California Assembly advances bill to study mileagebased road fees
Kimberly Hayek
Epoch Times
The California Assembly on Jan. 29 advanced a bill that would expand a state study on replacing the gas tax with a mileage-based fee for road maintenance, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans who called it a step toward imposing costly new taxes on drivers already facing high fuel costs.
Nearly 300 tires illegally dumped in national forest as officials warn of fines and jail time
Illegal tire dumping is becoming a growing problem in Southern California’s national forests, with nearly 300 tires already discovered and the number continuing to rise. Officials say the practice not only creates an unsightly mess but also poses serious risks to public health, the environment, and wildfire prevention efforts.
Temecula Valley students honored in January
Diane A. Rhodes
Special to Valley News
The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since the 1992-1993 school year, held its awards breakfast on Jan. 8 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. Holly Wilson, Director of Admissions at Linfield Christian School, emceed the event for Sally Myers who founded the nonprofit program that partners with the Chamber. Wilson welcomed everyone and shared the mission of the local high school recognition program which sets the criteria for the students who are chosen.
Kimberly Hayek Epoch Times
The California Assembly on Jan. 29 advanced a bill that would expand a state study on replacing the gas tax with a mileage-based fee for road maintenance, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans who called it a step toward imposing costly new taxes on drivers already facing high fuel costs.
Assembly Bill 1421, authored by Assembly Member Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City, passed the chamber’s Transportation Committee on a mostly party-line vote. The measure would direct the California Transportation Commission to consolidate research and submit recommendations to lawmakers by 2027, including ways to address equity for low-income drivers with long commutes.
Supporters argue that the research is necessary as California’s shift to electric vehicles (EVs) threatens to slash gas tax revenues, which fund highways, transit, and infrastructure.
The state collected about $14
billion from fuel taxes and vehicle fees in the 2023–2024 fiscal year.
The 57.9-cent-per-gallon gasoline excise tax alone generated $7.8 billion. But because more than 1 million EVs have been sold in the past four years and there is a mandate for all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035, projections show that revenues could drop by $2 billion annually by 2030 and up to $4 billion by 2035, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
“The benefit of a road use charge is that it could be structured to provide gas tax relief to low-income drivers,” the bill’s findings state , noting ongoing analysis of effects on supercommuters and tribal nations.
Republicans opposed the bill, offering amendments to bar local governments from implementing mileage fees and prevent “double taxation” on top of existing gas taxes.
Democrats rejected the changes, prompting GOP leaders to accuse them of paving the way for invasive tracking and higher costs.
“The bill advances efforts to impose a new mileage-based tax on top of the more than 60-cent gas tax,” Assembly Republicans said in a statement. “Assembly Democrats rejected the amendments, making it clear they intend to impose a new tax increase on Californians that could punish everyday commuters.”
Assembly Member Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) warned that the proposal could charge drivers 6 to 9 cents per mile, equivalent to a gas tax hike of $0.87 to $1.15 per gallon.
“The typical California driver with an average drive of 15,000 miles a year will be forced to pay $900-$1200 a year in higher taxes just to drive on poorly maintained freeways they already paid for with the original gas and sales taxes!” DeMaio said in a campaign against the bill.
Other states are grappling with similar shortfalls.
In Oregon, lawmakers are moving toward mandating payper-mile fees for EV owners, charging about 2.3 cents per mile or a $340 annual flat fee to offset
The bill extends research into funding as electric vehicles erode gas tax revenue, but critics warn of potential new burdens on drivers.
lost gas taxes. In Hawaii, the state began implementing a road usage charge program in 2023.
Opponents, including DeMaio’s Reform California group, have started petitions to block it, labeling it the “Commuter Punishment Act.”
The measure now heads to the state Senate for consideration.
A 2017 California pilot program under prior legislation enrolled more than 5,000 vehicles, logging 37 million miles to test mileage tracking without actual payments. The new bill’s backers, including transportation advocacy group Transform, have said that further study could lead to an equitable system that funds transit while reducing emissions, potentially replacing the gas tax entirely.
Diane Sieker Staff Writer
People who glanced skyward on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 28, may have noticed a luminous ring encircling the moon, a striking sight that prompted photos, social media posts and plenty of questions.
The glowing circle, known as a lunar halo, is a natural atmospheric phenomenon caused not by the moon itself, but by ice crystals high above the Earth’s surface.
According to the National Weather Service, moon halos form when light from the moon passes through thin, high-altitude clouds made up of ice crystals, typically cirrostratus clouds.
As the light bends, or refracts, through the six-sided crystals, it spreads out into a ring that appears about 22 degrees away from the moon.
The result is a soft, white halo that can sometimes show faint hints of color along its edges, similar to a rainbow. While halos are more commonly noticed around the sun, they are often more dramatic at night, when the moon is bright and the surrounding sky is dark.
Though the sight can feel mystical, lunar halos are a well-understood weather signal. Meteorologists note that these high clouds often arrive ahead of a storm system, meaning rain or snow may follow within the
next day or so, depending on local conditions.
Halos can occur anywhere and at any time of year, as long as the atmosphere contains the right mix of moisture and cold temperatures at high elevations. They are completely harmless and require no special equipment to view, though cameras often capture details the human eye may miss.
For those who happened to catch the recent display, the brief celestial ring offered both a beautiful photo opportunity and a quiet reminder that even familiar night skies still hold moments of wonder.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
Joe Naiman Special to Valley News
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the acceptance of two firefighting vehicles from the City of Temecula.
The supervisors’ 5-0 vote January 27 authorized the Riverside County Fire Department to accept the donation of a 2004 aerial ladder truck and a 2006 fire engine from the City of Temecula. Both vehicles will continue to be stationed within the Temecula city limits.
The City of Temecula has contracted with the Riverside County Fire Department since 1990. The
most recent agreement was approved last year and is effective through June 30, 2030.
The Riverside County Fire Department will use the donated ladder truck and fire engine as reserve vehicles. The county will be responsible for future maintenance and repair costs of the vehicles. Although the donated vehicles will be stationed in the City of Temecula, the transfer of title will allow the county fire department flexibility to move them to other locations when operationally necessary.
Joe Naiman can be reached at jnaiman@reedermedia.com.
Valley News/Brian Briggs photos
Jacob Lavoie
Special to Valley news
MURRIETA — Emergency crews responded to a rollover traffic collision late Tuesday morning, February 3, along California Oaks Road, where a vehicle came to rest on its roof near
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Regional Park and Open Space District General Manager Kyla Brown, who served as master of ceremonies.
Supervisor Chuck Washington, who represents Riverside County’s Third District, said approximately $3 million in pandemic-era funding was directed toward improvements at Lake Skinner, calling the park a “wonderful asset” for families, recreation and outdoor safety in one of the county’s fastest-growing regions.
ExploreUS Vice President of Operations Mal Kenney announced additional private-sector investments planned for the lake, including a new fleet of rental boats, upgraded dock systems, an online boat-reservation platform, and improvements to the camp store and café, which is expected to reopen later this year.
Following the ceremony, officials announced winners of the Lake Skinner Bass Fishing Derby, sponsored by the Lake Skinner Camp Store and Rentals. Dan Balwin captured first place with a bass weighing 6.08 pounds, earning a $1,000 prize. Second place went to Landen McClellan, whose 5.54-pound bass earned $500,
a gas station. Murrieta Fire & Rescue units were dispatched to the scene at approximately 11:38 a.m. following reports of an “expanded traffic collision,” according to incident data.
Upon arrival, first responders located a gray SUV overturned
on the landscaping embankment adjacent to the sidewalk near the Shell gas station and 7-Eleven. The vehicle sustained significant damage, with side-curtain airbags
while
deployed. Personnel from American Medical Response (AMR) and Murrieta Fire & Rescue Engine 1 and Engine 5 responded to the
incident. Emergency crews were observed evaluating individuals at the scene. The crash resulted in injuries of unknown severity.
3.33 pounds), John Woolworth (sixth, 2.8 pounds), Manuel Marqui (seventh, 2.7 pounds), Dennis Zamora (eighth, 2.6 pounds), William Flores (ninth, 2.5 pounds), and Eddie Rapkin (10th, 2.46 pounds).
Officials said the reopening reflects a broader commitment to maintaining safe, accessible outdoor recreation spaces and supporting community events at Lake Skinner for years to come.
A January 27 Riverside County Board of Supervisors action will result in improvements to the playground at Sallee Park.
The supervisors’ 5-0 vote amended the county’s Community Development Block Grant plan to add $217,300 for the playground improvements. Although Sallee Park is in the City of San Jacinto, the County of Riverside administers the CDBG program for the city.
The Community Development Block Grant program is intended to revitalize lower-income communities. If a facility provides services to low-income or moderate-income residents, including seniors, the facility itself does not need to be in a low-income census tract. The County of Riverside administers the program for some small incorporated cities, including San Jacinto and Beaumont where the January 27 action also funded restrooms meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for the Noble Creek Community Center, as well as for the unincorporated area and for regional projects. An annual plan must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides the funding for the CDBG program. If the county does not believe that the money will be spent by the HUD deadline the funding may be reallocated, and the Board of Supervisors can also reallocate
funds from a completed project with CDBG money remaining. An amendment to the CDBG plan requires a public notice, a public hearing, and a 30-day public comment period. The county issued a public notice which was published in the December 12 issue of the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Sallee Park is in the 100 block of Idyllwild Drive. The improvements include removing the existing playground and installing a new playground compliant with ADA standards, a pour-and-play surface, a shade structure, and a water fountain meeting ADA standards. The city will use the CDBG funds for architectural, engineering, design, construction, and other related activity. Because Federal funding will be used the projects are also subject to National Environmental Protection Act review as well as California Environmental Quality Act review, although a finding of a categorical exemption from CEQA and a NEPA finding of no significant impact are possible. The Sallee Park project will be subject to separate NEPA environmental review prior to taking any discretionary action for the specific facilities, but the CDBG plan amendment action is a planning document which will only have financial and administrative effects and the supervisors also found the plan amendment to be exempt from NEPA as well as CEQA review. Joe Naiman can be reached at jnaiman@reedermedia.com.
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Bob Garver Contributor
Did you know that getting stranded on a deserted island has a way of shaking up social hierarchies? I suppose that was a big part of the plot for recent Best Picture Oscar nominee “Triangle of Sadness.” As well as the literary classic “Lord of the Flies.” And it’s represented on television in everything from “Survivor” to “Lost” to “Gilligan’s Island.” And it was at the center of a play I did in high school called “The Admirable Crichton,” where I played a rich snob who gets taken down several pegs. Director Sam Raimi is hoping you’ve somehow avoided all of these precursors, plus others I’m sure I’m forgetting, because only then can you find originality in “Send Help.” Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, a doormat of an employee in the strategy and planning department of a financial consulting firm. She does great work, but she doesn’t have the best social skills, and her bro-y male colleagues take her work for granted while overlooking her as a person. This is especially true of her boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), who gives a college buddy a promotion over her and is ready to boot her from the office over the smell of her tuna-fish sandwich. But he needs her numbers skills for a conference in Bangkok, so he reluctantly lets
her tag along on his private plane. Wouldn’t you know it, the plane goes down and only Linda and an injured Bradley make it to a nearby island.
