San Bernardino council OKs $13.8M Seccombe Lake Park revamp
Volunteers to place wreaths at Riverside National Cemetery in annual tribute
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Adam Schiff takes oath as California's newest US senator
Riverside County board approves new compact with deputies' union
By Joe Taglieri
By City News Service
joet@beaconmedianews.com
T
he Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new three-year contract with the union representing Riverside County sheriff's deputies and District Attorney's Office investigators, guaranteeing pay increases to members totaling 19% over the duration of the compact. In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board authorized implementation of the $164 million collective bargaining agreement
between the county and Riverside Sheriffs' Association, which takes effect immediately. It will expire on Dec. 9, 2027. Automatic pay hikes are at the core of the contract and apply to members in the "minimum and maximum range of all classifications," according to the terms. The first across-theboard hike, totaling 9%, will go into effect this week. The next auto hike, totaling 5%, will take effect on Dec. 11,
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Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, at far right, stands with Adam Schiff, second from right, as Schiff and other newly elected senators take the oath of office administered by Vice President Kamala Harris. | Photo courtesy of Sen. Alex Padilla's office
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dam Schiff, California's newest U.S. senator, took the oath of office Monday. Schiff, a Democrat, replaces Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed after longtime Sen. Diane Feinstein's death on Sept. 29, 2023. Schiff defeated Republican Steve Garvey in the November election, and Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed the former longtime congressman from Burbank to serve the remaining few weeks of the Feinstein-Butler term in office. Schiff, 64, served nearly 25 years in the House of Representatives and won more than 65% of the vote in the Senate race. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve all Californians as their next United States Senator," Schiff said in a statement. "My
family came to the Golden State when I was a child in the hope of finding a strong economy, safe neighborhoods and good schools. And we found all that we could hope for in each of these respects. "I will be a tireless advocate for Californians in every part of the state and work across the aisle to deliver on day one," Schiff said. Alex Padilla, California's senior U.S. senator, escorted Schiff across the Senate floor to where Vice President Kamala Harris administered the oath. “Throughout his career, Adam has been a tireless champion for middle-class families, working to lower the cost of housing and health care while protecting our fundamental freedoms,"
Padilla said in a statement. "As California and the nation prepare for the challenges ahead, I’m glad to have Adam Schiff as a trusted partner in the Senate." In a Jan. 3 ceremony, Schiff will be sworn in again for his full six-year term. "The work ahead of us will not be easy — nothing worth doing ever is," Schiff said. "But my promise is to work every day to deliver results, and make California's future brighter for all of us in this Golden State." "I recognize that I stand on the shoulders of giants," Schiff said in his statement. "Former Sen. Dianne Feinstein leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of courage and effectiveness. Nobody can ever fill her See Adam Schiff Page 28
immense shoes, but I will continue to be inspired by her example." Newsom appointed Butler in October 2023 to Feinstein's seat and on Sunday the governor announced that Schiff would take the office Monday "to ensure Californians have their duly elected representative seated as soon as possible." Butler resigned from the Senate effective Sunday, according to Newsom's office. Laura Friedman, a former assemblywoman and Glendale City Council member, will succeed Schiff representing the 30th Congressional District. She soundly defeated Republican Alex Balekian in November. Also on Monday, Schiff said he did not want President Joe
Motorcycle officer injures PS parade watchers; chief sidelines cycle fleet By City News Service
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Palm Springs Police Department officer who crashed his motorcycle into a crowd of people during a weekend holiday parade, injuring himself and nearly a dozen other people, remained hospitalized Monday, while the agency's fleet of motorcycles was taken out of service pending an investigation of the crash. Officer Kenney Merenda lost control of the motorcycle he was riding around 6 p.m. Saturday at Palm Canyon Drive and Amado Road, along the route of the See Parade crash Page 28
32nd annual Palm Springs Festival of Light Parade in the city's downtown area. Video shot by parade attendees shows the motorcycle traveling at a high speed as it veers into the crowd. PSPD Chief Andy Mills told KESQ on Monday that Merenda and two other people injured in the crash remained hospitalized, and that the department's motorcycle fleet was being temporarily grounded pending an investigation into the cause of the crash. Mills told the station earlier that the officer was