Keep Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and coroner together, report says

Splitting off the coroner’s office from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department isn’t cost effective and there are already measures in place for independent reviews of deaths of jail inmates and those killed by deputies, according to a report to be delivered Tuesday, March 12. The report from the county executive office to the Board of Supervisors recommends the department enter arrangements with neighboring counties to investigate jail deaths and deaths involving deputies’ use of force. The department led by elected Sheriff Chad Bianco is drawing up agreements with San Diego and San Bernardino counties to handle autopsies for those kinds of cases, the report added. In an emailed statement, Bianco said: “The Riverside County Sheriff’s office was very confident that facts would prevail over special interests and a biased, ignorant media corp. We will continue to provide the most transparent and professional service to our residents.” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said his department “will continue to provide the most transparent and professional services to our residents” following a report that recommends keeping the sheriff’s and coroner’s offices together. (File photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The

Clarissa Cervantes leads Ronaldo Fierro by 50 votes in Inland Assembly race

Clarissa Cervantes now leads Ronaldo Fierro by 50 votes for a spot in the November general election in the latest seesawing primary results for California’s 58th Assembly District. Cervantes — like Fierro, a Democrat and Riverside city councilmember — had 12,755 votes to Fierro’s 12,705 in results posted by the secretary of state on Monday morning, March 11. Related links Election 2024: Ronaldo Fierro leads Clarissa Cervantes by 168 votes in Assembly race Why all the negative ads in Riverside-area state Assembly, Senate races? Three 58th Assembly District candidates answer questions Election 2024: Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington avoiding runoff Why voter turnout in California is so low this year The neck-and-neck race has seen Fierro and Cervantes inch ahead of one another for second place in the 58th. Republican Leticia Castillo is in first and will advance to November. The 58th primary featured a flurry of negative ads attacking Fierro and Cervantes. Mailers and online ads funded by Sacramento super PACs called attention to Cervantes’ two DUI arrests and portrayed her as undeserving of voters’ trust. Under California’s primary system, the top two vote-getters

L.T. Gotchy’s Auto Club career allowed him to document Southern California landmarks

Editor’s note: The second in a two-part series. L.T. Holman Gotchy — his actual first name was L.T. — combined his love of history with his passion for photography, and he captured thousands of images of Southern California landmarks, trolly systems, railroads, and mountain and desert scenery. PART ONE: Legacy of L.T. Gotchy lives on in ‘remarkable’ photo collection in San Bernardino In the early 1950s, L.T. went to work for the Automobile Club of Southern California as a sign poster. It started out as as a temporary job, but evolved into a 37-year career of patrolling the mountains and deserts of Southern California, repairing and documenting signposts, inspecting Auto Club facilities, and helping stranded motorists. According to Morgan Yates, archivist for the Automobile Club of Southern California, “L.T. transitioned from the Signposting Department to the Service Patrol Department around 1956. The crews often spent several days in the field, and L.T. had an affinity for working in the more remote regions.” While working for the Auto Club, L.T. took thousands of photos. The images of the historic signs and their surroundings are a major

San Bernardino’s 7th Ward Forum Tackled Affordable Housing and Employment with Candidates Ortiz, Penman, and Incumbent Alexander

By Nathanael Hernandez, IECN/SBVC Film Student Intern The race for the San Bernardino City Council’s 7th Ward seat heated up as candidates Treasure Ortiz, James Penman, and incumbent Damon Alexander shared their visions for the city at a forum on Thursday, Feb. 8. The event, organized by The People’s Forum and live-streamed by KVCR Public Media, allowed each candidate two minutes to address critical issues facing the city, such as affordable housing and quality of life improvements. Moderator Vanessa Perez, Executive Director of the Time for Change Foundation, kicked off the forum by asking the candidates about their motivations for running for City Council. Alexander introduced himself as the elected American Legion District Commander, responsible for “10,000 veterans and their families.” Penman, a former city attorney, cited a lack of respect and opposition in the current City Council as his reasons for running, emphasizing that “this must change.” Ortiz, focusing on community needs, expressed her desire to improve public safety, street conditions, and build a better future for San Bernardino residents. The candidates were then asked about their plans to ensure affordable housing in light

