Month: July 2013

The state Assembly has approved legislation that would block members of California’s Public Utility Commission from serving on nonprofits created by the commission. Lawmakers approved the compromise legislation Wednesday as part of a budget-related bill. Current PUC President Michael Peevey is chairman of two nonprofits created by the agency. Under the legislation, he could not

Dogs and cats can be adopted from the Palm SpringsAnimal Shelter at a special fee of $17.76 tomorrow through Sunday. “The number of animals in our shelter is very high right now,” shelterdirector Patrice Brayer said. “We are hoping our $17.76 Independence Dayspecial will encourage people who have been thinking about adopting a pet to

A woman was robbed at gunpoint today at the Sam’s Club gas station in Palm Desert. According to the woman’s son,his mother was robbed of cash she has just withdrew from the Wells Fargo ATM moments before. She was pumping gas at the Sam’s Club gas station when a man approached her at the pumps

The state Assembly has passed further changes to an economic development program that was overhauled last week. Legislation approved last week redirects the enterprise zone program’s $750 million in tax credits to three new economic development efforts. Those include revised hiring tax credits and a sales tax exemption for manufacturing and research-and-development equipment. On Wednesday,

For the 16th straight year, the Automobile Club of Southern California will offer its free Tipsy Tow service for intoxicated drivers during the Fourth of July holiday, beginning Wednesday night. A free tow home of up to seven miles will be available by calling (800) 400-4222 and telling the operator, “I need a Tipsy Tow,”

Egypt’s military moved to tighten its control of key institutions Wednesday, sending troops backed with armored vehicles to the heart of Cairo and slappinga travel ban on President Mohammed Morsi and top allies in preparation for an almost certain push to remove the Islamist president with the expiration of an afternoon deadline. 20825054 20825160 Just

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regulargasoline in the Inland Empire dropped today for the ninth consecutive day,falling 1 cent to $4.021. The average price in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has decreased7 cents over the past nine days, including three-tenths of a cent on bothMonday and Tuesday, according to figures from the

A Southern California man claims he also had teenage sex with a teacher who allegedly had a baby by a 16-year-old student. Twenty-three-year-old Michael Cooper tells KABC-TV that he was a 17-year-old junior in Laura Whitehurst’s English class at Redlands High School when they began a sexual relationship in 2007. He says it lasted nearly

A state report reveals 2.5 million Californians have had Social Security numbers, credit card and bank accounts and other sensitive information exposed in 131 data breaches dating back to 2010. The San Jose Mercury News says the disclosure was made Monday by Attorney General Kamala Harris, in the first report of its kind in the

A Banning man poured gasoline in his house, locked hisgirlfriend inside, then threatened to it on fire, police said today. Amador Dean Bates, 37, was arrested in a foot chase near the home in the900 block of West Cottonwood Road Sunday night. Banning police got a report of what was happening about 9:55 p.m.Sunday, according

The Board of Supervisors today authorized RiversideCounty Sheriff Stan Sniff to seek a $445,413 grant from the U.S. JusticeDepartment in support of programs that enhance public safety. Funds from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant can beused for training, equipment and initiatives that reduce drug abuse, offerresources to victims of crime and protect minors.

The Riverside County Regional Medical Center willreceive a $40 million cash infusion to cover its bills in the current fiscalyear, thanks to action today by the Board of Supervisors, but the hospital’stroubles are not behind it. “This is $40 million to keep it alive,” said Supervisor Kevin Jeffriesprior to joining his colleagues in a unanimous

It’s not every day Henry Otten from Indian Wells gets to welcome a new jaguar to the Coachella Valley as he did on Tuesday. “It is very exciting, we’ve been hearing about his arrival for some time,” said Henry’s dad Josh. The newest Jaguar’s name is Memo, Spanish for Bill, named in honor of two

Assessed property values in Riverside County are going up for the first time in five years. Median home prices in Riverside County went up by more than 25 percent in 2012. “As supply decreases, and there are fewer homes, demand increases, price goes up,” said Ann Ritchie from the California Desert Association of Realtors. “We’ve

Richard Cadieux has helped plan 800 straight and gay weddings to date. From now on, he wants to focus only on same-sex marriages. “I know a lot of the people getting married are between 55 and 70, and they feel different. I think I have the skill to be able to help them bring their

Construction workers are almost ready to begin building where part of the old Desert Fashion Plaza used to stand in downtown Palm Springs. Large piles of rubble and rock are nearly all that’s left of the first demolition phase. Now, Wessman Development hopes to move forward with plans to revitalize the area. Wessman’s senior vice

After a multiyear decline, property values crept up inRiverside County this year, signaling possible renewed strength in theregional economy, according to a report released today. For the first time since fiscal year 2008-09, the county’s property taxassessment roll — the composite value of all commercial and residential realestate within the county — went positive, increasing

California corrections officials say they’ll comply with a federal court order to move thousands of inmates out of two Central Valley prisons where an airborne fungus has led to widespread illnesses. Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Deborah Hoffman told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it is not yet clear where the 2,600 inmates

Redlands Police arrested a 28-year-old high school teacher Monday evening, accused of having sex with a teenage boy who fathered a child with the teacher. Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst was arrested at about 8:45 p.m. Monday, July 1, after questioning at her home in Redlands. Whitehurst is a teacher at Citrus Valley High School in Redlands,