San Bernardino County previews 2025–26 recommended budget
By Staff
Inabudgetworkshop
Tuesday, San Bernardino County executives briefed the Board of Supervisors and public on risks, long-term strategy and other points of fiscal concern.
County Chief Executive Officer Luther Snoke and Chief Financial Officer Matthew Erickson also spoke about five-year financial forecasts and proposed general fund investments amid the current climate of market volatility, uncertainty surrounding future state and federal funding and the risk of natural disasters such as wildfires. According to a county statement, Snoke and financial managers are using a “measured, stability-first approach” as they craft a spending plan with the challenge of funding essential services while attempting to maintain the flexibility needed to respond during times of financial uncertainty.
“We’re focused on striking the right balance — using funding wisely while still investing in areas where growth makes sense,” Snoke said in a statement. “Our goal is to maintain, and ideally strengthen, essential services like public safety, human services, and parks and recreation, without stretching resources that could be vital if unexpected challenges arise.”
As a buffer against
possible future funding curtailments and economic uncertainty, officials are considering adding an additional $74 million to the county’s reserve fund. The proposed move targets “flexible spending areas” such as upgrades to city facilities or infrastructure that can be paused if revenues decline or more pressing needs come up, officials said.
Snoke and Erickson’s five-year forecast projects conservative 3% growth in property tax revenue in the upcoming fiscal year, well below the 10-year average of 6.7%. The forecast also predicts flat sales tax revenues, “prompting restraint in new program
Worker falls during construction at UC Riverside, requiring rescue
Pretrial proceedings start for ex-mayor, developer accused in bribery scheme
Pretrial motions continued Wednesday ahead of jury selection for the trial of one-time Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet and a real estate developer, stemming from an alleged scheme to buy off the mayor to ensure his support for the businessman’s projects.
Pougnet, 62, and John Elroy Wessman, 86, were criminally charged for the first time in 2017. They were indicted by a Riverside County grand jury two years later, along with Coachella Valley real estate developer Richard Hugh Meaney, 59.
All the felony charges against Meaney were later dismissed. However, he pleaded guilty to a reinstated misdemeanor count of financial conflict in a government contract. Meaney is free on bond and is slated for sentencing in June.
On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz ruled on motions from the prosecution and defense, one of which concerned the process of seating a jury. Both sides agreed
development.”
The forecast includes “strategic investments” that include $208 million to support county employee salaries through 2030, up to $55.7 million for services such as foster care and in-home supportive services for disabled and elderly residents and $8.7 million set aside for possible impacts on jails related to Proposition 36, which stiffens penalties on property and drug crimes.
“There are many uncertainties right now, but we’ve positioned ourselves to be financially strong as an organization,” Erickson said in a statement. “That
strength comes not just from our current fiscal strategy, but from years of careful planning and guidance from the Board of Supervisors.”
A $2.1 million proposed outlay aims to address illegal cannabis grows, snow play violations and illegal dumping.
For 2025–26, the proposed budget calls for $205.2 million in general fund investments, including $15.6 million in ongoing spending for new departmental initiatives and one-time payouts for infrastructure, land use services and facility repairs and upgrades.
“From an infrastructure
Real ID era begins; travelers urged to arrive early for airport security
By City News Service
The long-awaited Real ID requirement took effect at airports across the country Wednesday, but while authorities urged passengers to anticipate some security-screening delays and arrive early for their flights, there were no reports of any excessively long lines or impacts at Los Angeles International Airport.
Jason Pantages, the Transportation Security Admin-
istration federal security director at LAX, told reporters Wednesday morning there had been “no operational impacts” at the airport caused by the requirement being implemented.
“No excessive wait times,” Pantages said. “We’re continuing to educate the public that moving forward if you’re going to travel on an aircraft throughout the United States, you have to
OUR 2025 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE IS HERE!
San Bernardino County supervisors discuss the 2025-26 budget. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County
Riverside County now waiving reclamation fees for residents with pets in shelters
By City News Service
Riverside County residents whose pets were impounded at any of the county’s four animal shelters now have the opportunity to reclaim them without paying any reclamation fees, as part of the Department of Animal Services’ emergency effort to relieve overcrowding.
“We know these pets coming in have families that love them,” agency Assistant Director Kimberly Youngberg said. “They are social, healthy and obviously loved. By getting them back home with their families, we are not only honoring the humananimal bond, but also moving towards our goal of eliminating unnecessary euthanasia by freeing up resources for the pets that do need us.”
Reclamation fees, which vary by animal type, are customarily imposed when a party goes to retrieve a pet from a shelter. The fee moratorium implemented this week complements a series of fee waivers announced by the Department of Animal Services last month, which will continue until May 15. Only mandatory dog license fees will be required for adopted pets. The costs range from $12 to $25 for altered canines.