Redlands’ A.K. Smiley Public Library will celebrate Patron Saints’ Day

This photo from 2004 shows a statue of identical twins Albert K. and Alfred H. Smiley outside Redlands’ A.K. Smiley Public Library, The library will present a program March 17, 2024, the brothers’ 196th birthday, about the Smileys and their philanthropic contributions to Redlands. (File Photo by Mark Avery, The Orange County Register/SCNG) Redlands’ A.K. Smiley Public Library will celebrate Patron Saints’ Day, the birthday of Redlands philanthropists Albert K. and Alfred H. Smiley, with a program 1 p.m. March 17 in the library’s Assembly Room. Presenting the program honoring the Smileys and their gifts to Redlands will be Larry Burgess, director emeritus of the A.K. Smiley Public Library, and library archivist Nathan Gonzales. Albert and Alfred Smiley, who were identical twins, were born March 17, 1828, in Maine and were educators before beginning careers as resort owners in New York state in the decades that followed the Civil War. After coming to Redlands in 1889, they created a public botanical garden known as Canyon Crest Park in the hills southwest of Redlands and were involved in many philanthropic projects in the city. Their impact

San Dimas educators receive mini-grants from Rotary Club of San Dimas

Three Bonita Unified School District educators recently received mini-grants from the Rotary Club of San Dimas that will support a campus wellness center, outdoor play areas and resources for math students. Steve Scott, president of the Rotary Club of San Dimas, with Rotarians Raymond Foster, Sean Casey, Marilyn Sparks, Anthony Porter, Rita McGee and Casey Cox, presented the $500 mini-grants during the Feb. 7 Board of Education meeting. In addition to the awards to Bonita district educators, the club presented a $500 mini-grant to Jonathan Medina, a teacher at Holy Name of Mary School in San Dimas. Bonita Unified School District educators receiving the grants are Somer Estrada and Susan Hsiung, teachers at Shull Elementary School in San Dimas, and Val Herrera, a counselor at Chaparral-Vista High School in San Dimas. Estrada, a kindergarten teacher, will use her grant to revitalize the school’s outdoor play area, according to a news release. Hsiung, a fourth-grade teacher, will use her grant to help boost math comprehension by purchasing learning tools called math manipulatives designed to help students to grasp complex concepts through an active, hands-on approach. Herrera’s

Fears for Gaza may take some joy from Ramadan observation, but will make spiritual component stronger

Though Mahboob Akhter’s grandchildren are not of the age of people who traditionally fast during Ramadan, they’ve decided to try it as a way to sense what other Muslim children who live in Gaza are feeling, their grandfather said. Ramadan is a monthlong holy period about to start during which Muslims around the world reflect on God’s blessings through intense prayer and dawn-to-dusk fasting. Typically, the night meal after sunset is a time for families and friends to gather, but in light of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the resulting humanitarian crisis Palestinians in the besieged Gaza territory are experiencing, several Southern California Muslims said their observances will be more subdued, making gathering more spiritual than festive. Imam Tarik Ata, right, leads people gathered for Friday prayer at the mosque at Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Friday afternoon, March 8, 2024. Ramadan begins on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) Men gather for Friday prayer at the mosque at Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Friday afternoon, March 8, 2024. Ramadan begins

7 Rite Aid stores closing in Inland Empire, a tough pill to swallow

Rite Aid, which filed for bankruptcy in October, is closing 22 pharmacies in California, almost one-third of them in the Inland Empire. We’re always taking it in the shorts. The goner list includes stores in Moreno Valley (24991 Alessandro Blvd.), Hemet (260 North Sanderson Ave.), Temecula (39782 Winchester Road), Fontana (9940 Sierra Ave.), Colton (2025 East Washington St.) and Redlands (700 East Redlands Blvd. Ste. A). Even the Rite Aid in Needles (1020 East Broadway St.) is closing. That’s gotta sting. There can’t be a lot of places in Needles to get a flu shot, and here’s one less. Notable for yours truly is the Rite Aid at 9650 Baseline Road (at Archibald) in Rancho Cucamonga. It’s where I’ve picked up a few prescriptions over the years, before my provider changed. It’s closing on Thursday. It’s lasted a long time. The pharmacy opened as a Thrifty Drug in 1973, a few years before cityhood. “The cones used to be a nickel,” reminisced Diane Williams, a retired councilmember, who in the early days would bring her kids. The adjoining 99 Cents Only store, she said, was originally

