which crowded both sidewalks along Crenshaw Boulevard, was organized by three democratic organizations: 5051, Indivisible and Westside Democratic HQ. The protest was dubbed “Destruction of Our Government by Elon” – a play on words of Musk’s task force. “Today, we helped people share their voice,” said Emily W., an organizer with 5051, an ongoing political action organization. “We’re non-violent. but we did prepare for violent counter-protesters, but we didn’t see any today. It’s been peaceful, we hope that it’s been inspiring to folks to keep fighting.” Hundreds lined Crenshaw Boulevard in front of SpaceX’s Hawthorne headquarters in protest of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency on Saturday, March 1, 2025.(Photo by Gene Blevins, Contributing Photographer) Zachary Mckinnon from Long Beach was among the crowd of hundreds in front of the SpaceX Hawthorne headquarters on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in protest of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. (Photo

Booker T. Washington had a busy schedule when he visited Riverside on March 22, 1914. Over the course of the day he gave four speeches. In each he talked about his childhood as a slave, the importance of literacy and education, and the Tuskegee Institute, the pioneering Black school in Alabama that he led (and traveled the country raising money for). At some point in the day, Washington was taken to the top of Mount Rubidoux by Frank Miller, the owner of the Mission Inn hotel and the city’s most influential figure. A photograph of the pair, Riverside spread below them, commemorates the visit. More than a century later, that photograph has provided the inspiration for a permanent memorial. On Friday, the last day of Black History Month, a plaque atop Mount Rubidoux was unveiled to honor the visit by one of the nation’s best-known Black leaders. How important is the photo to all this? “That’s what drove us,” said Claudia Rodriguez, who organized the effort on behalf of the Friends of Mount Rubidoux. “‘Hey, there’s this photograph.’” Among the many markers on Mount Rubidoux for

Things start to warm up a bit in March, Daylight Savings Time starts, and Riversiders spring forward into a packed calendar. Consider this document “live,” and feel free to let us know if there’s something you feel we missed. Women’s History Month March is Women’s History Month. Riverside has events honoring the wide range of contributions of women to both local and global history, from women wrestlers and classical music to Civil Rights legends. Let’s all take some time to celebrate women in March. March 1st: Lucha Screening – Film Festival Civil Rights Institute March 2nd: Composing Women Calvary Presbyterian Plática at The Cheech – Amalia Mesa-Bains with Judy Baca March 6th: Museum of Riverside at Artswalk – Dolores Huerta Steps of the Museum of Riverside during ArtWalk Palabra @ The Cheech RCAA: Mind the Gender Gap II and Ramona High School: Phenomenal Women reception. March 8th: HMIR Women’s Day Universalist Unitarian Church Community Events Riverside really has become a city with a broad range of cultural options. Live theater, music, historical presentations, and plenty of other activities make it more likely that you have to choose between multiple great events

Greetings, you musketeers of merriment! Last week, we explored the joyous and creative world of laughter, discovering its power to connect us to the world and inspire creative thinking. Maybe you unleashed your inner comedian at a local watering hole, then captured the contagious joy from your set through photography? Did you find an empty room to sound out your different laughs, then test them on unsuspecting family members or checkout clerks? If you did, I hope you let them in on the joke!  This week, we return to the physical plane with a creative focus on an object that can be the bane of writers like me: a blank sheet of paper. Its emptiness can evoke feelings of fear, doubt, and even paralysis. But that’s just self-doubt doing its job. In fact, a blank sheet of paper holds a universe of creative possibilities waiting to be explored.  The pressure to fill the void with something meaningful, something perfect, can sometimes prevent us from even starting.It’s one reason I procrastinate. And the reason why I didn’t give you a writing activity this week! In a world dominated by digital screens, the simple act of engaging with a blank sheet of paper can be a

Local athletes continue to make headlines with championship runs, historic milestones, and crucial matchups ahead. Boy’s CIF Basketball Ramona Ramona Basketball got the semifinal win away at Elsinore. It will compete for the CIF-Southern Section Division 4AA Championship against Santiago (Garden Grove) This Saturday, March 1, at Toyota Arena in Ontario. Senior Forward duo Troy Terell and Andrew Green lead the Rams with a combined total of over 800 points scored this season. Tickets can be found here. Poly After their dramatic win against Rancho Verde in the quarterfinal, Poly was unable to get it done against Fairmont Prep in the Semis. They have been eliminated from the Southern Section playoff but have qualified for the state tournament in Sacramento. We will keep you updated on their upcoming games when the bracket is drawn on March 2. Going Back to Cali Taran Armstrong is returning to California after signing a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors. There have been many exciting players to come through the Lancers basketball program in the NCAA era. Among the most exciting is Taran Armstrong. He was known for his maximum effort and flashy passes. Even though