“We want to help our community get their lost pets back home,” county Board of Supervisors Chairman Manuel Perez said. “By removing the financial barriers to this process, we can get more pets back to their families where they belong.”
Of the more than
25,000 stray dogs and cats impounded locally in 2024, only 12% were reclaimed, according to the Department of Animal Services. Officials pointed out that 80% of pets found wandering the streets typically travel less than a mile from home. Along with the fee exemptions, people reclaiming their dogs and cats will receive no-cost microchipping and spay or neuter surgeries for their animals, as well as free engraved
identification tags, officials said.
More than 1,000 dogs and roughly 100 cats are awaiting adoption at the Blythe Animal Shelter, San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms and Western Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley.
As an incentive to boost interest in adoptions, the Jurupa Valley, San Jacinto and Thousand Palms shelters are now open on Sundays. Weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to outright adoptions, some sheltered animals are available to foster. That involves taking the pets home and nurturing them in an environment where they can thrive outside of cages, officials said.
The Department of Animal Services remains in the early stages of a reformation initiated last year by the board.
In September, the board hired Austin, Texas-based Outcomes for Pets LLC Principal Adviser Kristen Hassen to rectify problems within the agency. In February, the board approved the Executive Office’s selection of Mary Martin to head the department following a nationwide executive recruitment drive. Martin, who recently served as assistant director for Dallas Animal Services of Texas, officially started at the end of March.
Information regarding shelters’ hours of operation and pets ready for adoption is available at rcdas.org.
Man accused in machete attack near Riverside arraigned
By City News Service
A20-year-oldman accused of slashing anElSobrante resident with a machete during a confrontation at the victim’s home pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted murder and other offenses.
Collin Adam Stewart of Riverside was arrested last month following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
Along with attempted murder, Stewart is charged with mayhem and a sentence-enhancing allegation of inflicting great
bodily injury with a deadly weapon.
The defendant was arraigned Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Melissa Hale, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Aug. 21 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Stewart is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, According to sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Montalvo, in the predawn hours of April 17, Stewart and the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, were involved in an unspecified dispute at the man’s property in the 1600 block of Jordana
Circle, near McAllister Parkway, in the unincorporated community situated between Lake Mathews and Riverside.
Montalvo alleged Stewart went after the man with a machete, inflicting several wounds. The victim was able to get to safety and call 911, at which point Stewart fled, the sergeant said.
He said patrol deputies and paramedics converged on the location within minutes and found the victim with non-lifethreatening injuries. He
was taken to a Riverside hospital for treatment and is now in recovery at home.
Relying on the victim’s statements and evidence collected at the scene, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Stewart, who was taken into custody without incident late in the afternoon of April 17 near the intersection of McAllister and La Sierra Avenue. A possible motive was not disclosed.
The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Toni Atkins to receive Harvey Milk award in Palm Springs
By City News Service
Former state Assembly
Speaker Toni Atkins will receive the Harvey Milk Leadership Award during the 13th annual Harvey Milk Coachella Valley Diversity Breakfast Thursday in Palm Springs.
The event will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Palm Springs Convention Center, located at 277 N. Avenida Caballeros.
Atkins will address
approximately 1,200 community leaders, business leaders and LGBTQ+ youth. The 62-year-old Democrat, one of several candidates in the 2026 California governor’s race, will be honored in part for championing “affordable housing, the environment, health care, veterans, women, and the LGBTQ+ community,” organizers said. Atkins’ political career
began as a staff member for the San Diego City Council during the early 2000s. In 2014, she was elected Assembly speaker, becoming the first San Diegan and first lesbian to hold that position, according to her website. She also made history as the first woman to hold both of the state Legislature’s leadership positions as speaker and president pro-tempore of the Senate.
Past speakers of the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast have included labor leader Dolores Huerta, LGBTQ activist Nicole Murray Ramirez, human rights activist Stuart Milk (Harvey Milk’s nephew), AIDS activist Cleve Jones and former Assemblyman and state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco.
Also at Thursday’s breakfast, singer-songwriter Holly Near will be presented with
Dogs occupy a crowded kennel in San Jacinto. | Photo courtesy of Riverside County Animal Services/Facebook
| Photo by FabrikaPhoto/Envato
the Harvey Milk Legacy Award for her 50 years of work as an “ambassador for peace,” organizers said.
Toni Atkins. | Photo courtesy of the California State Senate/ Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
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Trump’s
NIH axed research grants even after a judge blocked the cuts, internal records show
By Annie Waldman, ProPublica
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Reporting Highlights
- Grants Terminated: Washington state’s attorney general alleges the Trump administration has violated a preliminary injunction intended to stop it from cutting research grant funding.
- Whistleblower Revelations: Internal NIH records obtained by the state attorney general appear to show research grants were cut in response to presidential executive orders.
