Category: Inland Empire

The Grow Conference is back! On February 27 and 28, 2025, this highly anticipated event will once again bring together farmers, food advocates, and agricultural experts to explore the latest innovations and challenges in sustainable farming. This year’s conference features an impressive lineup, including keynote speakers Christine Birdsong, Under Secretary for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Gary Nabhan, a renowned agricultural ecologist, ethnobotanist, and author. With their expertise, attendees can expect insightful discussions on the future of farming, food systems, and sustainability. Day 1 of the conference, held at the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center, is free to attend thanks to the generous support of Grow partners. With five tracks and fifteen sessions, participants can dive into topics such as regenerative agriculture, funding opportunities for farmers, the role of pollinator-friendly hedgerows, pasture poultry farming, and the connection between food systems and community well-being through the lens of Blue Zones. The evening of February 27 brings a special treat: a hyper-local farm-to-fork dinner at Riverside Community College District’s rooftop in downtown Riverside. Prepared by culinary students, this dinner will showcase the region’s freshest ingredients in a

This is the beginning of something new for the Gazette. YouTube turned twenty years old this month and has become an invaluable tool in that time. We use it for almost everything. YouTube is the Alexandria of Modernity, and it fits inside your pocket. I want to combine YouTube’s promise as a resource with our love for Riverside. I plan on writing these stories and directing you all to a YouTube video with content related to Riverside. Make no mistake—this is an exercise in nostalgia, but it is also a fun way to tell our story. I have selected some videos for future editions that feature some known Gazette subscribers. I am really excited about this series, and I hope it is as fun for you as it is for me. I came across a YouTube video of a watercolor by Don O’Neill. Many of you probably remember Don. He was a fixture in the downtown arts scene for decades. His grandson, Riley O’Neill, made a YouTube channel featuring Don’s magical renditions of the city we love. He is on a mission to bring light

Kristin, a Riverside local, has dedicated her life to wellness through yoga and advocacy. After practicing yoga and law in Riverside for two decades, she co-founded the Community Yoga Initiative (CYI) in 2018 to expand affordable and inclusive yoga outreach. CYI offers over 500 free yoga opportunities each year, focusing on the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of yoga. In addition to her work with CYI, Kristin co-founded the Community Yoga Center (CYC), Riverside’s first non-profit yoga school, where she leads teacher training and meditation courses. Kristin also shares yoga with incarcerated men through the Prison Yoga Project and is an instructor for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Water Polo Team. She is part of the organizing committee for the Ananda Yoga Festival, Riverside’s first outdoor yoga festival. What does Riverside mean to you? Riverside is where everything I love most in life began. It’s where Sean and I met and were married, where our daughters were born, and where I’ve built lasting professional and personal relationships. It’s a place of great love and community that has shaped my life in profound ways. What is your

Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire Staff and Member Companies Attend Meeting to Represent Region’s Industries. The post Secretary Stewart Knox of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency Met Inland Manufacturers in Riverside appeared first on InlandEmpire.us.

Over 1,100 high school students and 300 community members attended the 4th Annual Inland Empire Apprenticeship Expo at the Moreno Valley Conference & Recreation Center. The post More Than 1,100 High School Students Attended Inland Empire Apprenticeship Expo appeared first on InlandEmpire.us.

The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE) and the City of Murrieta cohosted a manufacturers-only breakfast and lecture at the Murrieta Innovation Center The post Inland Region’s Manufacturers Lean Into Lean Manufacturing Lecture & Factory Tour appeared first on InlandEmpire.us.

Murrieta’s Fireblast Global’s Lean Manufacturing Implementation Recognized Among Region’s Manufacturers The post Fireblast Global Receives Prestigious Innovation Award from Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire appeared first on InlandEmpire.us.