Drivers are being reminded to plan ahead for nightly closures on the 71 Freeway in Corona that begin Monday, March 3, and will require motorists to take detours. The weeknight shutdowns are set to take place between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and midnight to 6 a.m. Fridays, resulting in all three southbound 71 lanes being taken out of service from Butterfield Ranch Road in Chino Hills to the 91 Freeway in Corona, a nearly seven-mile stretch, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission. The weeknight closures are scheduled from Monday, March 3, to Friday, March 28. A similar closure occurred through part of September for the agency’s 71/91 Interchange Project. The nighttime closures are needed to “allow construction crews to safely remove support structures from the recently constructed new sections of the connector,” according to an agency statement. Periodic lane closures on the east- and westbound 91 also may be required during the work. Officials advise drivers who use the 71 to consider alternate routes, including the 60 Freeway, the 57 Freeway and the 15 Freeway to reach destinations normally accessible

By Greg Archer | Contributing Columnist Inland Empire Community Foundation is offering more than 30 scholarships to Inland Empire students. The 2025 scholarship season has been streamlined, allowing students to apply directly with a common scholarship application. Awards range from $1,000 to more than $5,000 and many scholarships are renewable. The application deadline is 5 p.m. April 15. While scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors and current college students, undergraduate or graduate, adult reentry students and students with financial needs, including middle-income families, can apply. Students attending community colleges or career/technical schools or four-year universities are also encouraged to apply. A diverse range of scholarships is available. Recipients of the 2023 Dr. Horace Jackson Legacy Scholarship Fund are, from left, Isaic Lujan, Oscar Alvarez and Alyssa Martinez. Kaci Ginwright is not pictured. (Courtesy of Inland Empire Community Foundation) Qualifications include: a minimum 2.0 GPA; a commitment to education; potential college success; participation in community service, extracurricular activities and/or work experience; being a current resident of Riverside County or San Bernardino County for at least one year; and demonstrating a need for assistance to

The Rialto City Council has extended a moratorium on new warehouses to give the city more time to study zoning issues that led to the freeze last month. City staff had recommended extending the ban for 10 months and 15 days, a common practice in other cities where such bans have been enacted, but the council sought a different approach at its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 25. “We had asked that staff move in a much faster manner to address the zoning issues,” Councilmember Ed Scott said, “and I think 10 months is a long time.” The council unanimously approved a six-month extension of the moratorium, which is set to expire Aug. 26. In January, the council approved a temporary ban on warehouse projects not already in the pipeline after residents and city officials voiced concerns about the city’s growing number of warehouses and their potential impact on traffic, air quality and quality of life. According to officials, the city has no regulations or standards in place that would prevent a large  warehouse, for example, from being built next door to or across the street from

Welcome back, you Mad Hatters! Last week, we steeped ourselves in the creative potential of teabags, discovering their muse-like ability to inspire new art, photography, and even mindfulness practices. Did you manipulate a teabag masterpiece ready for the Met? Did you get a chance to spill the tea and then turn that tea stain into a Rorschach test? Even if, like me, you switched right back to coffee, I hope the moments you took for yourself echo throughout the day. This week, I challenged my writing collaborator, Gemini Advanced, to come up with a non-physical object for our creative focus. No surprise, it really thought outside the box (stardust, unicorn horns, mermaid scale…I believe my writing partner is ten years old and knows me well), but her suggestion of laughter really grabbed my attention. And no surprise, laughter is a big part of my life, especially in times of challenge or uncertainty.  I use laughter to point me towards what is true and useful; it releases stress; it can knit together a roomful of strangers; it’s contagious – spreading like a refreshing breeze through a crowd, leaving a trail of smiles and good cheer in its wake.Laughter is a language

