On Tuesday, Jan. 10, three supervisors and the new county auditor-controller were sworn into office at the beginning of the first Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting for 2023. Following that, new board officers were elected. Supervisors Karen Spiegel (2nd District) and V. Manuel Perez (4th District), who were unopposed, and Yxstian Gutierrez (5th District),…
On Dec. 15, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved its proposed 2022 Scoping Plan, which identifies policies and actions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the next 20 years. An 85% reduction is the goal to achieve carbon neutrality in 2045. Only three weeks later, on Jan. 4, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO)…
Plastic bags. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, need ‘em, environmental threat, so what? They are ubiquitous. In our pantries, in our trash, on the roads, waterways and especially at the transfer station. So what, they’re recyclable. Or are they? The number of plastics generated has increased nearly six times since 1980 and more than 40% in…
It’s winter and precipitation has arrived, drenching, slippery and returning. While it is mostly still rain with some snow, much more is expected through next week and perhaps longer. While Northern California has received the brunt of the early storms, Southern California has seen local flooding. Accuweather meteorologists say the onslaught is far from over….
In December 2021, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to redraw the boundaries of its five supervisorial districts as a result of the 2020 Federal Census. Six months later, in June, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Inland Empire United and six individuals, challenging the…
The last session of the California Legislature ended in September and Gov. Gavin Newsom had the option to sign into law more than 1,160 bills the Legislature had passed. By Oct. 2, he had signed 997 and vetoed 163. Below is a brief summary of the new laws that Californians will have in 2023. Minimum…
Although the Metropolitan Water District recently declared a “Regional Drought Emergency for all of Southern California,” Hill residents and visitors do not have to worry. While still in Stage 2 or 3 (conserve water usage), all three local water district — Fern Valley, Idyllwild (IWD) and Pine Cove — managers are comfortable with local resources…
The Office of the State Fire Marshall (SFM) has prepared a new set of fire hazard severity maps for the state. Beginning next month, public hearings will occur throughout California to explain the maps’ purpose and the areas identified as potentially hazardous. The Public Resource Code has the SFM classify lands within state responsibility areas…
Wildfire is a risk all Hill homeowners and residents must live with and accept. Living in the San Jacinto Mountains means knowing that there is a chance our home, our valuables, our keepsakes and possessions may be lost to a fire. Fire insurance is often available, not to protect us from the wildfire threat, but…
On Nov. 8, 2022, California voters approved Proposition 31, a referendum on the 2020 law that would prohibit the retail sale of certain flavored tobacco products. Less than three weeks later, attorneys for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company and other Reynolds tobacco subsidiaries filed an emergency lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court…
