Month: December 2010

The mercury is expected to plunge tonight across the Inland Empire, ushering in what’s sure to be a chilly — and possibly frosty — new year. According to the National Weather Service, a frost advisory is in effect from 11 Friday night to 9 Saturday morning, with temperatures expected to dip as low as 20

A woman who ran into traffic on a freeway in Banning before being subdued by officers using a stun gun was undergoing a mental evaluation today, police said. According to Banning police, the 34-year-old woman was reportedly creating a disturbance at a business in the 1300 block of Ramsey Street around 2 p.m. Thursday, and

The year 2010 was laden with a myriad of newsmaking events, from near-fatal and fatal attacks on police officers to high-profile dismissals and the murder of a teenage girl, bringing Riverside County into national focus. The year began with attempts on police officers’ lives in Hemet. On New Year’s Day, members of the Hemet-San Jacinto

New Year’s celebrants who shoot off guns to ring in 2011 could face felony charges, Riverside County sheriff’s officials warned today. The sheriff’s department said it will be enforcing a “zero tolerance” on celebratory gunfire countywide tonight and through the holiday weekend. “The intent of this … policy is to reduce the number of injuries

Seven people accused of perpetrating a fraud scheme that drained hundreds of thousands of dollars from a state-run childcare program are slated to be arraigned today. Stephanie Luna Vega, 38, of Riverside, her mother, 61-year-old Sylvia Avila, Vega’s father, Albert Lobato Luna, 60, his wife, Camilla Wright Luna, 61, and Vega’s sister-in-law, Toni Catherine Luna,

Popping the bubbly on New Year’s and then hopping behind the wheel can be a deadly decision, according to Walter Clark, a Palm Desert attorney who is sponsoring the Fifth Annual “Safe Ride Home” program. Airport Taxi, American Cab and Yellow Cab of the Desert are participating in the program. It is designed to keep

An autopsy was scheduled Thursday for a body believed to be that of 22 year old Lauren Hanson McLane. 35 year old Diana Jordan of Yucca Valley is now a murder suspect. Jordan was arrested back on December 23rd at her home on Goleta Avenue — after San Bernardino County Sheriff’s investigators found a body

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake shook an area near the Southern California town of Julian on Thursday morning. The quake hit at 9:37 a.m. 14 miles east southeast of Julian and 48 miles east northeast of San Diego. There were no reports of damage or injuries. This is one of many earthquakes that have hit the

Winds gusting to 94 miles per hour blasted the Golden State (5) Freeway corridor in northwest Los Angeles County today, and 60- mph gusts lashed the San Gabriel Valley as a storm out of the north chilled the Southland for a second consecutive day. A high wind warning for the San Fernando and San Gabriel

Kool and the Gang will replace the Brian Setzer Orchestra at tonight’s concert at Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa because Setzer has a foot infection. Tickets for the Brian Setzer Orchestra be honored for the Kool and the Gang concert, which will begin at 9 p.m., said the resort’s Therese Everett- Kerley. “Having Kool

The latest winter storm is bringing more snow to our local mountains. Idyllwild began receiving its second snowfall of the season Tuesday night. Because things can get slippery in town and on surrounding roads, people who live and work in the area know how important it is to have chains on the tires of their

The “Safe Ride Home” taxi program begins on New Year’s Eve, December 31, and continues on New Year’s Night, January 1. Three local taxi companies are joining forces to provide free rides for patrons to get home safely from local restaurants, bars, and hotels after consuming alcohol. The taxi rides will be provided one way,

A rash of burglaries at Palm Springs Baptist Church have police stumped today. The church, 1696 S. El Cielo Road, has been burglarized four times within less than a month, most recently on Tuesday, according to Palm Springs police Officer Rhonda Long. The first burglary took place Dec. 11, when two laptops and a projector

The eighth consecutive daily increase pushed the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Inland Empire to its highest amount since Oct. 18, 2008 today. The half-cent increase boosted the average price in Riverside and San Bernardino counties to $3.295, 3.1 cents more than a week ago, 17.3 cents more than

A robbery suspect allegedly threatened to blow up a bank in Banning Wednesday but was quickly taken into custody, police reported. Brian Clough, 52, of Bell, allegedly demanded cash from tellers at the Chase bank branch at 1118 W. Ramsey St., saying he would detonate explosives if the employees did not comply with his request,

With the dispute settled to his satisfaction, Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco today dropped his lawsuit against the county over its initial refusal to “unfreeze” a dozen positions on his staff. Lawyers for the D.A. submitted a motion asking Superior Court Judge Paul Bryant to dismiss the case, which he did, canceling all future

Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado signed an executive order today to waive fees and other regulations involved in recovery efforts from the rainstorms of the past 10 days in Riverside County and elsewhere in California. Among other things, officials involved in recovery efforts were ordered to cooperate with the California Resources Agency and state Environmental Protection

Governor-elect Jerry Brown will be sworn in Monday at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium ? the same place Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took the oath of office four years ago. The swearing in will take place with new California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye presiding, Brown’s transition team said. The ceremony will be followed by a private

The arrest of a San Jacinto man on suspicion of distributing child pornography was based on an investigation that began more than 2,000 miles away, according to Riverside County sheriff’s officials. Jeremiah Allen Gifford, 34, was arrested without incident at his home in the 900 block of Bergamo Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, said sheriff’s Sgt.

One person was transported to the hospital on Friday after a big rig truck collided with another car sending the truck into a canal, according to the California Highway Patrol. The accident happened at 9:40 a.m. near the intersection of County Road C/D and the 10000 block of 6th Ave. Cal Fire crews launched a