KPCC: Stories by Steven Cuevas

Inland Empire warehouse staffing firm fined over alleged labor violations

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:56:29 -0800

File photo: Premier Warehousing Ventures supplies workers to a WalMart distribution center in Mira Loma. The staffing agency has recently been hit with $600,000 in fines for labor violations. Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

California's labor commissioner has slapped a warehouse staffing agency from the Inland Empire with fines in excess of $600,000. State inspectors uncovered a host of labor violations, including denial of overtime pay at Premiere Warehousing Ventures.

Workers hit the same company with a class action lawsuit last month.

Premier Warehousing Ventures supplies workers to a Wal-Mart distribution center in Mira Loma. The California Department of Industrial Relations says the company failed to provide workers with accurate wage statements or let them see payroll records. The department fined another employment agency over similar charges last month. Workers are suing both agencies and the company that manages the distribution center. They say they were underpaid on purpose, denied overtime pay and pressured to work in unsafe conditions.

Guadalupe Palma is regional director of Warehouse Workers United, an advocate for Inland warehouse employees.

"Wage theft, no breaks, no lunches – it's rampant throughout the industry," she said. "And we estimate that a lot of the workers are working under these conditions."

"Most of the workers we come into contact with come to our organization asking for help, and because of the temp agency structure, once they report they're fired. We've heard that from these workers; we've heard that from workers at various other warehouses," Palma said.

Premier Warehousing has not commented on the state's action. The other companies under scrutiny have said they're cooperating with the state investigation.

Colton passes ordinance to head off future Occupy encampments

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:48:03 -0800

File photo: Colton city officials fear the Occupy Riverside movement could take hold in their city. In an effort to quell any Occupy Wall Street-related protests, its city council passed an ordinance that prohibits camping on public property. Credit: Steven Cuevas/KPCC

Colton officials have acted to prevent Occupy Wall Street-style encampments from taking hold there. Its city council unanimously approved an ordinance that bans camping on public property, despite objections from some Occupy protesters.

The closest Occupiers have gotten to pitching tents on Colton territory is 15 miles away in Riverside, where two rag-tag encampments have taken root. But city leaders say they're worried the demonstrations could spread to their city. They point to escalating violence and tensions between police and Occupy encampments in other American cities – including Riverside and Los Angeles – as justification for the action.

The Colton ordinance makes it a misdemeanor to camp on public property. That includes city parks and the grounds of government buildings. Violators could face fines of up to a $1,000 and six months in jail. The approval vote happened amid protests from some Inland Occupiers who say that they had no plans to camp in Colton – but that the city's action has made it a possible target for future demonstrations.

Riverside County to charge inmates for food, housing, other costs

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:52:30 -0800

Riverside County supervisors have approved a plan to require jail inmates to pay for housing, feeding and other costs of incarceration.

The county says it costs about $142 a day to keep a convict locked up.

"The per-day fee is going to change as costs either increase of decrease," said Supervisor Jeff Stone, "so I wanted at least an annual revenue of that fee to make sure it changes commensurate with the county’s costs."

Stone crafted the ordinance. Jailbirds who spend a day or more behind bars will have their finances scrutinized to see if they can reimburse the county for food, guards and other necessities.

The targets are white collar criminals, repeat drunk drivers with jobs and other convicts who may have the money to really pay for their crime. The county hopes to recoup millions of dollars in reimbursement fees every year.

“I’d just like to thank you, Supervisor, for pushing this through," said Stone's colleague Supervisor Marion Ashley. "This could be a great benefit to the county.”

Ashley joined three other supervisors in favor of the inmate reimbursement plan, for unanimous passage.

The pay-for-jail ordinance takes effect in 30 days.

Occupy activists march at Riverside police headquarters

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:37:23 -0800

About 100 Occupy demonstrators marched to Riverside Police headquarters Friday to protest alleged police brutality.

Activists held a rally Friday outside Riverside police headquarters to protest excessive force officers allegedly used against Occupy demonstrators last weekend. Police arrested 11 people in that melee.

Last week, officers swept through the encampment after Occupy demonstrators refused to remove tents and bundles of clothes and food from of a public plaza near city hall. Police arrested one person for assault. Hours after that arrest, demonstrators had reclaimed their spot outside UC Riverside’s Culver Center.

That’s where about 100 demonstrators began their latest march. First they headed to the county jail, where officers temporarily detained demonstrators after last weekend’s clash with police. Then they marched down the block to rally outside police headquarters.

