Category Archives: Corona

CNUSD held 9/11 Remembrance Assemblies

By CNUSD

Photo courtesy: CNUSD School decorated the campus with American flags.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
School decorated the campus with American flags.

The National Day of Service and Remembrance, also dubbed Patriot Day, is held on September 11th in remembrance of the 2001 9/11 attacks.  Throughout CNUSD schools held assemblies and presentations in honor of the 2,977 people who lost their lives, and the service men and women who sacrificed their lives to help others implemented in the September 11th attacks. Students involved in the boys and girls scouts were asked to wear their uniforms while other students were encouraged to wear red, white and blue to show their respect and support. Students also participated in activities and crafts with their grandparents in order to learn more about the events of 9/11.

Campuses were decorated with flags and posters titled “We Remember” in honor of those to who lost their lives. Some of our secondary schools held assemblies that featured retired service men and women. Students had the opportunity to with speak them, ask questions and learn more about what goes into protecting our country.

While some classes gathered outside their rooms as their choir sang patriotic songs and recited the Official Proclamation from former President George Bush, others told stories of what they were doing on September 11th, 2011. Students also participated in a flag salute and moment of silence led by their principals.

 

Evening Out with Dad: Adams Elementary Holds “Dad’s All In” Event

By CNUSD

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Dad participating in event activities.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Dad participating in event activities.

Corona – On September 15, Adams Elementary invited fathers, grandfathers, and other male role models to spend an evening of barbecued burgers and fun activities with their children. This time spent playing and engaging is crucial in the development of every student. The Dads All In event is an initiative put on at school communities that invites fathers (or other male role models) to spend some quality time with their kids. The goal of Dads All In is to increase the contributions of fathers to the well-being of their children by providing them with opportunities to engage with their child academically, socially, and within the community.

Dads and students were treated to burgers as the sun set over Adams Elementary. A photo booth was set up along with a paper airplane table. Dads and kids then got the chance to play together in activities such as an obstacle course, sack races, a pizza box run, and more. Smiles and laughter echoed throughout the late afternoon as dads and kids ran and played together.

The Adams Dads All In evening was lead by Assistant Principal Manny Gonzalez and Russo Vargas, a parent of the school’s community and Dads All In representative.

County Teachers of Year Selected, To Be Honored in October

By SBCSS

SAN BERNARDINO – Four San Bernardino County teachers of the year have been announced, and the County Board of Education will honor them in October.

The four teachers will be honored during a ceremony on Oct. 3 at the County Schools’ Brier building located at 760 E. Brier Drive in San Bernardino. Each of this year’s recipients also will be honored by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, which is a sponsor of the County Teachers of the Year program.

In addition, this year’s Teachers for Tomorrow participants from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ Student Services also will be recognized.

This year’s County Teachers of the Year are:

  • Kenneth Hall, kindergarten teacher at Chapman Heights Elementary School in the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District;
  • Alexis King, English teacher at Ruben Ayala High School in the Chino Valley Unified School District;
  • Heather Lewis, teacher of specialized academic instruction for the Academy of Careers and Exploration and Riverview Middle School in the Helendale School District;
  • Jennifer Nicastro, an English teacher at the Los Osos High School in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District.

“Each year, it is gratifying to honor and recognize the terrific teachers who excel throughout our county,” County Superintendent Ted Alejandre said. “It is inspiring to see the remarkable work they do for their schools, districts and communities on behalf of our students.”

The four teachers were nominated by their individual districts and reviewed by a county panel that made the final selections. This year’s award recipients will compete in the California Teacher of the Year event, which will announce its recipients in the fall.

Following is a biography of each of this year’s County Teacher of the Year recipients:

Hall has 19 years of teaching experience, all of which he has done in Yucaipa-Calimesa. “It is a pleasure to describe the extraordinary impact Ken Hall has on our school community of students, parents and fellow teachers,” wrote Chapman Heights Principal Andy Anderson in the nomination for Hall. He describes himself as the lead learner in his classroom. “I would expect to be held accountable for continuing to learn just like the other learners in my class. As teachers, it is our responsibility to keep up with research and best practices,” he wrote about his teaching philosophy.

