Local Community News and Public Relations established in 1997 and serving cities of Eastvale, Norco, Chino, Walnut, Corona, Riverside, and San Gabriel Valley.
Corona – If you’re looking for a family fun day, you do not want to miss the Koroneburg Renaissance Festival in Corona. This annual festival will take place for 5 weekends, starting May 27th.
The Koroneburg Renaissance Festival is one of the only permanently built Renaissance Festivals in Southern California, and is the most interactive Renaissance experience around! They offer tremendous audience-participation content, giving you plenty to do and opportunities to learn about 1450-1600 A.D. history. The festival will have live performers, interactive demonstrations and games, music, German-inspired food, shopping of unique handmade items, and much more!
This festival has been around for 25 years, with the first festival taking place in 1998. “Entertaining families and friends for such a long time is a true privilege and a testament of our fantastic vendors, entertainers, and staff,” according to their website.
The Koroneburg Festival is a themed event that traditionally celebrates the artistic and cultural advancements made in Renaissance Europe. “Most festivals focus on England and Queen Elizabeth, but we do things a little differently at Koroneburg,” stated their website. “In honor of Johannesburg Gutenberg who made literacy and education accessible to all people with the movable type printing press, our event is set on the Rhine river on the border of France and Germany between 1450-1600.”
At this festival, you and your family will be welcomed by a community of people who are “passionate about entertaining, educating and creating amazing experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.” It is also not a requirement to dress in a costume, but some will dress up to join in on the fun!
The Koroneburg Renaissance Festival will be held at 14600 Baron Drive in Corona.
They will be open on the following dates:
May 27-29: Military Appreciation Weekend – This weekend is dedicated to recognizing current and retired members of the military. On this weekend, there will be a service member flag presentation, staff and organized by veterans in our community. On Memorial Day, Military & Veterans get in for FREE
June 3-4: Market Mayhem – Spend $150 at Participating Vendors & receive four tickets to return to the festival (earn 4 tickets for every $150 spent)
June 10-11: Pirate Weekend – Dress up as a Pirate & get $5 Off your Single Day Pass (Cannot be combined with other coupons or offers)
June 17-18: Celtic & Norse Weekend – Dress up in Celtic, Viking or Norse Costumes & get $5 Off your Single Day Pass (Cannot be combined with other coupons or offers)
June 24-25: Baron’s 67th Birthday Celebration-Come out and give him a big “OOMPHAA” to Celebrate!
To purchase your tickets for the event, please visit renfestcorona.com
Corona – LarSun Solar is a
great company that provides sustainable and reliable energy for your home. You may have seen their sign off the 91
freeway or read their great reviews on Yelp!
LarSun
customers are satisfied because LarSun provides the highest quality US-made
equipment at the best price and with the best warranties. They install solar panels that include a
25-year warranty and a full monitoring system to track the performance.
LarSun
Solar have been in business for over 12 years, and the company has focused on solar
specifically for 7 years. In addition, they have solar installers you can trust
because their team has been working on roofs for over 30 years.
Erik
Larsen, President and Founder of LarSun Solar, said he loves that the company
has been solar specific for the last 7 years. “I love solar as a product.
Ultimately, we are just selling people on savings for what they are already
buying – electricity.”
Larsen
also loves that solar panels are great for your wallet and the planet. “I feel good at night knowing I’m saving
families tons of money and saving the future for my kids.”
In
addition, LarSun Solar strives to build relationships with their
customers. “We know and care about every
customer we work with,” said Larsen. From throwing BBQs to hosting little
league parties, LarSun loves serving the community. “We want to take care of you. We love our
community.”
Also,
LarSun offers incentives for military, both current and veterans, and donates
to local organizations like little league and schools. “Just ask,” said Larsen
regarding donations.
Before
Solar, Larsen obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Entrepreneurship and
he said his first business was a cupcake truck.
He was even a finalist on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars! “If you
request, I will make cupcakes for you on the day of install,” said Larsen.
LarSun
Solar is located off the 91 between Lincoln and Maple, but they service all of
California. Their address is 1611 Pomona
Rd, Corona CA 92880. You can give them a
call at 909-600-5050 or 949-294-4220.
You can also check out their website at LarSun.com or read reviews from
satisfied customers. LarSun Solar is
certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, is
C-46 solar specific licensed and bond, and is insured.
The City of Corona honored four CeHS computer science winners during the April City Council meeting.