Linda is an adept survivalist, having read many books on the subject. She’s able to build a makeshift shelter, get a fire going, and round up some food and water for the passed-out Bradley, all before he even wakes up. When he does come around, he’s grateful for about ten seconds before chiding Linda for not making more of an effort to get the two of them rescued. She walks off, leaving him to the elements. He soon learns that he can’t survive on his own and has to sheepishly ask her to go back to caring for him. This establishes a pattern that continues for the rest of the movie: he’ll think that the power he wields in the office also applies to the island, and she keeps easily proving him wrong. Eventually she becomes the powerful one, and she insists she’s a better boss than he ever was, but… is she? Or is she destined to become the tyrant that Bradley was on the mainland? Could she even become something worse? It’s hard to imagine Bradley, even at his most piggish, making some of the decisions Linda makes.
Speaking of piggishness, Raimi hopes that audiences are too distracted by select scenes of visual spectacle to notice that there’s
nothing original about the story. One is a battle between Linda and a supposedly-scary CGI boar. Others include the plane crash, a dream sequence, a physical altercation, and a high-tension confrontation involving a poisonous octopus and a dead rat. I’d chide Raimi for relying too much on his old crutches of extreme violence and body horror, but it’s not like he was doing better with the non-gruesome elements of the movie.
Basically, I spent the entirety of “Send Help” doing that “move it along” gesture with my hand because the story was so routine. Bradley was never going to learn his lesson, Linda was only going to get worse, and rescue wouldn’t come until much more blood (and possibly other innards) had been spilled. The film isn’t devoid of properly-built suspense, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been seen in other, better cat-and-mouse horror movies (“Misery,” from the late Rob Reiner, came to mind). Sometimes people like to debate which movies they wish they could have with them on a deserted island. I wouldn’t want “Send Help” even if I didn’t have to waste a pick on it.
Grade: C-
“Send Help” is rated R for strong/bloody violence and language. Its running time is 113 minutes.
Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu.
To submit an upcoming community event, email it to valleyeditor@reedermedia.com, and put “attention events” in the subject line.
CHILDREN’S EVENTS
ONGOING – MilVet Jr. is a MilVet program for our youngest heroes in training. Meetings take place on the first Tuesday of the month. Locations will vary between the MilVet office and local venues. Activities that focus on learning teamwork, leadership, and community are geared for ages 5-11, but all children are welcome to join. Limited spots available, so sign up at milvet. org/milvetjr.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Feb. 6 – 6-10 p.m. Arts Council Menifee Spring Music & Art Showcase at MSJC Menifee, 27587 La Piedra Rd., Menifee. Santa Rosa Academy Middle & High School choirs will perform surrounded by student art displays. Admission is free.
Feb. 9 & 23 – 10-11 a.m. Monday Morning Flow at Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library, 30600 Pauba Rd., Temecula. Start your week off with a gentle yoga session. Class is slow-paced and blends supportive chair poses with mat work for ages 50+. Register at the library reception desk or call 951-693-8900.
Feb. 9 – 5:30 p.m. Temecula Valley Genealogical Society presents a free virtual lecture with guest speaker Jessica Conklin: Doing European Research When You Don’t Speak the Language. If your ancestors crossed the Atlantic, there’s no need for a language barrier to stop your research in its tracks. Learn computer tips and reading strategies that will help make foreign genealogical records understandable. Open to the public. Attend in person at the library or via Zoom. Doors open at 5:30, presentation begins at 6. Ron H. Roberts Temecula Public Library, 30600 Pauba Rd. in Temecula or request a Zoom link from tvgswebmaster@gmail.com More info at tvgs.net.
Feb. 12 – 4:30-6 p.m. Beginning Crochet for Teens at the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library, 30600 Pauba Rd., Temecula. Learn to crochet or build upon your current skills. This workshop is perfect for beginners for grades 7-12. Register online at https://rivlib.libcal.com/ event/15959320.
Feb. 13 – 9 a.m. Hans Christensen Academy Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 27625 Sherman Rd., Menifee. Join us for the ceremony and learn about the exciting future of teaching and learning at
Menifee’s newest TK-8 campus. Morning refreshments and site tours will be available after the ceremony. Please RSVP at https:// business.menifeevalleychamber. com/events/details/hans-christensen-academy-grand-openingtk-8-6972.
Feb. 21 – 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Free Bulky Item Drop-Off Event for Menifee residents, at MSJC Menifee Campus, 28237 La Piedra Blvd., Menifee. Must show proof of residency. Open until the bins are full. Accepted items include appliances (limit 3 per vehicle), air conditioners, barbecue grills, bundled branches, bagged green waste, chairs, couches, furniture, mattresses (limit 3 per vehicle), microwaves, patio furniture, used tires (no rims, 4 ft. diameter ONLY, limit 9 per vehicle), and e-waste. Please be prepared to off-load your own items. For more information, visit www.cityofmenifee.us/menifeerecycles.
Feb. 21 – 5 p.m. Michelle’s Place 25th Anniversary Gala at the Grand Ballroom West, Pechanga Resort and Casino, 45000 Pechanga Pkwy., Temecula. For a quarter century, Michelle’s Place has walked alongside individuals and families facing cancer, offering comfort, support, and hope every step of the way. Share a night of reflection, gratitude, and joy, with food, drinks, auction, and meaningful memories honoring the journey so far. For ticket information, visit https://e.givesmart.com/ events/Kqo.
ONGOING – Wednesdays, 7 a.m. Grandfathers for Golf is holding weekly fundraiser golf outings at Golden Era Golf Course in San Jacinto (19871 Gilman Springs Road). Cost to play is $25, which includes 18 holes of golf and a golf cart, and supports the Grandfathers for Golf nonprofit that teaches area children golf for free. NOTE: Golden Era will be closed the month of October for reseeding, but Wednesday golf outings will resume in November and run indefinitely.) Book a tee time at 951-604-1312. ONGOING – Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon. The Sun City Farmers Market meets every Saturday at the Sun City Civic Association at 26850 Sun City Blvd., in Sun City, with local vendors and crafts.
ONGOING – Line dancing classes are held on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Lake Elsinore/Wildomar Elks Lodge, 33700 Mission Trail, in Wildomar, across from the Animal Friends of the Valleys. Classes have a DJ with learning levels beginning to intermediate. $5 per
lesson. Contact Joyce Hohenadl at 951-674-2159.
ONGOING – Sun City Civic Association Monthly Square Dance sessions are held on Sundays from 1:30-5 p.m. at 26850 Sun City Boulevard.
ONGOING – If you know a homebound older adult, resources in Menifee are available, including grab-and-go, cooked, and frozen food for pickup. Courtesy pantry items and meals delivered with no contact. Three days of emergency food can be delivered immediately, or restaurant meal delivery for those who don’t qualify for food assistance programs. Call the California Department of Aging at 800-510-2020 for help.
ONGOING – Saturdays and Sundays only, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Winchester Swap Meet continues at 33280 Newport Road in Winchester. The small local swap meet is only 50 cents for entry, and anyone under the age of 10 has free admission. No dogs allowed.
ONGOING – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Every Sunday, the Murrieta Village Walk Farmers Market is at Village Walk Place in Murrieta. The Sunday morning farmers’ market at Village Walk Plaza is a place to buy fruits and veggies, gourmet food, and crafts. Come to the center in the northwest corner of Kalmia/Cal Oaks at the Interstate 215 exit in Murrieta.
ONGOING – Temecula’s Farmers Markets are offered in Old Town Temecula on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon, 4100 Main Street in Temecula; at Promenade Temecula, 40640 Winchester Road, outside JCPenney every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and at Vail Headquarters, 32115 Temecula Parkway, every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Riverside County Public Health orders, the farmers’ markets will be restricted to agricultural products only. Follow the Old Town Temecula Farmers Market on Facebook to stay updated. No pets allowed.
WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS
Feb. 17 – 8:30-10 a.m. Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce presents 2026 Policy Outlook presentation at Fairfield Inn, 30140 Town Center Dr., Menifee. Learn about the chamber’s advocacy efforts and explore key state and federal policy updates shaping our region this year. $10 for members/$20 for nonmembers. Register at https://bit.ly/3YFBCYI Feb. 28 – 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Master Composter Training Program at Wildomar City Hall, 23873
Clinton Keith Rd., Wildomar. Trainees will explore various home composting methods and acquire the skills to troubleshoot issues and effectively utilize finished compost. Students must attend all 4 Saturday class sessions (Feb. 28, March 14, 21, and 28), read the course material, and submit online quizzes. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate of completion. Register at https:// rcwaste.org/MCT.
ONGOING – 10 a.m. The Temecula Valley Republican Women meet each month at the Wilson Creek Winery, 33960 Rancho California Road, Temecula. For questions, please contact info@ tvrwomen.org
ONGOING – Temecula Valley Genealogical Society hosts the Family History Research Assistance Program for those interested in learning more about their family roots. The society offers free research assistance through this volunteer program. Appointments are available in person or via Zoom. Contact the TVGS Family Research Coordinator at tvgs.research.assist@gmail.com
ONGOING – Temecula’s Path of Honor at the Temecula Duck Pond, 28250 Ynez Road. A program to give a place to remember and honor veterans from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and the World War II Merchant Marines with a permanent paver. The pavers cost $185. Orders may be placed year-round and are consolidated, engraved, and placed on the path annually each November. For more information, visit http:// TemeculaCA.gov/Veterans or contact the Temecula Community Services Department at 951-6946480.
ONGOING – Want to help deployed American troops remotely? Help shop for the most needed items without leaving home, as an easy way to help support deployed men and women by purchasing items remotely and having them delivered to MilVet at designated drop-off locations for packing. All items on the list are special requests from deployed military men and women. MilVet is a nonprofit organization that holds monthly packaging events at different community locations in the area. For drop-off locations and packaging locations, visit www.milvet. org/military-care-packages.
ONGOING – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meets on the third Monday of each month at the Mary Phillips Senior Center, 41845 Sixth Street, in Temecula from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, email gaugus-
tin206@gmail.com or join the meeting.
ONGOING – Sons of Norway/ Scandinavia meets at noon the first Saturday of every month, September to June, at the Heritage Mobile Park Clubhouse, 31130 S. General Kearny Road, in Temecula.
