News

A spill of an unknown substance was first reported around noon on Tuesday in the 83000 block of 53rd Avenue near Calhoun Street in Coachella. Authorities were dispatched to the area about 10:50 a.m. on a report that about 300 gallons of a substance had spilled, Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said. Investigators

Riverside County supervisors signed off today on a request for federal regulators to expand the boundaries of a tax-advantaged foreign trade zone around Palm Springs International Airport, and approved the establishment of a manufacturing association to promote county businesses. “We’re trying to bring economic development forth to create jobs,” said Supervisor Marion Ashley. “That’s what

The owner of a fortress-like property in the Coachella Valley has filed court papers to dismiss its lawsuit against local hot-air ballooning companies, attorneys said today. JCM Farming sued 15 Coachella Valley balloonists and ballooning companies in March 2009, alleging they violated JCM’s property rights by flying over the walled compound near Jackson Street and

Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men on suspicion of stealing copper piping after finding them hiding today inside a rooftop air- conditioning unit. Larry Cirrincione, 51, and Adam James Mendonca, 35, both of Jurupa Valley, were arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, and conspiracy to commit burglary, sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Elia

Santa Monica College was placed on lockdown today while police investigated reports of a person with a gun on campus, but no suspect or weapon was found. A stretch of Pico Boulevard was also shut down while campus and Santa Monica police searched SMC buildings with guns drawn. SMC spokesman Bruce Smith told City News

College of the Desert has openings in classes that could secure jobs. The Career and Technical Education sector of COD has openings for its fall classes. The automotive instructor, Julius Varga, says a technical education is the best bet for a secure job. “A mechanical career field it is transportable but not exportable,” he says,

La polica busca a un sujeto que ayer a las 4:00 a.m. balace e hiri de gravedad a un hombre en el estacionamiento de los apartamentos Creekside que se ubican sobre la Ave 33 en Cathedral City. Una hora ms tarde las autoridades localizaron el vehculo del agresor. Al ordenarle que se detuviera, aceler e

Police responded to reports of gunshots fired early Monday morning in the city’s Gateway neighborhood. A spokesperson said officers responded to the call at 3 a.m. on the 300 block of Bon Air Drive, just west of Indian Canyon. They found several people inside a home, but none had been shot. No suspect was taken

A man who once served as a substitute teacher and part-time coach for the Desert Sands Unified School District was arrested and booked after a young girl claimed he sexually assaulted her. Desert Sands Unified School District Asst. Superintendent of Personnel Sherry Johnstone confirms 29 year-old Daniel Patrick Armstrong taught over a dozen times on

Agents working at U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints near El Centro said they intercepted three separate drug smuggling attempts over the weekend, preventing more than $3 million in narcotics from making it to the streets, according to a news release issued on Monday. The first incident happened on Thursday at 7:20 p.m. when a canine search

Agentes respondieron a una llamada de detonacin de arma de fuego en un hogar sobre Bon Air Drive. Al parecer, haban personas el interior un poco despus de las tres de esta maana. Autoridades encontraron varios casquillos de bala en el rea. Por fortuna, nadie fue herido. Hasta el momento, no est claro porque el

Stretching the boundaries of a tax-advantaged foreign trade zone situated around Palm Springs International Airport will be one of the top items on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ agenda on Tuesday. Supervisors Marion Ashley and John Benoit are seeking board support for an application asking the Obama administration that Foreign Trade Zone 236 be

A Desert Hot Springs man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today for gunning down a friend over what turned out to be a false rumor that the defendant’s girlfriend was raped by the victim. Concepcion Rodriguez, 35, was convicted April 28 of the 2006 killing of Anastacio “Taquito” Torres,

Fines for drivers who refuse to go hands-free while using their cell phones will increase if Gov. Jerry Brown signs a bill sent to him Monday by the Senate. The base fine for texting or calling while holding a cell phone would increase from $20 to $50. Court fees would drive the cost from about

Two hikers were taken to a nearby hospital on Monday after they reported not feeling well while hiking above Desert Hot Springs. Sheriff’s deputies said they received the distress call around 12:45 p.m. from one of the hikers. He had hiked down the hillside in order to get cell service near the intersection of Highway

California’s voter-created citizens commission has certified the state’s new legislative and congressional maps, scrambling the political landscape and setting off a wide-open campaign season next year. The 14-member California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted on final maps for Congress, the Legislature and the Board of Equalization, which administers sales and use taxes. The panel released drafts

Students in Riverside County continued to show improvement on standardized tests, with higher percentages of them scoring advanced or proficient in math and English, according to results released today by the state Department of Education. The improvement in scores on the 2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting Program mirrored increases seen across the state, according to

A man accused of killing his 70-year-old sister in her La Quinta home pleaded not guilty today to murder and conspiracy charges. James Charles Oudin, a 73-year-old Lakewood resident, is charged along with Wesley Elwin Gibbs Jr., a 46-year-old Hesperia resident, in connection with the death of Oudin’s sister, Judy Munson, whose body was found

Home sales in Riverside County dropped 6.8 percent in July, compared to the same month a year ago, while prices dipped by 5 percent, a real estate information service announced today. A total of 3,288 homes changed hands locally last month, compared to 3,529 in July 2010, according to La Jolla-based MDA DataQuick. The median

A second suspect in the kidnapping and robbery of a Cherry Valley man was behind bars today, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reported. Cabazon resident Bennie Whitfield, a 29-year-old parolee, was arrested around 5 p.m. Sunday when deputies stopped him while patrolling near Seminole Drive and Apache Trail in Cabazon, sheriff’s Sgt. Sean Bahash said.