California grew by 332,000 people between July 1, 2012, and July 1, 2013, to total more than 38.2 million, according to official population estimates the California Department of Finance released. The growth rate of 0.9 percent and the 332,000 numeric gain are the largest for California since the pre-recession year of 2003-04. Riverside County’s population…

There are 11 statewide ballot propositions on the November ballot. They propose both statutes and amendments to the state constitution and continue the right, begun in 1911, for citizens to pass laws on an equal footing with the legislature. But “confusing” is a word many voters apply to the wording of California ballot initiatives. Voters…

In early April, the Center for Biological Diversity announced its intention to fight for federal protection of the San Bernardino flying squirrel, a native to both the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains. No sightings of the flying squirrel in the San Jacinto Mountains have been confirmed for several decades. And a recent five-year wildlife…

With little debate, the Riverside County supervisors recently approved spending $18 million in a search to save a hundred million or more. County Executive Officer Jay Orr warned the board in January that the fiscal year 2016-17 budget, which begins July 1, would suffer from a $90- to $100-million deficit. Some of this spending is…