ONGOING – 10-11:30 a.m. Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center and The Elizabeth Hospice host a virtual support meeting for caregivers every second and fourth week of the month via Zoom. Get helpful tips and learn from others who are also dealing with similar challenges. For more information and to register, contact The Elizabeth Hospice Grief Support Services at 833349-2054.
ONGOING – Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, a free 12step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, undereating or bulimia, has meetings throughout the U.S. and the world. Contact 781932-6300, or for local meetings, call 925-321-0170 or visit www. foodaddicts.org.
ONGOING – The Murrieta Garden Club meets each month at the Murrieta Community Center, 41810 Juniper St. Anyone who likes to garden or is interested in plants is welcome. Membership is $10 per year. Find more information about the monthly event or project on Facebook.
ONGOING – Temecula Valley Rose Society meets each month. For more information and new meeting dates and places, visit www.temeculavalleyrosesociety. org
ONGOING – Menifee Toastmasters meets every Thursday at noon for one hour at a designated place to have fun, enhance speaking capabilities, gain self-confidence, and improve social skills. For new dates, call 760-807-1323 or visit www.MenifeeToastmasters.org for more information. ONGOING – Homeless veterans can receive free help by dialing 877-424-3838 for 24/7 access to the VA’s services for homeless, at-risk veterans. Chat is confidential for veterans and friends. Visit www.va.gov/homeless.
ONGOING – The Dorland Scribblers meet on the second Sunday of each month from 1-3 p.m. at 36701 Highway 79 South, Temecula. We welcome fiction, non-fiction, poets, memoirs, and screenwriters. We host writing-craft discussions; attendees may read up to a five-minute excerpt from their work for feedback/critique. RSVP at www. dorlandartscolony.com/sunday-scribblers.html.
Illegal tire dumping is becoming a growing problem in Southern California’s national forests, with nearly 300 tires already discovered and the number continuing to rise. Officials say the practice not only creates an unsightly mess but also poses serious risks to public health, the environment, and wildfire prevention efforts.
“Tire dumping is a serious problem,” said Forest Protection Officer Steve Thomsen. “It’s costly to clean up and can spark wildfires—which, in Southern California, can have devastating consequences.” Thomsen added that dumped tires can leak toxic chemicals into the soil and attract rodents and insects that spread disease, ultimately harming natural ecosystems and burdening taxpayers with cleanup costs.
Dumping tires or other trash in a National Forest is illegal under Forest Service Regulation 36 CFR 261 and carries significant penalties. Violators can face fines of up to $10,000 and as much as six months in jail. Thomsen emphasized that enforcement is a priority, warning that those
responsible will be held accountable. “This is serious—stop dumping your tires and trash. You will be caught,” he said.
Law enforcement officials echoed that message. Patrol Captain Ochoa said forest officers and county deputies are actively monitoring problem areas and will strictly enforce the law. Members of the public who witness illegal dumping are encouraged to note the location, time, and vehicle information and report it immediately by calling 909-382-2851 or 909-382-2600 so authorities can respond.
Cleanup efforts are currently underway, with volunteers from the Southern California Mountains Foundation and the Urban Conservation Corps working alongside Front Country Ranger District staff to remove the dumped tires. Officials say while the support is appreciated, these efforts should not be necessary. Illegal dumping, they stress, damages shared public lands and impacts the entire community.
Forest officials are urging residents to help protect public lands by reporting illegal
Learn more at https://calrecycle. ca.gov/Tires/Grants/.
Grant Program.
in Indio.
RIVERSIDE — The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) Board of Directors has unanimously elected City of Corona Councilmember Jim Steiner to serve as its chair for 2026. In this role, Steiner will guide the Board’s strategic direction, help establish organizational priorities, lead Board meetings and represent the Agency at public events. A board member since 2018 and board officer since 2024, Steiner steps into the role previously held by City of Riverside Councilmember Steve Hemenway.
“I am honored to serve as Chair of the Board during such an important moment for Riverside Transit Agency,” said Steiner. “This year, as we bring our first hydrogen fuel buses to the streets and transition a portion of our fixed-route services back in-house, this represents a major investment in the future of public transportation in our region. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow Board members and staff as we guide RTA through this next phase of growth and service excellence.” Under his direction, the Agen-
cy is prepared to make meaningful progress in its ongoing efforts to transform public transportation for western Riverside County. Among the Agency’s top priorities for the coming year are opening a new hydrogen fueling station at its Riverside facility and rolling out the first hydrogen fuel cell buses.
In addition to chairing the Board, Steiner also serves on RTA’s Executive Committee and is an active member of the Northwest chapter of Transportation NOW, a grassroots group that promotes public transportation. A resident of Corona for nearly 40 years, Steiner served as a member of the Corona Fire Department from 1986 when he was a Firefighter Apprentice until his retirement in 2017 as a Ladder Truck Captain.
RTA Board members also elected City of Murrieta Councilmember Cindy Warren as first vice chair and City of Lake Elsinore Mayor Pro Tem Timothy J. Sheridan as second vice chair. To learn more about RTA, visit: www.riversidetransit.com. Submitted by Riverside Transit Authority.
INDIO — The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival presented by Fantasy Springs Resort Casino returns Feb. 12 through March 1, 2026, with a refreshed look, new immersive spaces, and a full lineup of entertainment celebrating tradition, community, and fun.
Now in its 78th year, the Fair & Date Fest carries the theme “Return to the Oasis,” blending its classic 1001 Nights heritage with a mid-century style inspired by Greater Palm Springs’ iconic architecture. Beloved attractions return alongside new experiences designed to invite guests to explore, relax, and rediscover the magic of a shared desert fantasy.
New for 2026 is the National Date Festival Museum, located inside the Sands of Time build-
ing, showcasing the history of the Festival, date farming, and the agricultural roots of the Coachella Valley. Nearby attractions include the Hall of Ribbons with competitive quilts, fine art, and baked goods; the Cave of Wonders gem and mineral exhibit; and the Palm Pavilion highlighting the Valley’s signature crop — dates.
Another new feature is the Oasis Lounge & Tiki Bar, a laid-back retreat offering classic tiki drinks, Hawaiian music, and Polynesian dance and fire performances, providing a cool escape from the midway.
The Fair & Date Fest arena will host major events throughout the run, including Monster Trucks (Feb. 12–13), Monster X Demo Derby (Feb. 14), Gran Jaripeo-Tardeada (Feb. 21), and
PRCA Rodeo performances (Feb. 28 and March 1). Special ticketed events include Love on the Wheel, Bingo, Honey!, and Shaken Midway.
Animal exhibits, livestock displays, and the petting farm remain central to the fair’s agricultural mission, while daily entertainment included with admission features fan favorites such as racing pigs, dog shows, motorcycle stunts, magic, and roaming family-friendly performers.
The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival runs Feb. 12 through March 1, 2026, at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio. Tickets and full details are available at datefest.org.
JP Raineri Sports Editor
TEMECULA – The Rancho Christian Eagles boys’ basketball team capped off their Ivy League campaign in style, clinching the championship with an emphatic 85-54 victory over Liberty last week at the Val Center. The win extended their league record to a perfect 8-0 and improved their overall season mark to 17-9. Tony Rutlege led the charge for the Eagles, pouring in 24 points to pace the offense. Dave Mapey added 14 points, providing a strong secondary scoring option. Rancho Christian’s balanced attack and defensive intensity overwhelmed Liberty, setting
the tone for what could be a deep postseason run.
The Eagles have been on a tear, winning 11 of their last 12 games, including a recent 75-56 triumph over Orange Vista. Over this stretch, Rancho Christian has averaged an impressive 72.2 points per game, showcasing their
offensive firepower. Their recent success has propelled them to a strong position heading into the 2026 CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs.
The CIF-SS playoffs, which begin Feb. 11 for most divisions, will feature a competitive equity model to determine seeding across 10 divisions, including the prestigious Open Division.
Rancho Christian will look to carry their momentum into the postseason, where championship games are scheduled for Feb. 27-28.
As the Eagles prepare for the playoffs, their recent dominance in league play and strong performances against tough competition have made them a team to watch. With Rutlege and Mapey leading the way, Rancho Christian is poised to make noise in the postseason. Send local sports tips and info to sports@reedermedia.com.
JP Raineri Sports Editor
SAN DIEGO – The San José State Spartans women’s basketball team is searching for answers after a challenging week in Mountain West Conference play, with losses to San Diego State and Boise State adding to their struggles this season.
On January 24, 2026, the Spartans fell to San Diego State 94-66 at Viejas Arena. Allie Cummins led San José State with 19 points, while Stella Sgro added 11. The Aztecs controlled the game from the outset, with standout performances from Nala Williams, who recorded 20 points and 10 assists, and Kennedy Lee, who added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The loss marked the Aztecs’ 11th consecutive win and
highlighted the Spartans’ difficulty in keeping pace with one of the conference’s top teams.
A week later, San José State faced Boise State and suffered a 96-62 defeat. Amira Brown led the Spartans with 15 points, while Cummins contributed 12. Despite their efforts, the Broncos’ balanced scoring overwhelmed San José State, dropping the Spartans to a 1-10 record in Mountain West play.
Junior guard Briannah McGee, a Murrieta Valley High School graduate, has yet to make her mark on the court this season. In her first year with the Spartans, McGee brings a strong athletic background, having excelled in basketball, lacrosse, and track and field during her high school career. At Murrieta Valley, she earned All-League MVP honors
in lacrosse and recorded a double-double in the CIF Southern Section Playoffs.
The Spartans will look to regroup as they prepare to host Fresno State on February 4, 2026. With the season entering its final
stretch, San José State is focused on finding ways to compete and improve in the highly competitive Mountain West Conference. Send local sports tips and info to sports@reedermedia.com.
Joe Naiman
Special to Valley News
Rickie Fowler finished 18th at the American Express golf tournament, January 22-25 in La Quinta, and the 2007 Murrieta Valley High School graduate shot a 63 on the second day for the third-lowest score in the second round.
Fowler’s 72-hole score was 269. Five other players had that score, and each earned $117,606 for their position. The golfers who finished the tournament in 269 strokes include 18-year-old Blades Brown, who set a course record with a 60-shot round January 23 on the PGA West facility’s Jack Nicklaus Course. Fowler also played the Jack Nicklaus Course that day and his 63-stroke round was the next-lowest for the course January 23 and the third-lowest among all golfers for the day.
The American Express tournament utilized the PGA West’s 7,147-yard Jack Nicklaus Course, the PGA West’s 7,210-yard Pete Dye Stadium Course, and the 7,060-yard La Quinta Country Club course. The golfers played on each course during their first three days, and those who made the 54-hole cut concluded play January 25 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course.
Fowler played on the La Quinta course on January 22 and had a score of 67 for his first 18 holes.