“I was mad because they were taking away all the stuff we worked so hard to get from the community in order to sustain our camp," said a protester named Dani.

Dani, who did not want to give her last name, was arrested last weekend.

“We had to do it so, we’ve been accused of breaking laws. And to say it’s ok that the police used the force that they did, I had one officer grab my left arm which is now sprained and just twist it behind my back and you know it’s just unnecessary force and abusive behavior at the hands of the RPD," Dani said.

Police say demonstrators last week violated a city ordinance that prohibits overnight camping in a public space without a permit. That’s when officers arrested Umberto Rivera. He jumped into the Occupy protests five months ago after he lost his job at a Wells Fargo Bank.

“They said that we attacked them with a lethal weapon. I don’t know what weapon they’re talking about. Because all we had was tents, food, they came with handcuffs, pepper spray. We’re here peacefully and they say we have no specific demands. Well you gotta be patient with us, America," Rivera said. "Look what we’ve done in just two months since Wall Street started. We’ve totally changed what people are talking about now.”

Demonstrators continue to occupy the downtown Riverside plaza, but tensions with police have cooled since they decided to stop camping there overnight. Another, permitted, Occupy encampment has taken root a few blocks away.

Elderly war vets from Riverside County get high school diplomas

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:35:29 -0800

Claude Chastain Jr. of Hemet (R) who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II receives his high school diploma from Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth M. Young at the annual Operation Recognition ceremony in Moreno Valley. Credit: Steven Cuevas/KPCC

Thirty military veterans from Riverside County earned their high school diplomas this week, decades after they put aside their studies and went off to war. The annual Operation Recognition ceremony was held in Moreno Valley this week.

Veterans arrived a half hour or more before the ceremony. Some ambled in slowly, or with the help of a relative.

One came in a wheelchair. Another worried the day would never come: 77-year-old retired business executive Charles Murphy.

“I called probably once a month to make sure my name was still on the list. I was scared they’d say, ‘Well, we’re not gonna do it, we don’t have enough guys.’ I was a wreck,” remembers Murphy before the ceremony, his daughter Jan by his side.

Murphy quit high school in 1952 to enlist in the Navy at the height of the Korean War. He quickly rose to be flight director on an aircraft carrier that patrolled the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. He was still a teenager.

He hesitates when asked why he interrupted his high school education just one year short of graduation. “I hesitate because I’ve been telling a fib my whole life,” says Murphy in a halting voice. “I was young. I was going to save the world. I was a kid.”

Murphy was a restless kid. He liked to learn, but didn’t like school. He ran wild on the streets. His father didn’t hesitate to sign the enlistment papers.

“He said, ‘Gimme that pen! Better there than the penitentiary!’ I wasn’t the best kid,” recalls Murphy.

“I was a bagman, carried the numbers for the bookies from bar to bar because they wouldn’t mess with kids. I was drinking in bars from 15 on, just a messed up kid — with good potential!” said Murphy, laughing.

By 21, Murphy was on an officer’s fast track. But he also had a new wife, and a baby girl. He loved serving, but wanted out. His superiors wanted him to stay aboard.

“And they were gonna give me the enormous re-signing bonus of $,1500. And in 1955 $1,500 would buy you a Chevy! But the civilian world called,” said Murphy.

Murphy's daughter Jan said that even though her dad didn’t get that signing bonus, he did get the Chevy. “Because I have picture of me when I was 3 behind the front wheel!”

Murphy also ended up at the wheel of a couple Fortune 500 companies as a retail and shopping mall executive. He bought homes in Pacific Palisades and La Quinta. But a nagging fear returned with every step up the career ladder.

“Now when you come in on Monday we’ll have you go into HR and fill out the forms at which time I had to fill in the gaps,” remembers Murphy.

"I would simply say I was a high school graduate and usually threw in a couple years of Boston College. I lied.” Murphy’s voice trails off. He chokes back tears.

“I lied for a lifetime and, um, oh, forgive me,” says Murphy, pausing.

“It’s a big moment for me. It’s a haunt,” says Murphy. “It’s been a haunt for a lifetime.”

A few minutes later Murphy strides across the stage of the Moreno Valley Conference Center to get that diploma along with 29 other veterans. Riverside County's Operation Recognition lets vets from World War II, Vietnam and Korea apply for retroactive certificates.

