Local programs shine in CIF-SS Wrestling Championships, A-8
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Nature Education Foundation at the Santa Rosa Plateau volunteers thanked at luncheon in Wildomar, B-7
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SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES February 21 – 27, 2025
Local News City of Menifee named best city by Inland Empire Magazine
VISI T myvalleynews.com
Volume 25, Issue 8
Native plants, pollination garden planted at elementary school in Murrieta
Inland Empire Magazine readers have spoken, and they have chosen Menifee as the Best City in the Inland Empire for 2025. Menifee was one of several cities from the region nominated for the award. see page A-5
Entertainment JDS Studio nominated for Bronze Business of the Year 2024 Award TEMECULA - JDS Studio (JDS Video & Media Productions, Inc. and DBA: JDS Actors Studio) announces its nomination for the 2024 Bronze Business of the Year award from the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC). This honor recognizes the studio’s outstanding contributions to the arts, education, career training, and the entertainment industry throughout the past year. see page A-7
Home & Garden Save water, save money: Rancho Water offers free landscape evaluations As a standard benefit for all customers, Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water/ District) offers complimentary landscape irrigation system evaluations to promote water conservation and efficiency. These no-cost assessments are designed to help both residential and commercial customers optimize their water usage, ensuring that irrigation systems operate effectively and landscapes remain healthy. see page B-6
Volunteers prepare a sloped area to plant native and drought-tolerant plants on the campus of E. Hale Curran Elementary School in Murrieta on Feb. 8. See story and more photos on page B-6. Valley News/Courtesy photo
Isaiah Lowe’s body tragically found in submerged car Julie Reeder Publisher The search for Isaiah “Zae” Lowe, a 21-year-old Bonsall man missing for nearly a month, came to a tragic end Tuesday, Feb. 18, when authorities recovered his body from the San Luis Rey River. Lowe’s black Chevrolet Camaro was found submerged in the river on Monday, Feb. 17, and divers with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department retrieved his remains from inside the vehicle the following day. His family, devastated by the discovery, gathered at the scene for closure and to support one another. The investigation into Lowe’s
Anza Valley Outlook ..........B-1 Business ............................B-5 Business Directory .............B-5 Calendar of Events .............A-6
Classifieds .........................B-9 Education ..........................B-4 Entertainment ...................A-7 Home & Garden ................B-6 Legal Notices .....................B-8 Local ................................A-1 Opinion.............................B-8
Regional News ................. B-10 Sports ................................A-8
see LOWE, page A-2
Isaiah Lowe went missing Jan. 22 in Bonsall. Valley News/Courtesy photos Lowe’s vehicle is retrieved from the San Luis Rey River.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has announced his campaign for California governor Jill McLaughlin Epoch Times
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disappearance began after he was last seen leaving his mother’s home in Bonsall on Jan. 22, between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Surveillance footage captured him getting into his Camaro. Shortly after, his LoJack tracking system recorded the car traveling eastbound on Highway 76 before losing signal. His phone remained off, and his bank accounts showed no activity, raising concerns among loved ones. On Monday afternoon, Feb. 17, Lowe’s family, a few loved ones, and private investigator Tony Campbell looked on while authorities searched an area where
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is jumping in the ring to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, becoming the latest candidate to officially announce his campaign for California’s top seat. Newsom will finish his second and final term as governor at the end of 2026. Bianco, a Republican and outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, held a press conference on Feb. 17 in Riverside to make the announcement, ending months of public speculation. He said it was time to return common sense to the state. “We need to elect a leader to fix this state. Someone with the fortitude to make hard decisions and someone with the strength and courage to say no and stand up to the insanity of special interests,” Bianco told supporters after announc-
ing his campaign for governor. “We will take our message of restoring sanity to every corner of our beautiful state. Our campaign will succeed because it must succeed. The future of California and America depend on it.” Bianco moved to the state in 1989 “in search of the California dream,” he said. He married his wife, Denise, bought a house, and raised a family. The sheriff stressed that the state needs public safety to be restored, schools to leave politics out of the classroom, and someone to stand up against special interests. “As Californians, we want leadership that actually cares about the cost of living and leaders who will do something about it,” he told supporters after announcing his campaign for governor. “We want air conditioning when it’s hot, not rolling blackouts, we want water for see BIANCO, page A-4
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announced his plan to run for California governer Monday, Feb. 17. Valley News/Courtesy photo