Report: Teens exploited low staffing, mismanagement in Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall escape attempt

Teenage detainees at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall exploited the facility’s understaffing in November to execute a coordinated escape attempt, during which one youth managed to scale a wall and reach a waiting car before he was apprehended, according to a new report from the Los Angeles County Office of Inspector General. The escape attempt on Nov. 3 lasted just 12 minutes, but exposed multiple points of failure at the renovated Downey facility housing nearly 300 juvenile detainees every day. Staffing levels were dangerously low as the shift began that night. The department had scheduled 100 staff members — the minimum needed to run Los Padrinos — for the shift, but only 40 showed up. The facility’s supervisors managed to cobble together a team of 64 to manage the juvenile hall’s 18 units by pulling officers from other assignments, according to the March 7 report to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) In Unit X2, where the escape attempt began, two officers were overseeing 14 youth, slightly above the state’s

University of Redlands will present ‘Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezin’

The University of Redlands School of Performing Arts and Conservatory of Music, with the Inland Master Chorale, will present “Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín” 8 p.m. March 16 in the University of Redlands Memorial Chapel. “Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín” is a concert-drama created by Murry Sidlin, president of the Defiant Requiem Foundation that tells the story of Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt concentration camp (Terezín) during World War II who performed Verdi’s “Requiem” while there. The University of Redlands performance will feature concert violinist Niv Ashkenazi playing one of the Violins of Hope, according to a news release. The Violins of Hope is a private collection of more than 60 violins, violas and cellos that, during the Holocaust, were stolen by the Nazis, abandoned by their owners or in concentration camps. The instruments in the collection have been restored, each accompanied by the story of its previous owner. Tickets for the March 16 performance are $15-$30, available at redlands.edu/sopa/.

More than 100 Fontana high school students will tour HBCU campuses

More than 100 high school students from the Fontana Unified School District have signed up to join a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) scheduled for March 17-22. Students on the chaperoned tour will visit campuses of schools such as Morehouse College in Atlanta, Alabama State University and Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Fontana Unified School District, which is partnering with On a Mission Youth Travel to organize the tour, will cover the costs of airfare, lodging and meals, according to a news release. During the campus visits, students will explore the origins of the institutions, learn their histories, tour the campuses, engage with college students and learn about the academic paths available at HBCUs. “We have had an extraordinary response to the HBCU tour,” Vernell Deslonde, the Fontana district’s director of college and career readiness, said in the news release. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students to discover and embrace their heritage, and visit college campuses that they can truly see themselves attending. The HBCU tour promises to be an educational, eye-opening and fun experience for all.” The

Chino Days Festival will feature music and family activities

The second annual Chino Days Festival, featuring live music, mini train rides and more, will be held March 16 and 17 at the Chino Civic Center, 13220 Central Ave. The free event runs 2-8 p.m. March 16 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. March 17. Featured bands are country Western tribute act Young Guns on March 16 and 1980s cover band The Flux Capacitors on March 17. In addition to live music and mini train rides, activities include inflatable games, writing and chalk art contests and food and retail vendors. This year’s Chino Days also features an alumni pie-eating contest between Don Lugo and Chino high schools, according to a news release. During Chino Days, residents will have the opportunity to buy retired city of Chino street signs at the Neighborhood Activity Center, 5201 D St. All proceeds from the street sign sale will go toward the Chino Youth Museum Foundation to provide programming for children in the Chino Valley, according to the news release. For information, go to cityofchino.org/chinodays.

