COLTON COURIER Weekly
December 25, 2025
Vol 154, NO. 04
Inland Empire’s First Women’s Film Festival, Ella Film Fest, Sold Out with IECN’s Denise Berver Moderating Panel
IECN.com
Redlands Orange Drop Costs Up 40% to $70K—New Year’s Eve Event Still Free
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL From left: Ella Film Fest Founders Monet Sprague, Mariana Lapizco, IECN’s Denise Berver, Briana Navarro, and Mars Clara.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL IECN Co-publisher Denise Berver (far-left) moderating a panel on Women in Film featuring pros, such as Arianna Lemus, Sahar Khadjenoury, and Sahvannah Rae.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Ella Film Fest founders Mars Clara, Monet Sprague, Briana Navarro, and Mariana Lapizco kicking off the festivities at KVCR Public Media on Dec. 19th in San Bernardino.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Los Angeles based filmmaker Arianna Lemus expressing her experience as a filmmaker on commercial sets in Hollywood.
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California Road Deaths Surge as Inland Empire Attorney Urges Stronger DUI Enforcement Pg. 8
Colton PD Lands $160K State Grant to Expand DUI, Distracted Driving Crackdowns Through September 2026
Riverside’s Arts and Culture District Named One of 10 New California Cultural Districts, Unlocking Statewide Support Pg. 8 Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: iecn1@mac.com Legals : iecnlegals@gmail.com
By IECN Staff
safety,” Police Chief Anthony Vega said.
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“By increasing enforcement of traffic laws and focusing on critical areas, we aim to reduce dangerous driving behaviors, prevent collisions, and make our roadways safer for everyone.”
he Colton Police Department has been awarded a $160,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support ongoing enforcement and education efforts aimed at reducing serious injuries and deaths on local roadways. The grant program will run through September 2026, funding a slate of targeted operations focused on the driving behaviors most closely linked to collisions and harm—particularly impaired and distracted driving, speeding, and violations that endanger people walking or biking. “The Colton Police Department is dedicated to utilizing problem-solving partnerships in order to strengthen our commitment to the safety of our community. This grant will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve roadway
According to the department, the funding will provide additional programs and resources, including: DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers. High-visibility distracted driving enforcement targeting violations of California’s hands-free cell phone law. Enforcement operations focused on dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk. Operations targeting top violations linked to crashes, including speeding,
failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes. Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies. Officer training and/or recertification, including Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the department said.