Included in the scramble and confusion of the recent congressional appropriations bill, U.S. Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz succeeded in gaining approval of his “Wildfire Prevention Act.” On Friday, Feb. 9, when President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1892, the supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2017-18, the language of Ruiz’s bill, H.R. 1183, Wildfire Prevention Act,” was…
Construction, land acquisition and staffing down considerably While the total federal budget President Donald Trump proposed earlier this month increases about $100 billion from the current fiscal year 2017-18, which ends Sept. 30, the U.S. Forest Service’s total proposed appropriations declines almost half a billion. Cooperative work with state and private forests, management of the…
Starting Friday, Feb. 9, campsites at Jumbo Rocks and Cottonwood Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park were available by reservation only. To reserve a site at either campground, visitors can visit www.recreation.gov/ or call 877-444-6777. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance and can be made up to five months in…
About 17 months after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management adopted the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, which applies to about 10.8 million acres of Southern California desert, the current administration wants to consider changes to the plan. Earlier this month, BLM announced it would consider recommendations to amend the plan to allow more opportunities…
Uncontrollable increases down the road While the discussion of the Riverside County 2017-18 budget mid-year review did not create panic nor any major cutbacks last week, new and large budget demands are on the horizon. County Fiscal Officer Don Kent acknowledged that the current projections for fiscal year 2017-18, which ends June 30, have improved. While…
A Supervisor Washington-initiated effort Riverside County is developing a vision or strategic plan to guide policy and budget issues over the next decade. Vision 2030 was initially presented to the Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 6 meeting. His colleagues unanimously supported board Chair and 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington’s motion for “the next step…
The Riverside County sheriff’s race has tightened over the past six months. In the spring of 2017, incumbent Sheriff Stan Sniff seemed to have a clear path to re-election. But an ongoing spat or controversy with the Board of Supervisors has given hope to his two challengers — Riverside County Sheriff Lt. Chad Bianco and…
Homelessness was on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ Tuesday, Jan. 30 agenda and the board unanimously approved allocating money to begin to mitigate the problem. A 27-page report, prepared by a committee of county agency and cities, identified three major goals, four strategies for achieving these goals and 23 recommendations. “This will culminate the…
Are you interested in helping the environment? Do you like to compost or recycle? Become an outreach volunteer with the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources and help the Earth by helping others become better recyclers and composters. Outreach volunteers assist with classes or events by interacting with the public, answering questions on outreach programs…
Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff is up for re-election in 2018. His challengers are from within the Sheriff’s Department and another county police force. Lt. Chad Bianco works at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station. He is one of several lieutenants who have been assigned to that station in the past several years. He also is in…