This winning team at Dodger Stadium doesn’t use balls or bats

The man holding the keys to the Cadillac at Dodger Stadium stood in shallow centerfield last week admiring the view. “Just another day at the office,” head groundskeeper Jordan Lorenz said with a smile. The stadium was empty. Everyone was in Arizona for spring training. It was just Jordan and a few members of his team winding up their own spring training getting the playing field ready for another opening day. Jordan Lorenz has been the head groundskeeper at Dodger Stadium for almost 20 years, making sure the playing field is in top shape. (Photo by Casey McCarthy) “We give the athletes the canvas to play on, and get out of the way,” he said. “We don’t need anybody to know our names.” I’m not so sure about that. If you beat the traffic and get to Dodger Stadium early, (I know, good luck) Jordan and his team are the pre-game show. They take their positions with a hose, a rake and a line chalker to put the finishing touches on their canvas. You don’t hand Shohei Ohtani, Freddy Freeman and Mookie Betts the keys

Championing compassion at the Masters of Taste 2024 preview

As the Masters of Taste 2024 preview night gears up for the event’s seventh year, the event already boasts an impressive benchmark of funds raised thus far: $3 million raised for Union Station Homeless Services (USHS). Year after year, the consistently sold-out event manages to bring hundreds of Los Angeles’s best restaurants together at the Rose Bowl to host an incredible food event…which just happens to be a fundraiser for a great organization helping to alleviate homelessness and provide housing to those who need it most.  The restaurants and vendors attending the event are just as passionate and enthusiastic for the cause as the Union Station team are. The press preview this year was a night to challenge commonly held misconceptions and often-repeated fallacies and phrases regarding homelessness.  Benjamin Turkle of Boomtown Brewery adroitly countered the oft-parroted phrase “pick yourself up by your bootstraps”: “We’ve always been told that we need to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps,” he began. “But that’s very challenging when we don’t have bootstraps to pick ourselves up by. It takes a community…to lend threads to others so they can

Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica to stop in Baldwin Park

The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center, will make its first stop on its journey across the continental United States in Baldwin Park from March 14-17. Bringing The Wall That Heals to Baldwin Park, for the first time in city history, has been years in the making. Over 100 communities across the U.S. apply each year in hopes of being selected for one of The Wall’s visits, which offers a chance to honor the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Vietnam War. It bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.  Los Angeles County residents are invited to The Wall’s opening ceremony on Thursday, March 14, at 10 a.m. in the Cesar E. Chavez Amphitheater in Morgan Park (4100 Baldwin Park Blvd.). That evening, and every evening The Wall is in Baldwin Park, Taps will be performed at sunset by the Baldwin Park High School Band. The Wall That Heals will be open 24/7 and free to

Claremont Chorale will present ‘BACH-analia’ concert

The Claremont Chorale will present “A Musical BACH-analia,” a concert featuring music of Johann Sebastian Bach, 4 p.m. March 16 in Kingman Chapel on the campus of Claremont United Church of Christ, 233 Harrison Ave. Alan Wellman, the chorale’s artistic director, will direct the group in Bach’s Easter cantata “Christ lag in Todesbanden” (“Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds”) and other sacred choral works by Bach. The chorale will be accompanied by a 10-piece instrumental ensemble, along with Matthew Swartz, the group’s collaborative accompanist, according to a news release. For a lighter note, the concert will also include two pieces by Bach’s fictitious offspring, PDQ Bach (pseudonym of the late Peter Schickele), according to the news release. Tickets are $10-$20, available at the door or online at claremontchorale.org. Founded in 1968, the Claremont Chorale is a community of singers from the greater Claremont area in residence at the Claremont Community School of Music. The chorale presents three concerts each year and collaborates with the joint music program of the Claremont Colleges.

See early photos of Hemet and San Jacinto Valley at SAGE Society program

Dave Sisk will present “A Glimpse Into Yesteryear: Photos from the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley, 1879 to 1959,” showing photos from the Clarence Swift photo collection, when the SAGE Society of Hemet meets Tuesday, March 12. The program is 2 p.m. in the Ramona Room behind Miller-Jones Mortuary, 1501 W. Florida Ave., Hemet. Clarence Swift was a Hemet resident who collected photos from old-timers from the early days of San Jacinto and Hemet. Most of the photographs Sisk will show are from are from the 1880s to the 1930s, according to a news release. Many of the photos show the wealth of the early days of the area, featuring stately homes, hotels and commercial and public buildings, almost all of which no longer exist, according to the news release. In his presentation, Sisk will draw attention to overlooked details in the photos and will compare some old photos with what the same areas look like now, The collection also includes photos of people doing farm work, small shops and the earliest railroad in the valley, according to the news release. Sisk, who taught middle school for

