A Riverside County Superior Court judge has ordered a battery of medical assessments for Steven Taylor Rutherford, 48, of Banning. The doctor’s report is expected back for a May 1 hearing. In February, Rutherford was charged with 13 felony counts of arson with enhancements, including use of a delayed ignition device and having a prior…

Effective Wednesday, Aug. 1, Shawn C. Newman will serve as the Cal Fire Riverside Unit and Riverside County Fire Department fire chief. Newman began his career with Cal Fire in 1989, as a seasonal firefighter in the San Bernardino Unit and In 1994, promoted to Firefighter II in the Riverside Unit, working in West Riverside….

Miguel Del Rio Gomez, 49, of Mountain Center, had his Feb. 28 felony settlement hearing deferred until March 28. In December, Gomez was arrested for driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. He pleaded not guilty.