I E C N . c o m
By Manny Sandoval
Amarked the start of construction for the San Bernardino County Valley Communications Center, a $124 million project that is set to enhance response to critical incidents in the region
The three-story, 75,085 square-foot LEEDcertified building, featuring a 200-foot tall communication tower, is set to become the primary Emergency Operations Center in
the San Bernardino Valley
Located at the southeast corner of E Rialto Avenue and Lena Road, the facility will be operational 24/7, 365 days a year, even under extreme conditions It will house the sheriff's office, coroner, public administrator, office of emergency services, consolidated fire agencies, Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, and innovation and technology departments
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon D Dicus emphasized the importance of the new center "We're getting a 3-story building that's co-located between sheriff's comm u n i c a t i
, C O N
i r
c
m m u n i c a t i o n s , and the office of emergency services - these a r e a l l c o u n t y r e s o u r c e s t h a t c a n b e deployed with greater collaboration," said Dicus He also highlighted how the center would have been beneficial during the San Bernardino Terror Attack of 2015, improvSB County cont on next pg
Rob Adams’ $100M Lawsuit Settled with City of San Ber nardino Over 2022
Fatal Of ficer Involved Shooting
SB County
ing the efficiency of response
Supervisor Joe Baca Jr echoed the sentiment, stating, "This is really about collaboration between all of our public safety agencies coming together in one building and being able to prepare for a natural disaster or responding to something like the terror attack we had on December 2, 2015, which we pray to God never happens again But, being in a position to be able to respond to these critical incidents efficiently is key " Baca also commended county staff for their work on the development and execution of the project
The facility is designed to be self-sufficient over an extended duration, with features such as base isolation, backup water systems, redundant generator systems, and technological redundancies It also boasts a 700 kVA photovoltaic system and secure parking
Dicus also took a moment to commend the dedication of dispatchers "Folks no one understands the commitment of a dispatcher Can you imagine sitting in their seat and they receive a 911 call -
SBPD
Rob Marquise Adams, the agreement includes the two police officers involved
Both the City and representatives of the estate of Rob Adams had been in mediation with retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Dan Buckley The settlement was reached on February 17, 2024
The trial was scheduled to begin in June,
The $4 million total includes all payments to the plaintiffs and fees to their attorneys, Ben Crump and Brad Gage, as well as additional costs, expert witnesses, etc
The case was a result of a fatal officer involved shooting that occurred on July 16, 2022
Two officers from the San Bernardino Police Department drove into an alleyway near the 400 block of Highland Avenue in the City of San Bernardino to obtain information that could potentially lead to a search warrant on a location known for illegal gambling activity
think about what they go through? Let's say an officer involved shooting occurs or a firefighter is hurt, they are in silence until they get updates as to what is going on, but they still keep their head in the game and provide us with the necessary resources we need and they don't skip a beat "
Attendees of the groundbreaking ceremony received a commemorative coin as a symbol of the beginning of the project and the future of elevated public safety in the region Over 300 people attended the event, marking a significant step forward in the County’s preparedness for emergencies
Construction is set to be completed in October 2025, with contractor mobilization having been finalized in March 2024 Partners in the project include San Bernardino County Sheriffs, CONFire, Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, and San Bernardino County The project's green features include Gold LEED certification, and water and energy efficiency and conservation elements
To learn more, visit sbcounty gov
The officers had learned that a subject known as “JuJu”, who was a convicted felon and had recently been released from custody, was working as a security guard for the gambling establishment
As the two officers proceeded in their unmarked police unit into the alley, a male African American (later identified as Rob Marquise Adams) who matched the description of the individual that officers had received information about lifted his tshirt revealing a firearm to the officers The officers quickly exited their unmarked vehicle in uniforms, identified themselves as police officers, and commanded the male subject to “freeze ”
The individual did not freeze, but with a firearm in his right hand began to run from the officers in between two parked vehicles Believing that the subject was trying to find cover and ambush the officers, one of the officers fired six rounds at the suspect as the suspect began to turn to look back over his left shoulder A firearm was recovered at the scene and subsequently tested positive for the subject’s DNA
F
Community News
On Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 2:29 a m , Rialto Police Department Communications Center along with Colton Police Department received the report of a two-vehicle collision, with one of the parties injured
