News

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a one-day reprieve today to a man set to be executed for the rape and murder of a Riverside teenager nearly 30 years ago. Albert Greenwood Brown, 56, was set to be put to death by lethal injection Wednesday at San Quentin State Prison, in what would have been the first

Despite a panel’s recommendations, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will not adjust its policies regarding the use of stun guns on suspects, according to a report to be submitted to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The Riverside County Grand Jury issued a report in July citing apparent deficiencies in the sheriff’s “Less-Lethal Devices” policy,

A fire caused $60,000 in damage today to a restaurant under construction in Palm Springs. The blaze was reported at 11:10 a.m. at the Red Tomato, 1201 E. Palm Canyon Drive, said Battalion Chief Sang Pao Wang of the Palm Springs Fire Department. The eatery was undergoing renovations and expected to open this fall. More

California Highway Patrol Officer John Quintero (Johnny Q) holds a Bachelor Degree in Communications, with a Minor in Business Administration, from Azusa Pacific University. Officer Quintero calls Indio his home. He was born and raised here in the Coachella Valley. He has been working for the California Highway Patrol for more than 20 years. He

The National Weather Service says downtown Los Angeles has recorded an all-time record high of 113 degrees as a heat wave bakes California. Weather forecaster Stuart Seto says the record high was reached about 15 minutes after noon Monday. The old record was 112 degrees on June 26, 1990. At the same time, the temperature

The two-week long traffic conundrum switches gears on Monday night for drivers. At 9 p.m., road crews will shut down three eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 from Ramon Road to Date Palm to give workers a chance to build supports for the new overpass that will cross the freeway. That will reduce traffic to one

A California state court judge has refused a death row inmate’s request to block his scheduled execution on Wednesday. Albert Greenwood Brown and another condemned inmate had sued the state over its new lethal injection regulations, saying they were improperly adopted. But Judge Verna Adams said after a hearing Monday that she would not halt

A missing schoolteacher from South Gate apparently committed suicide in the Angeles National Forest, it was reported today. The body of Rigoberto Ruelas, 39, a teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, was last seen last Sunday dropping off a present for his sister’s birthday, according to the South Gate Police Department. Ruelas notified the school he

A Riverisde County death row inmate on Sunday asked a federal appeals court to halt his execution as he declined to choose a method for the lethal injection. Lawyers for Albert Greenwood Brown filed court papers to appeal a federal judge’s refusal to block the execution, which is set for Wednesday. Brown also let pass

Indio police officers shot at the driver and passenger of 2-door sedan early Sunday morning after a car chase ended just south of Avenue 48. In a news release, police investigators said officers tried to pull the car over heading southbound on Calhoun Street at 1:30 a.m, and the driver refused to pull over. Police

The first weekend of autumn is being greeted with a Red Flag Warning today, as desert-dry winds and high temperatures built across the region. And due to the hot weather, the Los Angeles City Fire Department will be deploying trucks and firefighters into fire stations serving brush areas, reducing response times in the event of

Temperatures across the Inland Empire are expected to push into the triple-digits today as a post-summer heat wave develops over the region. Highs in and around Riverside are forecast to top out at 98-105 degrees today amid light winds, according to the National Weather Service. Sunday should be slightly warmer, and temperatures should peak Monday,

A vegetation fire broke out on Friday behind a home in the La Quinta Cove, but the flames were quickly doused. The blaze was reported at 11:04 a.m. in the backyard of a home near Avenida Rubio and Avenida Diaz, according to Cheri Patterson of the Riverside County Fire Department. A sparking power line apparently

Actress Grace Boyd, the widow of cowboy star Hopalong Cassidy, has died. She was 97. Longtime friend Jane Mak tells the Los Angeles Times that Boyd died Tuesday on her birthday at her home in Dana Point. As a couple, they built a home in on Joshua Tree Street in Palm Desert in 1955. As

Traffic was moving again in time for the morning rush on Interstate 10 through Cathedral City after a big rig crash shut down three eastbound lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol. The accident happened just before 3 a.m. near the Date Palm exit. Officers said the truck driver who was carrying autoparts at the

“It’s exciting, it’s a new chapter for us,” said LeeAnna Fabian, the wife of a U.S. Marine based in Twentynine Palms. She and her husban, Sgt. Alex Fabian, are planning for their future. She’s looking to go back to school — he’s thinking about a career in law enforcement. “Looking at the FBI, what their

Several city council members joined developer Nexus Corporation in a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning to toast a crop of new homes to be built at the corner of Alejo Rd. and Avenida Caballeros. “The Morrison” will feature 53 single family homes, each containing three bedrooms, three bathrooms with approximately 2,100 square feet. The homes which

Residents across the nation are being urged to help fight the growing problem of prescription-drug abuse by taking part in a nationwide medication “take back” drive this weekend. On Saturday, hospitals, police stations, military facilities and other locales will operate collection sites for expired and no- longer-needed pharmaceuticals as a way to ensure that they

Three farmers markets are expected to return to the Coachella Valley for a fourth year starting this weekend. The Palm Springs Certified Farmers Market will return Saturday, and continue every week from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., next to the Camelot Theatres at 2300 E. Baristo Road, according to Michael Green, a spokesman for the