As an English teacher at Ayala, King has spent six of her seven years as a teacher in her current position in Chino Valley. Her principal at Ayala, Diana Yarboi, said King’s leadership style and knowledge-base are impressive. “(Our) high school has benefited from her experience, stewardship and dedication,” Yarboi wrote in the nomination of King. As a teacher, King said she continues to grow and develop in her role as an educator. “I am very proud of the collaborative accomplishments within my classroom and the opportunities for students to experience the world,” she wrote in her nomination.

With 18 years of teaching experience, Lewis has filled a variety of roles in Helendale since coming to the district in 2013. She serves in specialized academic instruction in high school grades after previously working in positions from transitional kindergarten to a school administrator. “Heather Lewis is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher and a one-of-a-kind person,” Helendale Superintendent Ross Swearingen wrote in her nomination. She takes great pride in her profession. “The best teachers are life-long learners, and we have to keep learning because in order to be better, we have to know better,” Lewis wrote about the teaching profession.

Nicastro has spent most of her 17-year career in teaching in the Chaffey district, as she begins her fourth year at Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga. Chaffey Superintendent Mathew Holton said Nicastro has proven to be one of the district’s best teachers. “Her extensive knowledge of the curriculum is second-to-none, while her passion and enthusiasm for the subject enhances student engagement,” he wrote in her nomination. Nicastro takes pride in challenging her students to work hard. “As a student, you will know you are loved beyond measure, but that love is a tough love that has high expectations,” she wrote in her nomination.

IE News: Information Sought For Stabbing

Photo courtesy: Corona Police Department The suspect’s vehicle is believed to be a solid light/medium colored late 1990’s Toyota sedan, as pictured above.

Photo courtesy: Corona Police Department
The suspect’s vehicle is believed to be a solid light/medium colored late 1990’s Toyota sedan, as pictured above.

Staff Reports

Corona– The Corona Police Department is still searching for information regarding a stabbing that took place at the Corona City Park a few months ago. The Police Department recently sent out a news release requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a vehicle that may have been involved in the stabbing death of Barnabas William “Will” Crites, 18.

On February 26, 2016 at approximately 8:43 p.m., Barnabas William Crites was assaulted near the City Park skate park located at 930 E. Sixth St., Corona, and later died from his injuries, according to the Corona Police Department. The suspect’s vehicle is believed to be a solid light/medium colored late 1990’s Toyota sedan. The suspect’s vehicle was captured leaving the scene in a surveillance video from the area.

Detectives hope someone may recognize the vehicle in the surveillance photograph to assist in the investigation. If you have any information we ask that you please contact Senior Detective Dan Bloomfield at 951-817-5767. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact the Corona Police Department Tip-line at 951-817-5873.

Photo courtesy: Corona Police Department A picture of the suspect's car leaving the scene.

Photo courtesy: Corona Police Department
A picture of the suspect’s car leaving the scene.

Lincoln Avenue On-Ramp Will Be Two Lanes

Courtesy of RCTC

CORONA– As part of the Riverside County Transportation Commission’s (RCTC) 91 Project, the westbound 91 Lincoln Avenue on-ramp will be reconfigured from three lanes to two general purpose lanes through the end of 2016. The ramp meter will be turned off during this time.

The reconfiguration will allow crews to work on the new westbound 91 Lincoln Avenue on-ramp that will connect directly from the Lincoln Avenue bridge.

For questions, please call the helpline at 877-770-9191, or visit http://www.sr91project.info.  Please allow extra travel time to access this ramp, especially during morning peak commute hours.

IE News: Youth Takes Unique Approach to Leadership

Photo courtesy: Doug Gaehle

Photo courtesy: Doug Gaehle

4-H proven to empower area youth through life skill development

By Doug Gaehle

CORONA– It’s no secret that today’s youth feel pressure. Pressure to excel in school, to go to college, to get a job, etc. How they overcome those pressures is a true testament to their character. Take Corona native Aidan Longridge for example.

