Regional News

Proposition 56 (The California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016) proposes to amend the state constitution to increase current state excise tax on cigarette sales by $2 a pack with equivalent increases on other tobacco products. And, for the first time, electronic cigarette products containing nicotine would be classified as “other tobacco…

A woman from the Coachella Valley has tested positive for the Zika virus and health officials say the woman contracted the illness during her travels. The woman is the second travel-associated confirmed Zika case in Riverside County, according to Riverside University Health System-Public Health. The first case involved a 50-year-old man who had recently traveled…

While not a 100-percent accurate prediction of an election, a candidate’s cash is an important contributor to their capability to triumph. In this year’s race for California’s 36th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) has a dominating and near-overwhelming cash advantage over his opponent State Sen. Jeff Stone. As of June 30,…

Proposition 53, titled the “No Blank Checks Initiative,” springs from a wealthy Stockton-area agri-businessman’s crusade to affect two major projects that appear to impact his area, his land and his business concerns. The projects, one to build two tunnels around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to divert water to Southern California, and the other, the high-speed…

Citing California’s five-year drought, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order making some of the state’s temporary water restrictions permanent. Permanently banned are wasteful practices such as hosing off driveways and washing cars with hoses that lack shut-off nozzles. The governor credited Californians with having accomplished significant water conservation, saving 1.3-million-acre-feet of water from June…

After a very difficult and, at times, personal discussion, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a budget for 2016-17. The overall budget is nearly $5.4 billion, but only the discretionary general funds, which amount to $814 million, was subject to intense scrutiny. A board that usually achieves consensus was faced with fractious comments last…

Although Riverside County Executive Jay Orr added $6 million to the 2016-17 budget for the District Attorney’s office, DA Mike Hestrin, told the Board of Supervisors that was not enough funding. While he recommended another $12 million, half of that —$6 million— would enable him to avoid service reductions and staff layoffs. He argued that…

Editor’s note: Because of a crowded November ballot and limited space for analysis, we’re beginning our examination of propositions voters must weigh in on earlier than we normally do. We’ll begin with those that may seem less complex or controversial, and examine those of greater public interest closer to the November election. We’ll briefly recap…

Hill voters have an independent streak. While it may appear that voters from Pine Cove through Garner Valley have similar opinions as the rest of Riverside County, closer examination reveals significant differences. The similarities are that about 42 percent of the county voters and Hill voters cast Republican presidential primary ballots. Locally and countywide, candidate…