The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle - August 19th, 2021

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Boy, 7, Dies from Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba After Swimming in a Lake | Page D1

Weather: 86o/58o Volume III | Issue XXXIII

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REAL ESTATE | Page C2

Thursday, August 19 - 25, 2021

A LOCAL NEWS

SOBOBA: Sovovatum Village Breaks Ground

www.HSJChronicle.com |

B POLITICS

Biden stands behind Afghan withdrawal

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D

HEALTH | Page D1

| $2.00 (Tax Incl.)

B OPINION

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW: THE SCOURGE

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SAN JACINTO, CA.

SJ City Council Mad as Hell Censures Councilman Lopez RUSTY STRAIT | SENIOR WRITER

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BUS: MSJC Mobile Career Center at Temecula Valley Campus -- First Day of Fall 2021 semester | Photo Courtesy of Mt. San Jacinto College.

SAN JACINTO, CA.

AREESTED: San Jacinto Councilman Joel Lopez, left, and Edward Padilla Jr., right, have been charged with operating an illegal cannabis dispensary. | Photo Source: Riverside County District Attorney’s Office No. 3878, Declaring the Intention to Annex Territory, located on the north-east corner of Juanita Street and Oakwood Street, into Community Facilities District No. 2020-1 and Authorize the Levy of Special Taxes therein. Passed 4-0 Approved a third and final 1-yr Professional Services Agreement extension with Dave’s Hauling. The scope of work includes Parks and Bus Stops trash and debris removal for 14 LLPD-1 and 25::{D-2 locations, the Police Station, 4 City maintained Bus Stops, 3 Park restroom cleaning, and the Estudillo Mansion Restrooms. Having covered all that, the meat and potatoes came up for discussion. Mayor Pro-tem Ruiz fired the shot that reached across town to Hemet when she introduced a Resolution to Censure Councilman Joel Lopez. Much discussion and dissing the absent Councilman prior to any vote. Led by Councilperson Ruiz, the Council to a man took turns defiling Lopez, claiming that he was not the kind of person who should be representing the city in any way. The Mayor said he had urged him to resign but Lopez wasn’t about to just slide into the darkness and be forever just a memory of a bad incident. No, he not only refused to resign but swore to run for re-election next time, but it likely happens

if he gets any jail time out of the charges against him. The truth is, the San Jacinto City Council was run out of office, with one exception, a few years back and the bitter taste continues. To refresh your memory, four Council members, including the Mayor and several prominent business members were involved, in allegations that included circumventing a state election financing and bribery. By the court stopped counting charges faced 155 charges that included 56 felonies, involving “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Only Councilman Steve DiMemmo (a former Federal Customs Agent) escaped the scandal. Heads rolled, fines were stupendous, the Mayor went to Jail and the scandal was hot news from Los Angeles to Manhattan. Then we have Lopez, the current culprit. Lopez and his cohort, Edward Padilla, Jr. of Santa Ana were arrested on June 13th, indicted on four counts involving the operation of an illegal pot dispensary in San Jacinto. Both face two felony and two misdemeanor charges. Each has been charged with a felony count of conspiracy to commit misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance for sale, one felony count of maintaining a place for the of unlaw-

See CITY COUNCIL on page B3

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT NO. 69 92543-9998

an Jacinto’s City Council is as angry as a hornet over the conduct of one of their own. At the meeting Tuesday Night, the regular agenda played second fiddle to not one, but two arrests of Councilman Joel Lopez, charged several serious felonies and a couple of misdemeanors - all within the past month. It is not the first time that San Jacinto’s City Council has been dragged over the road thanks to criminal activities - It is a story hotter than Hades, but first, let’s get take care of the mundane matters. As always, the Council came to order on time, with roll call (4-0) with the unauthorized absence of Councilman Lopez; several citizens had questions regarding the city. Mara Levy called in during public comments with her usual statements about the druggedout and homeless situation behind the local Rite Aid Pharmacy, declaring that the city was going about the situation in all the wrong ways. She sat and waited by the phone last week, waiting to be heard, but the meeting lasted only 15 minutes due to the lack of enough council persons in attendance. That was followed by several community events and anniversaries (all of which can be accessed on the San Jacinto website). Approved 4-0 to review and approve warrants and disbursements for the period of July 2021 in the amount of $9,080,872.75. Approved 4-0 Resolution of Intention to Annex Territory into Community Facilities District No. 2003-1 and to Authorize the Levy of Special Taxes Therein. Approved 4-0 Adoption of a Resolution of Intention to Annex Territory, located on the northeast corner of South Juanita Street and Buena Vista Street, into Community Facilities District No. 2043-` and Authorize the Levy of Special Taxes therein. Approved 4-0 Adopt Resolution of Intention to adopt Resolution