Aidan, 17, credits his enrollment in 4-H, the nation’s largest youth organization, to helping him overcome adversity and build confidence along the way. The life skills taught through 4-H helped Aidan learn to work with others, overcome challenges and complete jobs once he started them.

Aidan took advantage of the breadth of programs 4-H offers, from science and agriculture to business and creative arts.

“I enrolled in 4-H after my mom received a recommendation to join from a family friend,” said Aidan, a member of the Alvord Aggies 4-H club. “I’ve always had a passion for speaking in front of people and through my years in 4-H I’ve had many opportunities to get involved in projects that have made me more confident in myself and my abilities as a speaker.”

Aidan started in 4-H when he was 5 years old, and since then has participated in the communications project.

Today, Aidan is involved in communication, chess, drama and leadership projects as well as part of a national home school speech and debate league.

“Joining a speech and debate league was a direct result of the confidence and experience I gained through my 4-H projects,” said Aidan.

America needs more true leaders focused on today’s challenges, as well as the issues of tomorrow. A recent survey by National 4-H Council found that 71 percent of today’s youth view leadership as something they can practice improve over time. But those same youth need supportive adults to help them along the way.

4-H brings a community together to grow true leaders in today’s youth – helping build confidence, teamwork, curiosity and resilience.

“My advisor Heather Bean has been a positive impact on my 4-H experience,” said Aidan. “In addition to valuable life skills, 4-H teaches you about building character, problem solving, fostering friendships and to keep challenging yourself.”

Any child can grow with 4-H, an organization that has something for every interest. But 4-H is always looking for adult volunteers and funding to help expand their reach and empower young people through doing. To find out more about helping 4-H in your area, contact your local extension office or visit 4H.org. Or, visit www.ca4hfoundation.org to make a donation to the California 4-H Foundation.

Auburndale Intermediate Shines

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Auburndale Intermediate Pre-AP class

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Auburndale Intermediate Pre-AP class

Courtesy of CNUSD

 

CORONA– As Auburndale Intermediate School began to prepare for their Trimester 2 Awards Assembly, they realized they had a problem. They had too many students that qualified for the award to host only one assembly. The school recently converted their trimester awards to a GPA-based Honor Roll system. This change, along with a more focused effort on the part of students, families and staff, has resulted in 271 students qualifying for either Principals Honor Roll or Honor Roll.

The standard for Principals Honor roll is 3.5-4.0 and for Honor Roll it is 3.49-4.0. Overall, 57% of the students in the school qualified for one of these honors, with 59% of 8th graders qualifying and 55% of 7th graders qualifying.

The key to the change, according to Principal Ben Sanchez, has been, “intentional instruction, strategic support and intervention programs, improved connections with students and families, and improved school engagement by the students due to elective programs like music, AVID, and STEM. We are thrilled to have this problem!”

 

The 8th grade Trimester 2 Honor Roll Assembly was held on March 18 and the 7th grade assembly was held on March 21.

 

 

More Students Qualify For Diplomas

Courtesy of Corona Norco Unified

 

Corona/Norco– On October 7, 2015, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 172, suspending the administration of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school. The bill provides for the granting of a diploma of graduation from high school to any pupil who completed grade 12 during the years in which the CAHSEE was in effect, and has met all applicable graduation requirements other than the passage of the high school exit examination. With the passage of this bill, the effective date of granting the diploma can be no earlier than January 1, 2016.

Please assist us in spreading the word and notifying former CNUSD students who may be eligible to receive their high school diplomas. The Corona-Norco Unified School District staff is committed to granting high school diplomas to all eligible persons. We are currently in the process of reviewing transcripts to verify that all graduation requirements of the senior year when you were enrolled.

If you or someone that you know are eligible to receive a Corona-Norco Unified School District high school diploma, submit it either online, or in person to the CNUSD Student Services Office, located at 2820 Clark Avenue, Norco, CA 92860. After the high school transcript is evaluated, and it is determined that you have fulfilled all graduation requirements, you will be notified and mailed the diploma to the address you provide. If you have questions, please call the Student Services office at 951-736-5111.