Two veterans were awarded their diplomas posthumously, including Otis Lee Wilson who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. His son Lewis, also a military veteran, applied for and accepted the diploma on his father’s behalf.

“Well my dad was drafted in 1945. It would have been his 18th birthday, he was a junior in high school but they drafted him anyway,” said Lewis Wilson after the ceremony.

“He tried to go back but life took over. But he always said that I wished I could get a diploma but if I can’t my five sons (will). All of us graduated from high school. You had to be critically ill before you could miss a day from school!”

Lewis Wilson will take the diploma back to his dad’s native Alabama. It’ll be placed on a wall in his mother’s house alongside the diplomas of her five sons.

After nine years in the Navy during and after the Vietnam War, Clarence Weldon Hart worked odd jobs, raced motorcycles at Gardena’s Ascot Park, and then became a realtor. But not having that high school diploma haunted him too.

“From the time I got out of the service to when I put in an application, ‘You have a high school diploma?’ I always put ‘yes.’ No one ever checked,” said Hart.

“I was lying to my kids. My daughter didn’t even know until I took the thing to her in the paper and I said, ‘I need to get my diploma!’ She said, ‘What?! I thought you had?’ No! It just bothered me that in the back of my mind that wasn’t there,” said Hart.

Hart’s daughter Diana Hede stands nearby with her two kids, her mom Carolyn, a great aunt and one of dad’s golf buddies.

“No, I didn’t know that! I was shocked,” said Hede. “I knew he went into the service and always thought he graduated before he did. It’s great that my children can see how important this is and experience this with him too.”

Hart’s granddaughter Taylor graduated from high school this year, too. She laughs that Grandpa can now join her at Cal Baptist University in Riverside.

“They haven’t told us the date of the prom! We gotta go to a prom!” laughed Hart, beaming.

His high school diploma is tucked into a vinyl folder under his arm. He’s unsure what he’ll do with it. For now, he’s just happy to finally hold a diploma that bears his own name.

Riverside County approves 'sun tax' on big desert solar projects

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:40:05 -0800

File photo: Solar panels Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Riverside County supervisors approved a new fee on big solar farms Tuesday. Supporters say the annual fee will offset the effects of those projects on infrastructure and the environment, but solar developers say it will jeopardize projects already in the pipeline.

The annual mitigation fee will cost solar energy providers $450 an acre. Big solar developers could reduce that if they meet certain requirements like hiring more local workers. The county says the fee could generate millions of dollars for the upkeep of county roads, bridges and wildlife habitat.

Supervisors had wanted to impose a tax that equaled 2 percent of a solar company’s annual gross revenue. Solar developers balked, so the county revised the proposal to the per-acre fee.

"The industry suggested that we move to a per-acre charge, not the county. It was their position and we acceded to that," said Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit.

“If they can generate more kilowatts on that acre in 10 years, the fee does not go up," Benoit said. "We acceded to a property tax credit. And if the county suspends the work on one of these projects, we’ll suspend the fee.”

But industry leaders and their supporters still wanted more time to study the proposal. Opponents like Shannon Eddy deride the per-acre fee as a “sun tax.”

“We understand the level of fear that permeates the county’s economic landscape," Eddy said. Eddy is executive director of the Large-scale Solar Association, an industry advocacy group. She worries that the fees will stifle job creation and drive renewable energy projects to other states and counties.

“You cannot expect to balance the budget of the county on the backs of the very industry that could serve as the lifeblood for a new economy in Riverside County," Eddy said.

Eddy belonged to a chorus of critics that also included solar industry attorneys, consultants, union electricians and local leaders like Joseph DeConinck. “If you lose these projects, which they could go, you know it could hurt a lot of people.”

He’s the mayor of Blythe, one desert town that could get a big economic boost from large-scale solar projects. “Blythe is not opposed (to the fees) if you can come to agreement with the solar people. If a deal is made, we’re gonna have the most impacts out there.”

In addition to the new mitigation fee, Supervisor Benoit called for the creation of a new blueprint to better plan for the future of solar development in Riverside County.

Hemet man charged in violent attacks against police

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:28:50 -0800

This image provided by the Hemet Police Department shows Nicholas John Smit who was arrested Friday July 2, 2010, being held on a suspicion of making a booby trap and assault on a police officer with intent to commit murder. Credit: AP Photo/Hemet Police Department

A Riverside County jury has found a Hemet man guilty of masterminding a string of violent attacks against police officers.

