Corona
GOVERNMENT
Evacuations ordered in Lake Elsinore as fire scorches more than 134 acres
Evacuation orders have been issued in Lake Elsinore as a fire spread to more than 134 acres Thursday evening.The Macy Fire was first reported around 5:40 p.m. in the area of Macy Street and Orange Street in the El Cariso neighborhood of unincorporated Lake Elsinore. It was spreading rapidly after a day in which temperatures hit the triple digits in the Inland Empire.Footage from the scene showed the flames tearing through brush on hillsides overlooking residential neighborhoods. Structures were also seen burning.Evacuations were happening in the area south of Grand Avenue, south of Orange Street and west of Ortega Highway.One firefighter was also treated for an unspecified injury.An evacuation center was established at Elsinore High School, 21800 Canyon Drive, Wildomar.#MacyFIRE [UPDATE]: The fire has evacuation orders in the following zones: RVC-1725, RVC-1729, RVC-1800, RVC-1801, RVC-1802 and LSN-1799. A searchable map is available here: https://t.co/zmMWqRCBWhEvacuation center: Lakeside High School, 32593 Riverside Drive, Lake Elsinore pic.twitter.com/6w7hyWMV1l— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) July 26, 2024
Dozens of ducks are dying at Riverside’s Fairmount Park. Officials are investigating why
Dozens of ducks and other wildlife have been dropping dead at Fairmount Park and the city of Riverside doesn’t know why. Officials said they’re testing the soil, air, water, and animals to figure out what’s behind the mysterious scene at Lake Evans, with assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Riverside County must declare public health emergency due to extreme heat
The current two-week heat wave, with temperatures reaching 120 degrees in Indio and the eastern Coachella Valley, exposes a critical issue: the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio sits half-empty, despite the dire need for shelters for our unhoused population. Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung (who declared a Public Health Emergency for mpox Aug. 8, 2022), needs to take similar decisive action now for the extreme heat. ...
Photos show charred remnants of Riverside neighborhood after firework sparks massive wildfire in California
Photos are showing the destructive aftermath of a fast-moving wildfire that went from an errant firework spark to burning several homes across a Riverside, California neighborhood earlier this week.
California education official embezzled over $16 million, hid cash in mini fridge, officials say
A former California public school district official was sentenced to over five years in prison Thursday after officials found he embezzled nearly $16.7 million from the district over the years — hiding stacks of cash in a small refrigerator. Jorge Armando Contreras, 53, who previously worked as the senior...
Optum laying off 364 employees in California, many at urgent care facilities
Optum, a health care company owned by UnitedHealth Group, is laying off 364 workers in California, many of them at urgent care facilities.The company is laying off 525 people nationwide.According to a letter from Optum sent to the Employment Development Department, layoffs and departmental closures are being carried out in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.Locations include Glendora, Montebello, Covina, Pasadena, Long Beach, Redlands, Highland, Los Angeles, Beaumont, Irvine, Hayward, El Segundo and Cerritos.Optum didn't give a reason for the layoffs and didn't say if severance pay is being offered. The layoffs will take place in series of eight "waves," starting in September and ending in January.
World War II sergeant whose plane was shot down over Germany honored with reburial in California
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After 80 years, a World War II sergeant killed in Germany has returned home to California. On Thursday, community members lined the roads to honor U.S. Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport to a burial home in Riverside, California. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany, according to Honoring Our Fallen, an organization that provides support to families of fallen military and first responders. One of the surviving crewmembers saw the plane was on fire, then fell in a steep dive before exploding on the ground. After the crash, German troops buried the remains of one soldier at a local cemetery, while the other six crewmembers, including Banta, were unaccounted for.
Newsom set an ambitious goal to launch 500,000 Californians into new careers. Many are firefighters
In his 2018 campaign, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would create 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. So far, the state has registered more than 180,000 new apprenticeships. Many of them are firefighters.
Mosquitos test positive for West Nile Virus in nearby Huntington
The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD) has confirmed that mosquitoes collected in the city of Huntington Beach have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). These are the first samples to test positive in the county this year. The positive mosquitoes were collected in an area bordered by Newland St., Adams Ave., Bushard St., and Atlanta Ave. in Huntington Beach.
‘Ghostly-looking’ dolphin spotted off Orange County coast
A “ghostly-looking” dolphin was spotted by a charter boat off the coast of Orange County’s Dana Point on Tuesday. The unusual-looking marine mammal was seen by crewmembers aboard Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari as it swam in a pod with other common dolphins, the Orange County Register reported. Experts believe the dolphin’s ghostly […]
Orange County school official sentenced for embezzling over $16.6 million from district
A federal judge sentenced a former Orange County school employee to nearly six years in prison for embezzling nearly $16.7 million from the district. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 53-year-old Jorge Armando Contreras embezzled the money over a seven-year period. He was arrested in October 2023 for suspicion of felony embezzlement concerning programs receiving federal funds.On March 28, he pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement, theft, and intentional misapplication of funds from an organization receiving federal funds. "Instead of using his job at a public school district to help socio-economically disadvantaged children, Contreras embezzled millions upon millions of dollars,...
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