The Riverside City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an exclusive negotiating agreement with Adrenaline Sports Resorts Collaborative for a proposed $200 million adventure sports complex and mixed-use development that could transform a long-closed former golf course and potentially attract Olympic events to the city. The agreement marks the first step toward developing the 126-acre site in the city’s Northside neighborhood, where thevacant Riverside Golf Course has remained unused since 2009, costing taxpayers $1.6 million annually to maintain. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. How many years has Riverside missed taking their shots? Let’s take it,” said Councilmember Sean Mill before joining his colleagues in approving the six-month negotiating period, which can be extended twice for additional six-month terms. An aerial view of the planned Riverside Adventure Center showing the wave garden lagoon, main clubhouse, and surrounding recreational facilities that would transform the former golf course into a destination for both competitive water sports and family recreation. (Courtesy Adrenaline Sports Resorts) The proposed Riverside Adventure Center would include whitewater rapids, a wave garden lagoon for surfing, sport climbing walls, zip lines, an amphitheater, and extensive trails. The project

When Deivy, a 34-year-old Venezuelan refugee, arrived in Houston last September with valid documentation, he expected to join his pregnant wife and 11-year-old son in Riverside. Instead, he was detained, pressured to withdraw his application, and ultimately deported to Peru—despite following every legal procedure for refugee resettlement. His family remains in Riverside without him. This is one of many cases handled by the Human Migration Institute Riverside (HMIR), a local chapter of a national non-profit organization that services the refugee community. HMIR assists in placing and assimilating individuals and families granted refugee status under the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 1967 Protocols. It operates under the United States Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP), a partnership between public and non-profit sector institutions that is primarily government-funded and privately administered. He applied for and was granted refugee status under USRAP after following all prescribed steps to bring his family to Riverside. Approved by U.N. and U.S. agencies, they arrived in Houston on September 19, 2024. However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained Deivy over pre-existing tattoos. No details of the tattoos were available, but they had been

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, Feb. 25, in afternoon sessions at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and an evening session at 6:15 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes: Considering the $1.895 million purchase of a vacant building at the intersection of Magnolia Ave and Van Buren Blvd for a new police substation supporting the Arlington Village area with “neighborhood safety and accessibility.” Approving an amendment to the CalPERS retirement contract requiring an additional 0.5% contribution from senior police leadership for long-term pension sustainability. Considering authorizing up to $40 million in revenue bonds to rehabilitate a 197-unit affordable housing complex (3941 Polk St), extending existing affordability requirements with no cost to taxpayers. Considering Riverside Unified School District’s request for street closures and traffic modifications near Victoria Ave and 13th Street to accommodate construction of the new Eastside elementary school. Considering street closures near Mission Inn Ave. and

The rookie was back in town. San Bernardino product Jayden Daniels, a rising star in the NFL, met Saturday, Feb. 22, with fans at a trading card event. NFL player Jayden Daniels, a graduate of San Bernardino’s Cajon High School, appears Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at Rizo Sports in Riverside. He led the Washington Commanders to the NFL playoffs as a rookie in the 2024 season. (Courtesy of Fanatics) NFL player Jayden Daniels, a graduate of San Bernardino’s Cajon High School, appears Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at Rizo Sports in Riverside. He led the Washington Commanders to the NFL playoffs as a rookie in the 2024 season. (Courtesy of Fanatics) NFL player Jayden Daniels, a graduate of San Bernardino’s Cajon High School, appears Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at Rizo Sports in Riverside. He led the Washington Commanders to the NFL playoffs as a rookie in the 2024 season. (Courtesy of Fanatics) Show Caption 1 of 3 NFL player Jayden Daniels, a graduate of San Bernardino’s Cajon High School, appears Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at Rizo Sports in Riverside. He led the Washington Commanders to the

Following years of study and community feedback, the century-old Joseph Filippi Winery will continue to have a home in Rancho Cucamonga, albeit under ownership and possibly a new name. At its most recent meeting, the Rancho Cucamonga City Council agreed to place the historic winery and its future into the hands of National CORE, an affordable housing developer that is making its first foray into commercial development. Founded in 1916 as Regina Winery, and located at 12467 Base Line Road, Joseph Filippi Winery is the last substantial winery within the city. Rancho Cucamonga officials been working on plans for the winery since 2021, when current owner Joseph Filippi announced his plans to retire well ahead of the termination of his $1-a-year land lease with the city. Needing to find a new lessee to keep the property intact, per contract agreements, the city embarked on a series of town hall meetings in 2022 to vet various plans for the property. Aside from a couple mentions at City Council meetings, including residents speaking on the issue, however, the future of the winery remained unclear until this month.