Nicolas Smit was convicted of 11 felony counts, including attempted murder of a peace officer and conspiracy.

Smit’s brazen attacks against police began two years ago. Prosecutors say he or someone working for him rerouted a gas line in a failed attempt to trigger an explosion at a Hemet gang task force station. Smit was also convicted of creating or overseeing trip-wired booby traps, attempted car bombings, even a failed bazooka assault.

No one was hurt, but the attacks damaged police property and city vehicles.

Prosecutors say Smit was targeting a police detective who busted him two years ago for drug possession. Many of the attacks coincided with Smit’s scheduled court dates.

Nicolas Smit could receive life in prison when he’s sentenced for his crimes. His alleged accomplice faces trial later this year.

Occupy Riverside encampment returns after police breakup

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:10:42 -0800

Occupy Riverside protestors defy police orders, returning to the downtown plaza by City Hall one day after Riverside Police Department's raid. Credit: Steven Cuevas/KPCC

About two dozen protestors chanting anti-Wall Street slogans were back in place Monday morning after police broke up an anti-Wall Street encampment in Riverside on Sunday. Law enforcement arrested 11 members of Occupy Riverside after they refused to clear out of a downtown plaza near City Hall.

About 30 officers cleared demonstrators late Sunday afternoon. One person was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly throwing a bottle at police. The others were detained on charges of resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.

It was the first major conflict between police and Occupy Riverside demonstrators since the group pitched camp three weeks ago. A YouTube video shows officers clashing with defiant protestors, who had formed a human chain around their food tent.

Police said demonstrators are in violation of a city ordinance that prohibits overnight camping in a public space. On Monday, some chatted with others about the arrests but declined to speak on the record about what happened.

"We're not speaking about it until we can talk to our attorney," Mark Lombardo, an unemployed teacher from Riverside, said while doling out cheese pizza and green apples to fellow protestors.

"I think I was waiting for something like this for a long time, and I think a lot of people were because we just saw the way in which our society got more and more economically unjust. And it's hard to say we have a democracy anymore. So really I see this as a conservative movement in the sense that we're trying to get these ideals that we are taught in school, like democracy and fairness, we're trying to return to those," he said.

Lombardo said demonstrators plan to hold their ground. Riverside police have not said if they'll allow Occupy Riverside to keep pitching its tents in the plaza, just yards from Riverside City Hall.

Riverside County woman faces 4th trial for alleged murder

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:26:30 -0800

Sonja Hadnot will stand trial again this week for allegedly killing her husband 11 years ago.

Hadnot and her attorneys have told multiple juries she shot and killed her husband accidentally during an argument in the couple's Corona home. During the confrontation, Hadnot says her husband put a gun to her head. She pushed it away and it went off, striking David Hadnot in the chest. A forensic pathologist testified that the gun fired from several feet away.

She says her husband physically abused her, forbade her from using birth control and also forced her into three pregnancies.

Hadnot's first trial ended in a hung jury. A second ended in a mistrial over alleged juror misconduct. A jury in the third trial convicted Hadnot of second-degree murder. She appealed and earlier this year a state Court of Appeals reversed the conviction. That's because the judge tossed out testimony from a psychologist who said Hadnot likely experienced post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the killing.

She was freed on bail two months ago but the appeals court did not invalidate the murder charges. Now the Riverside County District Attorney has the option of prosecuting Hadnot again.

Riverside County to vote on 'sun tax' for big solar power projects

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:20:15 -0800

If passed, the sun tax would require solar energy farms to pay for the right to put solar panels on Riverside County property Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Solar energy farms may soon have to pay for the right to plant their reflective panels in the sands of Riverside County.

County supervisors will consider new property fees for large solar projects Tuesday. They say they want to offset potential problems for people, roads and wildlife.

The county's original proposal required solar energy generators to pay more than 2 percent of their yearly gross revenue. The backlash was so intense that supervisors delayed their vote and reworked the tax.

The latest plan calls for an annual parcel fee of $640 an acre. Solar firms could pay less if they meet certain requirements, like hiring more local workers.

But the so-called "Sun Tax" still isn't sitting well with solar providers. An industry advocacy group has taken out ads in local newspapers condemning it and touting the economic benefits of solar farms. Critics, including the city of Blythe, worry it will hinder job creation and drive renewable energy projects out of the county.