- DOGE Role: NIH officials testified that DOGE was directly involved in hundreds of grant terminations.
These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
For more than two months, the Trump administration has been subject to a federal court order stopping it from cutting funding related to gender identity and the provision of gender-affirming care in response to President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
Lawyers for the federal government have repeatedly claimed in court filings that the administration has been complying with the order. But new whistleblower records submitted in a lawsuit led by the Washing-
ton state attorney general appear to contradict the claim.
Nearly three weeks after the court’s preliminary injunction was issued, the National Institutes of Health’s then-acting head, Dr. Matthew J. Memoli, drafted a memo that details how the agency, in response to Trump’s executive orders, cut funding for research grants that “promote or inculcate gender ideology.”
An internal spreadsheet of terminated NIH grants also references “gender ideology” and lists the number associated with Trump’s executive order as the reason for the termination of more than a half dozen research grants.
The Washington attorney general’s allegation that the Trump administration violated a court order comes as the country lurches toward a constitutional crisis amid accusations that the executive branch has defied or ignored court orders in several other cases. In the most high-profile case so far, the administration has yet to comply with a federal judge’s order, upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court, requiring it to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March.
The records filed in the NIH-related lawsuit two weeks ago also reveal for the first time the enormous scope of the administration’s changes to the agency, which has been subject to massive layoffs and research cuts to align it with the president’s political priorities.
Other documents filed in the case raise questions concerning a key claim the administration has made about how it is restructuring federal agencies — that the Department of Government Efficiency has limited authority, acting mostly as an advisory body that consults on what to cut.
However, in depositions filed in the case two weeks ago, two NIH officials testified that DOGE itself gave directions in hundreds of grant terminations.
The lawsuit offers an unprecedented view into the termination of more than 600 grants at the NIH over the past two months. Many of the canceled grants appear to have focused on subjects that the administration claims are unscientific or that the agency should no longer focus on under new priorities, such as gender identity, vaccine hesitancy and diversity, equity and inclusion. Grants related to research in China
have also been cut, and climate change projects are under scrutiny.
Andrew G. Nixon, the director of communications for the Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH’s parent agency, told ProPublica in an email that the grant terminations directly followed the president’s executive orders and that the NIH’s actions were based on policy and scientific priorities, not political interference.
“The cuts are essential to refocus NIH on key public health priorities, like the chronic disease epidemic,” he said. Nixon also told ProPublica that its questions related to the lawsuit “solely fit a partisan narrative”; he did not respond to specific questions about the preliminary injunction, the administration’s compliance with the order or the involvement of DOGE in the grant termination process. The White House did not respond to ProPublica’s questions.
Mike Faulk, the deputy communications director for the Washington state attorney general’s office, told ProPublica in an email that the administration “appears to have used
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
NIH Clinical Center. | Photo courtesy of the National Institutes of Health
DOGE in this instance to keep career NIH officials in the dark about what was happening and why.”
“While claiming to be transparent, DOGE has actively hidden its activities and its true motivations,” he said. “Our office will use every tool we have to uncover the truth about why these grants were terminated.”
Since Trump took office in January, the administration has provided limited insight into why it chose to terminate scientific and medical grants.
That decision-making process has been largely opaque, until now.
Washington Fights to Overturn Grant Termination
In February, Washington state — joined by Minnesota, Oregon, Colorado and three physicians — sued the administration after it threatened to enforce its executive orders by withholding federal research grants from institutions that provided gender-affirming services or promoted “gender ideology.” Within weeks, a federal judge issued an injunction limiting the administration from fully enforcing the orders in the four states that are party to
the suit.
The same day as the injunction, however, the NIH terminated a research grant to Seattle Children’s Hospital to develop and study an online education tool designed to reduce the risk of violence, mental health disorders and sexually transmitted infections among transgender youth, according to records filed in the court case.
The NIH stated that it was the agency’s policy not to “prioritize” such studies on gender identity.
“Research programs based on gender identity are often unscientific, have little identifiable return on investment, and do nothing to enhance the health of many Americans,” the notice stated, without citing any scientific evidence for its claims. The NIH sent another notice reiterating the termination four days later.
The Washington attorney general’s office requested the termination be withdrawn, citing the injunction. But the administration refused, claiming that it was in compliance as the termination was based on NIH’s own authority and grant policy and was not enforcing any executive order.
The Washington attorney general asked the judge to hold the administration in contempt for violating the injunction. While the request was denied, the court granted an expedited discovery process to better assess whether the administration had breached the injunction. That process would have required the administration to quickly turn over internal documents relating to the termination. In response, the administration reinstated the grant for Seattle Children’s Hospital and declared the discovery process moot, or no longer relevant.
However, U.S. District Judge Lauren J. King, who was appointed by former President Joseph Biden, permitted it to continue.