Officers from both police agencies, along with Colton Fire Department Paramedics arrived on scene minutes later Officers located Gregory McDonald, the driver of a Toyota Echo suffering from life threatening injuries McDonald was pronounced deceased on scene at 2:44 a m Marcus Fiorillo was determined to be the driver of a Ford F-150 pickup truck
and sustained no injuries during the collision
The Rialto Police Department Major Accident Investigation Team and the Office of Traffic Safety Unit of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office responded to the scene and conducted the investigation
The initial investigation indicates Fiorillo was traveling north on Riverside Ave and collided with the east guard rail Following the initial collision Fiorillo swerved into southbound lanes, and collided headon into McDonald’s vehicle The investigation is ongoing but there is evidence Fiorillo was under the influence of alco-
p i n i o n s
hol when the collision occurred Marcus Fiorillo was arrested at the scene and booked into the West Valley Detention Center
On March 25, 2024, the Office of Traffic Safety Unit of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office filed the felony charge of Second Degree Murder Fiorillo will be held in custody pending his court appearance
Anyone who may have information about this incident can contact Traffic Sergeant Dan Smith at (909) 644-6025 or dsmith@rialtopd com Witnesses can also anonymously report information through WeTip at (800) 782-7463, reference case #932403139
A p r i l i s N a t i o n a l M i n o r i t y H e a l t h M o n t h
By Dr. Archana Dubey, Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare of CaliforniaApril is recognized by the U S Department of Health and Human Services as Minority Health Month, an observance that brings awareness to health disparities and encourages action through education, early detection, and disease control
Part of this work includes raising awareness about the disproportionate health outcomes among people who belong to racial or ethnic minority groups
The conditions in which we are born, live, learn, work, play, and worship and our age –known as social determinants of health (SDOH) – have important impacts on health
Differences in SDOH contribute to the stark and persistent chronic disease disparities in the U S among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, systematically limiting opportunities for members of some groups to be healthy
Cancer
By Aurora Fowler, EnergyPalWBlack/African Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers
From 2015-2019, African American men were 1 2 times and 1 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with new cases of colon and prostate cancer than non-Hispanic white men
Although Hispanic men and women generally have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic White population, disparities do exist in certain types of cancer Both Hispanic men and women are almost twice as likely to have and die from liver cancer than non-Hispanic Whites
Hispanic women are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 30 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic White women
Mental Health
Black females, grades 9-12, were 60% more likely to attempt suicide in 2019, as compared to non-Hispanic white females of the same age Suicide attempts for Hispanic girls, grades 9-12, were 30%
hen I hit my alarm in the morning I take for granted that my phone, charging on my nightstand, is at 100% battery life My electric toothbrush, the first stop in my morning routine, is also fully charged The lights, my spotify, the coffee, my entire morning routine - all are dependent on power reliably entering my house and finding its way to my appliances and outlets Rare is the moment when I think about power outages
But they happen No one in 2024 is unaware that an outage could hit, and as winter turns into spring, we begin to remember the wildfires of last year that had many of us in the dark, sometimes for days Del Norte County’s 27,000 residents relied on generator powered microgrids for nearly a month after
higher than for non-Hispanic white girls in the same age group, in 2019
In 2018, Hispanics were 50% less likely to have received mental health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic Whites
Prenatal Care
Although overall infant mortality rates have fallen over time, the 2018 infant mortality rate for infants of non-Hispanic Black women was more than twice as high as that for infants of non-Hispanic white and nonHispanic Asian and Hispanic women
In 2019, Hispanic mothers were 80% more likely to receive late or no prenatal care as compared to non-Hispanic White mothers
This awareness month brings light to differences in the health outcomes of various racial and ethnic minority groups
This awareness can also inform individuals about how groups who have poor social determinants of health and lack of access to high-quality medical care are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from diseases
lightning strikes started wildfires that took down transmission lines A report by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) states that large wildfires have been increasing since the 1970s, and the increasing probability of wildfires poses significant risk to infrastructure like power lines and pipelines
Major utility providers like PG&E and SDGE have experienced a significant uptick in outages Bloomenergy took the ten largest cities in the state of California and ranked them by how many outages they experienced over a two year period Los Angeles was first, as many people might expect, with almost 6 and a half million people impacted (meaning most residents were impacted many times over) It’s easy to hope that outages won’t impact us but the data shows that it’s not really a question of “if” but “when” and “how badly”
Community News