K9 Claud Receives Vest

Photo Courtesy of Corona PD

Photo Courtesy of Corona PD

Courtesy of the Corona Police Dept.

CORONA– Corona Police Department’s K9 “Claud” has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The vest was sponsored by Hausman Family Foundation of CA and is embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by the Hausman Family Foundation”.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, MA. whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs in law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 1,700 protective vests, in 49 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.6 million dollars. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, MI.
The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.
The donation to provide one protective vest for one law enforcement K9 is $1,050. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234, a five-year warranty and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.

 

Garretson Elementary Girl Heading to Scripps

Photo courtesy of CNUSD

Photo courtesy of CNUSD
Aisha Randhawa qualifies for National Spelling Bee

Courtesy of CNUSD

CORONA– Two-time CNUSD Spelling Bee Champion Aisha Randhawa finally achieved what she has dreamed about since the third grade: She is going to Washington D.C. to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Aisha was the last speller standing in the 39th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center. She will represent the county at the National Spelling Bee in May.

Competing against the top spellers in the county, Aisha overcame 18 grueling rounds of intense spelling, finding herself a little bewildered on “succulent” early on. She persevered and spelled toe-to-toe with her peers. In the 17th Round, 8th grader John Terry from Palm Springs Unified misspelled “obdurate”, setting the stage for Aisha’s win. She clinched the round by spelling “cologne”, and emerged victorious after spelling “ambrosia”, which means something very pleasing to taste or smell. After the final moments, Aisha shared, “I thought about it for a second but I was pretty sure I knew it.”

When asked about what she is most looking forward to in Maryland, she replied, “Probably competing at the event and maybe getting to see the Washington Monument.”

The Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place from May 22 to 27. The ESPN channel has been known to broadcast portions of the competition. Perhaps Garretson’s spelling wunderkind will make an appearance!

 

Norco: Special Ed Art Exhibit Draws a Crowd

Courtesy of CNUSD

Courtesy of CNUSD

Courtesy of CNUSD

NORCO– The CNUSD Special Education Community Advisory Committee hosted their 11th annual art show at the District Office. This year’s theme was “My Imagination” and students created a variety of projects, including paintings, drawings, mixed media, sculpture, and transfer art.

The event drew parents, students and teachers and packed the room as they supported the students and their work. Each piece of art was given a number and attendees were asked to vote for their favorites in each age bracket (Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, High School, Transition). All participating students received a certificate for their work.

Students enjoyed a dinner courtesy of Chick-Fil-A Norco, Crusty’s Pizza, and Vito’s Pizza.  They were entertained by a magician and had the opportunity to take pictures with Disney’s Rapunzel and Belle.

A mixed media collage by William Karim, a fifth-grader at Prado View took top honors and was named “Best in Show”.

Local Football Coach Honored

Photo Courtesy of CNUSD Centennial Football Coach Named Coach of the Year

Photo Courtesy of CNUSD
Centennial Football Coach Named Coach of the Year

By Sara Cipollone

CORONA – Centennial High School football Coach Matt Logan has been honored for his work and accomplishments with the school’s football team.

USA Today has named Coach Logan the ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year. Coach Matt Logan stated that the best advice he has been given was from Coach Bruce Rollinson, before his first CIF championship game. Robinson told him “Don’t be happy just to be here. Go out and win the thing.” Logan took this advice to heart and has passed on this competitive spirit to his team, telling them “We may get beat, but we always compete.”

This competitive nature has helped Coach Logan garner a very successful coaching career, coaching the Centennial Huskies to a 14-1 season, the No. 7 spot in the final Super 25 football rankings, a second consecutive Pac-5 title and a runner-up finish in state Open Division. According to USA Today, his teams have won 10 CIF Southern Section titles since 2000. He won his 200th game this season against Orange Lutheran, and in 19 seasons Logan has an overall record of 211-46.

