Last week, the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health started accepting applications for home-based food business permits. These are formally called Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations.   An MHKO is a food facility a resident operates in a private home. Food is stored, handled, and prepared for and may be served to consumers either directly or…

Last week, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors couldn’t agree on how to approach, and the extent of its own involvement in, the annual budget process. The culprit, according to the majority, is the Brown Act. Facing another budget deficit, during its previous meeting, the board agreed to spend $18 million on a consultant to…

As expected by many, the governor signed the plastic bag bill on which the Town Crier reported last month. The law will go into effect July 1, 2015, or July 1, 2016, depending on the type of store. As the Town Crier reported, “full-line, self-service retail stores” selling “a line of dry groceries, canned goods,…

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service and Society for Conservation of Bighorn Sheep on Saturday evening, March 5, and all day Sunday, March 6, are conducting a count of bighorn sheep. They are seeking volunteers to assist biologists. No survey experience is necessary but volunteers must attend an orientation at 6…

This week, Riverside County supervisors approved a final budget for fiscal year 2014-15 (which began July 1) totaling $637.4 million, $13.9 million more than the preliminary budget approved in June. “Updated fiscal data used to develop final budget recommendations continues to support economists’ optimistic forecasts of long-term economic growth for the county,” wrote Executive Officer…