Whistleblower Documents Reveal Sweeping Changes at NIH
In recent months, whistleblowers have made the plaintiffs in the lawsuit aware of internal records that more closely connect the grant terminations to the administration’s executive orders.
In an internal spreadsheet of dozens of grants marked for cancellation at an NIH institute, the stated
reason for termination for several was “gender ideology (EA 14168),” including the grant to Seattle Children’s Hospital.
The rationale appears to reference Executive Order 14168, which banned using federal funds to “promote gender ideology,” again seeming to conflict with the administration’s stance that the termination was not based on the executive orders. The termination dates of the grants, according to the spreadsheet, were after the injunction went into effect.
Another internal document, which provides extraordinary insight into the administration’s efforts to reshape the NIH, also states the executive order was the impetus for grant terminations.
In the March 11 memo from Memoli, the NIH cataloged all actions that the agency had taken thus far to align with the president’s executive orders. In a section detailing the steps taken to implement the “gender ideology” executive order, one of the 44 actions listed was the termination of active grants.
“NIH is currently reviewing all active grants and supplements to determine if they promote gender ideology and will take action as appropriate,” the memo stated, noting that the process was in progress.
While the administration has said in court filings that it is following the judge’s injunction order, the Washington state attorney general’s office told ProPublica that it disagreed.
“Their claim to have complied with the preliminary injunction is almost laughable,” said Faulk, the office’s deputy communications director. “The Trump administration is playing games with no apparent respect for the rule of law.”
Depositions Reveal DOGE Links In depositions conducted last month as part of the lawsuit, the testimony of two NIH officials also raised questions about why the research grants were terminated and how DOGE was involved.
Liza Bundesen, who was the deputy director of the agency’s extramural research office, testified that she first learned of the grant terminations on Feb. 28 from a DOGE team member, Rachel Riley. Bundesen said she was invited into a Microsoft Teams video call, where Riley introduced herself as being part of DOGE and working with the Department of Health and Human Services.
Riley, a former consultant for McKinsey & Co., joined HHS on Jan. 27, according to court filings in a separate lawsuit, and has reportedly served as the DOGE point person at the NIH.
The executive order detailing DOGE’s responsibilities describes the costcutting team as advisers that consult agency heads on the termination of contracts and grants. No language in the orders gives the DOGE team members the authority to direct the cancellation of grants or contracts. However, the depositions portray Riley as giving directions on how to conduct the terminations.
“She informed me that a number of grants will need to be terminated,” Bundesen testified, adding that she was told that they needed to be terminated by the end of the day. “I did not ask what, you know, what grants because I just literally was a little bit confused and caught off guard.”
Bundesen said she then received an email from Memoli, the NIH acting director, with a spread-
sheet listing the grants that needed to be canceled and a template letter for notifying researchers of the terminations.
“The template had boilerplate language that could then be modified for the different circumstances, the different buckets of grants that were to be terminated,” she said. “The categories were DEI, research in China and transgender or gender ideology.”
Bundesen forwarded the email with the spreadsheet to Michelle Bulls, who directs the agency’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration. Bundesen resigned from the NIH a week later, on March 7, citing “untenable” working conditions.
“I was given directives to implement with very short turnaround times, often close of business or maybe within the next hour,” she testified. “I was not offered the opportunity to provide feedback or really ask for clarification.”
Bulls confirmed in her own deposition that the termination list and letter template originally came from Riley. When Bulls started receiving the lists, she said she did what she was told. “I just followed the directive,” she said. “The language in the letters were provided so I didn’t question.”
Bulls said she didn’t write any of the letters herself and just signed her name to them. She also said she was not aware whether anyone had assessed the grants’ scientific merit or whether they met agency criteria. The grant terminations related to gender identity did not stem from an independent agency policy, she testified, appearing to contradict the admin-
See NIH Page 05
istration’s assertion that they were based on the agency’s own authority and grant policy.
As of April 3, Bulls said she had received more than five lists of grants that needed to be terminated, amounting to “somewhere between five hundred and a thousand” grants.
Most grant recipients endure a rigorous vetting process, which can involve multiple stages of peer review before approval, and before this year, Bulls testified that grant terminations at the NIH have historically been rare. There are generally two main types of terminations, she said, for noncompliance or based on mutual agreement. Bulls said that she has been “generally involved in noncompliance discussions” and since she became the director of the office in 2012, there had been fewer than five such terminations.
In addition to the termination letters, Bulls said she relied on the template language provided by Riley
to draft guidance to inform the 27 centers and institutes at the NIH what the agency’s new priorities were to help them scrutinize their own research portfolios.
Following the depositions, the Washington state attorney general’s office said that the federal government has refused to respond to its discovery requests. It has filed a motion to compel the government to respond, which is pending.
Riley, Bundesen, Bulls and Memoli did not reply to ProPublica’s requests for comment.