The coach said that his secret weapon to winning so much is consistency with the staff. He told USA Today that most of his coaches have been there for seven or eight years, and two coaches have been there since day one.

Whether it’s consistent staff, competitive drive, or just a great amount of skill, this coach is doing something right. Congratulations to Coach Matt Logan, USA Today ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year.

 

Orange Grove Teacher Named State Finalist

Photo Courtesy of CNUSD Orange Grove Teacher Jessica Fuller poses with her award

Photo Courtesy of CNUSD
Orange Grove Teacher Jessica Fuller poses with her award

By Linda Hawkins, CNUSD

CORONA– Congratulations to Orange Grove teacher, Jessica Fuller, for being named the California League of High School’s (CLHS) Region 10 state finalist at the awards dinner on Thursday, January 21.  Jessica, along with 10 other finalists, was recognized by CLHS as “Educators of the Year” for Region 10, which includes Riverside, Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino Counties.

The CLHS “Educator of the Year” award is given annually to ten educators, representing regions throughout California, who exemplify educational excellence and have made significant efforts to implement elements of educational reform in high schools.  Each nominee selected as the representative for their region will be honored at the CLHS Annual Conference in Sacramento, California the weekend of February 26-28, 2016.  One of the regional nominees will be announced as CLHS Educator of the Year at the conference.  Nominees selected may be teachers, administrators, counselors, or other certified personnel.  After being introduced, each finalist gave a brief speech which was scored by a panel of judges.  The Regional Representative was announced at the conclusion of the event and was invited to participate in the CLHS in Sacrament for the state’s Educator of the Year award in February.

Congratulations to Jessica on this very well deserved recognition.  She is an incredible teacher who goes above and beyond every day to ensure the success of her students.

36 Students Compete in District Spelling Bee

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Aisha Randhawa of Garretson Elementary spells out her winning word to claim the District’s Spelling Bee title.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Aisha Randhawa of Garretson Elementary spells out her winning word to claim the District’s Spelling Bee title.

Courtesy of CNUSD

Corona – The Annual District Spelling Bee brought together the best spellers grades 4-8 to compete at Santiago High School for the District Spelling Bee title. 36 schools, elementary and intermediate, were represented.

Contestants held strong for the first few rounds, but by Round 5, the field whittled down to 18. The dictionary opened up into words with foreign words and the field dropped down to 11 by Round 6.

By Round 9, the spelling bee came down to two students, Max Chen from Citrus Hill Intermediate and Aisha Randhawa from Garretson Elementary.

Aisha defended her title by correctly spelling “effluent”, earning the right to represent the district in the Riverside County Spelling Bee Feb. 23 in Moreno Valley.

Corona-Norco Unified School District K-12 Teacher Job Fair

By Nicole Leiva

On Saturday, Jan. 30, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Corona-Norco Unified School District held a job fair to recruit teachers for kindergarten through high school. When the district announced the event, they advised teachers to visit EdJoin.org to complete an application before attending the fair.  Those who completed their applications on EdJoin.org were given numbers that allowed them admittance to the fair before those who had not yet completed their applications online.

Throughout the morning, teachers arrived every few minutes and joined an already lengthy line. Attendees made up a diverse pool; both experienced teachers and new, young teachers came from various parts of Southern California.

One woman is finishing her schooling in Idaho, and wants to come home to Southern California and teach arts in high school.  Another teacher, from Los Angeles, has taught 6th grade for fifteen years. She came to the job fair to compare pay wages. A teacher from the Inland Empire, with ten years of experience teaching math, wanted to consider her options with Corona-Norco Unified.

One attendee, who moved to the Inland Empire from Kentucky, taught high school math and English and led school activities at her last school.  She said, “I really love teaching and seeing the students thrive and that is why I am here today!”

A young male teacher who attended has great passion for teaching special education in high school, which he has done for two years. He proudly stated, “I love teaching special education and would be happy teaching at-risk students as well.” This young, incredibly positive teacher has the potential to change many young lives for the better.