Pierceson Coody, who also finished the tournament tied for
18th place, took 62 shots in the first round to share the lead with Min Woo Lee. Eight golfers had scores of 63 on the first day: Scottie Scheffler, Jason Day, Matt McCarty, Si Woo Kim, Patrick Cantlay, S.H. Kim, Ben Griffin, and Robert MacIntyre.
The two low scores of the tournament were both shot on the second day. Andrew Putnam was on the La Quinta course on January 23, and his score of 60 matched Brown’s Jack Nicklaus Course record. Fowler’s 63 was the next-lowest score. Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Wyndham Clark, Keith Mitchell, and Mac Meissner all finished the second round in 64 strokes.
After the second day, Fowler’s 36-hole score of 130 placed him three strokes behind Scheffler and Brown, who shared the lead with 127 strokes after two rounds, and in a five-way tie for sixth. Si Woo Kim was third with a cumulative score of 128. McCarty and S.H. Kim had scores of 129 for their first 36 holes. Jacob Bridgeman, Clark, Nick Taylor and Eric Cole also all had scores of 130 after the second day.
Fowler’s January 24 round on the Pete Dye Stadium Course required 71 strokes. Ryan Gerard, Haotong Li, Ricky Castillo, and Dylan Wu had the best third-day scores with each taking 64 shots.
The golfers who made the cut and played the January 25 round on the Pete Dye Stadium Course were led by Day and Will Zalatoris, who each had scores of
PGA Tour World #1 Scottie Scheffler tees off on hole seventeen of the PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course during his second round of the American Express Tournament in La Quinta, Friday, Jan. 23. 64. Four golfers had 65-stroke rounds on the final day. Three participants, including Scheffler, concluded the tournament with scores of 66. Four players needed 67 strokes. Fowler’s score was 68. Scheffler won the tournament with a 72-hole score of 261. Day, Gerard, McCarty, and Putnam
shared second after taking 265 shots during the tournament. Sam Stevens and Si Woo Kim, who had led the tournament after three days with a score of 194 but needed 72 strokes January 25, shared sixth with scores of 266. Cantlay, Clark, and three other players tied for 13th with scores of 268.
The 18th-place score of 269
obtained by Fowler, Coody, and Brown, who had entered the day tied with Scheffler for second with 195 strokes after 54 holes but shot a 74 on the final day, was matched by
and Zalatoris.
Joe Naiman Special to Valley News
Justin Rose won the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, January 29 through February 1 at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, with a 72-hole score of 265 and received $1,728,000 for his first-place position. In addition to the $9.6 million paid to the golfers for prize money, the Farmers Insurance Open also provided revenue to various charities, including Support The Enlisted Project.
“We’re just really grateful,” said STEP president Laura White.
The Century Club of San Diego organizes the Farmers Insurance Open. The non-profit corporation’s primary charitable program is called Champions for Youth. The Century Club partners with charitable organizations and provides elements such as donation software, strategy development assistance, and a marketing toolkit. The Century Club also provides a partial match of funds raised, covers credit card processing fees, and provides the charitable partners with access to tournament experiences.
“It’s just been an absolute dream and privilege to be a part of this program for ten years,” White said.
Because STEP assists military families rather than just the enlisted armed forces member, a youth element exists. STEP was founded by military veterans 13 years ago. “The program started very much as a band-aid program,” White said.
The initial support to the military families ensured that bills were paid and the families had food for all meals. STEP later initiated programs involving changing behavior to ensure financial solvency to the extent possible.
“The military teaches them to be very resilient,” White said.
Often situations are beyond the family’s control. Relocations force spouses to abandon jobs and seek a job in a new town, and housing in San Diego County is
not as affordable as in other areas around military bases. “Financial crisis is a major issue within the military community,” White said. “We want to take the crisis out of it.”
A veteran or a veteran’s spouse who is trained in financial counseling spends up to a year with a military family to develop and implement a financial plan. Over the years, more than 10,000 military families have been helped. Most of those were stationed in Southern California, although some military families elsewhere have also benefited.
“Ideally, we’re going to take these programs throughout the United States,” White said.
STEP works with Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, the 32nd Street and Point Loma Naval bases in San Diego, Naval Air Station Coronado, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. “We have relationships with all the bases on the West Coast,” White said. “We work with active duty leadership on all of the bases.”
The focus on counseling allows STEP to work with other organizations providing assistance to military families. “We partner with all these other organizations,” White said.
“We want to step in, make sure they know there’s a community that cares about them,” White said. “We’re 100 percent privately funded, and that allows us to be flexible and make decisions really quickly.”
The Professional Golfers’ Association of America sanctions the Farmers Insurance Open.
“The PGA in general has been an extremely philanthropic organization,” White said.
STEP began working with the Century Club ten years ago.
“They provide the resources and then it’s up to us to make it work,” White said.
Century Club members with expertise help the non-profit partners. “They’re dedicating their time to our organization, so it’s really a full approach,”
White said.
During the first year of the partnership STEP raised between $10,000 and $15,000. “We’re a very small organization,” White said.
The assistance from the Century Club allowed fundraising to increase in subsequent years.
“Our third year is when we took off,” White said.
STEP raised approximately $150,000 in 2025. “We really came along,” White said.
“Century Club has been a huge part of that support,” White said.
“It’s a gem and people don’t know a lot about it, and it’s really made a huge impact on dozens of organizations.”
STEP recently purchased a new national headquarters building in San Diego. The organization has raised approximately $1.1 million through its partnership with the Century Club.
After ten years as a Champions for Youth partner STEP transitioned to alumni status this year while still obtaining approximately $50,000 in donations from the Farmers Insurance Open. “We’re going to hopefully go on and help mentor other organizations who are part of this program,” White said. “We’re happy to mentor. We know what it’s like to start and be overwhelmed.”
Diane
The Anza Community Hall welcomed members and neighbors for a Member Appreciation
Dinner Sunday evening, Feb. 1, offering an evening of good food and community connection. Guests were treated to generous servings of spaghetti with homemade sauce, along with
salad, garlic bread, dessert and beverages. Hall members, community leaders and families gathered around shared tables, enjoying the hearty meal while catching up with friends and
meeting new faces. The event highlighted the Community Hall’s role as a gathering place in Anza, where food and fellowship go hand in hand. “What a great dinner with
Several Anza Electric Cooperative employees armed themselves with trash bags, hardhats and gloves, pitching in to clean up a stretch of St. Hwy. 371 Friday, Jan. 30. The effort was part of California’s Adopt-A-Highway program, a statewide initiative that encourages businesses, organizations and volunteers to help keep roadways clean and attractive while reducing litter and beautification costs for taxpayers.
Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc., which supplies electricity and broadband services throughout the Anza Valley, joined the program years ago as a way to give back to the community it serves every day. AEC employees collected litter along the highway, improving safety and appearance for residents and visitors alike.
Established by the California Department of Transportation, the Adopt-A-Highway program allows groups to formally adopt sections of state highways, committing to regular cleanups
If you have an upcoming community event, email it to valleyeditor@reedermedia.com, put “attention events” in the subject line. Readers should call ahead on some listed events for the latest updates. Please also email us if any of these listings have new or updated information. Thank you!
Regular Happenings
Anza Farmers’ Market – Located at 56333 CA-371, Anza farmers’ market hours are every Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. through October. Various farmers, musicians, artisans and food vendors set up weekly. Ample parking in the field and lot to the west and east of the field. The market is operated by the High Country Conservancy, a 501(c)(3), and is a California certified farmers market. Market Manager Annika Knoppel can be reached at 951-234-1314 or
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Anza Community Hall Swap Meet - Every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. $15 for a spot with membership. $18 for a spot without membership. Vendors wanted. The hall is located at 56630 CA-371 in Anza. See membership information under “Organizations.”
Mobile Food Pantry – Anza Electric Cooperative and F.I.N.D. Food Bank offers a free mobile food pantry the second Saturday of every month at the AEC office, 58470 CA-371, from 8 to 10 a.m. All are welcome. Cal-Fresh application assistance and free community health services are also available. Bring your own reusable bags to take food home. Volunteers welcome. For more information, contact the AEC office at 951-763-4333.
Friends of Anza Valley Community Library – Anza Valley Community Library is located at Hamilton High School, 57430 Mitchell Road. The library is open to the public, but not during school hours. Hours are 4-7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 12-4 p.m. on Sunday. Closed Monday through Wednesday.
Hamilton High School – Find out what is happening using Hamilton’s online calendar at www.hamiltonbobcats.net/apps/ events/calendar.
Hamilton Museum – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays at 39991 Contreras Road in Anza. For more information, call 951-763-1350 or visit www.hamiltonmuseum. org. Find them on Facebook at “Hamilton-Museum-and-RanchFoundation.”
Backcountry Horsemen Redshank Riders – Meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. Locations change, so please contact Mike by email at stumblinl55@gmail. com or by calling 951-760-9255.
Health, exercise, resources and recovery meetings Fit after 50 – 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Tuesday and Friday mornings at Anza Community Hall. Free. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes. Call or text instructor Teresa Hoehn at 951751-1462 for more information.
Veterans’ Gathering Mondays – 9-11 a.m. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 39075 Contreras Road in Anza. Men and women veterans come to share and help each other deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and other difficulties. Call John Sheehan at 951-9236153. If you need an advocate to help with VA benefits, call Ronnie Imel at 951-659-9884.
The Most Excellent Way – A Christ-centered recovery program for all kinds of addiction meets once a week on Fridays from 6-8 p.m. Program is court approved. The group meets at Valley Gospel Chapel, located at 43275 Chapman Road, Anza. AA Men’s Meeting – 7 p.m. Meetings take place Thursdays at 39551 Kirby Road in Anza, south of CA-371.
Alcoholics Anonymous – 8 p.m. Wednesday and Friday evenings at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 56095 Pena Road in Anza. For more information, please email Barbara at chicasita55@gmail. com
Bereaved Parents of the USA – The Aguanga-Anza Chapter of BPUSA will hold its meetings at 6 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 49109 Lakeshore Blvd. in Aguanga. For more information, contact chapter leader Linda Hardee at 951-551-2826.
Free Mobile Health Clinic – Open every third Wednesday of the month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is needed. Uninsured may only be seen in the Anza Community Hall’s parking lot or inside the hall.
Medication Assistance and Treatment for Opioid Dependence – Get treatment for heroin addiction. Transportation to the clinic is provided. For more information, contact Borrego Health’s Anza Community Health Center, 58581 CA-371, Anza. For more information, 951-763-4759.
Narcotics Anonymous –Tuesday meetings, 8 p.m. at Shepherd of the Valley Church, Anza, 56095 Pena Road, Anza. For more information, please email Barbara at chicasita55@ gmail.com
Women’s Alcoholics Anonymous –Thursdays at 12 noon. Meetings at Shepherd of the Valley Church, 56095 Pena Road in Anza. For more information, please email Barbara at chicasita55@gmail. com
Food ministries Food for the Faithful – 8 a.m. The food bank hands out food the last Thursday of the month until the food is gone. Emergency food handed out as needed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. FFF is a nondenominational nonprofit. All in need are welcome; call Esther Barragan at 951-763-5636.