By Donna Kennedy | Contributing Columnist Donna Kennedy was a features writer for The Press-Enterprise and is a former writing instructor. (Photo courtesy of Donna Kennedy) We’re surrounded by books. It’s inevitable, since my husband and I are old English majors who regularly add, but seldom subtract, from our collection. More books were added during post-doc study, and we keep them nearby as references. Sometimes our 17-year-old grandtwins need a classic novel or literary example. Some are old favorites we might want to read again. We’re not tempted by the latest best sellers unless friends recommend or loan them to us. We prefer treasures found at estate, library and neighborhood sales. On walks with our granddaughter, I check out the offerings at Little Free Libraries in the neighborhood. “Come on!” she scolds. “You have enough books!” “So do you,” I retort, when she loads books onto her arms. She’s subject to our influence and stacks her bedroom full of hardbacks and paperbacks as well. Our downtown neighborhood is quite literary, judging from the revolving contents of the three book boxes we visit. And we also

In today’s ever-evolving advertising landscape, getting lost in the digital noise is easy. However, one traditional medium continues to stand tall and deliver results: billboard advertising. The post How Billboards Help Local, Regional & National Businesses appeared first on InlandEmpire.us.

Since 2023, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has issued 475 violations to operators for noncompliance with its warehouse Indirect Source Rule that’s aimed at reducing pollution from warehouses in the Inland Empire and across Southern California. Many of these violations are concentrated in cities like Ontario and Fontana, which have over 40 violations according to AQMD’s data. Other areas, including Jurupa Valley, Chino and Rialto, have also become hotspots for violations. Officially known as the Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) program, the rule targets facilities larger than 100,000 square feet and incentivizes warehouse operators to reduce emissions through a points system. Operators earn points by using electric vehicles and installing solar panels to curb pollution from trucks and mobile equipment used in warehouse operations. AQMD reports that many operators have come into compliance, but also told KVCR and The Frontline Observer that violators could face fines. The agency emphasized that its first efforts will focus on reaching settlements that can include penalties or environmental projects. If no agreement is reached, cases may go to court. So far, AQMD says

Colton residents have until March 15, 2025, to choose the size of their new waste carts as part of the city’s transition to a state-mandated three-bin system—or they will automatically receive larger 96-gallon carts, city officials warned at the Feb. 18 council meeting. CR&R, the city’s waste hauler, mailed out postcards last week asking residents to select either 64-gallon or 96-gallon bins for trash, recycling, and organic waste. The new system, required under California Senate Bill 1383, will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025. “I want to let you know we sent out a mailer last week, and every resident will receive it,” said Beline Coderro of CR&R. “Residents will be able to choose between 96-gallon carts and 64-gallon cart lids. You have the option to choose one or the other by filling out the requested information.” Residents can return the prepaid postcard or complete the form online at this link. “We are trying to get the word out,” Coderro added. “With any questions, contact me or our customer service line at (909) 370-3377.” Councilmember Kelly Chastain urged residents to act quickly. “I know the

The Colton City Council honored Manna Donuts, a longstanding business in the community, during its Feb. 18 meeting, presenting owners Ngi Ly and Jennifer Ly with a “Business Focus” Recognition Award for their decades of success and service. Located in the Canyon Bluffs Plaza on Washington Street, Manna Donuts has been a fixture of Colton’s east-side business community for 35 years. The shop first opened in 1990 and has since become a go-to destination for locals and travelers alike. Originally from Cambodia, Ngi and Jennifer Ly moved to Vietnam before immigrating separately to the United States. Ngi arrived in Loma Linda in 1989, while Jennifer initially settled in Richmond, near San Francisco, before moving to Southern California to live with her brother. The couple reconnected through mutual acquaintances, married in 1990, and soon sought a business opportunity to support their growing family. When the previous owner of Mrs. Cooley Donuts decided to sell her store, the Lys seized the opportunity. Inspired by its biblical meaning, Ngi renamed the shop “Manna Donuts” to symbolize nourishment and generosity. Since then, Manna Donuts has built a reputation for