Monserate Winery’s new event venue draws guests to Fallbrook, B-1
A-1
Sports Saints expands horizons by integrating education, athletics, and inclusivity, C-1
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SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES September 13 – 19, 2024
VISI T myvalleynews.com
Volume 24, Issue 37
Area fi res continue to burn as Speakers again seek to lower high temperatures drop city cannabis
Local News
dispensary taxes at San Jacinto City Council meeting Tony Ault Staf f Writer
The San Jacinto City Council meeting September 3 entertained a long list of speakers from local cannabis dispensaries seeking to lower the city taxes on their businesses and talking about changing the way a mayor is selected by the council. see page A-5
Entertainment Temecula hosts CartoonA-Paloozah! featuring ArtFest TEMECULA ─ Visitors can enjoy a day of creativity at CartoonA-Paloozah! featuring ArtFest. This one-day event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Temecula’s Civic Center Quad and Conference Center, located at 41000 Main Street. see page B-4
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VALLEY NEWS
Anza Valley Outlook ......... D-1 Business ............................B-6 Business Directory .............B-6 Calendar of Events .............B-2 Classifieds .........................C-7 Education ..........................C-5 Entertainment ...................B-1 Faith..................................B-5 Health ...............................B-5 Home & Garden ................B-7 Legal Notices .................... D-6 Local ................................A-1 National News ...................C-7 Opinion............................ D-5 Regional News ...................C-6 Sports ................................C-1
The Airport Fire, seen here from Ladera Ranch, continues to burn east of Trabuco Canyon and Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County. Valley News/JP Raineri photo Julie Reeder Publisher As of Tuesday morning, Sept. 10, the Roblar Fire is 20% contained but still throwing some smoke and ash in the air and the
Airport Fire in Orange County is spilling ash and smoke over Southwest Riverside County and northern San Diego County. Riverside County impact and school closures The smoke from the Airport Fire
has caused significant impacts in Riverside County. Evacuation warnings have been issued for various zones, including areas north of Main Divide Road and near Ortega Highway. The Lake Elsinore Unified School District
has closed all schools on Tuesday due to poor air quality from the smoke and ash. Residents in the area, including as far south as Fallbrook, have reported ash see FIRES, page A-8
Historic Hemet Theatre is at the heart of an arts expansion Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News The Historic Hemet Theatre is just one of the entertainment destinations that falls under the umbrella of the San Jacinto Valley Community Foundation, which is collaborating with the City of Hemet to expand its offerings to appeal to all facets of creative endeavors. Not only will residents of the San Jacinto Valley be able to enjoy a variety of outlets for theatre, music, comedy and more but there will be unique experiences that will bring in visitors, and revenue, from other areas. This is the Foundation’s goal, and its board members have already begun planning as evidenced at a public meeting held at the theater on Sept. 4. The Theatre Renovation and Expansion visioning event gave see THEATRE, page A-7
From left, Alexander Yepremian, Mark Prestwich and Andrew Kotyuk share details about the downtown Hemet revitalization at the Historic Hemet Theatre, Sept. 4. Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo
Southwest Healthcare Temecula Valley Hospital names new CEO Southwest Healthcare Temecula Valley Hospital has announced the appointment of Hong Min as its new Chief Executive Officer. Min, a seasoned healthcare executive with over two decades of experience, will be succeeding Darlene Wetton, who was promoted to Group Vice President of Southwest Healthcare, California. In her new role, Wetton will oversee a number of healthcare facilities within the Southwest Healthcare network across Southern California. Min comes to Temecula Valley Hospital from UCI Health in Los Alamitos, Calif., where he served
as Chief Operating Officer of a 172-bed medical center. His tenure included leading COVID-19 surge planning and operations, managing various ancillary and support services, and spearheading community engagement initiatives. Min has also held leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, where he helped the facility achieve top quartile performance in key quality metrics, and at Queen’s Medical Center-West O’ahu in Hawaii, where he played a key role in opening a new 104-bed hospital and demonstrating his
expertise in project management and operational leadership. “I am honored to join the Temecula Valley Hospital team,” Min said in a statement. “I am fully committed to upholding and advancing the hospital’s legacy of compassionate, high-quality care see MIN, page A-4
Hong Min has been appointed as Temecula Valley Hospital’s new CEO. Valley News/Courtesy photo