Bible studies
Living Hope Thursday Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study – 8 a.m. at 58050 CA-371 in Anza. All are welcome.
Living Hope Christian Fellowship Sunday Service –10 a.m. at the Anza Community Hall, 56630 CA-371 in Anza. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Anza’s Sunday Sacrament is at 10 a.m.; Sunday School is 11 a.m. Priesthood/Relief Society meets at noon; Wednesday, Boy Scouts gathers 6 p.m. and Youth Night is 7 p.m. For more information, call Ruiz at 951-445-7180 or Nathan at 760-399-0727. The Wednesday Genealogy/Family History Class, 5-8 p.m., is open to the public at 39075 Contreras Road in Anza.
Native Lighthouse Fellowship – 10 a.m. The group meets the first Saturday of the month, and breakfast is served. All are welcome to fellowship together at the “Tribal Hall” below the casino in Anza. For
more information, call Nella Heredia at 951-763-0856.
Monthly Christian Men’s Breakfast – 9 a.m. Breakfast takes place the 4th Saturday of each month and rotates to different locations. Contact Jeff Crawley at 951-763-1257 for more information.
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church – 10 a.m. Weekly Wednesday Bible study takes place at 56095 Pena Road in Anza. Call 951-763-4226 for more information.
Valley Gospel Chapel – 7 a.m. Saturday Men’s Study meets weekly with breakfast usually served at 43275 Chapman Road in the Terwilliger area of Anza. For more information, call 951763-4622.
Anza Baptist Church - Begin your week with Sunday School for adults at 9 a.m. followed by Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m. We have an optional Children’s Church service during the main service. On Sunday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. we have a rotating schedule of Bible Studies, fellowship, and prayer. We also have a prayer circle which meets on Wednesday mornings at 11 a.m. The church office is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church is located at 39200 Rolling Hills Road, just off Burnt Valley Road, in Anza. For more information, please contact the church at 951763-4937 or visit https://www. anzabaptistchurch.com
Clubs
Anza Valley VFW Post 1873, Capt. John Francis Drivick III Post – The Ladies’ and Men’s Auxiliaries are located at 59011 Bailey Road in Anza. Mail P.O. Box 390433. Request monthly newsletter and or weekly menu by email at vfw1873anzaca@gmail. com. For more information, call 951-763-4439 or visit http:// vfw1873.org.
High Country 4-H Club – 4 p.m. Meetings are on the third Tuesday of the month, except February, at Anza Community Hall. 4-H Club is for youth 5 to 19 years old offering a variety of projects. High Country 4-H Club is open to children living in the Anza, Aguanga and surrounding areas. For more information, call Allison Renck at 951-663-5452.
Anza Valley Artists Meetings – Meetings at 1 p.m. are the third Saturday of each month at various locations. Share art, ideas and participate in shows. Guest speakers are always needed. For more information, call president Rosie Grindle at 951-928-1248. Find helpful art tips at www.facebook.com/ AnzaValleyArtists.
Anza Quilter’s Club –Meetings are held at 9:30 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 56095 Pena Road, Anza. For more information see our Facebook page or contact Pat Sprint at jpsprint@gmail.com or Ellen Elmore at luvtoquilt2@gmail. com
Anza Valley Lions Club – The
Anza Valley Lions Club has been reinstated and is open to all men and women who want to work together for the betterment of the community. The group is working on securing a new venue for meetings. Meetings and events are posted on the Anza Lions Club of Anza Valley Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ LionsofAnzaValley. For more information, email president Greg Sandling at President. AnzaLions@gmail.com or Chris Skinner at Secretary. AnzaLions@gmail.com
Fire Explorer Program – 6 p.m. The program meets every second, third and fourth Tuesday of the month at Fire Station 29 on CA-371 in Anza. Call 951-7635611 for information.
Anza Thimble Club – The club meets the 1st Thursday of the month at the Anza Community Hall, 56630 CA-371, Anza, CA 92539. The social hour is 11:30 a.m., and lunch is served at noon. Contact Carol Wright at 951-7632884 for more information.
Organizations Terwilliger Community Association – 6 p.m. Second Monday of the month at VFW Post 1873, 59011 Bailey Road, in Anza. Potluck dinner open to all. For more information, call Tonie Ford at 951-763-4560. Civil Air Patrol – Squadron 59 is looking for new members of all ages. For more information, call squadron commander Maj. Dennis Sheehan from the Anza area at 951-403-4940. To learn more and see the club’s meeting schedule, visit www.squadron59. org Anza Community Hall 7 p.m. General membership meetings are held the fourth Thursday of the month. Single memberships are $30 and include discounts to events for one person and 1 vote in elections and meetings. Family memberships are $50 and include discounts for a family up to 5 members and 1 vote in elections and meetings. Business memberships are $50 and allows an employer to receive discounts for up to 5 people, including themselves, and includes 1 vote on elections and meetings. No government funds are allocated for the Hall, which pays its bills through memberships and swap meets. Mail membership to: Anza Community Building Inc. at P.O. Box 390091, Anza, CA 92539. The hall is located at 56630 CA-371 in Anza. For more information, call 951-2824267 or email achageneral@ gmail.com or visit www. anzacommunitybuilding.org. Anza Civic Improvement League – 9 a.m. meets the first Saturday of each month at the Little Red Schoolhouse. The league maintains Minor Park and the Little Red School House, which are both available to rent for events. No government funds are allowed; the membership pays the bills – $10 a person, $18 family or $35 business membership. For more information, visit www. anzacivic.org.
Diane Sieker Staff Writer
The California Natural Re -
sources Agency and California State Parks invite trail users, community members, advocates and professionals to join two public webinars in February as part of the California Trails Survey - a statewide effort to improve access, safety and connectivity for nonmotorized recreational trails across California.
The webinars will include a presentation introducing the trails assessment process and key outcomes, details on the voter-approved Proposition 4 (Climate Bond) as it relates to trail funding, upcoming updates to the California Recreational Trails Plan, and how Californians can support the effort by spreading the word about the statewide survey. Each webinar will conclude with a live Q&A. Public webinar dates and registration
• Wednesday, February 18 (6-7 p.m.)
• Tuesday, February 24 (6-7 p.m.)
Register for either webinar here.
Both webinars will be recorded and posted at CaliforniaTrailsSurvey.com for those who cannot attend live.
Why participate?
California’s trail network supports outdoor recreation, health, mobility and connection to nature - yet access and trail quality vary widely by region and community. The California Trails Survey is gathering input statewide to understand what’s working,
DINNER from page B-1
Little Red Schoolhouse, serves as a historical centerpiece of downtown. These landmarks continue to function thanks to hardworking volunteers and the nonprofit organizations that maintain them.
The Anza Community Hall succeeds with the support of the community. Hall board meetings are open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Anza Community Building, Inc., or to discover upcoming events can call Pebbles Bartlett-Lewis at (951)760-9244, or Barbara Keller at (951)282-4267, visit the Hall’s website at https://anzacommunitybuilding.org/ or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ groups/337754646415866.
To donate, please click https:// anzacommunitybuilding.org/ donations/.
The Anza Community Building, Inc. is located at 56630 CA371 in Anza.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
California trails allow residents to experience the beauty of
what’s missing and what could be improved across California’s nonmotorized recreational trails.
Feedback will help identify barriers to access and opportunities to expand safe, high-quality trails for everyone.
How public input will be used
Insights from the survey and public webinars will help guide future priorities for trail-related
projects across California. The findings will also inform the next update to the California Recreational Trails Plan, scheduled for 2027. The plan was last updated in 2011 and is the statewide guide for agencies that plan, maintain and manage trails, assessing demand, identifying priorities and recommending an integrated system of trail routes.
Help spread the word
All Californians are encouraged to support this effort by:
• Taking the online survey (open through February 2026).
• Attending a public webinar and sharing it with friends, neighbors and community organizations.
• Sharing trail photos and stories through the online photo contest. For updates and participation opportunities, visit CaliforniaTrailsSurvey.com and follow CNRA and State Parks on social media.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
Diane Sieker Staff Writer
The Anza Valley Outlook Sher-
iff’s Blotter is a list of calls that allows residents to see what law enforcement activity is occurring in their communities.
The Sheriff’s Blotter data is obtained from the official calls for service records kept by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. However, calls where the release of the information could cause harm to an individual or jeopardize the investigation of a criminal case are excluded.
All calls listed are for service within the Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction in the unincorporated areas of Anza, Lake Riverside Estates, Cahuilla and Aguanga from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31.
Jan. 25
911 call from business - 03:49
p.m., 5700 block Mitchell Rd., Anza
Public disturbance - 03:33
p.m., address undefined, Anza
Unattended death - 09:05 a.m., address withheld, Anza, report taken Jan. 26
Assist other department - 08:55 p.m., 4100 block Lakeshore Bl., Lake Riverside
Vandalism - 06:07 p.m., address undefined, Anza
Area check - 01:38 a.m., 3700 block Polliwog Rd., Anza
Public disturbance - 01:37
a.m., 5400 block Bautista Canyon Rd., Anza
Jan. 27
Area check - 10:07 p.m., address undefined, Anza
Harassing phone calls - 01:31 p.m., address withheld, Anza, unfounded
Missing person - 10:58 a.m., 5600 block Mitchell Rd., Anza
Lost property - 09:39 a.m., 5500 block St. Hwy. 371, Anza
Suspicious person - 09:36 a.m., 5800 block La Colina Ln., Anza
Jan. 28 Public disturbance - 05:03 p.m., 3900 block Pioneer Wy., Anza
Public disturbance - 11:52 a.m., 3700 block Polliwog Rd., Anza
Public assist - 11:41 a.m., 5800 block Bailey Rd., Anza
Jan. 29
Shots fired - 07:13 p.m., 5200 block Browns Rocky Rd., Anza
Shots fired - 06:54 p.m., address undefined, Anza
The Sheriff’s Blotter enables residents to know what criminal activity is occurring in their communities. Shots fired - 06:22 p.m., address undefined, Anza Brandishing/weapon - past03:50 p.m., address undefined, Anza, unfounded
Public assist - 11:28 a.m., 3800 block Contreras Rd., Anza Jan. 30
Public disturbance - 10:51 a.m., 5700 block Running Springs Rd., Anza
Vicious dog - 10:12 a.m., 5700 block Johnston Rd., Anza Jan. 31
Public disturbance - 11:54 p.m., address undefined, Anza Assist other department - 10:42 p.m., address undefined, Aguanga
Noise complaint - 10:05 p.m., 3700 block Louise Ave., Anza
Suspicious circumstance07:12 p.m., 3800 block Indian Rd., Anza Area check - 06:13 p.m., address undefined, Anza Noise complaint - 04:41 p.m., 3800 block Howard Rd. Anza Burglary - 03:30 p.m., 4300
throughout the year. In return, participating organizations may receive recognition signage along their adopted roadway, highlighting their contribution to the community
For the Cooperative’s employees, the cleanup was both productive and enjoyable. Clear skies and mild temperatures made for a pleasant time outdoors, and the shared effort reflected the cooperative spirit and care for the community that defines the organization.