Redlands Police arrested three people Friday, March 22, in connection with a shooting at the Redlands Community Center Wednesday
Investigators identified 19-yearold Isaiah Martinez, of Redlands, as the shooter and 20-year-old Jayson Alexandro Alfaro, of San Bernardino, as the getaway driver A third suspect, a 17-yearold Redlands teen, was identified as an involved co-conspirator
Officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1200 block of Clay Street shortly after 2:30 p m Wednesday, March 20 Arriving officers located one victim behind the Community Center at 111 W Lugonia Ave with a gunshot wound to his leg
According to witnesses, the suspects chased the victim through the center and exited through the doors to the gymnasium Martinez shot the victim outside the center before fleeing the scene
Investigators believe the shooting was planned in retaliation for a stabbing that occurred in December 2022 near the Mountain Grove shopping center
The victim was transported to
the hospital where he is currently recovering The Community Center was shut down and all activities canceled for the evening The center reopened as usual Thursday morning
All three suspects were arrested on attempted murder and conspiracy charges Martinez is being held at Central Detention Center in San Bernardino on $2 million bail Alfaro is being held at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on $2 million The teen suspect was also charged with a probation violation He is being held at Juvenile Hall
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Redlands Police Department at (909) 7987681
Anyone with information regarding crime or suspicious activity is asked to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681 ext 1 Certain non-emergency crimes may also be reported online using the Redlands Police Department’s CopLogic reporting system at www cityofredlands org/reportcrime Suspicious activity and tips can be reported using the City of Redlands 311 mobile app available for Android, iPhones, and iPads
Employment Opportunities CLASSIFIEDS
Angad Corporation (DBA Workspan) in San Bernardino, CA seeks Business Systems Analyst. May work from home. Travel 2 days a month across US. Analyze client reqs & organizational working processes to generate scope of work documents. Masters & 2 yrs exp.
Salary: $125,000/yr.
Email resume & cvlt to Erika Westphal at erika@workspan.com. Ref 2024FM.
This graph by Axios using data from the U S Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows the average yearly hours without electricity a California citizen and a U S experiences:
While we can see that the trend towards outages is clear, what do we do? Restoring an aging power grid beset by seasonal fires isn’t a weekend project that we can check off a to-do list, so what options are there?
The first option is to do nothing If a power outage were to strike we will try to put a plan in place, some of us driving out of town to find a store that can sell us a generator or some candles and water bottles, but for the most part we are weathering the storm, so to speak, and hoping against logic that the trend gets better, even when we know it’s not
Another option is to invest in a home
back-up system Most of us have seen solar panels go up on neighbors homes and maybe even stood on the sidewalk awhile and asked a few questions, but the less visible aspect of this is a home backup battery While solar panels generate energy and send excess to the grid (saving money on utility bills), they are still grid-tied and automatically shut off when outages happen
A battery, however, manages the energy flow so your panels stay on and generating electricity during an outage, keeping your house lit even at night, more or less forever (you can have a battery with no solar array, it just means it relies on the grid to charge and during an outage will eventually run out of power)
Read more at IECN com
Community News
The San Bernardino County Spelling Bee concluded with exhilarating victories, showcasing exceptional linguistic scholars from across the region Representing a diverse array of school districts and charter schools, the competition culminated in a thrilling event between the county's finest spellers
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) hosted the annual competition at San Bernardino Valley College on Mar 13
This year's champions emerged from the ranks of Etiwanda School District Shrey Parikh, a sixth-grade student, and Srikanth Satheesh Kumar, an eighth-grade student, demonstrated exceptional skill and composure throughout the competition
"The San Bernardino County Spelling Bee serves as a testament to the dedication and talent of our students,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre “It's inspiring to witness their hard work and determination on display, showcasing their semantic skills in such a challenging and prestigious competition "
Sixth-grader Parikh solidified his victory after correctly
Community News
Cal State San Bernardino has announced a gift from the Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship fund to provide support for students at CSUSB whose lives have been affected by domestic violence or human trafficking
The endowment for the Ariana Mae Hatami Scholarship for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking was created to ensure a permanent source of ongoing funds for this vulnerable population of students
spelling the word "rarefaction " Satheesh Kumar was named the co-champion after providing the correct spelling of the word "recrudescent "
The champions will now prepare to compete on the national stage where they will represent San Bernardino County during the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May
