Jury selection begins for trial of man accused of hitting, killing bicyclist
Assistance center opens for residents, businesses impacted by Hilary
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VISIT CORONANEWSPRESS.COM
Thursday, September 07-September 13, 2023
Local. Relevant. Trusted.
VOL. 7,
NO. 137
Riverside County proclaims local emergency due to retaining berm breach
County agencies report flood damage in eastern Coachella Valley
By City News Service and Staff
By Staff
R
iverside County Tuesday proclaimed a local emergency due to a retaining berm breach at the Lawson Dump Site on Torres Martinez tribal land near Thermal. The emergency proclamation will be ratified Sept. 12 by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors at its next regularly scheduled board meeting, according to a statement from the county. "The eastern Coachella Valley suffered a massive amount of damage caused by flash floods on Friday and, as county emergency management crews were surveying the damage over the weekend, they found a retaining wall by the Lawson Dump had been breached," Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in a statement. "This is a public health emergency in addition to the flash flooding damage that was worse for the eastern Coachella Valley than Hurricane Hilary." The San Jose, Vargas, and Gamez mobile home parks have been under an evacuation warning since Saturday due to flooding, according to county officials. Evacuated residents can access a shelter with meals and services at the Galilee Center in Mecca. Water will be tested in the area to determine whether additional precautions will be necessary, but until then residents were asked to avoid contact with rainwater and runoff, county officials said. County teams responded and are testing materials, assessing community health
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ersonnel from the Riverside County Emergency Management Department deployed to Mecca and other eastern Coachella Valley communities Saturday to conduct assessments of damage from recent flash floods and coordinate with county departments and other agencies to start on road repairs. The Coachella Valley area was subject to a flood watch Friday afternoon and early evening, according to Riverside County officials. The valley's southeastern section received as much as nearly 3 inches of rain. As flood waters in some areas subsided, officials were able to see the resulting damage to several roadways and exit ramps that were completely washed away. The Riverside County Transportation Department reported a list of road closures for roads affected by flooding in the eastern Coachella Valley: -- Hammond Road in Mecca, from Grant Street to Avenue 68; -- 72nd Avenue in North Shore, westbound to Sea View Drive; -- Fillmore Street in Thermal, from Avenue 52 to Avenue 54; -- Pierce Street in Oasis, from Avenue 66 to Harrison Street; See Flood damage Page 32
Riverside-San Bernardino food bank joins Hunger Action Month campaign Flood damage at the Lawson Dump Site near Thermal. | Photo courtesy of Riverside County
impacts, supporting shelter operations and working to restore access points on 69th Street and Pierce Street in Mecca. "Ordered closed but never cleaned up, the Lawson Dump is considered to be the largest toxic dump in California and continues to threaten our communities," Perez said in a statement. "There are many concerns as the county team has been
working on this, and we are going to need the federal government and the state to help our communities." Supervisors also asked the governor "to provide and request all eligible State and Federal financial assistance to the County and impacted local jurisdictions," according to the proclamation. Officials advised residents in the flood-impacted area to avoid contact with
rainwater and runoff "until further notice" after water testing determines if additional precautions are needed. The emergency proclamation was scheduled to be ratified by the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 12. Officials said updates on this "developing situation" will be posted on social media via the handles RivCoNow and RivCoReady.
By Staff
S
eptember is Hunger Action Month, and Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino will join food banks nationwide to raise awareness about the issue of hunger and inspire public action "through donating, volunteering or advocating," the organization announced. Hunger Action Month focuses attention on food's impact on people's lives and explores how a meal accomplishes more than just physical nourishment. "When people are fed, futures are nourished, and individuals go from just living to truly thriving," according to FARSB. This is the 16th year Feeding America has organized the annual call to action. Feeding America describes itself as "the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization with a See Hunger Page 31