These 20 Inland Empire schools won California’s top education award

Twenty Inland Empire campuses are relishing in the news that were named California Distinguished Schools for 2024. In Riverside County, Murrieta Valley schools saw three campuses win the award, while Riverside Unified had two winners. In San Bernardino County, the Chaffey Joint Union and Hesperia school districts each had a pair make the list. Across the state, 293 middle schools and high schools were cited, a California Department of Education news release states. The winners were announced Thursday, Feb. 29. The program recognizes two categories of schools. Some were honored for closing achievement gaps between students from “socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds” and others, the release states. Other campuses were cited for exceptional student performance. Seniors graduate from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, May. 24, 2023. The school was named a 2024 California Distinguished School and is one of two in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District to earn the honor. Alta Loma High School also was recognized. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Vista Murrieta High School students cross Clinton Keith Road on Thursday, Aug.11, 2022. The school was named a

Legal challenge to Chino Valley Unified’s notification policy prompts changes

The Chino Valley Unified school board has revised a parental notification policy that landed the district in court last year after the state’s top prosecutor said it violated laws safeguarding student privacy. In a 4-1 vote Thursday, March 7, the school board updated the policy to direct the district to notify parents or guardians any time students makes changes to their official or unofficial records. Previously, the policy demanded notification only in certain cases, such as when students changed their names or pronouns on school records. Emily Rae, an attorney with Liberty Justice Center, the group representing the Chino Valley Unified School District in court, said in a text Thursday the district reconsidered the notification policy in an effort to address some of a judge’s concerns. In October, San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Michael Sachs granted a preliminary injunction requested by state Attorney General Rob Bonta, preventing CVUSD from implementing portions of the notification policy. The original policy, adopted by the board in July, would have required schools to notify parents if a student requested to change their name or pronouns, sought access to facilities or sports

Redlands High Alumni’s Film Nominated for Two NAACP Image Awards, Hometown Screening in Rialto

Dr. Daniel E. Walker celebrated his mentee Bomani J. Story’s directorial debut film, “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster,” Monday with a private hometown reception and screening at Cinemark Bistro Renaissance Marketplace and XD in Rialto, California. Walker’s intention for the event was twofold: He wanted to recognize the Redlands native’s film, which is nominated for two 2024 NAACP Image Awards this year, Outstanding Independent Movie and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture, and also foster intersectionality between the finance, entertainment, and education sectors. Continuing his long-standing mission of connecting creativity and capital, Walker brought key members of the entertainment ecosystem to the Inland Empire to support the work of Story and to explore future investment and collaboration in the field of entertainment, media, and communications (EMC). Some of those in attendance were board trustees representing more than $80 Billion of investment capital, general partners of some of the leading entertainment-focused investment funds, major production companies, and accomplished actors, producers and a number of Dr. Walker’s mentees from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, UCLA Film School, AFI, and the USC Thornton School

Parole board to take another look at convicted Moreno Valley sex offender’s possible release

Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested that the state parole board take a second look at the approved release of a Moreno Valley man and convicted sex offender granted parole under a program based on a prisoner’s age and time served. Cody Woodson Klemp, 67, was convicted in 1994 for repeatedly raping his 14-year-old niece in his home in 1990. He has served 29 years of a 170-year sentence at the California Institution for Men in Chino. Klemp was granted parole in November under the Elderly Parole Program, which makes prisoners 50 or older eligible for parole hearings if they have served 20 continuous years of their sentence. A parole board panel determines whether an inmate is suitable for release based on age and time served, as well as whether diminished physical condition has reduced their risk of violence. The program, enacted in 2018, previously allowed for a parole review for inmates 60 years or older who had served a minimum of 25 years of continuous incarceration. The parameters changed in 2021. Klemp’s grant of parole at a parole suitability hearing — typically conducted by three