Sunday evening, Oct. 5, the candidates for U.S. Congressional District 36 (which encompasses the Hill) debated before a television audience in Palm Desert. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz and state Republican Assemblyman Brian Nestande answered a series of questions from a panel of three desert reporters. While the debate began with friendly overtures and…

President Barack Obama released his proposed 2012-13 budget on Feb. 13. If Congress approves the President’s recommendation, the budget would have a $900 billion deficit, about two-thirds of the projected 2011-12 $1.3 trillion deficit. Part of federal spending includes $4.861 billion for the U.S. Forest Service, a $15.5 million increase from the enacted 2012 budget…

Riverside Superior Court accepting civil grand juror applications By Riverside Superior CourtContributed  The Riverside Superior Court is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications from qualified citizens interested in being nominated to serve as civil grand jurors for the time period July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.  Duties include, but are not…

By Cal Fire Contributed Being ready for wildfire starts with maintaining an adequate defensible space and by hardening your home by using fire-resistant building materials. Defensible space is the buffer you create by removing dead plants, grass and weeds. This buffer helps to keep the fire away from your home. Hardening your home means using construction…