News

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

A federal judge ruled today that the execution of a man who raped and murdered a Riverside teen nearly 30 years ago can go forward next week. Albert Greenwood Brown is set to be put to death Wednesday at San Quentin State Prison for the Oct. 28, 1980, sex killing of 15-year-old Susan Louise Jordan.

An already condemned child killer who is currently representing himself against charges stemming from the kidnap-murder of a Beaumont boy now says he wants a lawyer, a public defender confirmed today. Joseph Edward Duncan III, 47, faces first-degree murder and other charges stemming from the April 1997 abduction and slaying of Anthony Martinez. Duncan, who

A federal judge says the Air Force violated the constitutional rights of a highly decorated flight nurse when it discharged her for being gay, and ordered that she be given her job back as soon as possible. U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton issued his highly anticipated ruling Friday in the case of former Maj. Margaret

Federal health regulators will allow GlaxoSmithKline to continue selling a controversial diabetes pill but will restrict access to the once-blockbuster drug because of heart attack risks. The Food and Drug Administration says new patients will get a prescription for Avandia only if they can’t control their diabetes with other medications. The FDA’s decision marks the

The Palm Springs City Council voted 5-0 Thursday night to approve three staff recommendations regarding alternatives to renovating Desert Fashion Plaza. The council approved an agreement with Integra Realty Resources, in an amount not to exceed $45,000, for the completion of an appraisal to acquire Desert Fashion Plaza and/or Town & Country Center. The council

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector caught a convicted sex offender who is a Mexican national offender on Monday while conducting train check operations at the Highway 111 checkpoint. Agents said the man had a prior conviction for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and had been previously

The Palm Springs Police Union is in the middle of tough contract negotiations with the City of Palm Springs. Earlier this week, the union sent out a letter to business owners warning that if the city continues to reduce public safety personnel, Palm Springs could see an increase in crime. This year alone, officer William