Riverside County says a fee could generate millions in revenue for the upkeep of roads, bridges & wildlife habitats. The county says established energy providers like Southern California Edison have paid such impact fees for years.

Inland Empire economy finally improving, forecast says

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:15:25 -0700

An arial photo of the Inland Empire in Southern California. Credit: Basil D Soufi/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A new economic forecast says the Inland Empire is finally pulling out of its economic tailspin. Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics says a recovery is in effect and the region is rebounding — but not as fast as most other regions.

There are a number of vital signs that economists monitor to see how the patient is doing. In this case, the prognosticators like what they see.

Inland consumers are starting to spend money again. Taxable sales are up about 16 percent over the last two years. That’s in part because Inland residents are finding work again in neighboring areas with more robust economies like L.A. and Orange counties.

Brad Kemp is a researcher at Beacon Economics, he says even local job markets look good, "in the last three months it’s the first time I can say we’ve had three consecutive months of job gains in the Inland Empire.”

Those gains, he says, are mainly in warehousing, health care and transportation. The housing market is also apparently off life support. Home prices are stabilizing as banks clear more and more foreclosures off the books.

And, Kemp says, "while we can’t put the recession completely behind us — because we have to finish out processing through the recessionary effects in the housing market — the rest of the economy seems to be doing very well."

"We still have available land, we still have the same weather we had before, everything that makes us grow in the past will make us grow again.”

Even with improving numbers, the Inland region still has a host of challenges to wrestle with. They include a disproportionally large number of blue collar workers without high school diplomas or college degrees, and local governments grappling with deep budget deficits. The report says the region’s recovery is also lagging behind most other parts of the country.

The big question he says, is: "Will we go the path of least resistance that doesn’t necessarily result in the best outcome? Or will we pick the path that results in the best outcome for all our residents?"

There's no quick fix, says Kemp, it will be a long climb out of the recession - but at least the climb appears to have begun.

The Actors' Gang exposes at-risk youth to the art of theater

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:49:14 -0700

Inmates at the Norco state prison during the Actors' Gang workshop in 2010. Credit: Steven Cuevas

A Hollywood acting troupe known for its work with California prisoners takes its act to at-risk young people

The Actors' Gang, an acting company that has worked with California inmates at the state prison in Norco, is bringing its program to the streets of L.A. The troupe is partnering with Homeboy Industries to offer a similar acting program to the people it serves.

It's the first time actress Sabra Williams has taken the eight-week acting workshop beyond its stage at the prison. Williams is the prison project director with the Actor's Gang, the Culver City-based theater troupe co-founded by actor-director Tim Robbins.

"It's something we've been talking about for a long time and Homeboy deals with people who are at risk for going into gangs or they are trying to come out of their gangs. It's usually pretty young people who have lived their whole lives in gang territory and want to do something different," Williams says.

Students will learn techniques based on a 16th-century European method of acting. The aim is to shed the masks they think they need to survive on the streets and in jail. Williams says, "You know we're pretty hard, it's not an easy ride for these eight weeks."

The program is based on the same work that Williams, Robbins and other actors have conducted with inmates at the Norco state prison and other jails. "You have to face yourself and your issues and come to terms with the life you've led so far. So if people are serious about their lives, that's the only qualification they need," Williams says.

The Actors' Gang will stage a public fundraiser this weekend to benefit its youth and prison projects on the same day it receives a commendation from the city of Los Angeles for its work in those areas.

Fundraiser ticket information can be found on the company's website.

Authorities break up Coachella Valley Occupy camp; Occupy LA prepares for potential police raid

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:06:11 -0700

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck at Occupy L.A. Credit: Frank Stoltze/KPCC

Authorities have broken up an anti-Wall Street encampment in the Inland Empire. More than half a dozen members of Occupy Coachella Valley were taken into custody early Tuesday morning after defying orders to leave a public park in Palm Desert. At Occupy L.A., protesters prepare for a potential police raid.

Officers cleared about 20 demonstrators from Palm Desert's Civic Center Park just after midnight. Eight people were arrested for unlawful assembly, being in a public park after hours and unlawful camping.

The city of Palm Desert had granted a temporary camping permit to the demonstrators. It declined to renew it after it became clear the group planned to stay indefinitely.

A video of the early morning arrests were posted on YouTube by one the protestors.