While the administration did not answer ProPublica’s questions about DOGE and its involvement in the grant terminations, two weeks ago in its budget blueprint, it generally justified its proposed cuts at the NIH with claims that the agency had “wasteful spending,” conducted “risky research” and promoted “dangerous ideologies that undermine public health.”
“NIH has grown too big and unfocused,” the
White House claimed in its fiscal plan, adding that the agency’s research should “align with the President’s priorities to address chronic disease and other epidemics, implementing all executive orders and eliminating research on climate change, radical gender ideology, and divisive racialism.”
Jeremy Berg, who led the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the NIH from 2003 to 2011, told ProPublica that the administration’s assessment of the institution was “not fair and not based on any substantial analysis or evidence,” and the proposed cuts “would be absolutely devastating to NIH and to biomedical research in the United States.”
“It is profoundly distressing to see this great institution being reduced to a lawless, politicized organization without much focus on its actual mission,” he said.
Republished with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
| Photo courtesy of Canva
Archbishop José H. Gomez presided at a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Friday to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV — one day after Chicago native Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost made history as the first American ever elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Gomez was joined by auxiliary bishops and other clergy from across the LA archdiocese “to pray and welcome the Holy Father from the local church in Southern California,” the archdiocese said Thursday.
Friday’s Mass — the archdiocese’s official observance marking the election of the new Holy Father — was scheduled for 12:10 p.m. and was livestreamed at youtube.com/user/olacathedral.
The new pope was chosen Thursday on the second day of the conclave of 133 cardinals from around the world at the Vatican. Pope Leo replaces Pope Francis, who was a former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the first Latin American pontiff. Francis died April 21 in the Vatican at age 88 — one day after Easter. He served as pope for 12 years.
Prevost, 69, spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru, but was chosen by Francis to lead the Vatican’s Office of Bishops, which reviews nominations in the appointment of bishops around the world.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles quickly noted the selection of the new pontiff, posting on social media Thursday, “LA Catholics give thanks to God for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.”
The announcement from the Vatican came Thursday morning Los Angeles time, and Gomez spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon to praise the selection.
“The word Catholic means universal,” Gomez said. “The mission of the Catholic Church is to share the light of Christ and proclaim the love of God to every human on Earth, in every nation, in every land to the ends of the Earth.
LA Archbishop Gomez celebrates Mass for new pope
By City News Service
“Now we have a new pope to continue leading us in that mission, following the beautiful example of the previous popes, especially I would say Pope Francis.”
Prevost’s elevation to pontiff was widely hailed by religious and lay leaders throughout the Southland.
“Habemus Papam!
I’m filled with hope as we welcome Pope Leo XIV,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath wrote on social media following the announcement.
“I saw firsthand Pope Francis’ deep commitment to human rights, our environment & immigrants dignity for people of all faiths. I look forward to continuing that spirit of shared purpose with our new Holy Father.”
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson posted on social media, “Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his election. His leadership holds deep meaning for many here in Long Beach and around the world. We wish him wisdom and peace as he begins this sacred journey.”
Los Angeles City Councilman Tim McOsker, a devout
Catholic, told KNX News he was “blown away” that an American was chosen.
“This is a historic moment when a pope passes — God bless Pope Francis — and to see a selection so quickly is remarkable,” McOsker said. “ ... We are in the Easter season, this is a period of time between Easter Sunday and the Pentecost. It’s the holiest of seasons for the Catholics, and to have all of this come to fruition during this holy season is really remarkable. I didn’t think in my lifetime I would see an American pope.”
Rep. Nanette D. Barragán, D-Los Angeles, said, “His appointment marks a new chapter for the Catholic Church and for millions who look to the Church for moral leadership in a complex world.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said Leo’s selection “marks a significant moment not only for the Church but for the world.”
“Born in Chicago and having served for over two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and later
a naturalized citizen, Pope Leo brings with him a unique blend of cultural insight and pastoral experience,” Solis said. “As Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, he demonstrated a strong commitment to the poor and migrants, and a consistent effort to engage with people across different walks of life.
“As he begins his Papacy, I hope his leadership will reflect the compassion, understanding, and global perspective that have shaped his ministry thus far.”
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Los Angeles, said the new pope “arrives at a time when the Church faces both challenges and opportunities. I’m hopeful he will follow Pope Francis and continue to be a vessel for peace, dignity and inclusion in the world. I pray he is granted the strength and wisdom necessary to serve humanity.”
Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann, Auxiliary Bishop Timothy E. Freyer and Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen issued a joint statement hailing the papal selection.
“Bishop Vann, the
bishops, priests, deacons, religious and the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Orange join the entire world today in giving thanks to God for the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, a man of great faith and integrity who will lead the church in a journey of faith, hope and love,” they said.
