Hemet police chief closes career; new chief named
Woman to be arraigned on charges in storage unit break-in
Pg 32
Pg 17
VISIT CORONANEWSPRESS.COM
Thursday, December 28, 2023-January 03, 2024
Local. Relevant. Trusted.
VOL. 8,
NO. 153
Pair alleges Temecula school board president violating free speech
Crackdown on narcotics smuggling in jail system nets 9 arrests
By City News Service
By City News Service
A
two-month investigation into drug smuggling throughout the Riverside County correctional system netted nine arrests, with the majority of the suspects in custody Dec. 21. According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the probe was initiated in October to ferret out sources of the fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine being funneled into the county's five jails. Sgt. Ken Thurm said multiple alleged smugglers, in-custody and out of custody, were ultimately identified, resulting in probation searches and warrants being executed earlier this week. "As a result of the searches, deputies seized three handguns, a rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, a ballistic vest, fentanyl pills, brass knuckles and 80 grams of methamphetamine," Thurm said in a statement. Randy Carey Jr., 48, of Homeland, was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances for sale. He was released from Joseph Komrosky. | Photo courtesy of Joseph Komrosky, PhD/X. Julie Geary. | Photo courtesy of Julie Geary/X
T
he president of the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, along with the board itself, are facing a federal civil rights lawsuit over his alleged arbitrary use of a "penalty card system" to remove people from board meetings, which the plaintiffs argue is a violation of their First Amendment rights. TVUSD teacher Julie Geary and Temecula Middle School Parent-TeacherStudent Association President Upneet Dhaliwal filed their suit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, represented by the First Amendment Coalition and the ACLU of Southern California. The suit alleges that TVUSD President Joseph Komrosky has engaged in conduct that has led
to the "deprivation of the plaintiffs' federal and state constitutional and statutory rights," specifically the First Amendment guarantee to freedom of speech, and the California Brown Act provision for the ability to attend and express thoughts and concerns during public meetings. The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief in the form of a federal cease-and-desist order. Komrosky did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the plaintiffs, after the defendant in June implemented an "expulsion process," later approved by the entire board, he began using it to "chill the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs" by having them booted from meetings whenever they
said or did something that caused him discomfort. The process has entailed use of a "penalty card system loosely borrowed from soccer matches," according to the suit. Komrosky explained at the outset of the process that the system was a means to save time. One card is yellow for a warning; the other card is red for "you're out," he said. "A disruption can be a loud outburst, or even something like constant talking in the rear that causes one of the board members and staff here to lose the ability to concentrate and thus govern properly," Komrosky said. "Also, when people are commenting, no yelling. There's going to be controversial comments coming from both sides. Be respect-
ful and let people talk ... I expect you to follow the rules of proper decorum." Those who are redcarded have been expected to self-escort themselves to the exit, but in instances where they don't immediately leave, security personnel have been summoned to show them the door, according to the suit. Dhaliwal and Geary have both been ejected from meetings, but the plaintiffs argue the bases for the ejections were flimsy at best. Geary was red-carded on July 18 and Aug. 9. The first instance stemmed from her openly questioning Komrosky's decision to bar two people from further comments after one, Pastor Tim Thompson, said a Temecula Valley board
See Temecula school Page 32
See Narcotics Page 31
Christmas tree recycling highlights composting in Riverside County By City News Service
C
hristmas trees can be recycled, so rather than dumping them in the trash, leave them on the curb or take them to Riverside County landfills to be turned into mulch, officials said Tuesday. According to the Department of Waste Resources, county residents can ensure trees are reused for environmental programs by participating in the agency's curbside pickup program, or taking seasonal firs directly to landfills and other drop-off locations countywide. Tannenbaums must be stripped of decorations, including lights and tinsel, before they can be recycled. Trees that are more than 4 feet tall should be cut in half, officials said. Flocked trees are not accepted and should be chopped up and discarded in refuse bins. Most trash haulers serving the county retrieve firs for recycling in the two-week period after Christmas. Those See Christmas tree Page 31