Demonstrators told the Desert Sun newspaper that officers gave no verbal warning before making the arrests. But half the protesters left when officers arrived.

Police say officers visited the park over the weekend to ask demonstrators to leave, or move their protest. Some protestors complied, but then returned.

Demonstrators say they plan to resume their occupation of Civic Center Park.

Occupy L.A. prepares for potential police raid

Some Occupy L.A. protesters encamped outside City Hall are preparing for a police raid, even though LAPD officials say they don’t plan to conduct one.

“It feels like there’s a case being built against the Occupy protest," Don Duncan said. "Dead grass at City Hall, the sanitary conditions around the trash and the restrooms. It feels like a lot of issues are being brought up in the media.”

Duncan is no stranger to police tactics. He is with Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana group that's fought against police raids on pot shops. Duncan provided a civil disobedience seminar to a small group of Occupy L.A. protesters.

Duncan said people should decide ahead of time if they're willing to be arrested, and urged them to be nonviolent if the police approach. He also said people should not already be in trouble with the law.

“If you have an outstanding warrant (for your arrest), you’re probably not a good candidate for civil disobedience," Duncan told the group sitting outside City Hall. "You’re going to get arrested for your outstanding warrant."

Some people worried about agent provocateurs sparking police violence. Others worried the police would show up in the middle of the night. One man said he had more faith in the LAPD than the Oakland Police, who protesters claim used excessive force.

Friday, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck walked through the hundreds of tents nearly surrounding City Hall.

“This group has been peaceful and respectful," Beck said as he joked with one protester who'd lost one of his flip flops. "We'll slow down for you."

Beck said there's no immediate plan to remove the protesters, but echoed Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others who've said they can't stay indefinitely.

“We want to continue a program that continues freedom of speech but also allows the city to continue its business," Beck said, "and when I say business, I mean the use of property and public space and all of that.”

As the chief spoke, several reporters smelled marijuana in the air. Beck professed he smelled nothing, adding that marijuana use was not his biggest concern at Occupy L.A.

"Marijuana use doesn’t necessarily disturb me. The behavior of the group disturbs me. And the behavior of the group has been good," Beck said. "I’ve been here many, many times. Nobody is smoking marijuana in front of me. I don’t know if it's medicinal or illegal. I have no idea. But I certainly have not seen alcohol containers. I have not seen people publicly intoxicated or high.”

Its unclear how many of the hundreds of protesters would obey a police order to leave. Duncan said people are split on the issue.

“I’m hearing about 50/50 right now of people saying they are going to stick around no matter what and people saying they are going to leave when the police department orders them to go," he said.

City and LAPD officials say they continue to negotiate with Occupy L.A. about finding another venue.

Halloween sex offender laws tested in Inland Empire

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:26:38 -0700

Candle-lit Halloween pumpkins. Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Several new ordinances take effect tonight throughout the Inland Empire. They’re designed to block registered sex offenders from interacting with Halloween trick-or-treaters.

Temecula and Hemet are the latest cities to pass laws that forbid sex offenders from passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, or doing anything to entice kids to their front doors. San Jacinto and Orange adopted similar restrictions last year.

Riverside County passed its own ordinance earlier this month. It bars more than 4,000 sex crime registrants from a host of Halloween rituals. That includes a requirement to dim exterior ornamental lights at sunset. Supervisor Jeff Stone told KPCC earlier this month that he’s also asking parents to check out the state’s online sex offender registry known as “Megan’s List.”

“We also ask our public to go on the Megan’s website and look and see where they are going to be trick-or-treating with their kids to insure they know where sexual registrants live, and if they see lights on to please call 911 and we’ll get an officer out there and they will have their probation or parole violated and they’ll go back to jail with a thousand dollar fine," Stone said.

County sheriff’s deputies will pay visits to many registered sex offenders, especially those convicted of assaulting children. State parole officers helped the county under the state Department of Corrections“Operation Boo” program. The uptick in enforcement coincides with national crime statistics that indicate no increase of assaults on kids by convicted sex offenders on Halloween.

Riverside will hold on to more prehistoric finds

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 06:00:04 -0700

An example of a saber-tooth tiger skull. Credit: Fastily/Wikimedia Commons

Under a previous policy, most archeological finds unearthed in Riverside were turned over to the San Bernardino County Museum; but now Riverside County will hold on to those prehistoric treasures.