“We are blessed that Pope Leo XIV harbors a deep commitment to proclaiming the Gospel and a pastoral heart that reflects Christ’s mercy and compassion. To our diocese and all people of goodwill, we invite you to join in prayer for the Holy Father, so that God may grant him wisdom, courage and peace as he guides the Church into the future.
“Lastly, we thank the College of Cardinals, guided by the Holy Spirit, in reaching this monumental decision. May our Blessed Mother Mary intercede for him and all of us, as we continue the journey of faith together under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV.”
Freyer told City News Service that he was involved in a training session for
priests when the white smoke appeared above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, indicating a new pope had been elected.
“We canceled our plans” and put the live telecast of the announcement on TV, he said.
“We were watching — nervous and anxious and excited and praying that God will continue to bless us,” Freyer said.
Freyer recalled that when he was in the seminary, “We studied the social teachings of the church, and first document we read was from Pope Leo XIII” — who led the Catholic Church from 1878 until his death in 1903, and from whom Prevost took the papal name Leo XIV.
In an era when the world was struggling with the industrial revolution in the 1890s, Leo XIII emphasized the importance of a social safety net for “those excluded or marginalized,” Freyer said.
The document “speaks to the dignity of work and the importance of paying a just wage. It speaks of the right to own property and how we should try to resolve things locally as much as possible — so many things that fit our present reality,” Freyer said.
The new pope’s experience as a missionary in Peru no doubt exposed him to “poverty that for us in the United States would be unimaginable,” Freyer said.
Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian priest, so his call to build bridges instead of walls reflects how “that community works on building unity and has that as a focal point of their ministry, not just in the church but within government structures, families, societies and neighborhoods.”
Augustinians “focus on what unites us, not what divides us,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful day,” Freyer said. “So many people were praying for the cardinal electors and the Holy Spirit was clearly working and moving within them, and we’re blessed to have a new shepherd and guide.”
Pope Leo XIV makes his first public appearance as pontiff Thursday in Vatican City. | Photo courtesy of Vatican News/YouTube
SoCal hockey: Ducks tap Joel Quenneville as coach after his ban by NHL; Kings part ways with GM Rob Blake
By City News Service
The Anaheim Ducks Thursday announced the hiring of Joel Quenneville as coach — bringing the secondwinningest coach in NHL history back into the league after he was banned for 3 1/2 years over his handling of a sex-abuse scandal during his coaching stint with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Quenneville, 66, resigned as Florida Panthers coach on Oct. 28, 2021, when they were 7-0-0, hours after meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss his role in the scandal involving prospect Kyle Beach, who had been called up to the Blackhawks during the team’s 2010 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Bettman, the Panthers and Quenneville mutually agreed that “it was no longer appropriate” for Quenneville to continue as Florida’s coach, according to a statement from Bettman at the time.
Bettman also said in the statement at the time that, should Quenneville wish to return to the league, “I will require a meeting with him in advance in order to determine the appropriate conditions under which
incident during the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup championship run.
According to a league investigation, on May 23, 2010, Blackhawks executives held a meeting about the sexual assault claims and decided they would not address them until after the Stanley Cup playoffs, to avoid it becoming a distraction.
The matter was not discussed again, and on June 14, 2010, five days after Chicago won the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks human resources director gave Aldrich the option to resign or face termination if John Doe 1’s claims turned out to be true. Aldrich chose to resign and was permitted to participate in postseason celebrations, according to the investigation findings.
Beach went public with his allegations in 2021. The Blackhawks and Beach reached an undisclosed settlement.
ownership, management and passionate fans.
“In nearly four years away from the game, I have learned from my prior mistakes and realized it will be actions over words that demonstrate my commitment to being a better leader.”
The Ducks were 12th in the NHL’s 16-team Western Conference in the 2024-25 season. They last qualified for the playoffs in the 2017-18 season, also the last time they had a winning record.
Cronin was the third Ducks coach to be fired since they last made the playoffs.
Quenneville coached Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, their first NHL championships since 1961. He is one of 11 coaches in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup three times and the only one during the salary cap era, which began in the 2005-06 season.
victories over 25 seasons are second behind Scotty Bowman’s 1,244 over 30 seasons.
Quenneville coached the St. Louis Blues from 1997-2004, the Colorado Avalanche from 2005-08, the Blackhawks from 2008-19 and the Panthers from 2019- 21. He was an assistant coach with Colorado when it won the Stanley Cup in 1996.
Quenneville was a defenseman for five NHL teams from 1978 to 1991.
Kings, Blake part ways after playoff exit
The Los Angeles Kings and general manager and vice president of hockey operations Rob Blake have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced last week.
Team President Luc Robitaille said the search for a new general manager will begin right away.
Oilers May 1, losing 6-4 in Game 6 of the best-of-seven Western Conference first round.