Local cleanups like this play a small but meaningful role in preserving the rural character of Anza while fostering pride and stewardship among community members - a reminder that keeping the valley beautiful is a shared responsibility, one bag of trash at a time.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com.
block Visine Rd., Anza, report taken Disabled vehicle - 03:29 p.m., address undefined, Anza Public disturbance - 12:33 p.m., 4100 block Terwilliger Rd., Anza Vehicle theft - 12:17 p.m., 3700
block Old Forest Rd., Anza Assist other department - 04:31 a.m., address undefined, Anza Public disturbance - 03:58 a.m., address undefined, Anza No assumption of criminal
guilt or affiliation should be drawn from the content provided in the Sheriff’s Blotter. Residents with information regarding any crimes are encouraged to contact the Hemet Sheriff’s Station at (951) 791-3400. Criminal activity can also be reported through the We-Tip Crime Reporting Hotline, (909) 987-5005 or https://wetip.com. Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
Joe Naiman Special to Valley News
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the formation of a community facilities district for the Leon Ridge development in Winchester.
A January 27 public hearing was followed by a 5-0 vote to approve the CFD. The supervisors’ action also authorizes the levy of a special tax to fund the services for the CFD.
A community facilities district includes a special tax (sometimes known as Mello-Roos taxes due to the state legislators who authored the option for services on new development to be funded by an annual assessment) to fund the services and/or infra-
structure. A Joint Communities Facilities Agreement stipulates the collection and distribution process for the taxes. If the one percent property tax is not sufficient to pay for maintenance, fire protection, and other services a CFD may be formed for those services and that CFD would be perpetual. A CFD may also pay for infrastructure including capacity fees which are charged to developers to cover the new development’s share of existing infrastructure, and that assessment ends when the bonds are paid off. The CFD may also pay for the reimbursement to government agencies for their staff time and other expenses to form the CFD, the cost to issue bonds, and the annual costs to administer the
CFD. An assessment must be approved by a majority of property o wners, although a developer who owns a property before it is subdivided may cast the sole vote in favor of a CFD which will be binding upon subsequent property owners. In September 2004 the county’s Planning Commission approved a tentative tract map to su bdivide 84.3 acres north of Norma Way, south of Domenigoni Parkway, and east of Leon Road into 192 residential lots and seven open space lots. A tentative map becomes a final map when all conditions of the map are met other than those which cannot be completed until a final map is recorded. The current map has 182 single-family
detached residential lots.
GM Gabrych Family and Leon Ridge - Winchester, L.P., are the owners of the Leon Ridge land. A petition to form a CFD was submitted to the county’s Office of Economic Development. On December 9 the county supervisors voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution of intention to form the CFD and to set the January 27 hearing date.
The CFD for Leon Ridge will be perpetual and will fund street lighting and stormwater facilities maintenance along with the administrative costs for the CFD. The street lighting expenses include energy charges, operation, maintenance, and administration. The stormwater facilities costs include the administration, inspection, and maintenance of
catch basins, fossil filters, and other devices and structures built to meet best management practices to assure proper vegetation and functioning irrigation while remediating operational or structural deficiencies, weeds, erosion, trash, silt, and sediment build-up.
The CFD assessment for Fiscal Year 2025-26 will be $406 per taxable unit for residential property and $1,987 per acre for any multi-family residential or non-residential property. The assessment will increase annually by the larger of 2 percent or the Consumer Price Index increase. Joe Naiman can be reached at jnaiman@reedermedia.com.
An upcoming internet tax sale auction is scheduled to begin Thursday, April 23, at 8 a.m. Pacific Time and will continue through Tuesday, April 28 with auctions closing at staggered times. The sale will be conducted entirely online through bid4assets.com/riverside.
The auction will include approximately 910 regular tax-defaulted properties, consisting of
both vacant land and residential homes. Interested bidders must register in advance, with the registration period opening February 26 and closing April 20 via the Bid4Assets website. Participation in the auction requires a $5,000 deposit at the time of registration, along with a non-refundable $35 processing fee. Prospective bidders are encouraged to complete registration and submit required payments as early as possible to ensure eligibility.
Rancho Water secures $1 million of federal funding for water quality treatment project
Additional details, including the list of available properties and the full terms and conditions of the sale, are available at www. countytreasurer.org . Questions regarding the auction may be directed to (951) 955-3971 or by email at taxsale@rivco.org
Joe Naiman Special to Valley News
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the advertisement for a construction contract which will provide a traffic signal at the East Hemet intersection of Stetson Avenue and Yale Street.
The supervisors voted 5-0 January 27 to authorize the advertisement for bids. The action also set a February 18 bid opening date, approved the plans and specifications for the project, and found the project which does not create additional automobile lanes and involves negligible or no expansion of use to be categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.
Stetson Avenue and Yale Street are both two-lane roads at their intersection. Stetson Avenue is an
east-west street which is considered a major highway. Yale Avenue has northbound and southbound traffic and is considered a secondary highway. Currently Yale Street motorists approach a stop sign which requires them to yield to through traffic on Stetson Avenue.
The traffic signal project will install traffic signal poles and mast arms, safety lighting, traffic signal cabinets and pull boxes, video and radar detection units, and concrete curb ramps meeting Americans with Disabilities Act standards at all four corners. The work will also reconstruct existing concrete cross gutter and spandrels, remove existing conflicting traffic striping and signs, and install new traffic striping and signs. Stetson Avenue currently has a double yellow centerline which prohibits passing, and the restriping of the intersec-
tion will provide left turn pockets at Stetson Avenue for traffic traveling eastbound or westbound to transition and turn northbound or southbound onto Yale Street.
The estimated cost of the construction contract is $738,413. West County Development Impact Fee (DIF) Signal Mitigation funds will be used for the construction. The estimated $5,500 annual traffic signal operation and maintenance costs will be funded by county gas tax revenue.
The signal construction work is scheduled to begin during spring 2026. The work will be phased to keep the road open during construction as much as possible and will take approximately two months to complete.
Joe Naiman can be reached at jnaiman@reedermedia.com.
TEMECULA - The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce presents the 60th Annual Awards Gala, Honoring Brilliance, taking place on Saturday, March 28 at Pechanga Resort Casino. This milestone black tie event will commemorate 60 years of excellence and celebrate the businesses, o rganizations, and individuals whose leadership and dedication have helped shape the Temecula Valley business community. Along with event sponsors, including Title Sponsor Abbott, Premier Sponsor Pechanga Resort Casino, and Diamond Sponsor The Scotts Miracle-Gro Compa-
ny, will welcome attendees to an elegant evening of celebration as we honor outstanding community members with prestigious awards such as Business of the Year, Service and Charitable Organization of the Year, Valley Young Professional of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Ambassador of the Year, Chairman’s Choice Award, and the Welty Professional of the Year. Guests will enjoy an elegant evening featuring a sparkling champagne reception, a captivating silent auction, a gourmet dinner, live entertainment, the awards presentation, and an unforgettable afterparty.
(SCCC)
members all the time. Text (619) 665-3999 for more information or email magerkurths@yahoo.com
To add an extra touch of glamour, attendees are invited to visit the La Masters of Fine Jewelry Bling Bar located in the reception area, where a portion of proceeds will benefit the Chamber. The theme for the evening, “Honoring Brilliance,” reflects the enduring legacy and brilliance of the Chamber’s impact over six decades. Black tie attire is strongly encouraged as guests gather to honor excellence and commemorate this momentous 60th anniversary celebration.
For ticket information and to see this year’s nominees, visit temecula.org.
TEMECULA – Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water / District) announced on Thursday, Jan. 29 that, with the support and leadership of Congressman Darrell Issa, a $1 million federal Community Project Funding request was approved to fund critical water treatment infrastructure, further underscoring the Congressman’s commitment to the importance of safe and reliable water. The funding follows President Donald Trump’s signature of the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations minibus.
The funding is included in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) portion of the legislation and will be administered through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund as Community Project Funding. The directed project funding will allow Rancho Water to advance construction of treatment facilities at one of its groundwater wells to address low levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS). As a result of this detection, these wells have been taken offline.
“This funding is a critical investment in the health and safety
of our community,” said Jason Martin, General Manager of Rancho Water. “We are extremely grateful to Congressman Issa for his strong advocacy and continued support. This $1 million allocation strengthens our ability to address constituents of concern head-on and ensure we can continue providing safe, reliable drinking water to our customers.” PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been widely used for decades and are now recognized as contaminants of concern. Water and wastewater providers have had to work to address these concerns even though they are passive receivers of these chemicals. The authorized funding will support the construction of treatment infrastructure designed to remove PFAS from water before it can safely be delivered to customers.
Rancho Water will continue coordinating with state and federal partners as the project moves toward implementation. For more information about construction projects at Rancho Water, visit RanchoWater.com/construction. Submitted by Rancho California Water District.
Diane A. Rhodes
Special to Valley News
The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since the 1992-1993 school year, held its awards breakfast on Jan. 8 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. Holly Wilson, Director of Admissions at Linfield Christian School, emceed the event for Sally Myers who founded the nonprofit program that partners with the Chamber. Wilson welcomed everyone and shared the mission of the local high school recognition program which sets the criteria for the students who are chosen.
Supported by the community, college or vocational/trade school-bound seniors are acknowledged and honored for their character, their love of learning and their willingness to participate in numerous activities such as campus events, athletics and community service or the ability to persevere and overcome difficult life circumstances. They accomplish all this in a setting that honors God, country, community, family and free enterprise.
Backpacks filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and much more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
January’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Caden Twiss, Great Oak’s Sofia Latapie, Linfield Christian’s Adelina Taylor, Rancho Christian’s Karissa Sokoloski, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School’s Emily Minniear, Temecula Preparatory High School’s CJ Slade, and Temecula Valley’s Sahar “Mina” Jabarkhiel.
Caden Twiss
Chaparral High School Principal Tina Miller described Caden as a positive leader and an influencer on campus. Growing up with a speech impediment, Caden attended speech therapy three times a week through fifth grade. “It took time, effort, and dedication but because of that work, you wouldn’t even know I had one today,” he said. That lesson became a cornerstone in his life and inspired him to be involved in ASB for the past eight years.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of my closest friends and incredible teachers who lead by example and inspire me to become a better leader every day.” He has been a student section leader for the school’s Puma Pit working passionately to try to make every student feel included and create new ways to keep students engaged. This led to the Puma Pit winning national honors in 2025. Caden has been an Explorer with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office for three years and said role models at the station have taught him what it means to serve and give back to the community. “They have also inspired me to continue to serve my community as a police officer,” he said. Caden also plans to attend college to earn a degree in psychology or criminology.