The success of this job fair can be credited to Administrative Director Glen Gonsalves and all the staff that made this happen. Mr. Glen Gonsalves said “this was an exciting job fair and really pleased to see all these people.” Additionally, he said “this was a great way to showcase the District as a great place to teach and work…” Glen and his staff didn’t anticipate the amount of interest in their district and the teaching positions, and were happy to see the fair was such a success.

Assemblyman Linder Introduces the Transparency in Government Act

Staff Reports

CORONA – An open and transparent government is the premise for Assemblymember Eric Linder’s (R-Corona) newly introduced bill, AB 1707. The new bill will strengthen the California Public Records Act (PRA), increase transparency and promote clarity to help the public adequately understand the activities of state and local agencies, according to a press release issued by Linder’s office.

“Sacramento’s first priority should always be to foster transparency with those it represents,” said Linder.  “This bill will ensure that Californians have access to the information they need to review and provide oversight of their government.”

AB 1707 will require agencies subject to this act to include in their responses to requests for public records the name of documents withheld, and the exemptions that apply to each document. This change became necessary due to concerns that some agencies’ responses are too vague for applicants to understand why requests were rejected or if exempt documents even exist.

“Californian’s should fully understand why an agency rejects their requests for public records. Government should always be taking steps towards increasing transparency and helping constituents understand the daily business conducted by the numerous agencies in California” said Assemblymember Linder.

Assembly Member Eric Linder, R-Corona, represents the 60th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Norco, & Riverside.

 

Man Dies after being Hit by Train

Courtesy of Google Images

Courtesy of Google Images

Staff Reports

CORONA– On Jan. 22 at about 1:55 p.m., Corona Police Officers responded to a train versus pedestrian collision in the 100 block of North McKinley Avenue. Through investigation, officers determined that 19-year-old Anthony McRea of Riverside was walking northbound on McKinley with his girlfriend. As they approached the railroad tracks just south of Sampson, they stopped for an eastbound train travelling on the north set of tracks. The crossing arms were down, lights flashing, and alarms sounding.

As the end of the train passed, McRea stepped out in front of a train travelling westbound on the south set of tracks. The train struck McRea, killing him instantly.

According to the Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress and the CSX Corporation, more people are killed in pedestrian/train accidents than airplane crashes in the United States each year. Here are some tips for staying safe around railroad tracks:

• Remember, trains may be closer than they appear. It is very difficult to accurately judge the distance and speed of an oncoming train.
• Trains are wider than they appear; most trains extend three feet on either side of the track.
• The force of a train hitting a car is comparable to the force of a car running over a soda can.
• Most trains will not be able to stop if something is in their way, so remember to never cross the guardrails. They are there for your safety.

Steer Clear of the 91!

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

Staff Reports

A full closure of eastbound and westbound 91 between the 71 and I-15 will occur from Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 at 9 pm to Monday, Feb. 22, 2016 at 4 am.  This 12-mile stretch of freeway sees over 280,000 cars per day, and that number is expected to jump to 425,000 by the year 2030, according to Joel Zlotnik of the Orange County Transportation Authority.

The 91 freeway is a valuable transportation corridor for thousands of motorists, and also serves hundreds of thousands of commercial and freight trucks as they travel inland from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, according to Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu.

The full weekend closure of the 91 will allow crews to perform three major construction activities: 1) Demolish the west side of the Maple Street Bridge over the 91; 2) Install support beams for the new westbound Maple Street flyover ramp bridge; and 3) Pave the new eastbound 91 alignment near I-15.

“By fully closing the roadway, we will be able to consolidate these significant construction efforts into one weekend, rather than multiple weekends or extending this over a month of weeknights,” said RCTC Executive Director Anne Mayer. “Consolidating the work activities within one weekend will reduce the number of closure hours by more than 50 percent. The project’s design-build method allows for flexibility in planning work, such as this weekend closure,” she said. Another benefit, Mayer noted, is that the full closure will help ensure the safety of the 91 Project crews and the traveling public by eliminating cars and construction equipment on the road at the same time.

More work will be occurring in the Maple Street area during the coming months, including reconstructing the Maple Street bridge and building the flyover connector ramp bridge. Crews will require nightly full closures of eastbound 91 for about a week after the weekend closure. During these closures, motorists will be directed to the eastbound 91 Maple Street off-ramp, and then east on Frontage Road to re-enter the 91 at the Maple/Paseo Grande on-ramp. Once the flyover ramp bridge is completed this summer, another full closure of the 91 may be conducted to remove the temporary support beams that will be placed the weekend of February 19-22.

Because of the impact that a full closure will have on this heavily traveled roadway, motorists are urged to “steer clear” of the area during this closure. To minimize major travel delays and impacts during the closure, RCTC strongly recommends that motorists plan ahead, avoid travel in the area or stay home. Motorists traveling on the 91, the 71 or I-15 near the project area during the closure period can expect travel delays of three to four hours. If travel cannot be avoided, motorists can use the 57, 60 and I-10 as alternate routes.

The Green River Road interchange will remain open to motorists, and during the weekend closure, emergency vehicles will be able to travel on the 91, as needed, to respond to police, fire and medical situations.  “Corona residents can rest assured that police, fire, CHP and ambulance personnel will be fully briefed about the weekend closure and are ready to respond,” Mayer said.

In case of rainstorms or inclement weather, the closure will be postponed to the next weekend, weather permitting.  For more information, please call the helpline at 877-770-9191, or visit http://www.sr91project@rctc.org.

Corona: Police K-9 Retires

Courtesy of the Corona Police Dept.

Spike the K-9 RetiresAfter four and a half years of dedicated service to the citizens of Corona, Corona Police Department’s K9 Spike retires.
Spike is an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, who was not only trained for patrol duties but was also cross- trained to detect the odor of narcotics. During Spike’s tenure, he found and apprehended several suspects, and he also had several narcotic finds which included the seizure of heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. When not fighting crime, he participated in over 100 public demonstrations at schools, hospitals, and community groups.
Spike’s handler, Corporal Chad Fountain, is a 15-year veteran who was recently promoted in July of 2015. Corporal Fountain was able to purchase Spike from the city and bring him home for retirement, where he will live out the remainder of his life with the Fountain family.

Three Arrested in String of Corona Robberies

Courtesy of Corona Police Department

Corona – On Sept. 21, 2015, the Corona Police Department began investigating a string of robberies which occurred at three different locations within a six-hour time period in the City of Corona.  The robberies occurred at the following locations:

  • USA Gas, 1205 Soth Main Street, Sept 21, 2015 at 9:19 p.m.
  • 7-11 Store, 700 West Sixth Street, Sept. 22, 2015 at 12:58 a.m. and 3 a.m.
  • 7-11 Store, 725 East Grand Blvd,, Sept 22, 2015 at 3:37 a.m.

In each of the robberies, the suspects were described as two males, possibly Hispanic, who concealed their faces and demanded money from the cash register.  As a result of the robberies, the suspects made off with cash, lottery tickets, cigarettes, and also a wallet from a customer at one of the locations.

On Oct. 30, 2015, officers responded to a report of a robbery at USA Gas, 1205 South Main Street, in which one male Hispanic suspect had fled with cash.  The suspect was located hiding at a nearby city park, where he was arrested for the robbery.  The suspect was identified as Axl Garcia, 22-years-old, of Corona.

Corona Police detectives continued to investigate the string of robberies that had occurred in September, and had information that Garcia may have been involved.

On Jan 6, 2016, Corona Police detectives, with the assistance of the Riverside County Post-Release Accountability Team (PACT) and the Riverside County Gang Task Force-Region 8, served a search warrant at Garcia’s Corona residence.  Detectives arrested two additional robbery suspects, Jimmy Olivares, 21-years-old of Corona, and a 16-year-old male.

Olivares was cited and released from the Corona Police Department on a lesser charge and the 16-year-old male juvenile was charged with four counts of robbery and associated gun charges.  Garcia remains in the Riverside County Jail on an unrelated incident and will be charged with additional counts of robbery related to the string of robberies in September within the City of Corona.