It was the fourth consecutive season the Kings have lost to the Oilers in the opening round of the playoffs.
“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Rob for his dedication to the LA Kings and the passion he brought to his role,” Robitaille said in a statement May 5. “Reaching this understanding wasn’t easy and I appreciate Rob’s partnership in always working toward what is best for the Kings.”
Robitaille said Blake played a key role in the team’s growth and will always be valued for his contributions to the franchise.
such new employment might take place.”
The NHL announced on July 1, 2024, that Quenneville and former Blackhawks executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac were eligible to seek employment in the NHL.
“While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of,” the league said in a statement.
“Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse.”
Beach had anonymously sued the Blackhawks in 2010, alleging a prolonged sexual assault at the hands of then-video coach Brad Aldrich during an off-ice
In the Ducks’ news release announcing Quenneville’s hiring, General Manager Pat Verbeek said, “Over the last two weeks, we conducted interviews with many outstanding coaching candidates, while simultaneously conducting a comprehensive review of what took place while Joel was head coach of the Blackhawks in 2010. We spoke with dozens of individuals, including advocates for positive change in hockey and leadership of the NHL, which last July officially cleared Joel to seek employment in the league.
“Our findings are consistent with Joel’s account that he was not fully aware of the severity of what transpired in 2010. It is clear that Joel deeply regrets not following up with more questions at the time, has demonstrated meaningful personal growth and accountability, and has earned the opportunity to return to coaching.”
Quenneville succeeds Greg Cronin, whose firing was announced April 19, three days after completing his second season with a 35-37-10 record, 16 points out of a playoff berth.
“I’m excited to join the Anaheim Ducks,” Quenneville said in a statement. “This is the organization I wanted to restart my career with and am truly grateful for this opportunity. The Ducks have incredible
His 969 coaching
The Kings were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Edmonton
During his eight seasons as general manager, Blake led the Kings to a 309-23871 regular-season record and five playoff appearances.
Joel Quenneville coaches the Chicago Blackhawks during a practice in 2011. | Photo courtesy of David Kindler/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Marynina G Mendez, Secretary. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 24, 2025 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered
owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20250003905 Pub: 04/28/2025, 05/05/2025, 05/12/2025, 05/19/2025
San Bernardino Press
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Uncle Mike’s Salsa 25974 Camino Rosada Moreno Valley, CA 92551 Riverside County All Day Deliverys Inc (CA, 25974 Camino Rosada, Moreno Valley, CA 92551
Riverside County
This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on April 1, 2025. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. Michael Joe Garcia, CEO Statement filed with the County of Riverside on April 7, 2025 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# 202504598 Pub. 04/28/2025, 05/05/2025, 05/12/2025, 05/19/2025 Riverside Independent
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20250003920 The following persons are doing
business as: HOMENOW, 473 E Carnegie Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92408. Mailing Address, 473 E Carnegie Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92408. Ecohome Specialties (CA-5843899, 19 E Citrus Ave 201, Redlands, CA 92373; Jaron Gallagher, CEO. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on March 26, 2025. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 62506277). /s/ Jaron Gallagher, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 24, 2025 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20250003920 Pub: 04/28/2025, 05/05/2025, 05/12/2025, 05/19/2025 San Bernardino Press
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20250003495
The following persons are doing business as: Topline Builder, 12246 16th Street, Yucaipa, CA 92399. Mailing Address, 12246 16th street, Yucaipa, CA 92399. # of Employees 1. Sady J Soriano Ramos, 12246 16th street, Yucaipa, CA 92399. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. By signing below, I declare that
I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 62506277). /s/ Sady J Soriano Ramos. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 10, 2025 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20250003495 Pub: 04/28/2025, 05/05/2025, 05/12/2025, 05/19/2025 San Bernardino Press
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Regal Nails & Spa 39400 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd STE 115 Murrieta, CA 92563 Riverside County TK Nail Lab LLC (CA, 3 9400 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd STE 115, Murrieta, CA 92563 Riverside County This
subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202505508 Pub. 05/05/2025, 05/12/2025, 05/19/2025, 05/26/2025
Riverside Independent
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Assets R Us 39520 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd Ste 219-2002 Murrieta, CA 92563
Riverside County Mailing Address, 3800 W Devonshire Ave 98, Hemet, CA 92545. Riverside County Chef J’s Specialties & Wellness LLC (CA, 39520 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd Ste 219-2002, Murrieta, CA 92563 Riverside County This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. Joyce Abney, CEO Statement filed with the County of Riverside on April 24, 2025 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b)
Worker falls during construction at UC Riverside, requiring rescue
By City News Service
Aconstruction worker involved in a project atop a building at UC Riverside fell from scaffolding Wednesday, injuring one of his legs.
