Month: September 2013

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Inland Empire rose Friday for the 13th time in 15 days, increasing 2 cents to $3.962. The average price in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has risen 14.7 cents over the past 15 days, including 2.8 cents on Thursday, according to figures from

California is now just a signature away from an early earthquake warning system. Thursday night the State Assembly passed a bill that promises to pave the way. The technology to warn us before the next big one is here, but the problem is finding the millions of dollars to build a statewide system. Now with

To mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first tram ride at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the city’s Mayor Steve Pougnet cut the ribbon during a rededication ceremony Thursday. Since the tramway began operation a half century ago, more than 13 million people have taken the tram’s two-and-a-half-mile trip that takes them

Some residents in the Desert Rose neighborhood are seeking legal action against utility giant Southern California Edison because of stray electricity. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar case. A Redondo Beach woman repeatedly shocked in her shower was awarded $4 million by a Los Angeles County jury.About 40 of the residents believe

Immigrants who are in the country illegally would be able to get special California drivers’ licenses under a bill approved by the state Senate, but it was not certain whether it would be sent to the governor this year. Supporters of AB60 said allowing immigrants to be licensed would make the roads safer by ensuring

Greater Palm Springs Pride Celebration organizersannounced the 27th annual festival’s event lineup today. The Pride Celebration, scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 3, includes blockparties, same-sex weddings at the “Forever Marilyn” statue, a two-dayfestival and a downtown parade. The theme is “It’s Time.” The main block ofevents will be preceded by the Pride Honors Awards on Oct.

California’s minimum wage would rise to $10 an hour within three years under a bill that is all but certain to head to Gov. Jerry Brown, giving the state one of the highest statewide rates in the nation. Washington state currently has the top minimum wage, at $9.19 an hour, an amount that is pegged

A bicyclist was struck and killed today at aMoreno Valley intersection. The crash happened at 3:44 p.m. at Northern Dancer Drive andPerris Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. A man cycling northbound on Perris was apparently hit from behind by amotorist, who immediately stopped. The victim, described only as a man between 45

A man who said he had a gun robbed a Palm Desertpharmacy today, a sheriff’s spokesman said. The robbery was reported about 11:15 a.m. at CVS Pharmacy in the 42000block of Washington Street. A man entered, walked to the pharmacy counter and“simulated a gun underneath his T-shirt,” then left with an undisclosedamount of items, Riverside

The Palm Springs Art Museum’s artist-in-residencewill talk about his desert-themed installation tonight at the museum. Cristopher Cichocki will speak at 6 p.m. in the Hoover Gallery about“Desert Abyss: Cycle in Cycle,” which includes paintings, photography,sculpture, sound and video. The exhibit opened in August and closes Sept. 28,according to the museum. The exhibit depicts cacti, uprooted

A proposal that would have banned ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets has died in the state Legislature. SB396 by Democratic Sen. Loni Hancock of Berkeley was placed on the inactive file Thursday, a day after it failed to gain enough votes to pass the Assembly. The legislation is among a slate of

A man charged with planting pipe bombs in Palm Springs is a fugitive and authorities are asking for public help to capture him. The U.S. attorney’s office says Edward Costa walked away from a halfway house in Riverside County last month. He was sent there after pleading guilty last year to being a felon in

More than 100 women demanding immigration legislation were arrested outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday after blocking traffic to protest inaction by Congress. The women, wearing white arm bands and red T-shirts that read, “Women for Fair Immigration Reform,” held a rally and then joined hands and sat down in a circle on Independence Ave., which

A subcontractor died Wednesday after beingelectrocutedwhile working atJulius CorsiniElementarySchool in Desert Hot Springs, according to PSUSD. The worker, Victor Gonzalez of Compton, was a subcontractor for Climatec Building Technologies Group, a company doing electrical work for at Corsini. Apparently, he came into contact with live wires. Medical crews took Gonzalez to Desert Regional Medical Center

For the first time since the twin towers fell twelve years ago, valley residents were able to remember the anniversary with a piece of the world trade center. Eagle Scout Andrew Davis worked for three years, standing on street corners and in shopping centers determined to bring a piece of history to the valley. 20,000

A new forecast says California will continue to outpace the nation in job growth but its uneven economic recovery will leave unskilled workers behind. The UCLA Anderson Forecast for the third quarter predicts California’s jobless rate will be around 8.9 percent this year – higher than the U.S. as a whole – but the gap

Fire officials say crews assessing the damage from a Northern California wildfire have determined 68 homes were destroyed. That’s up from the earlier tally of 37. State fire information officer Roy Del Carlo said Thursday the count of outbuildings destroyed by the Clover Fire in Shasta County also went up, from 74 to 128. Additionally,

Authorities say 17 people were arrested and nearly 2,000 marijuana plants were seized when sheriff’s deputies served search warrants in San Bernardino County. According to Jodi Miller spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept. the investigation was a combined effort between the Sheriff’s Narcotics Division and personnel from the Morongo Basin. 110 pounds of

California’s community colleges are set to increase enrollment for the first time in years, and officials are crediting a voter-approved tax for the bump. College officials announced on Wednesday that the state’s community college system is expected to add about 60,000 students this year. Overall, the system had about 600,000 fewer students in 2012 than

A fourth case of West Nile virus was detected in Palm Springs. It’s the fourth in the city, since July 25, and the 32nd in the whole valley this year. Its significant because there were zero cases in Palm Springs this time last year. Most positive cases come from the Salton Sea and the east