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Riverside Independent_5/14/2026

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Dogs seized from Cabazon rescue operation up for adoption at Blythe shelter

Environmental groups, developers cinch agreement to protect ancient oak

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Newsom announces another $30M for fire prevention statewide, $3M in IE By Joe Taglieri

countywide child porn sting By City News Service uthorities arrested 42 Riverside County residents during a yearlong investigation targeting distributors and users of child pornography, authorities, the District Attorney's Office announced Monday. The suspects were apprehended as part of "Operation Volcano," which involved tracking down and identifying individuals possessing and peddling child sex abuse images and videos, authorities said.

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joet@beaconmedianews.com ov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced the availability of up to $30 million statewide through the new Regional Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Grant Program, including roughly $3 million for Inland Empire counties and organizations. Last week Newsom announced $70 million for wildfire prevention and resilience projects. State officials emphasized research that shows that every dollar spent on wildfire prevention saves the state $3.75, underscoring the importance of proactive spending on wildfire mitigation efforts. The Legislature-backed grants aim to help communities prevent wildfires before they ignite, restore the health of forests and wildlands, enhance public health and lower the risk of wildfires spreading into human-populated areas, according to the governor's office. “Trump has cut U.S. Forest Service wildfire landscape treatments by 1.5 million acres heading into fire season," Newsom said in a statement. "As climate

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"Fourteen of those arrested were identified as high-risk offenders, including an individual with a $2 million arrest warrant for child sexual assault, a child psychologist, a naturopathic doctor, a retired law enforcement employee, a California prison information technology employee, a local government planning director, a Southern California hospital chief technology officer, a notary public, a U.S. Postal Service employee, two corporate

See Child porn Page 39

Residents rate public works projects A firefighter oversees a controlled burn of hazardous vegetation cleared from an area at risk of wildfires. | Photo courtesy of Cal Fire

change makes fire seasons longer and more destructive, California is investing to protect our communities—improving the health of our forests, reducing wildlife risk, and arming our communities with the tools they need to prepare.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cal Fire, the state's firefighting agency, launched the new Regional Wildfire

and Landscape Resilience Grant Program with funding from the 2024 California Climate Bond, also known as Proposition 4. Since 2019, Cal Fire has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to municipalities throughout the state. Last year alone, following the devastating January 2025 fires in Los Angeles County, Newsom and the

Legislature deployed $170 million in voter-approved Proposition 4 funding for wildfire resilience projects, officials reported. The program's intention is to speed up large-scale forest and wildland "treatments," or work to clear brush and other efforts to reduce fire risk. The program also aims to build local capacity to do the work

See Fire prevention Page 19

most important for next fiscal year By City News Service

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iverside County residents who participated in a survey to gauge what matters most to them rated "public works and community services" at the top, while public safety took second place — a switch from the previous fiscal year, according to results presented to the

county Board of Supervisors Tuesday. "The differences (from year-to-year) were subtle," UC Riverside School of Public Policy Dean Mark Long told the board Tuesday. "Infrastructure was a little bit more emphasized this year than last. I didn't come away with any surprise.

See Budget survey Page 39

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