Parikh expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious event "Thank you to my mom and dad, family, and my teacher Ms Miller and to all the spelling bee organizers,” said Parikh
"I would like to thank my mom, dad, and my brother for support and always being there for me I will always be thankful for my teachers for encouraging me,” said eighth-grader Satheesh Kumar
Participating school districts in this year ’s Spelling Bee included Alta Loma SD, Apple Valley Unified SD, Central SD, Etiwanda SD, Ontario-Montclair SD, San Bernardino City Unified SD, Snowline Joint Unified SD, Upland Unified SD, and Victor Valley Union High SD Students from Empire Springs Charter, Granite Mountain Charter, and Inland Leaders Charter also participated in this year's competition
The San Bernardino County Spelling Bee not only cel-
Preference will be given to students who are homeless or have been physically displaced from their residence due to domestic violence Preference will also be given to current or former foster youth enrolling at CSUSB whose lives have been affected by domestic violence
The scholarship may be renewed from year to year as long as the recipient continues to make satisfactory academic progress
“In the U S , nearly 20 percent of the population has experienced domestic violence, and this endowment will go a
CELEBRATING
Cesar Chavez
ebrates academic achievement but also fosters a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship among participants
The top five 2024 Spelling Bee Champions are:
First Place Champion – Shrey Parikh, Day Creek Intermediate School
First Place Champion – Srikanth Satheesh Kumar, Heritage Intermediate School
Second Place Champion – Ruiee Shih, Day Creek Intermediate School
Third Place Champion – Abheri Sureddi, John L Golden Elementary School
Fourth Place Champion – Afiyah Ashrafi, Spring Charter Schools
Fourth Place Champion – Anika Crowe, Granite Mountain Charter School
Fourth Place Champion – Katherine Odell, Spring Charter Schools
Fourth Place Champion – Leilani Saito, Sitting Bull Academy
Fifth Place Champion – Summer He, Caryn Elementary School
Fifth Place Champion – Sophia Raqueno, Ruth Musser Middle School
Fifth Place Champion – Yahya Tchich, Summit Intermediate School
long way toward helping CSUSB students who have experienced abuse further empower themselves through higher education,” said CSUSB President Tomás D Morales “We are exceedingly appreciative to the Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation and to the Hatami family for this generous endowment ”
Ariana Mae Hatami (1993-2016) was a student in the College of Business at San Francisco State University, until she died tragically on Dec 17, 2016 Ariana’s parents, Farzin and Julie Hatami, established the Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation in their daughter ’s memory
“Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students. What better books can there be than the book of humanity?”
-Cesar Chavez
The Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation, envisioned as a resource for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, will provide financial and/or emotional support to anyone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence The Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation also works with local support agencies to connect victims to a wider network of support
The scholarship will be administered through the university’s Educational Opportunity Program For more information about supporting CSUSB, visit the CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation website
Nur ses on the Picket Line: Crisis at San Ber nardino’s Dignity Health
Community Hospital Over Unsafe Staf fing
By Manny Sandoval
Registered nurses at Dignity Health Community Hospital in San Bernardino are set to hold an informational picket on Thursday, March 28, to highlight their concerns over unsafe staffing levels that they say are compromising patient safety The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) announced the action, stating that the hospital administration has failed to meet its own staffing standards
Nurses have raised their concerns in meetings with the hospital's chief nursing officer, but they claim that management has consistently failed to adhere to safe staffing standards This lack of support has reportedly led to delays in care, patients developing pressure sores, and in-
creased workplace violence
"Community Hospital is continually short-staffed, putting patients’ safety at risk and forcing nurses to work in unsafe conditions," said Virginia Licerio, RN in the postpartum unit "Community Hospital is accepting more patients than it can safely take care of It’s time Dignity Health invests in staffing and prioritizes safe patient care "
The informational picket is scheduled to take place from 7:30 a m to 9:00 a m at Dignity Health Community Hospital, located at 1805 Medical Center Dr , San Bernardino
Lidya Sihotang, RN in the neurological care unit,
echoed the need for improved conditions "Our community deserves better than Dignity’s unsafe practices," she said "A health care corporation as well-resourced as Dignity Health should provide top-of-the-line patient care Instead, you will find nurses stretched to their limits with inadequate resources We call on Dignity Health to listen to our demands for increased safety standards and protect the patients and the nurses who take care of them Dignity Health can do better "
CNA represents more than 450 nurses at Dignity Health Community Hospital The nurses' union is calling for immediate action to address their concerns and ensure a safe environment for both patients and healthcare workers