Staff Reports
Corona – Congratulations to all the CNUSD students who won
various awards in April. Students from
different schools in the Corona-Norco Unified School District were honored at
several recent events.
Five Centennial High School (CeHS) students placed 2nd
and 3rd at the 2019 Inaugural Riverside County Programming Competition. This competition introduced students to the world of
coding and featured 129 students from nine Riverside County school districts.
Participants had the opportunity to compete individually or as a team of two to
four students.
The second place winners for the Team
Competition included the following: Anthony Villegas, Dararith Sao, William
Chen, and Vincent Alexander. The third
place winner for the Individual Competition was Noe Martinez.
Other CeHS students received the Aspirations in Computing Award
from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award
applicants represent “young women highly qualified to enter the computing and
information technology workforce,” according to a CNUSD news release.
The winners included the following: Chloe
Santos, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Honorable Mention; Jasmine
Bae, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Honorable Mention; Madison
Hill, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Winner; and Monica Sanchez, 2019
California Inland Empire Affiliate Rising Star.
CeHS Teacher, Brian Kenney, commented on how
important these awards are. “The mission
is to increase diversity in Computer Science and Gaming by encouraging young
women into these high demand job fields.
These young ladies and NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award winners are
part of that diversity change,” said Kenney.
“With all of this talent, it is also the intent of Centennial High
School to keep highly qualified students in Corona by producing career-ready
individuals, and to bring more of these jobs to our area,” added Kenney.
Lastly, from April 2-3, twenty-four CNUSD students earned
gold medals at the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair. “Nineteen Junior & Senior division
students advanced to the California State Science Fair and a 9th-grade student
is headed to the Intel International Science Fair,” according to CNUSD.
Nearly 500 students from 36 affiliate fairs competed at the Riverside
Convention Center. Among the awards were community organization
awards, in addition to Gold and Silver medals. “Gold medal winners
from the Junior and Senior divisions will advance to the California State
Science and Engineering Fair on April 29-30 at the California Science Center in
Los Angeles,” stated CNUSD. Congratulations to the sixty-nine CNUSD
students who participated and brought home 24 Gold medals, 42 Silver medals,
and 13 community and regional awards.
The winners are listed below.
Among the winners was Amanda Mata, of Orange
Elementary School, who won the Elementary Sweepstakes Award – Best Overall
Project in Grades 4-5. The Project she
created was a Rigatoni Pasta Rocket Engine. Another winner was Dimple Garuadapuri, of eSTEM Academy at Roosevelt High
School. Dimple earned one of three spots
in the county to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering
Fair (ISEF). The Project that was
created was a Na/Ca/K Pollution Scrub: A Domestic Approach to Chemical
Carbon Capture.
Community
and Regional Awards include the following:
American Meteorological Society: Dimple
Garuadapuri, Eastvale STEM Academy at ERHS
American Psychological Association: Sandra
Rodriguez, Centennial High School
California Society for Biomedical Research: Kenny
Nguyen, of Eastvale STEM Academy at ERHS, received a plaque and $250 monetary
award
Chemistry and Air Pollution Research Center at
University of California Riverside: Kayla Cunningham, of
Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS, received a trophy and a $50 gift card
HDR, Inc.: Gavin Joyce, of Corona
High School, received a certificate and a book
Inland Empire Professional Engineers in California
Government: Gavin Joyce, of Corona High School, won $1,000
Intel Excellence in Computer Science: Jiahan
(Peter) Cheng, Thomas Rife, and August Wetterau, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS
Mojave Environmental Education Consortium: Dimple
Garuadapuri, of Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS, won a $50 gift card, and
received a certificate and ribbon
Mu Alpha Theta: Malika Nindra and
Avantika Rozario, Centennial High School
NASA Earth System Science Award: Dimple
Garuadapuri, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS
Naval Science Award: Andre Huerto, Eastvale
STEM Academy of ERHS
Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP): Amanda
Mata, of Orange Elementary School, won $50
Stockholm Jr Water Prize: Nicolas
Almeida, Alexander Nguyen, and Nicholas Tan, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS
GOLD
MEDAL WINNERS (all Gold medal students in grades 6-12 advance to State):
Clara
Barton Elementary: Anneliese Brasher, James Glenny, and Zachary Brasher
Home
Gardens Academy: Hope Howard
Eastvale
Elementary: Thomas Sherrill
Orange
Elementary: Amanda Mata
Temescal
Valley Elementary: Carter Gilliatt and Nicholas Gomez
Auburndale
Intermediate: Aisha Randhawa, Nala Stewart, Sarah Stutsman
Raney
Intermediate: David Ouk and Suraj Jayaraman
Norco
High: Spencer Krock
ESTEM
at Roosevelt High: August Wetterau, Dimple Garuadapuri, Jiahan Cheng, Kenney
Nguyen, Thomas Rife, Faith Inverary, Kayla Cunningham, Lana Lim, Wenxuan Tang, and
Jillian Labador
SILVER
MEDAL WINNERS:
Clara
Barton Elementary: Aiden Stinson and Andrew Glenny
Corona
Ranch Elementary: Gavin Cypher
Eastvale
Elementary: Joel Licera
Garretson
Elementary: Jake Felton
Orange
Elementary: Hailey Hild
Prado
View Elementary: Jackson Rhodes, Kyla Ishii, and Spencer Tran
Corona
Fundamental Intermediate: Ethan Alferez, Sophia Pham, Aidan Bunch, Anisha Prasad,
Derek Hsieh, Lucas
Dyal, and Ryan Friedman
The City of Eastvale News covers local news forEastvale, Norco, Corona, Jurupa Valley, MiraLoma, Chino and more. Click the following link to access the complete issue in pdf format: 2018-11-EastvaleNews
Corona – Its election time in Corona that means candidate signs, flyers, mailers and people knocking at your door will be part of the landscape for the next couple of months. This year though it will only be in certain areas because the City of Corona has converted to the “district” option of voting instead of their traditional “at large” option of voting. This means a few things:
The city will have representation by all parts of the city. So as the city is cut up into 5 areas. There can only be a candidate who lives in those district areas that are up for election.
The marketing costs will be more affordable. So if a “rich” candidate, or someone who has the ability to raise more money than the others, dominated past elections they can no longer do so. It levels out the political playing field financially.
What has also changed is the election cycle. State law now requires all elections to be held in November, with the exception of Primary elections, which are historically held in June. This has been a great cost saver to cities who ran their elections outside of the county election cycles. Now cities who paid for elections in odd months can now streamline their costs.
In Corona there are 3 districts up for election: District 1, 4, and 5. In District 1, Jacqueline Casillas, Shawn Kelly and Joseph Edward Morgan square off. In District, 4, Fauzia Rizvi, Doug Husen, and Gerald E. Myers Jr. and James Steiner will compete. In District 5, Rory Connell, David B. Husted, Jeremy Mercer, and Wes Speake will round out the competition. The elections are set for this November. In unprecedented fashion all 3 districts have a pastor running for the seat, Shawn Kelly, Doug Husen and Jeremy Mercer respectively.
As a result of the passing of Measure N on the November 2016 ballot, the City of Corona changed from an “at-large” system for electing City Council Members to a “by-district” system. With the help of consultant Doug Johnson, President of the National Demographics Corporation, Corona has drawn the proposed council district boundary lines, making sure that each district has close to the same population and otherwise complies with federal and state law (e.g. no racial gerrymandering). Overall, the City held five community forums and several public meetings with the City Council to gather community input, including three public hearings in June and July. Ultimately, on July 6, 2016 the City Council voted to adopt the proposed map and to place Measure N on the November ballot. The City Clerk serves as the election officer and is responsible for issuance and acceptance of nomination papers, city measures and the publication of necessary legal notices. In addition, all campaign and conflict of interest filings required by the Fair Political Practices Commission are centralized in the City Clerk’s Office. Council Members receive $800 per month as compensation for their service.
Qualifications for Candidacy are as follows; individual must be a registered voter and a resident of the City of Corona. Nomination petitions must contain the signatures of at least twenty (20) registered voters from the jurisdiction and must be filed with the City Clerk’s Office no later than the close of the nomination period.Be registered voters at their current residence in the City of Corona
Residing in the district in which they are running
A citizen of the United States
18 years of age or older
Not disqualified from holding office by the Constitution or laws of the State of California.
Voter registration forms are available at all public libraries, post offices and City Hall. To receive a registration form by mail, please call the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office at (951) 486-7200 or the City Clerk’s office at (951) 736-2201. Completed registration forms can be hand-delivered to the Registrar’s office located at 2724 Gateway Drive, Riverside, CA 92507 or Corona City Hall located at 400 S Vicentia Ave, Corona, CA 92882 or dropped off in any U.S. mailbox. No postage is necessary. For additional voter registration information visit www.voteinfo.net.
Corona – The City of Corona was happy to announce a balanced budget while utilizing the Balancing Act and the Tax Payer Receipt that Corona employs in a citywide coordinated effort to provide a greater transparency and to foster an environment of openness regarding the innerworkings of local government.
“The basic gist is that Corona is trying to move towards data-driven metrics to help make more informed decisions about day to day city operations and how resources should best be allocated,” said Assist City Manager Michele Nissen. “In the private sector businesses do this all the time. Businesses analyze performance metrics to determine how/where/when they need to tweak your business model to yield the maximum return.”
The City of Corona’s fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30 of the next year. The annual process to develop the budget for the coming fiscal year typically begins in January and starts with a series of public workshops and meetings culminating with adoption in late June. Through a public process, the adopted budget commits financial resources to a multitude of services and programs that the City provides. In other words, the adopted budget commits funding to what we do, and it works to legally limit funding as well.
All City services and the cost of providing services can be organized and tied back to one of 6 key service areas which together, influence the quality of life in Corona. The 6 key service areas are: Citywide Internal Support; Community and Economic Development; Infrastructure, Maintenance and Open Space; Leisure and Culture; Public Safety and Emergency Response; and Utilities and Transportation.
The Fiscal Year 2018-19 Adopted Budget and Capital Improvement Plan establishes the City’s authorized spending limits for a variety of City services and programs, funded by multiple revenue sources, as well as for a host of capital improvement and/or multi-year projects. Multi-year projects are budgeted separately from the operating budget because these projects do not occur every year.
The city encourages the citizens of Corona to utilize the tools that Corona has pioneered to engage the community in the budget process and provide a deeper understanding of how our resources are allocated and planned. These tools were specifically designed with public engagement, education and transparency at heart.
“We are taking the best practices of the private sector and utilizing them in a local government application,” added Nissen. “This is a really new concept in local government operations. People tend to think funding is available because we get sales tax and property tax dollars, but with the state shifting more and more responsibility down to the local level, taking away funding, and CalPERS pension obligations increasing, all local governments are looking for innovative ways to stretch $1 and get more out of less. The data allows us to identify operational efficiencies and change our processes to maximize the return and increase efficiency.”
For questions about the budget documents, please contact Kerry Eden at 951-736-2315 or email Kerry.Eden@CoronaCA.gov.
About the City of Corona: Corona is located adjacent to Orange County California at the junction of the 91 and 15 freeways with a population of more than 160,000 residents. For more information regarding the City of Corona visit www.CoronaCA.gov.
Corona – Corona Police reported that an abandoned infant was found dead in the city of Corona.
The baby was found in the area of Cajalco Road and Interstate 15 on Friday afternoon, according to police. The call came in and officers were dispatched to the scene at 2:36 p.m.
When the officers arrived, the infant was already deceased according to the authorities. The cause of death is still being investigated but won’t be known until an autopsy has been been performed.
The investigation into the child’s death is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Mario Hernandez at 951-279-3659 or email Mario.Hernandez@CoronaCA.gov.
Corona police have said there are several “Safe Surrender Sites” where parents can safely surrender an infant within 72 hours of birth — no questions asked. Those places include hospitals, fire stations and police departments.
The safe surrender law allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially surrender an infant, three days old or younger, to any hospital emergency room or other designated Safe Surrender site. As long as the baby has not been abused or neglected, the person may surrender without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment.
National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” began in 1984 as an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and sending a message to criminals neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
City Of Corona
National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” began in 1984 as an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and sending a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
The traditional “Lights On” campaign and symbolic front porch vigils, turned into celebrations across America with various events and activities including, block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from emergency personnel, rallies and marches, exhibits, youth events, safety demonstrations and seminars. All this is done in an effort to heighten awareness and enhance communities.
The Corona Police Department invites you and your neighbors to be part of the National Night Out this year. National Night Out events are designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support and participation in local anti-crime programs. This type of event strengthens neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. National Night Out sends a clear message to criminals that Corona residents are united, organized and fighting back.
EVENT DETAILS
Tuesday August 7, 2018 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Corona Police Department will have an event in each of their four zones with activities for the family including safety info, giveaways, police cars, mounted unit, K9 unit, and fingerprinting. The locations are listed below.
Zone 1: Jefferson Elementary School (1040 S. Vicentia Avenue)
Zone 2: Zone Office (577 N. McKinley Suite #103)
Zone 3: Albertson’s Parking Lot (1260 E. Ontario Avenue)
Zone 4: Ralphs Parking Lot (2661 Green River Road)
CORONA — An accident on the 91 freeway in Corona claimed the lives of two drivers. One of the drivers, a male, was running away from the accident when he was struck and killed by oncoming traffic.
Initially a two-car crash was reported just before 10 p.m. on the westbound Riverside Freeway. According to the California Highway Patrol the accident took place just east of Lincoln Avenue.
Witnesses told the CHP the driver of a black Dodge sedan appeared to be under the influence before he crashed into a white sedan. After his vehicle hit the white sedan the driver exited the vehicle and started running down the freeway in the westbound lanes to get away from the accident. After only a short distance the driver, who has not been identified, was hit by several cars and died at the scene.
A source close to the victim driving the black sedan stated that “to the best of his knowledge the driver didn’t drink at all”.
The transition from the northbound Corona (15) Freeway carpool lane to the westbound Riverside Freeway Fast Track was shut down for several hours due to the wreckage and investigation.
Corona – Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in America today. It is estimated that over 22,000 women will be diagnosed with in 2018.
To combat this disease, new treatments are being developed every day and Dr. Mehdi Kebria of City of Hope’s Community Practice Sites in Corona and Rancho Cucamonga is helping to lead the way.
One of the promising new treatment options Dr. Kebria is helping to pioneer for ovarian cancer is a targeted form of chemotherapy known as Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
HIPEC is a highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy treatment that is administered during surgery. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which circulates throughout the body, HIPEC delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells following the surgery.
Because the chemotherapy is concentrated to one area it does not have the side effects, such as hair loss, of regular chemotherapy. HIPEC has been shown to increase survival by up to five years and in some cases can lead to a complete recovery. Thanks to advances like these in treatment, the occurrence and mortality rates for ovarian cancer has been decreasing.
For more information on HIPEC and other cutting edge treatments including immunotherapy and minimally invasive robotic being developed by City of Hope, please visit cityofhope.org.
CORONA – Corona police detectives are investigating a double shooting that happened on Mother’s Day.
It happened on the 1200 block of West 10th Street in Corona, around 8:45 p.m. on Sunday.
There was a Mother’s Day celebration going on in the parking lot of the apartment building between several apartment units. It was being attended by many of the residents. That’s when someone drove by, and opened fire at the crowd of people.
A father’s 22-year old son was killed and he was injured but survived the shooting.
“My baby,” said a distraught Phuong Leng, the victim’s mother, fighting back her tears. “Somebody killed my son.”
There were children playing with fireworks at the party at approximately the same time as the gunfire. Naturally Leng’s first thought it was some of the small fireworks the kids were playing with. Just kids’ playing is what everybody in attendance first thought when they heard the noise.
When people in the crowd started shouting and running, she knew they weren’t fireworks. When she was able to make her way outside she saw her husband was suffering from a gunshot wound to the arm. Thankfully he would survive the incident but her son was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital.
Corona police detectives say witness reports claim an argument was happening just moments before the shooting began.
The surviving victim will likely provide important information as they search for a suspect.
There are surveillance cameras throughout the property, but there’s been no description of the suspect given, and no description of a getaway vehicle either.
It was reported that the family thinks that it may have been a case of mistaken identity. The suspect may have been trying to shoot somebody else.
Detectives are investigating the shooting, and request anyone with information regarding the incident to call the Corona Police Department at (951) 736-2330.
Photo: courtesy of Corona Police Department A vehicle crashed into the produce section of a Corona Walmart Sunday, April 15. The driver was cited for suspicion of driving under the influence. (Courtesy Corona Police Department)
By Anthony Saude
Corona– A Riverside woman crashed her sedan through the glass door and into the produce section of a Corona Neighborhood Walmart on an otherwise uneventful Sunday evening in April.
The woman who was later identified as Diane Mickens, 56, of Riverside, drove through the entrance of the store in the 1500 block of W. Sixth Street around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, April 15, Corona police officials said.
A Walmart employee called 911 after the vehicle came to a rest approximately 25 feet into the produce section. Witnesses say, Mickens got out of the sedan, walked away from the scene and left her two passengers engulfed bin debris and scattered fruits and vegetables.
Officers found Mickens a little later walking near Smith Street and Pleasant View Avenue, she was detained. When the Paramedics showed up at the scene they determined Mickens needed medical attention. She was transported to a local hospital where she was issued a citation for suspicion of driving under the influence.
She was the only one hurt in the crash.
Many people enquired about the reason the woman wasn’t being held in jail.
“If a person in police custody is treated at a medical facility, the taxpayers end up paying for the cost of that treatment,” A Corona police representative explained on Facebook. Just issuing a citation has no impact on the charges the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office may file later date.
It’s standard operating procedure for the department to issue a citation when a suspect requires medical treatment.
Corona – A Corona man was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence when he collided with a motorcyclist early Sunday morning. The collision on the westbound 60 Freeway in Jurupa Valley left the motorcyclist, a Menifee resident, dead, the California Highway Patrol said Monday, April 2.
Tonga Tavake, 59, died at the scene of the accident on the freeway just west of Valley Way, the Riverside County Coroner said Monday. Tavake was struck by several passing motorists as he lay motionless on the pavement, the CHP incident log reported.
The initial call that went out for the 4:07 a.m. crash was that a 2006 Volkswagen had collided with a center divider. Only a few minutes later, a report of a motorcyclist down in the No. 1 (fast) lane of the freeway in the same area came across the radio, according to CHP reports. Later it was learned that the collision involved both the motorcycle, and the Volkswagen from the earlier report. The motorcycle rider had been ejected from the motorcycle, the Monday report said.
The driver of the Volkswagen, identified as a 24-year-old Wilson Mayora Jr. of Corona, was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. He remained in custody Monday night at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
The accident remains under investigation; anyone with information about it is encouraged to contact the Riverside California Highway Patrol Accident Investigation Unit at (951) 637-8000.
Corona – The residents, who live north of the 91 freeway, contend that the pile driving, jack hammering and round-the-clock work at Green River Road damaged their houses and robbed them of most of the mountain views they had previously enjoyed. The freeway construction was part of a larger $1.4 billion freeway improvement project that stretched from 2014 to 2017.
Sleepless nights, cracks in the walls and a rodent infestation is what a group of Corona homeowners say is just some of the damage caused by the 91 Freeway construction over the past few years.
A group of more than a dozen homeowners decided they had enough so they sued the Riverside County Transportation Commission and two companies that worked on the project in late 2016. The homeowners sued over property damage, loss of quality of life, loss in property values and of course now the cost of attorneys.
The lawsuit was filed over a year ago and the residents said they are still waiting for a resolution on the matter.
John Standiford, deputy executive director for the Riverside County Transportation Commission, declined to comment due to pending litigation. Attorneys for Atkinson Contractors and Walsh Construction Company, the two companies named in the lawsuit, have both failed to respond to a request for comment.
67 year old resident Warren Stockwell, has lived in his Pennyroyal Drive home for more than 30 years, and now has cracks running along his ceiling and driveway. He states that the damage was caused by the construction work related to the lengthening and widening of the Green River Road westbound off-ramp.
“I’m 67 years old and still partially working,” resident Warren Stockwell said. “I don’t need this. I want my house fixed.” His house still hasn’t been repaired.
The Green River Road improvements were part of a larger project that added two toll lanes and a general lane in both directions of an 8 mile stretch of freeway from Orange County to the 15 Freeway.
The issues for the homeowners began in 2014 when construction started on the 91 Freeway.
The group said they met with RCTC and construction firms at a neighborhood meeting to ask questions in October 2014. Soon after, Stockwell and other residents began seeking legal options to address the damage.
Sheila Lawrence, who has owned a house in the neighborhood since 1996, said the construction caused problems for her renters.
Lawrence alleges rodents, including kangaroo rats, were driven from their natural habitat outside the neighborhood into the neighborhood after crews started working.
One of the off ramps, the much taller one has caused a host of other problems other problems for the homeowners.
“I have more dirt and emissions coming into the yard and into the back of the house,” Lawrence said. “They can’t even open up the back of the house. If they do, within less than 20 minutes, it is covered in black soot.”
Other neighbors, including Diana Sanches and Julie Sanchez, suffered damage to their homes due to freeway construction. Both stayed at hotels during some of the construction phases after lawyers got involved.
It is estimated that it would cost about $8 million to cover all the damages and attorney fees for the homeowners in the suit.
Corona- A man, who authorities believe may be connected to a Los Angeles County homicide case, shot and killed himself following a high speed pursuit that began in Hesperia and ended in Corona, on Friday, March 23.
The driver, identified as Christopher Spotz, 33, of North Hollywood, was armed with a handgun during the pursuit and was later pronounced deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound according to California Highway Patrol Officials.
San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies began the pursuit around 8:45p.m. on Friday night. They informed the CHP that their deputies were heading south on the 15 Freeway in Hesperia and were in pursuit of a Toyota Tacoma pickup that had been reported as stolen.
The pursuit began when a deputy from Hesperia, who was in the area of Mariposa Road and the 15 freeway, received a license-plate reader alert that the Tacoma had been involved in a crime in LAPD’s jurisdiction. The deputy attempted to pull the driver of the vehicle over. Spotz apparently had other plans and instead continued driving south on the freeway at a high rate of speed.
Other deputies then joined the chase and pursued the vehicle through the Cajon Pass and into both San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Once they entered the Mira Loma area, in Riverside County, San Bernardino Deputies dropped out of the pursuit and California Highway Patrol officers assumed the pursuit.
During the pursuit, officials used two spike strips, which flattened the truck’s tires, but the driver refused to stop and eventually got onto the westbound 91 Freeway, officials said, exiting at Green River Road in Corona and heading to Rio Vista Street, a dirt road south of the 91. At approximately 9:38 p.m., the driver pulled over, turned his weapon on himself and pulled the trigger. The Riverside County Coroner stated that the official time of death was 10:23 p.m.
According to news reports, citing several law enforcement sources, Spotz was the boyfriend of a 25-year-old aspiring model and actress from Macedonia who went missing in Hollywood last month. Authorities suspect that the woman was most likely murdered and believe that Spotz was somehow involved in her disappearance and/or homicide. ■
Corona – On Friday, March 16, 2018, at approximately 9:14 a.m., the Corona Police Department and the Corona Fire Department responded to a traffic collision involving two vehicles near the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and All American Way.
Upon arrival, bystanders were performing C.P.R. on one of the involved drivers. Paramedics, the Corona Fire Department and American Medical Response took over the patients’ care at the scene. After attempting to resuscitate the driver for several minutes, the driver was pronounced deceased.
The other driver at the scene suffered minor injuries but did not require immediate medical attention. The two vehicles at the scene sustained major collision damage and needed to be towed. Several hours later, it was determined that a third vehicle was involved in the collision but had unknowingly left the scene. The third driver later returned to the scene and provided a statement. Their vehicle suffered only minor damage and they were not injured. It has not yet been determined if drugs or alcohol were a factor in this collision.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene. The name of the deceased driver is being withheld at this time pending notification to their family. The Corona Police Department Collision Response Team started their investigation of this collision and it is ongoing. Magnolia Avenue between All American Way and Trademark Circle was closed for several hours in order to complete the investigation, and is expected to reopen by approximately 6:30 p.m. this evening.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Officer Jason Gardner at 951-817-5784 or by emailing him at Jason.Gardner@CoronaCA.gov
Corona – A highly competitive wrestling team from Santiago High School sent three wrestlers to the CIF State Boys’ Wrestling tournament. Brayden Ray, Joshua Kim, and Jesse Vasquez traveled to Bakersfield to represent their team.
Senior Brayden Ray, a competitor in the 220-pound weight class, notes that he has “…had to train hard and stay focused on the right path” to reach the state level. He used the disappointment from last season (falling just short of the CIF title) to catapult him to this season’s success.
Joshua Kim and Jesse Vasquez experienced tremendous hard fought success at the CIF State Championship. Both wrestlers advanced to the finals in their weight classes and came out victorious making them state champs. Sophomore Jesse Vasquez says that “Wrestling continually provides me opportunities to grow and achieve my goals.” Vasquez should be a strong candidate to come out on top in the 132-pound weight class considering his first place finish in the CIF Regional round.
Courtesy: Kathleen Ray
All three wrestlers referenced their faith in God as one of the driving forces behind their success. Joshua Kim, a senior at Santiago, “…believe[s] that my success and failures as a student-athlete are God’s plan.”
While Brayden Ray, Jesse Vasquez, and Joshua Kim have been driving forces behind Santiago’s success it is Jesse Vasquez now a two time state champ, that is likely to have the longest lasting impact. Just a sophomore, he’ll have two more seasons to compete at the high school level. Another offseason of training will leave him a favorite to accomplish more accolades at the CIF level.
Corona– The young man’s body that was unceremoniously discarded in the middle of a Corona street last week has been identified by family members. Michael Williams, who had recently turned 26, was an aspiring chef according to his grief-stricken relatives.
The family gathered for a vigil at the scene to mourn and remember their slain precious Michael. A little later on that Monday the Corona police confirmed that Williams was the person they had found.
Five days earlier the Corona Police Department responded to a report that there was a pedestrian lying in the middle of the street. When they arrived at the 1300 block of Old Temescal Road shortly before 2 a.m. they discovered Williams’s lifeless body. A homicide investigation into the crime was opened immediately.
His mother Elyse Vaughn told reporters, “it’s a call that you never want to get.” She told them that she wished it was like a bad dream that she could wake up from but it’s not.
Family members told reporters that they believe he may have been dumped in the remote industrial area where he was found. They had no idea why he would be in the area.
“Michael was fun-loving, he was a very sweet young man,” Vaughn told reporters. “There’s so much to say about him. It’s hard to put it in words. He was the light of our lives … he was the energy that walked into every room.”
The family is very confused about who would want to hurt their sweet Michael. They can’t think of anbody that would want to hurt him. The family says he was a very kind, gentle fun loving person that had a lot of friends.
There is a Gofundme page set up to help the family pay for funeral costs that describes Williams as “a kind, funny, gentle and truly compassionate soul,” who “loved basketball, music, fashion and food.”
It is always a tragedy when people are struck down senselessly at such a young age. They will never get to watch their child get married or see their grandchildren be born or grow up. This type of crime robs so many people of so much happiness that should have been part of their lives in the future.
Corona Police Department said that the investigation is still ongoing. They are searching for surveillance video from nearby businesses that could help solve the crime.
A cause of death has not been released at this time but it is being investigated as a homicide according to the police. If anyone has any information in relative to the crime they are encouraged to call the Corona police at 951-279-3628
Corona – The Corona Police Department received information of a 15-year-old male Corona High School student who threatened violence towards the campus of Corona High School. Through the investigation, officers were able to view social media posts sent by the suspect. The suspect was identified and subsequently arrested at his residence. The suspect was later booked into Riverside Juvenile Hall. No weapons were located at the suspect’s residence.
Today, another Corona High School student posted on social media a picture of himself with a weapon, making threats toward Corona High School students. School administration brought this to the attention of the School Resource Officer assigned to Corona High School. An 18-year-old male student was identified, detained and it was determined the weapon shown in the photo had been rented at a shooting range for use at that range. No weapons were located at the suspect’s residence. This investigation is ongoing.
We’d like to take this opportunity to remind our residents to avoid reposting or reporting crimes or suspicious behavior via social media that may not be monitored 24/7. Please call dispatch at (951)-736-2330, option 3 for issues that need immediate attention.
Unsubstantiated rumors about these arrests are being posted on various social media websites. For accurate information please follow official websites.
The Corona Police Department takes every threat seriously and has zero tolerance for any behavior that threatens the safety our schools.
To reassure students and school staff of their safety there will be an additional police presence on campus.
Thank you for your assistance in helping us keep Corona a safe place. If you see something, say something.
Benny Zavala a 22 year old Corona resident was arrested on multiple charges relating to sexual assault of children on January 19 by Corona Police detectives.
A Corona Police Officer was visiting a local elementary school campus as part of the “Adopt-A-School” program earlier in the day. One of the school’s counselors asked if she could meet with the officer privately after he had finished speaking to the children at the event. The counselor informed the officer that a student had just reported that they had been sexually assaulted by an adult relative the night before. The officer got the information he needed from the counselor and reported it to his superiors for follow up.
The Corona Police Department and the Riverside Department of Public Social Service joined forces in a joint investigation. The investigation revealed another child-victim who is also related to Zavala.
Both of the victims reported that Zavala has molested each of them on several occasions 2 to 3 years ago as well when they were both very young. All of the incidents reported by the victims took place in the City of Corona.
Zavala was arrested on Friday January 19, 2018 at about 12:40 p.m., in the 2000 block of Lockwood Circle in the City of Corona. He was taken to Robert Presley Detention in downtown Riverside. He was booked on charges that include Sexual Intercourse with a Minor under 10-years-old, Oral Copulation of a Minor under 10-years-old, Sexual Penetration of a Minor under 10-years-old and Lewd Acts with a minor.
Bail was set at $9,375,000.00.
Due to the sensitivity of this case, state privacy laws, and the ongoing investigation, the Corona Police Department is unable to release any further details that could tend to identify the victims in this case.
If anyone has information on this case, please call Detective Daryl Sailer at 951-817-5796 or email Daryl.Sailer@CoronaCA.gov.
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