SIGN: People asking for help for Afghan refugees. | Youtube Screenshot.

CALIFORNIA STATE

'We're a state of refuge': Gov. Newsom welcomes Afghan refugees to California ABC7 | CONTRIBUTED

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s thousands of people rush to flee Afghanistan , California Governor Gavin Newsom says they are welcome here. The governor addressed the situation Monday at a "Vote No" on the recall rally in Northern California. "We're a state of refuge," said

Newsom. Here's a look at key events and players in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of war. "I'm proud of the fact over the last decade California has taken in more refugees than any other state in America, and I'm proud of the fact a disproportionate

See REFUGE on page C4

MSJC Kicks Off Fall 2021 with In-Person Classes and New Temecula Valley Campus MSJC | CONTRIBUTED

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t. San Jacinto College (MSJC) kicked off its Fall 2021 semester on Monday, welcoming more students back to its campuses for in-person classes and services, including at its new Temecula Valley Campus. MSJC is offering a robust amount of face-to-face, on-campus classes and online classes for the fall and continues to monitor state and county guidance related to COVID-19 for any necessary changes. MSJC also offers late-start courses that begin in October. The college has implemented health and safety measures as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and CalOSHA to ensure a safe learning and working environment for students, faculty, classified professionals, administrators, and other visitors -- all of whom must wear masks indoors at this time. A total of 13,993 students were enrolled in person or online at MSJC for this fall. That number is expected to peak around 14,500. MSJC welcomed students for the first time to the new Temecula Valley Campus, 41888 Motor Car Parkway, for classes and services. Murrieta resident Castin Chamberlain, a social justice major who previously attended the Menifee Valley Campus, started classes at the Temecula Valley Campus on Monday. "It's absolutely beautiful. It's honestly breathtaking," said Chamberlain, who served as the college's student trustee in spring 2021. "It's a way better drive for me." Temecula resident Changpin Park, a biology major who wants to become an allergist, appreciated the short commute to the new campus. "I'm so glad the Temecula Valley Campus is open for students," he said. "It's bigger than I thought it would be. It's very new and clean. It'll motivate me to do well." Dr. Roger Schultz, superintendent/president of the college district, visited the San Jacinto and Menifee Valley campuses to greet students before arriving at the Temecula Valley Campus. The first day of the Fall 2021 semester is the first time students have been back since the pandemic closed campuses in March of 2020. "The ability to visit each campus and welcome students back has been so exciting," Dr. Schultz said. "It is thrilling to go from empty campuses to a vibrant educational environment again. I've been able to talk to students, faculty and our classified professionals face-to-face for the first time in a long time." At the new Temecula Valley Campus, Dr. Schultz said "Before today, we've only seen the artists renderings. Now we finally get to see our students use the state-of-the-art classrooms, technology and study

CASTIN CHAMBERLAIN: Social Justice major at TVC. | Photo Courtesy of MSJC.

CHANGPIN PARK: Biology major at TVC. | Photo Courtesy of MSJC.

IJEOMA AKOSIONU: DMS student at SJC. | Photo Courtesy of MSJC.

JUDE BLACKSHEAR: This student of Murrieta is excited to take ceramics at the Menifee Valley Campus and psychology, English and drawing online. | Photo Courtesy of MSJC. spaces. It's exciting. The energy for higher education in this region is just going to grow exponentially." Ijeoma Akosionu, a diagnostic medical sonography major, attended the San Jacinto Campus for the first time.

See MSJC on page B3


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