At the Jan. 18, Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, Kim Saruwatari, director of the county Public Health Department, and Bruce Barton, director of the county Emergency Management Department, presented the board with a status report on how the recent COVID surge, driven by the Omicron variant, is affecting the county and its health care…
Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed fiscal year (FY) 2022-23 budget last week. Total expenditures will be nearly $213 billion with project revenues of $195.7 billion. The estimated $23.7 billion surplus from FY 2021-22 plus new revenues is expected to result in a year-end balance of $6.2 billion.Also, the state’s “Rainy Day Fund” will be…
In response to a request and recommendation from supervisors Kevin Jeffries (District 1) and Chair Jeff Hewitt (District 5), the Riverside County (RC) Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to broaden the scope of its Fire Ad Hoc Committee, which has traditionally worked with RC Fire Department and Cal Fire at the board’s Tuesday, Jan. 11…
Monday, Jan. 10, John Hildebrand, director of the Riverside County Planning Department, approved plans for constructing a new luxury inn in Idyllwild. The inn will be on the vacant property on North Circle Drive adjacent to La Casita. The plan proposes construction of a resort hotel with 12 rooms, a swimming pool and a small…
Tuesday, Jan. 11, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of 2022. This is when the board chooses its chair and vice chair for the year. Traditionally, the vice chair from the previous year is elevated to chair for the current year. During 2021, Supervisor Jeff Hewitt (5th District) was board vice…
Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted emergency regulations to limit using water for landscape irrigation during rainfall and using potable water to wash hard surfaces such as sidewalks and driveways and using a hose, without a shut-off flow nozzle, for washing vehicles.These regulations will expire in one year. But violation could…
On Dec. 27, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) submitted its final maps for the 52 Congressional, 40 state Senate, 80 Assembly and four Board of Equalization districts to the California Secretary of State. The commission made no changes to the final maps from the earlier proposed final maps. In its news conference before…
Editor’s note: This is a continuation of the story from last week about Jerry Holldber, Pine Cove Water District (PCWD) general manager who retired at the end of 2021 after more than 35 years. Just last summer and fall, Holldber developed a 10/20/50 Year Plan he took to the PCWD board. This effort, done in…
Jerry Holldber, Pine Cove Water District (PCWD) general manager — “Hill icon,” institution, blowhard, comedian and other names that have been used to refer to him — is retiring Dec. 31.He has been a Hill, should say Pine Cove, resident for more 55 years of his 67 years. He has been a PCWD employee for…
Earlier this month, but beginning in 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) banned the sale of new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed trimmers and chain saws.In its press release, CARB stressed, “The new requirement… applies to manufacturers and will impact new equipment (Model Year 2024 and later) only. There will be no ‘ban’…
