Regional News

Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican,” was violated last week in the local race for State Senate District 28. Nasty and personal attacks dominated the political debate in the final weeks of the campaign. Bonnie Garcia wants an investigation of her opponent Jeff Stone, 3rd District Supervisor. She…

Mike Hestrin, 15-year prosecutor with the Riverside County district attorney’s office, is running to improve and restore the once-impeccable legacy of his department, he said. Hestin, a Stanford law graduate, proudly touts that he has held only one job since college and that his life has been this department. “As a career professional in law…

Last week, the Town Crier interviewed 3rd District Supervisor Jeff Stone, who is a candidate for the State Senate District 28 seat. There are four other candidates — Phil Drucker, Bonnie Garcia, Glenn Miller and Anna Nevenic  — and the two top vote getters, regardless of party affiliation, will be on the November General Election…

Philip Drucker, La Quinta resident, lawyer and law professor, is running as one of two Democrats in a field of five to represent California Senate 28. “I don’t need a job,” said Drucker. “I’m an attorney and a professor. I can always work. I’m not planning to go up there to begin a career in…

Lieutenant Chad Bianco, currently serving at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, is running to unseat his boss, Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff. “Stan is dishonest and has a long history of unethical acts that disgrace the badge that I hold dear,” Bianco said. ”He is nothing as a figurehead and arguably the worst…

Last week, the White House released the third National Climate Assessment report. The more than 800-page report stressed, “ … climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present … The observed warming and other climatic changes are triggering wide-ranging impacts in every region of our country and…

Partisanship and logjams are the results that the public has come to expect and frequently sees emanating from Washington and Sacramento. But last week, without rancor and name calling, Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to create the Rainy Day Fund. A preliminary budget proposal (Assembly Constitutional…

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors officially received the grand jury report, which challenges its use of discretionary or Community Improvement Designation Funds. The county has 90 days to respond, but County Executive Officer Jay Orr and several supervisors clearly objected with the findings during their May 6 session. Orr, a former deputy district attorney,…

Stan Sniff, has served as Riverside County’s sheriff since October 2007 and was first elected in 2010. He is running for re-election against a challenger from within his ranks, correctional Lt. Chad Bianco. Sniff also serves as coroner-public administrator since the Sheriff’s and Coroner’s departments were merged in 1999. As sheriff/coroner, Sniff oversees countywide patrol…