On April 19, Ira Robert Ellis, 37, of Poppet Flats, had two hearings before Judge Becky Dugan in Department 41, Riverside, of the Riverside County Superior Court. The first was a Marsden/Sanchez hearing in which Ellis, who was represented by a deputy public defender, asserted that he had been denied his right to effective counsel….

Riverside County is seeking more volunteers for the Riverside Emergency Animal Rescue System (REARS). The group is a network of volunteers trained by Riverside County Animal Services to assist the department in large-scale emergencies such as wildfires. The volunteers are dispatched through Animal Services’ command structure. The next orientation meeting is Saturday, Jan. 11, at…

Officials with San Bernardino National Forest announced Friday a forest order creating the Cranston Fire Closure Area. The order temporarily closes all U.S. Forest Service lands within both the San Jacinto Ranger District and Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The closure is due to hazards presented by the Cranston Fire, as well…