News

Eric Garcetti has defeated Wendy Greuel in the race to become next mayor of Los Angeles. With all precincts reporting Wednesday, the city councilman grabbed 54 percent of the votes against his fellow Democrat. Garcetti sent out a tweet thanking voters and saying he’s honored to lead the city. The 42-year-old Garcetti will be the

A 29-year-old man accused of using an electronic skimmerto steal account information from Chase bank customers at a La Quinta branchpleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than a dozen felony charges. Vahe Ruben Yerkanyan of Sun Valley is charged with 16 counts, includingburglary, forging an access card, using personal information to obtain creditand grand theft

Thousands of prisoners in California are being released early or sent back to county jails to deal with the state’s prison overcrowding problem. Riverside County is now dealing with jail overcrowding as it takes in many of those inmates from the state. While the problems are mounting on the local level, the release of inmates

With support lacking, Riverside County supervisors declined to act on a resolution backing Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed funding for various kindergarten-to-12th grade education programs in the next fiscal year. Board of Supervisors Chairman John Benoit submitted the resolution, which called for the board to “advocate for the restoration” of funding allocations for a host of

A Whitewater Canyon brush fire that has scorched 90 acres is reported to be 100 percent contained this morning. The Riverside County Fire Department says the blaze broke out near Whitewater Canyon Road and Gorgonio View Monday afternoon. There was an aggressive response involving two air tankers, a helicopter and 150 firefighters from Riverside County,

One year later, dealing with the loss of Zia Hoyos is not at all easier for her mother, family, and friends. Zia’s mother Senta Florez fought back tears as she described her daughter, “Beautiful person…beautiful. Everybody loved her.” A group gathered at the spot she was killed on Tuesday night to lay flowers, pray together,

Residents of a quiet Yucca Valley neighborhood are outraged that their town has issued a permit for one of their neighbors to sell firearms out of his home. “That was shocking to me that they would allow it,” Nalini Maharaj said. “Within feet away of a day care center? A school!?” Keats Avenue residents are

Riverside County supervisors signed off today on anagreement that will end further litigation stemming from a legal challenge to acounty policy mandating that solar power developers pay fees of $450 per acrefor projects on county land. “This required many months of hard work and tough negotiations,” saidBoard of Supervisors Chairman John Benoit. “`It’s a step

Nearly a thousand emergency professionals gathered at the Palm Springs Convention Center to work hand-in-hand and prepare for the worst at the California Fire EMS Disaster Conference, known as CFED West, on Tuesday. “This is our eighth annual, it seems like there’s been another disaster that challenges public safety,” said fire Captain Joshua Stapleton. Joshua

The former Indio Youth Task Force got a new name and a larger mission. “In changing to the Coachella Valley Community Trust, what their overall goal was to do is expand and diversify to focus on youth development, health services, and job skills training to help all of the east valley, not just Indio,” Allison

Acusada al parecer por intentar enviar atravez de craigslist, una portal de internet, pornografa infantil, a una joven. David Jelaca de 38 aos de edad se declar culpable en el mes de marzo y fue condenada el da lunes 20 de mayo Agentes en cubiertos iniciaron la investigacn y se contactaron con Jelaca atravs de

Authorities looking into the death of a 2-year-old child in Thermal are now calling the case a murder investigation, according to Riverside County sheriff’s Cpl. Angel Ramos. According to a report from the Riverside County Sheriff, on the afternoon of May 17th Thermal police responded to a report of an injured child near the 88000

Lawyers for former Palm Desert resident Jodi Arias are making their case to the jury that she should be spared the death penalty for killing her lover five years ago. Defense lawyer Jennifer Willmott said Tuesday that people are “far better people than their very worst deed.” Arias earlier in the day pleaded with jurors

California is sending six specially trained urban search-and-rescue workers to Oklahoma to assist recovery efforts after Monday’s tornado. Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency asked the state to send disaster workers. The state has eight urban search and rescue teams that specialize in searches, first aid and other recovery operations.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, will give thecommencement address at College of the Desert’s graduation ceremony on Friday,the college announced today. Commencement is 7:30 p.m. at COD’s Boone Field. More than 700 studentsare eligible to participate and about 300 are expected to do so. Students whoearned certificates can also participate and will be recognized at

The Secretary of State’s Office has agreed to change the way it presents campaign finance data online after initially rejecting a request from a coalition of good-government groups, research organizations and newspapers. Shannan Velayas, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen, said Tuesday that the department will make the state’s entire campaign finance database, known

The 50th Super Bowl will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area. NFL owners have voted Tuesday for the 49ers’ new stadium as host of the 2016 game. That facility in Santa Clara, Calif., is due to open for the 2014 season. San Francisco beat out South Florida, which was stymied in its bid

The mayor of Rancho Mirage said today that he”welcomes” the meeting of President Barack Obama and Chinese President XiJinping next month at the city’s Sunnylands estate. “We will greet President Obama and China’s President Xi Jinping withthe same careful planning and decorum as we have always manifested whenwelcoming dignitaries,” Mayor Richard Kite said in a

The Coachella Valley’s Mariner Girl Scout Troop #103, also known as M.S.S. CONCHILLA, traveled to Newport Dunes last weekend to compete in the annual Mariner competition known as GAM. The girls quietly sailed past a troop that has won the competition 19 times, including a winning streak more than a decade long. Mariner Girl Scout