The construction site accident was reported at 11:25 a.m. Wednesday on a four-story edifice directly adjacent to the athletic field, off of University Avenue, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Mike Allen said two engine crews and a truck company were sent to the location and found the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, down with a “moderate” injury to one of his legs.
Allen said the man was working on a temporary support roughly 15-feet high, in the middle of the roof, when he took the fall.
“The fire department’s technical rescue team responded to assist with removing the patient from the building using a rope rescue system and aerial ladder,” the battalion chief said.
The worker was safely brought down from the roof about an hour later. He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital with stable vital signs. The cause of the accident was expected to be investigated by the California Occupational Safety & Health
Agency.
The campus did not release any details regarding the nature of the construction project.
West Nile virus Found in mosquito sample in Coachella Valley
By City News Service
AAccording to the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. When infected, a person may develop symptoms such as fever, headaches and bodily pain. In rare instances, it can be fatal.
The first positive-testing sample of the year was collected near the intersection of Vanderveer Road and Avenue 73, according to the district, which also stated that no human cases of the virus have been reported statewide in 2025.
District officials said they will increase surveillance in the area.
“To help prevent WNV transmission in the Valley, residents are encouraged to eliminate standing water around their homes by dumping and draining potential mosquito breeding sources and by using insect repellent when spending time outdoors,” District General Manager Jeremy Wittie said.
For additional information regarding the virus, go to westnile.ca.gov.
Scheme
to craft their own preferred questionnaires for prospective jurors to complete, which Diaz was slated to review by the end of the week. The approved questions will then be given to the prospects for them to answer.
A pool of 400 prospective jurors is being requested. However, many of those are likely to be eliminated during hardship interviews conducted by a court commissioner, ahead of formal jury selection. When the pool has been narrowed, the final screening process will begin, which is tentatively set for Thursday.
Opening statements will likely occur before the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Testimony is expected to conclude by June 20, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Pougnet and Wessman are each free on bond.
The case, which began as a federal corruption probe until it was turned over to county investigators in 2016, has been plagued
by repeated delays, some resulting from ongoing challenges by the defense to the indictment, as well as the COVID lockdowns, Pougnet’s relocation to another state, changes to legal counsel and related complications.
A trial judge in December 2020 dismissed all counts against Wessman, characterizing them as baseless, but the charges were reinstated by the Fourth District Court of Appeals in Riverside less than two years later. The defendant is charged with nine counts of bribery of a public official and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.
Pougnet is charged with eight counts each of accepting bribes and illicit financial interest in public contracts, along with three counts of perjury and one count of conspiracy. He served two terms as mayor, leaving office in 2015.
The influence-buying scheme that prosecutors allege the men were involved in netted Pougnet
close to $400,000 between 2012 and 2014, securing his public support for projects brought before the Palm Springs City Council, specifically The Dakota, the Desert Fashion Plaza, The Morrison and Vivante.
Payments to Pougnet were allegedly drawn directly from accounts maintained by Meaney’s Union Abbey Co. and Wessman Development Inc., according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors told the grand jury in 2019 Pougnet planned to move to Colorado to join his husband and two children when his first term ended in 2011, but the two developers allegedly put him “on their payroll” in order to gain his votes of confidence in their projects.
“This is a case about political corruption in Palm Springs,” Deputy District Attorney Amy Barajas told the grand jury, according to transcripts later released to the public. “What kind of corruption? Well, one of the
oldest stories in the book. Some wealthy real estate developers get a politician on their payroll, and in exchange they get favorable treatment, inside access and large contracts.”
She said that Pougnet was hesitant about remaining for a second term as mayor. The grand jury was shown an email exchange from May 30, 2011, between him and Meaney, in which the latter wrote, “Everything is in place. The big question from everyone is ... what are your plans?”
Pougnet’s response appeared to indicate their relationship hinged on the defendant securing something in return.
“I need to know that an offer is very real, that I am an employee somewhere that has a letter ‘of employment,’” Pougnet wrote. “That will make a decision much easier. As you know, a month ago, this was not even an option on the table with me and Christopher. Staying (in Palm Springs) has huge family implica-
tions considering I would be going back and forth.”
The then-mayor allegedly accepted $225,000 as an initial incentive to remain active in local government.
If convicted, Pougnet could face up to 19 years in
However, given that neither man has prior felony convictions, each may qualify for lower-level penalties, including suspended jail terms and probation.
state prison, while Wessman could face 12 years, under sentencing guidelines.
Steve Pougnet. | Photo courtesy of Jayel Aheram/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Firefighters prepare to rescue a worker who fell from scaffolding on the campus of UC Riverside. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside Fire Department/Facebook
mosquito sample from the North Shore community tested positive for West Nile virus, authorities said Thursday.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito. | Photo courtesy of Muhammad Mudhi Karim/Wikimedia Commons (GNU FDL 1.2)