Supervisor Jeff Stone spearheaded the general plan amendment dubbed S.A.B.E.R., the Safeguard Artifacts Being Excavated in Riverside County amendment, after more than a thousand sets of prehistoric fossils were uncovered last year by a Southern California Edison crew in Northern Riverside County.

The change was proposed, in part, due to the establishment of the Western Science Center near Hemet, where Stone says most of the fossils will end up.

"I wanted to prioritize the finds in Riverside County to go to the Western Science museum," said Stone, "and make sure we amend our general plan to insure the Western Science Center becomes the beneficiary of some of these important finds."

Stone said keeping local finds is important to future generations of paleontologists — including discoveries like the saber-toothed tiger uncovered during one local excavation. Under his amendment, prehistoric animal and plant fossils discovered on county land will stay within the county. Unearthed Indian artifacts will still be turned over to Inland area tribes.

Any extra fossils will find a home elsewhere.

"If they don’t have a use for the fossils that are found they can donate them to any other institution they feel appropriate," Stone said.

Foreclosed Riverside homes being used as art with a topical message

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:32:06 -0700

Temporarily Embarrassed #8 (Production still)

A pair of creative video artists are using foreclosed homes in Riverside as the backdrops for their latest work.

Jeff Foye and Gordon Winiemko created the show “Jeff and Gordon Play Against" on display at Riverside’s Sweeney Art Gallery.

Winiemko says the artists also use the game of squash, typically associated with wealthy people, to explore the tensions between competition and cooperation in today’s economy.

“That tension that we’re playing, and there are rules that we agree on but we’re out to beat the other guy. Our exhibition is meant to look at the kind of underlying attitudes that give rise to a catastrophe like that, where there are so many people that end up losers,” Winiemko explained.

“These pieces also exemplify the desire of the 99 to be the 1 percent," he added, referencing the Occupy movement.

Foye agreed. "Right. Here we are maybe wearing the clothes or adopting the role of the 1 percenters."

"And the fact that we’re doing this at foreclosed homes is, we’re trying to carry on as if everything is just fine. We’re just temporarily embarrassed, you know?” Winiemko said.

The topical dialogue continues after “Play Against” closes. The Sweeney Gallery, in conjunction with UC Riverside researchers, plans to sponsor a series of conferences through next year that’ll explore the lasting effects of the housing crisis in Southern California.

Occupy Riverside start beating the drum at UCR

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:23:33 -0700

UC Riverside librarian Stephen Mitchell speaks at the Occupy Riverside event at UCR.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has moved inland to the streets of Riverside. Small groups of demonstrators are camping out near city hall and other locations. Today they gathered at UC Riverside.

As with other “Occupy” protests, demands can be diffused and a bit vague. But the occupiers (or demonstrators) share the same sense of economic and social inequality – and a love of drums.

On this crisp, sunny afternoon a handful of Occupy organizers gathered beneath the bell tower at UC Riverside to recruit potential foot soldiers, and try to explain their motivations and what the movement is all about.

“My interest in Occupy developed after hearing about UCR graduates who just cannot find work," UC Riverside librarian Stephen Mitchell said to the crowd.

"It’s about my brother who got laid off 2 months ago,” Mitchell, who helped organize the gathering, continued. “For my 20 and 24-year-old daughters and for many of you, are expected to graduate into what is now being termed the 'Lost Decade.' I cannot accept this. I know you cannot accept this."

Occupy supporters decried rising tuition fees, diminishing job prospects and the cratered housing market.

Earlier this week Occupy demonstrators interrupted a foreclosure auction held every week on the steps the Riverside County courthouse.

As a crowd they sang, “Mr. auctioneer, for all people here, we’re asking you to hold all the sales right now..!”

Sergio Ballesteros, an Occupy organizer, assured the crowd that their efforts in Riverside are important and focused their efforts into more than just fighting city hall.

“Absolutely we want you to get involved, I would love to see you all at Occupy LA or supporting Occupy Riverside but its bigger than just getting you to city hall," Ballesteros said. “It goes back to you communities too, to start general assemblies, to start talking to the people within your own communities because this is not a Wall Street movement. This is a movement of all us and we have to take ownership!”

Demonstrators say they’ll hold their ground outside Riverside City Hall. Next month they plan to take part in “Bank Transfer Day” – a one day boycott that encourages people to close accounts at major banks and open new ones at local credit unions.