Poly vs. Rancho Verde Poly ended up with the CIF Quarterfinal win over Rancho Verde 49-47 on Tuesday night. The two teams ended the regular season tied for the top of the Ivy League. They had split their two in-season matches, with each team losing on their home floor. Both teams played excellent defense in the second half and held their opponents well under their season-scoring averages. A few clutch free throws in the final minutes and a standout closing performance in the face of “OVERRATED” chants by JRob Croy were enough to send Poly to play Fairmount in Anaheim in a Semifinal match on Friday, February 21, @ 7 p.m. RCC Invitational Riverside City College will host its 17th annual track and field meet on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, a highly competitive event featuring a mix of NCAA Division I and II schools. This year’s meet is particularly notable as it marks the first appearance of UC San Diego. The lineup also includes returning Division I programs UC Riverside, University of San Diego, and Cal Baptist, along with Division II competitors Azusa Pacific University, Cal State

Riverside artist Rebecca Waring-Crane is using the power of art to bring attention to the often-unseen crisis of childhood hunger in our community. Her latest project, “Article 24,” builds upon the powerful message of her previous work, “Empty,” and invites the public to become active participants in raising awareness and fostering change. Waring-Crane’s inspiration stems from the sobering statistic that 16,553 elementary school children in Riverside qualify for the federal free lunch program. This fuels her artistic exploration of the challenges faced by these children and the critical role of community support. Her earlier project, “Empty,” featured 504 ceramic spoons suspended from a wooden framework, each spoon representing ten children struggling with food insecurity. This visual representation powerfully conveyed the scale of the problem within the Alvord Unified School District. The project wasn’t just about art; it was a catalyst for dialogue. Waring-Crane organized a panel of regional leaders from organizations dedicated to combating poverty, homelessness, and hunger, further amplifying the conversation and connecting art with real-world action. “Food insecurity isn’t a common artistic focus. For Article 24, I lean into art’s capacity to engage viewers

Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley announced on Thursday, Feb. 27, that she has formally appealed her removal by Mayor Karen Bass, escalating an already contentious political battle. The uphill fight now shifts to the City Council, where Crowley will need support from at least 10 of 15 council members to be reinstated–an outcome that remains highly uncertain. “Today I notified the City Council of my appeal as provided for in Los Angeles Charter, Article V, Section 5.08(e), due to Mayor Bass’s removal of me, on February 21, 2025, from the position of Fire Chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department,” Crowley said in a statement. Mayor’s spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement Thursday that “former Chief Crowley has the right to appeal her dismissal.” After the firing, the mayor’s office said Crowley had chosen to exercise “her Civil Service rights to stay with the Fire Department at a lower rank.” However, it remains unclear what position she has been assigned, as the mayor’s office did not directly answer that question Thursday. Mayor Karen Bass takes questions during a press conference announcing

Chris Kluwe, the former NFL punter who garnered national attention this month for his protest against a plaque at the Huntington Beach Central Library with a MAGA reference, said Thursday he had been fired from his coaching job at Edison High School. Kluwe, a former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, had coached freshman football for five years at Edison, part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. He said he was called into a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27, with Edison’s athletic director and the assistant principal of supervision, “And they said … based on what’s going on we just feel it’s too much attention and we have to let you go.” Kluwe said he was offered the chance to resign, but he told them no “because I wanted people to see what MAGA actually means for a community and that this will not make our community better, it’s taking away a resource from the kids.” School officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kluwe was detained by police officers after he took a few steps toward the City Council dais

Many of you were taken by the story here of Joan Crawford’s fond “big sister” relationship to two twins in Riverside, which presented a softer side of the steely actor. “I have a feeling that Joan Crawford has been demonized unnecessarily,” muses reader Brent Davidson. Or as reader Richard Armour of Rancho Cucamonga chimes in: “So I guess the next logical movie sequel is ‘Sister Dearest’?” Many of the details in my Jan. 26 column came from a 1963 Riverside Press feature on Crawford’s day with Tommy and Charlie Moss while she was here filming “Strait-Jacket.” Here’s one further, and funny, anecdote. Let me set it up first. Crawford’s fourth and final husband, Alfred Steele, was Pepsi’s chairman of the board until his unexpected death in 1959. Crawford was then voted onto Pepsi’s board, as its first woman, and traveled up to 100,000 miles a year as the company’s goodwill ambassador. Back to Riverside. As recounted here, on the hot August day in which the boys rode with her in her limo, Crawford suggested they stop at a grocery store for a watermelon to share.