Sofia Latapie
Great Oak High School Principal Amber Lane introduced Sofia as a full diploma IB student who stands out for her intellect, her curiosity, and her fierce advocacy for others. Sofia plans to attend Claremont McKenna College to study public affairs and econometrics. “My interest in public policy began in Long Beach where I saw that even strong communities can struggle when systems stop working as they should,” Sofia said. “When my family moved to Temecula, I discovered something special, a city grounded in connection and care.” Within the Temecula Valley Youth Symphony, Sofia created a community outreach program to connect the ensemble with local venues and make music performances and education more accessible across the valley.
“At Great Oak, I revitalized our student newspaper to highlight student voices and founded the Wolfpack Community Service Award to recognize students who dedicate their time to helping others,” Sofia said. “As president of the City of Temecula’s Youth Innovators, I also help organize low-cost community events and programs such as the College Fair and STEM Camp to benefit and empower local youth. These projects represent what I believe is my greatest contribution— helping to build pathways for others to contribute, learn, lead, and serve.
Adelina Taylor
Linfield Christian High School
Assistant Principal Dani Hawes said Adelina’s spirit and involvement attracts students from all grade levels. She is debate team captain and is outstanding in the biomed pathway she is part of, but what brings her joy is her music. Adelina plans to major in psychology at Biola University. She said the most significant life lesson she has learned is that all skills require time and effort to learn. “Time is one of the greatest gifts we get. However, with all
the busyness and craziness of our lives, it feels like we have less and less of it. In the words of my violin teacher, ‘You have time for everything you make time for.’ That statement really stuck with me and allowed me to take responsibility for how I spend my time. Now I’m learning to be intentional with my time,” she said. Instrumental Music teacher Doug Knechtel said Adelina came late to the band program, teaching herself to play flute this past summer and ended up in second chair. “She jumps in with two feet, she makes things work when there’s not necessarily a clear path and we’re very pleased to have her in the band program,” he said.
Karissa Sokoloski
Rancho Christian High School
Principal Doris Jackson said Karissa has the exceptional ability to excel in academics and the arts where her true passion is theater. She has completed more than 1,000 hours of community service. “Every year, I work with my grandparents and Paralyzed Veterans of America to do two events, Operation Desert Fun in Anza Borrego Desert and the Easter Event at California Avenue School in Vista,” Karissa said. She has been volunteering since she was 12 and said it gives her the opportunity to give back to the disabled community in a way that she loves. “I’ve also learned a lot from the harder moments in my life,” she said. “When I was 10, I lost my dad very suddenly one night of a heart attack right in front of my eyes. For a long time, I didn’t know how to make sense of it. But over time, I realized something important. I could let that moment break me or I could let it shape me. I chose to let it shape me.” Karissa said she learned true patience and resilience through her mother and that her father taught her that you can’t give up when bad things happen.
Emily Minniear
Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School Principal
Fred Romo told Emily he knows she is going to go out into the world and make a positive impact. “I want to begin by thanking God,” she said. “It is through my Catholic faith that I truly believe every opportunity I’ve had, including this one, have been guided by him. Growing up I watched my eldest brother with autism work with incredible occupational therapists. I saw how they took the time to listen to him, encourage him, and help him feel confident in who he was. It was those moments that taught me empathy. That experience inspired my dream to become an occupational therapist. I love the idea of helping people feel capable and independent again. To me, real impact happens when people feel seen, heard, and supported. I am excited to keep learning and serving wherever God takes me.” Emily is ASB President and her advisor Lauren Mora Vergara said Emily has a selfless desire to uplift others. She is part of FFA, NHS, CSF and serves as varsity cheer team captain. “Her involvement is not driven by recognition or a means to an end but by a sincere desire to strengthen the community she belongs to,” Mora Vergara said.
CJ Slade
Temecula Preparatory High School Upper Dean Garrett Corduan said CJ and his family have lived and traveled all around the world and that the school is lucky that they landed at the school when CJ was in eighth grade. He said the well-rounded student boasts a 5.0 GPA for the first semester of his senior year.
“We’re a small school and as classes reach those higher levels, sometimes the numbers get really small in classes,” Corduan said.
CJ is also on the cross country and track teams, a leader on the robotics team, a member of choir and has held leading roles in several musicals at the school.
CJ said the most important lesson he learned and will take to college is to just be himself. “As a very
introverted person, I’ve always been scared of big groups, parties, speeches, but over time I learned that I’m not actually scared of those things, I was scared of being rejected,” he said. Therefore, he would try to be a fake version of himself that he thought people would like. “As cliché as it is, you really have to just be yourself in everything that you do. If you are comfortable and confident with who you are, people will like that.”
Sahar “Mina” Jabarkhiel Temecula Valley High School Principal Donna Lione asked Sahar for three words that her friends would use to describe her, and they are: determined, confident, and kind. “Those attributes are on display in everything she does,” Lione said. With a 4.4 GPA and completion of a three-year CTE Automotive Program pathway, Sahar hopes to attend UC, San Diego and pursue a career as a physician. Sahar said, “I believe that learning is a privilege and not a given. And I wish I was wrong. In August 2021, the Taliban seized control of the Afghan government. Soon after, they denied women the right to a public education. I am an Afghan American girl. Even though my parents had moved to America in 1998, I soon realized if they hadn’t, I would have been one of those girls. I would have had my education stripped from me and with it, my future.” This made Sahar realize her education is her biggest opportunity. “If my hardest job is to learn and to study, then I’ve got it pretty easy,” she said. Teacher Jennifer Burlingham said, “Mina actively seeks out feedback and uses it thoughtfully. She doesn’t shy away from complex topics and big ideas.”
For more information, please contact Program Chair Liz Schuch at 951-676-5090 or liz@ temecula.org
Yawaywish “Wish” Vega is a fourth grader at Rose Salgado Elementary School and a member of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians. She recently won first place at her school site to advance to the San Jacinto Unified School District science fair. Wish is a great niece of the late Rose Salgado, for whom the school is named. Her father is Ash-wut Vega, and her grandmother is Eustacia (Salgado) Maciel.
Her experiment titled “Stinky Cheese” compared which storage methods would keep certain types of cheese fresher longer: original packaging, plastic food storage bag or glass container.
“I chose this topic because I was thinking cheese would be interesting to do,” said Wish, who turns 10 years old in February. “I learned from the process that it
was fun learning about cheese, but it was a lot of work to do.”
She spent about a week on her experiment and discovered a surprising result. She found that cheddar cheese developed mold faster than pepper jack cheese in a zippered food storage bag, which she had hypothesized would be the worst.
On January 15, SJUSD hosted its annual District Science Fair, celebrating curiosity, creativity, and scientific thinking among students in grades 4–12. The district’s website shared that the event featured the top projects from each school, highlighting the hard work and ingenuity of students who conducted experiments or designed original prototypes as part of their site-level science competitions.
A wide range of projects were
on display, with titles such as Bouncy Eggs, The Best Power Plant, Which Filtration Method Makes the Cleanest Water?, Smart Cane, Stinky Cheese, Under Pressure, and Which Brand of Battery Will Last Longer? Each project demonstrated strong research skills, problem-solving, and a passion for discovery.
Although Wish’s project was not among the 11 that were selected to advance to the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair on Feb. 27, the District Science Fair was a true celebration of student innovation and a testament to the bright future of science in area schools.
It’s no surprise that this is Wish’s favorite subject in school.
“I like science because it’s fun to do experiments,” she said.
Champions advance to represent Riverside County at California Academic Decathlon
RIVERSIDE – The theme for the 43rd Annual Riverside County Academic Decathlon was “The Roaring Twenties”, and the Beaumont High School Cougars made their voices heard by clinching the championship for the first time in school history.
Western Center Academy’s Team A finished second overall after tying with Beaumont High School in the Super Quiz. Great Oak High School finished third. Western Center Academy’s Team B finished fourth, and Beaumont High School’s Team B placed fifth overall.
“Every student who participated in this year’s Riverside County Academic Decathlon is a powerful example of academic excellence and focused collaboration,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “Congratulations to the Beaumont High School team as they prepare to proudly represent Riverside County at the California Academic Decathlon in March.” Beaumont High School will represent Riverside County at the California Academic Decathlon on March 20-22, 2026, in Santa Clara. The California state champion advances to the United
States Academic Decathlon from April 23-25, 2026, in Garden Grove.
The competition started virtually with essay writing and objective tests on January 14. All teams proceeded to the speech and interview competition and Super Quiz on Saturday, January 31, held at the Riverside County Office of Education Conference Center in downtown Riverside. The awards ceremony recognized top individual finishers immediately following the Super Quiz. Riverside County students from 9 high schools competed in the multi-day event organized by the Riverside County Office of Education. Academic Decathlon, like its ancient Greek counterpart, is a 10-event contest. Participants demonstrated their academic strength by completing seven written tests, writing an essay, delivering prepared and impromptu speeches, and participating in an interview. The Super Quiz is a team event held before a live audience. Each team is composed of nine students, three from each grade point category, and includes three Honor (GPA 3.804.00), three Scholastic (GPA 3.20 - 3.799), and three Varsity (GPA 0.00 - 3.199) students.
For 2026, the 9 Riverside County high school teams that compete included: Beaumont High School (two teams) - Beaumont USD Corona High School – Corona-Norco USD
Julie Reeder Publisher
Journalist Don Lemon was indicted by a grand jury and then arrested. Instead of being an outsider reporting on an event, he was involved and helped facilitate the disruption of a church service on private property where people were practicing their First Amendment rights. Despite my observation that he is guilty, I don’t think ultimately he will be prosecuted.
I can see this from two angles. I am a journalist now, but thirty years ago, I took part in a few peaceful protests. We were trained—very deliberately—on how not to escalate. We were taught to respect law enforcement, to comply with orders, and to accept arrest calmly if it came to that. We did not scream, curse, shove, threaten, or intimidate. We stood silently, except to maybe pray quietly. If we trespassed, we did so knowing we would be arrested. It was OK, and we were prepared to face a judge or jury. That was the point: conscience, accountability, a moral witness, and a message to stand up for what we thought was right.
That model of protest looks almost unrecognizable today.