Long Beach man charged with Norma Lopez's murder

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:00:20 -0700

A photo of 17-year-old Norma Lopez who disappeared July 15, 2010. She was last seen walking home from summer school. He body was found in an empty field in Moreno Valley five days after she went missing. Credit: Moreno Valley Police Dept.

Riverside County prosecutors have filed murder and kidnapping charges against a Long Beach man accused of killing Moreno Valley teenager Norma Lopez.

Authorities arrested Jesse Torres a week ago, more than a year after 17-year-old Lopez disappeared. Torres' arraignment will take place Thursday.

Prosecutors charged Torres with murder and a special circumstance allegation of kidnapping. The kidnapping charge makes him eligible for the death penalty if he's convicted. Authorities believe the 35-year-old single father used to live across the street from Lopez’s high school — the same place where witnesses spotted her walking home from summer school classes only a year ago. A neighbor found her body in a vacant field five days later.

At a news conference last week, Moreno Valley Police Chief John Anderson declined to say what evidence tied Jesse Torres to the crime.

“I’m not gonna release any details — I know you have questions," Anderson said.

"We’re gonna be working closely with the Riverside County District Attorney’s office; we still have a lot of work to do, and after that we’ll assess when we can release information but it will have to be at the appropriate time and right now is not the appropriate time."

Police released Torres on Monday because they had kept him beyond the 48-hour period during which they can hold a suspect without charging him. Following his release he was promptly re-arrested on the same charges. Prosecutors say they delayed filing charges to conduct an extensive review of the evidence.

Torres remains in a Riverside jail on $1 million bail.

Riverside County leaders give tentative OK to light pollution ordinance

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:07:54 -0700

Security light Credit: Theron Trowbridge/Flickr (Creative Commons-licensed)

Amateur astronomers are among those speaking out in favor of a Riverside County ordinance aimed at curbing light pollution. The county’s given tentative approval to the so-called “light trespass” law.

Like a lightbulb clicking on above his head, Supervisor John Tavaglione got the idea for the law after getting complaints from William Larsen.

“These are supposedly security lights," Larsen said. "Don’t have ‘em coming into my bedroom allowing me to read a book in bed at 2 a.m. without the lights on.”

Larsen showed Riverside County supervisors pictures of his Corona-area home at night, illuminated by a neighbor’s prison yard-like security lights. He says the lights bring many sleepless nights.

John Garrett says they also bring lots of starless nights. He’s a Wildomar astronomer and member of the International Dark Sky Association. He gets lots of complaints from backyard stargazers.

“'Hey, I used to be able to enjoy the backyard looking at the stars with my children. Now I can’t. Is there anything I can do to get my neighbor to stop shining that floodlight at me?' This ordinance will help change that," Garrett said, "and I hope it becomes a model for our cities to adopt as well.”

The new ordinance would require residents to shield bright exterior lights and point them away from other properties and public streets. Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone supports the ordinance but wants to add some exemptions.

“How will this affect electric billboards?" Stone said. "We have athletic fields on school sites, and I’m concerned about enforceability. Are we going to have the light police? I want to see it enforced but I’m not sure this is going to be a top priority for a sheriff’s department. I understand the motivation but I worry about broad-brushing and the ramifications it can have on us.”

There will be exemptions for public safety agencies, public monuments and some decorative holiday lights. Light ordinance violators could be fined up to $500. Riverside County supervisors will have a final vote on the ordinance next month.

Coachella Valley balloon operators sue owners of mysterious olive ranch

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:00:04 -0700

Hot air balloon readying for lift-off. Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Hot air balloonists are suing the owners of a Coachella Valley ranch who tried to ban flights above their property. The farm dropped its lawsuit earlier this year, but not before the balloonists racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

The balloon operators hope to recover $337,000 in attorneys’ fees. A wealthy farming family from San Diego County sued the two operators for allegedly flying too close to its Inland olive ranch. The same farmers threatened other balloon operators with legal action.

Attorneys for JCM Farming claim the balloons invaded occupants’ privacy and posed a safety risk. The balloonists say they never flew below federal requirements. JCM dropped the lawsuit just as it appeared the case would go to trial.

But the long-running legal saga deflated the Valley’s commercial balloon industry. Attorneys for the balloon operators commissioned an economic analysis that calculated losses of nearly $10 million for each year the hot-air balloons were grounded. They plan to resume flying next month — at about the same time a court will schedule a hearing on the balloonists’ lawsuit.