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M O N D AY, A U G U S T 28- S E P T E M B E R 03, 2023
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Some Cathedral City residents now able to leave home, reenter neighborhood
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athedral City officials announced Thursday that some residents were able to leave their homes and reenter their neighborhoods after being unable to do so for days due to flooding from Tropical Storm Hilary. Residents living along Horizon Road were able to navigate in and out of their homes Thursday morning, according to Cathedral City Communications & Events Manager Ryan Hunt. He said crews and supporting agencies worked overnight and cleared mud from the roadways, particularly along Date Palm Drive between Vista Chino and 30th Avenue, which opened two lanes in each direction by 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Road closures still in place in Cathedral City are: Vista Chino between Date Palm Drive and Avenida Maravilla, and Los Gatos Road at Date Palm Drive to Avenida La Vista.
By City News Service Crews expect to begin sweeping arterial streets next week and move into residential neighborhoods soon after, according to Hunt. City officials asked residents who are concerned about their properties being deemed uninhabitable to call the Building Department at 760-770-0340 for guidance about safely occupying the building and about permits needed during cleanup. Hunt said crews with the city’s public works, police and fire departments, along with supporting agencies, progressed into the recovery stage of storm response Tuesday as they continued responding to areas impacted by flooding. “I’ve been so inspired by this community’s ability to come together during this unprecedented tropical storm, and I assure you that our staff is working aggressively in its response
to cleanup and recovery efforts,” Mayor Rita Lamb said in a statement Tuesday. People looking to volunteer and help with the cleanup efforts on private properties can report to Vista Chino near Panorama Road and Horizon Road to a designated Volunteer Command Post Hunt said. Cathedral City economic development director Stone James and the city’s code compliance manager Justin Gardiner will be on site to coordinate. Instructions will be given after check-in and volunteers will be moved into clean-up areas before checking out with city staff, according to Hunt, who encouraged volunteers to take gloves, shovels and wheelbarrows if possible, and to show up prepared with plenty of water and sunscreen and dress for high heat conditions. City Manager Charles McClendon declared a local
An SUV is stuck in the mud on Date Palm Drive. | Photo courtesy of the Cathedral City Police Department/X
emergency Monday due to unprecedented rainfall and flooding of roadways. The Palm Springs Air
Museum set up a fundraiser Wednesday to help residents of Cathedral City recover from the storm, according to
museum officials, who said See Cathedral City Page 24
Police seek public’s help finding gold stolen during burglary series
Menifee students reach across Pacific to uplift Maui youths devastated by fires
By City News Service
By City News Service
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See Burglary Page 23
See Fires Page 23
bout a dozen ounces of gold stolen during a burglary in Riverside was not in the possession of the convicted felon accused of taking the precious metals, prompting police Thursday to ask for the public’s help tracking down the merchandise. Michael Scott Sturm, 37, of Colton was arrested last week following a joint investigation by the Riverside and Colton police departments. Sturm is charged with four counts of burglary, two counts of grand theft and two counts of possession of controlled substances for sale. He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Friday and is slated to return to the Riverside Hall of Justice for a felony settlement conference Tuesday. Sturm is being held on $120,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, on July 19 and 20, the defendant allegedly burglarized Hollywood Threading, Gra Pow Restaurant, Coldstone Creamery and Men’s Club Barbershop. Railsback alleged that Sturm punched through the ceilings of each venue, crawling
tudents at a Menifee school are sending messages of encouragement to youths devastated by the Maui fires, offering words of hope and consolation, trying to boost the children’s spirits at a time when the full impact of the blaze is still uncertain, officials said Wednesday. “Fostering empathy is a cornerstone of our ‘Student Success Profile,’” Menifee Union School District Superintendent Jennifer Root said. “Without a doubt, our students are living this value and uplifting the spirits of Maui residents during a crucial period.” The idea of sending homemade cards with special messages originated with Bell Mountain Middle School Assistant Principal Charles Libolt, who contacted Ned Hocking at Maui Waena Intermediate School in Lahaina, the epicenter of the blaze, located on the west end of the island. Hocking said his students and others were in desperate need of positive words. Last week, Bell Mountain youths began composing the cards, which included messages like, “With every storm, there is a rainbow,” “Hugs from the mainland” and “Braver than you