What we are seeing now— whether in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, or inside the recent Minneapolis place of worship— resembles not civil disobedience, but terror, obstruction, coercion, and intimidation. Little kids were shouted at and told that their parents were going to go to hell. Parents wondered if there was going to be a mass shooting. Decades ago, we (the protesters) were the ones being taunted. While the police just typically were present but not reacting, the opposition screamed in our faces, spit at us, tried to provoke violence, and physically attacked people in our group. Someone in my family was pulled out of the group and beaten (not badly). A young priest standing behind me was sexually assaulted. The men around him could not fight back; the only thing they could do was surround him and shield him. The opposition was evil, grotesque and relentless—meant to force a reaction, but escalation was forbidden. We were taught that once you abandon restraint, you’ve lost. We also wanted to be good examples while we were standing up for what we believed. It’s all different now. It’s not organic and community based. The restraint is completely gone. Modern protest movements are political and backed by big money. For example, tech billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who now lives in Shanghai. He supports leftist and socialist organizations and protests through organizations like The People’s Forum and the Party for Socialism and LIberation. Also groups like The Open Society Foundations, Crowds on Demand, and t he Sunrise Movement. I’ve watched undercover meetings where they advocated violence
as a necessary part of the process.
These protests now look more like “color revolutions.” They borrow tactics from trained agitators—methods honed in “color re volutions” abroad—where disruption, fear, and spectacle are not accidental byproducts but deliberate strategies. This is not grassroots protest. It is theater, designed to overwhelm institutions and intimidate individuals. The idea is to intimidate, scare and cause normal people to just get overwhelmed and desire it “to just stop.” Lemon and others are accused of conspiring to interfere with worshippers’ free exercise of religion and related rights.
In Minneapolis, this is likely because of Gov. Tim Wahl’s Emergency Management Department Director Rachel Sayer. She is ex-CIA. She has explained on talk shows how she has trained people on how to take part in regime changes and color revolutions all over the world. No doubt she is at the heart of Minneapolis protest trainings.
Comparisons between protests 30, 40, 60 years ago to recent anti-ICE protests are important. We don’t want to allow protesters to start widespread burning, looting, and violence like during the so-called “Summer of Love”. No one was killed during our protests. No neighborhoods were torched. No businesses were destroyed. Our presence was not punitive.
Which brings us to the First Amendment—so often invoked, and so often misunderstood.
Here is what it actually says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The keyword is peaceably. The First Amendment protects speech—it does not protect the violation of others’ rights. It does not grant license to block entrances, disrupt worship, terrify children, or invade spaces where people are exercising their First Amendment freedoms. A church service is not a public forum; it is a protected religious exercise on private property, and they have the right to assemble peaceably without protesters barging in to punish them. These protesters in Minneapolis, according to Don Lemon, were also chosen because they were white and Christian. Doesn’t that make it a hate crime?
Don Lemon appears to believe that invoking the First Amendment places him beyond accountability. That belief is misplaced. Whether he is ultimately found innocent or guilty will be up to a judge. But the facts matter. He acknowledged knowing the protest leader from prior Black Lives Matter events. He explained the pl an beforehand, and participated in the event once inside. He talked to the pastor, who asked him to leave. He didn’t.
When a young boy was visibly frightened, Lemon reportedly dismissed it, saying, “Trauma is part of it.” It’s necessary. That statement alone should give pause.
Moreover, the legal framework already exists to address this kind of conduct. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was enacted to prevent protesters from blocking access to abortion clinics or intimidating those inside. The principle is simple: protest does not include
the right to obstruct or terrorize inside private property. If that standard applies to clinics—and it does—there is a strong argument that it applies equally to churches.
There have been grandmas who have spent years in jail after praying in front of abortion clinics. These people, including Lemon, actually went inside and violated the law. The judge will decide.
Federal authorities also charged Don Lemon with violating civil rights statutes originally designed to stop conspiracies to deprive people of their constitutional rights, including a Reconstruction-era law commonly associated with the Ku Klux Klan Act (officially 18 U.S.C. § 241). That law was enacted after the Civil War to combat vigilante groups like the Ku Klux Klan and makes it a federal crime to conspire to intimidate, threaten, or prevent someone from exercising their constitutional rights. Civil disobedience requires discipline, humility, and a willingness to accept consequences. What we are seeing now demands compliance, submission, and silence from others—fueled by screaming, spitting, whistles, loud horns, threats, and fear. That is not a protest. And the First Amendment doesn’t give anyone, including a journalist, a blank slate to break the law. But he will likely get away with it.
The arrest of Don Lemon is good for law and order, and it’s probably good for Him as well, since he’s been kind of irrelevant since he was fired from CNN. Once a protest abandons moral restraint, it forfeits the very legitimacy it claims to defend.
Mary Rooke Daily Caller Commentary and Analysis Writer
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released over 3 million pages of materials Friday, i ncluding videos and images, connected to the investigation into convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The world should have erupted.
For years, people were labeled conspiracy theorists for claiming Epstein was part of a child abuse ring that involved the world’s most powerful leaders, including princes, prime ministers, and tech billionaires. While some of the documents circulating online after the drop only serve to muddy the waters, there is now proof that Epstein and his alleged associates were going after innocent children.
The primary figure emerging is Dr. Jess Ting, a plastic surgeon at Mount Sinai who later specialized in so-called “gender-affirming” surgeries. Ting operated on famous gender confused children like reality TV star Jazz Jennings.
Ting had a multi-year relationship with Epstein lasting from 2010 to 2018, according to the newly released documents. During their friendship, he provided medical consultations and procedures for Epstein’s associates who were often referred to in their email correspondence as “girls,” “friends,” or “assistants.”
Also according to the emails, Epstein provided funding to Ting, including $50,000 for research and to support a young woman, Emily Harris, “until she leaves for medical school.”
While most documented interactions predate Ting’s full shift to transgender surgery in the mid-2010s, a 2018 email explicitly references his new focus on “gender-affirmation” surgery,
suggesting Epstein’s potential interest.
“I wanted to share with you some changes in my career that you may find of interest. I have switched specialties from plastic surgery to gender-affirmation surgery (AKA transgender surgery). This is a documentary a bout the creation of the new center at Mount Sinai: [supposed link to the documentary on transgender surgeries]. Check it out. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever been in[v]olved with,” Ting wrote to Epstein in April 2018.
Ting visited Epstein’s Little St. James Island in March 2013 with a female friend and her three young children, according to the documents. Emails arrange this as Epstein offering Ting to “play with his ‘toys.’” Ting also brought children to Epstein’s residence in NYC, according to the files the DOJ released. While no procedures or inappropriate behavior were discussed in these emails, they do show that Ting and Epstein had close ties and that Epstein was using him as his go-to doctor.
Around the same time that Ting was transitioning from plastic surgery into the transgender field, Epstein began corresponding with evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers, who was not a medical doctor, like Ting. Trivers emailed Epstein in 2018 about hormone manipulation in a context that ties into gender transition.
Trivers was especially focused on the way hormone replacement therapy (HRT) affected the physical appearance of young men and even remarked about how they would still be able to orgasm despite the “treatment.”
This is truly sick. Why do most roads of trans ideology lead back to pedophilia? Kinsey, Money, Epstein. Not a good look.
— January Littlejohn (@JanuaryDoNoHarm) February 1, 2026
“With greater molecular control over development we are increasingly capable of producing novel phenotypes–more feminine men, by blocking testosterone receptors (or castration), and at the same time, increasing estrogen production–the one b[l] ocks make features, the second encourages female features,” Trivers wrote to Epstein in December 2018.
He goes on to describe how similar treatments on females make them appear more masculine, even saying that male-tofemale transition is “attractive.”
“The first (male to female) is attractive–he is a woman with a cock, so that if your fantasy is to suck a man’s dick, otherwise you are completely heterosexual, it would be much nicer if the rest of the organism is female, then you get the best of both worlds,” Trivers said.
“So many transsexual women are very attractive and easily make money which in turn they assert promotes their prostitution since they have to pay hefty fees for injections every week, but they are sexually happy,–once you have reached manhood even castration does not prevent the sensation of organism (assuming he meant orgasm),” he wrote.
Trivers admits that female-tomale transistioners are “unhappy and lonely,” describing these women as having “the worst of both worlds.”
“If you like smelly masculine men, you want that hard cock that comes with the show–you do not want one of nature’s more complex and variable structures, the pum pum–that is an aquired [taste]–and not with a man,” Trivers said, adding “there are 100’s of female Trans videos
and websites, I have never seen a male one.”
“BTW we are now pushing the intervention earlier–so you notice your 3-year-old son has trans tendencies, so now you intervene with hormones–I would be frightened to do that–but who knows?” Trivers said.
It’s unclear why Trivers would be “frightened” to give a threeyear-old HRT. But one can only assume that after the obsession with the sexual aspect of transgender medicine, it has something to do with the sexual viability of young men.
Also prominent in Epstein’s correspondence were the terms used by child sex traffickers that were identified on the dark web and other sites like Reddit and 4chan during the height of the Pizzagate controversy.
It all started when WikiLeaks dropped an email from the private intelligence firm Stratfor. A person named Fred Burton, presumably the chief security officer for Stratfor, wrote an email, titled, “Chicago Hot Dog Friday.”
“I think Obama spent about $65,000 of the tax-payers money flying in pizza/dogs from Chicago for a private party at the White House not long ago, assume we are using the same channels?” Burton said.
WikiLeaks screenshot Fred Burton email
Some conspiracy theorists claimed the pizza and hot dog order was a euphemism for trafficking children, with pizza meaning a female child, hot dog meaning a male child, and cheese pizza standing for child pornography.
Epstein, a convicted pedophile, and his adult associates seemed obsessed with “pizza parties.”
In an email with names that have been redacted, someone named Feeney is desperately asking Epstein or his associates
to help him find a “pizza party.”
“Alert – Feeney asking about a pizza party this weekend,” the subject line stated.
Another email with a similar subject line, again with both the sender and recipient redacted, states: “Alert – Send pizza to Bobby!!”
Someone named Valdson Cotrin received an email from an unknown person, thanking them for the “YUMMY YUMMY!!” pizza.
“Thank you for the pizza today! really good!! xo!:),” they wrote.
In another, Benjamin Moon was asked if he would like to attend a “U9 Red Pizza Party” in 2013.
“Hi Ben! Great game today. Wanted to check and see if you might be available for a pizza party next sat after the friendly Darien game we are having. Ifs been difficult trying to find a time the most people are available to participate BUT, it seems next sat is the best for most. Please let me know! Thanks,” the redacted sender wrote.
Moon excitedly agreed to attend.
There were over 890 references to pizza in the documents released by the DOJ.
With over 3 million documents, it will take months to fully understand the entire inner workings of Epstein’s devious life and work.
But we do know that Epstein was involved in heinous acts committed against children. His association with the transgender movement is not shocking if one considers how sexual predators typically view vulnerable children as their easily manipulated toys.
If no one goes to jail, all of this means nothing.
Follow Mary Rooke on X: @ MaryRooke
