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Politics: In likely California recall, energizing Latino voters is key | Page B1
Weather: 88o/51o | Volume III | Issue XIII
REAL ESTATE | Page C2
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Thursday, April 1 - 7, 2021
Student loan relief extended to some privately held loans
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D EDUCATION
Justice Department to review how best to fight hate crimes
C’mon President Biden, end the reefer madness
EDUCATION | Page D1
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B POLITICS
A OPINION
D
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RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Federal and state intervention needed Immigrants seeking asylum dropped off by U.S. Border Protection expands to Southwest Riverside County RIVERSIDE COUNTY | CONTRIBUTED
T TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS RUNNING TEAM
| Courtesy Photo of Golden Era Productions.
HEMET, CA.
Raise Awareness About Fentanyl GOLDEN ERA PRODUCTIONS | CONTRIBUTED
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he Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District Easter Run, known as "The Bunny Hop," went the "social distance" this year by going virtual. Valley-Wide, which operates more than 40 facilities, has been holding this popular family race for over 30 years as part of its mission: "to responsibly provide exceptional programs and quality park facilities that promote community involvement and healthy lifestyles." The Golden Era Productions Truth About Drugs Running Team, whose purpose is to promote drug-free living by raising awareness of the truth about harmful drugs, ran the Easter race through the Golden Era Productions campus. They want to alert local families to an illegal drug that has been hitting this County hard the synthetic painkiller fentanyl. Fentanyl, 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine, can kill in just two minutes after ingestion of only two grains.
Courtesy Photo of Golden Era Productions.
Riverside County reports 227 fentanyl-related deaths in 2020. Dealers of illegal drugs are known to lace heroin and opioids such as oxycodone with fentanyl and sell it to unsuspecting users. The Riverside District Attorney is now charging fentanyl dealers with second degree murder in connection with deaths from fentanyl toxicity. Golden Era Productions Truth About Drugs Running Team urges community partners to help save lives by increasing awareness of fentanyl and help young people make informed decisions to live drug-free lives. The Truth About Drugs is the
largest and most comprehensive international nongovernmental drug educational and prevention program. Produced by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, its videos, booklets and teaching aids and free online courses are available in 20 languages. According to educators, these hard-hitting materials make an impact on young people and get them involved in making important decisions about their own lives. For more information on fentanyl, visit https://drugfreeworld.org/newsletter/issue13/ the-truth-about-fentanyl.html
he U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this week expanded drop offs of immigrants seeking asylum to southwest Riverside County. Since March 3, CBP has been regularly dropping off families in the Blythe area of Riverside County. Between the southwest and east county drop-offs, the county team has picked up 257 immigrants seeking asylum from CBP this month. While immigration policies and practices are matters for the federal government, local counties have been dealing with CBP drop offs for the last month. CBP informs the county about the timing of the drop-offs. The timing, number of drop-offs, and number of families and individuals dropped off is entirely dependent upon CBP. County officials Wednesday met with state and federal representatives to discuss the impact these drop offs are having on the county and to request support. “This is a federal issue, yet the county is providing safety net services with very limited resources to these individuals and families,” said Board Chair Karen Spiegel, Second District Supervisor. “We need support and intervention from the state and federal government before our local resources are overwhelmed.” After picking up the immigrants seeking asylum from CBP, a county team administers rapid COVID-19 testing for everyone and practices strict COVID-19 safeguards to reduce and stop potential disease transmission. These safeguards include ensuring all staff and immigrants are wearing personal protective equipment. If someone tests positive, the individual and any others exposed are provided private accommo-
dations for isolation at local motels throughout Riverside County. However, available motel space is extremely limited and this practice will not be sustainable without immediate intervention from the state and federal governments. Individuals and families who are not exposed to COVID-19, are provided shelter, meals and clothing from local nonprofit organizations. "We are extremely appreciative of the hard work done by nonprofits and County staff to secure temporary shelter for these people in need, but we expect our federal counterparts to step up and address this pressing problem," said Supervisor Chuck Washington, whose Third District includes Murrieta. "Riverside County cannot shoulder this responsibility alone, especially as the numbers are expected to grow." The county provides humane, short-term services based on the immediate needs of each family. Without any clear funding path from the state or federal government, these services are funded by the county, including the motel room stays for those requiring isolation and quarantine. The average length of time each family spends in Riverside County is a few days. These drop-offs are expected to occur regularly in the southwest area of Riverside County and the Blythe area. In 2019, more than 1,000 families (totaling more than 2,800 people) were dropped off in Riverside County and stayed in Riverside County for one to three days before traveling to their asylum sponsors in other parts of the United States. The current immigration surge is anticipated to be far greater in numbers than the 2019 surge, as well as an additional complicating factor of COVID-19 disease control.
California to add nearly 1,400 firefighters amid dry weather ADAM BEAM | AP NEWS
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alifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said the state will hire nearly 1,400 additional firefighters as an unusually dry winter stokes fears of an-
MOMENTS IN TIME
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT NO. 69 92543-9998
CALIFORNIA
other devastating wildfire season. California depends on snowfall in the mountains for much of its water. But the latest snow survey recorded a statewide “snow water equivalent” of just 15 inches, or about 54% of average for April 1,
On April 1, 1700
English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of playing April Fool's jokes. In keeping with the fun, in 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees.
On April 2, 1513
Near present-day St. Augustine, Florida, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon comes ashore and claims the territory for the Spanish crown. Ponce de Leon is credited with the first recorded landing and the first detailed exploration of the Florida coast.
On April 3, 1936
Richard Bruno Hauptmann, convicted in the
when the state's snowpack is the deepest. The state had a similarly dry winter last year. What followed was a record-setting wildfire sea-
See FIREFIGHTERS on page A2
kidnapping and murder of the 20-month-old son of Charles Lindbergh, is executed by electrocution. In 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped from the nursery of the Lindbergh home.
On April 4, 1841
PLANE: 2020 Sierra National Forest Creek Fire. | Photo source: InciWeb
planter John Rolfe in Jamestown, Virginia. The marriage ensured peace between the settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years.
On April 6, 1968
Only 31 days after assuming office, William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, dies at the White House. At his inauguration, Harrison declined to wear a jacket or hat and made a two-hour speech. Soon afterward, he developed pneumonia.
Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" debuts in theaters. The film went on to win an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Today it is regarded as one of the defining films of the 20th century.
On April 5, 1614
Legendary actor John Wayne wins his first -- and only -- acting Academy Award, for "True Grit." Wayne played a drunken, foul-tempered but endearing U.S. marshal named Rooster Cogburn.
Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Indian confederacy, marries English tobacco
On April 7, 1970
HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY