A
Soboba opens Legacy Bank to Serve the Community | Page A3
Weather: 55o/45o | Volume IV | Issue XLII
C
Thursday, December 1 - December 7, 2022
www.HSJChronicle.com |
Ramona Courtyard Christmas Set to Celebrate Community
CLERGY CORNER And Hereeeee’s Xmas!
See more on page C2
See more on page A4
ENVIRONMENT | Page D1
| $2.00 (Tax Incl.)
D ENVIRONMENT
C VALLEY BEAT
A FAITH
D
It Is Time to Jingle & Mingle for a Worthy Cause | Page C1
Drying California lake to get $250M in US drought funding See more on page D1
RIVERSIDE, CA
Three homicide victims found after house fire
RIVERSIDECA.GOV | CONTRIBUTED
O
n Friday, November 25, 2022 at approximately 11:08 a.m., Riverside Police Officers were dispatched to check the welfare of a young female who appeared distressed while getting into a Red Kia Soul with a man along the 11200 block of Price Court, located in the La Sierra South neighborhood of Riverside. While officers were responding, our Public Safety Communications Center began receiving calls of a structure fire just a few houses away from where the check the welfare call originated. The Riverside Fire Department arrived first and reported a working fire on the first floor of the residence. They initiated a fire attack, made entry, then discovered three adult victims laying on the ground in the front entry way. Their bodies were pulled outside where it was determined they were victims of an apparent homicide. Firefighters continued their efforts until the fire was placed under con-
Brooke Winek. | Courtesy Photos of Riverside Police Department
trol and eventually extinguished. Detectives with the Robbery – Homicide Unit, along with Specialists from the Forensics Unit, responded and assumed the investigation. They have been assisted by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, the Riverside
Mark and Sharie Winek
County District Attorney’s Office, and Arson Investigators with the Riverside Fire Department. The victims have been identified as 69-year-old Mark Winek, his wife 65-year-old Sharie Winek, and their daughter 38-year-old Brooke Winek. The exact cause
and manner of their deaths are still pending. The cause of the house fire continues to be under investigation although it appears at this point to have been intentionally ignited. During the preliminary investigation, it was determined
the young female described in the initial check the welfare call was a teenager who lived where the house fire and homicides occurred. The man she accompanied was eventually identified as 28-year-old Austin Lee Edwards of North Chesterfield, Virginia. Information was relayed to allied law enforcement agencies regarding this triple homicide and Edwards’ vehicle description while detectives sought warrants for his arrest and attempted to determine his current whereabouts. Several hours later, he was discovered driving with the teen through San Bernardino County when he was located by the San Bernardino County Sheriff ’s Department in the unincorporated area of Kelso. Edwards fired gunshots at deputies and a deputy-involved shooting occurred where he was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene. The teen was unharmed and later placed into protective custo-
See HOMICIDE on page A3
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
San Jacinto Valley students honored in November DIANE RHODES | CONTRIBUTED
T
he Hemet/San Jacinto Student of the Month program held its most recent recognition breakfast at the newly refurbished Maze Stone at Soboba Springs Golf Course, Nov. 17. Six local high school seniors were recognized and honored for their character, love of learning and commitment to academics in addition to their involvement in school and community activities and their ability to overcome difficult life challenges. And they do this all in a setting that honors God, America, family, community and free enterprise. Students are nominated by teachers or other school personnel for making a difference in their homes, schools and communities. Program founder and event facilitator Karena Zermeno also represents one of the sponsors, Altura Credit Union. Backpacks
filled with gifts, a Student of the Month award, certificates of recognition and much more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries. November’s students of the month from Hemet Unified School District schools are Brandon Evans, Sierra Evans Hamilton, Janis Ignacio, Enrique Martinez and Alexander Nahsohn. San Jacinto Unified’s honoree for November is Litzy Morales. Hemet Unified School District Brandon Evans, who has been a Western Center Academy student since sixth grade, was described as insightful, thoughtful and driven. He completes at least three college courses each semes-
ter in addition to his high school work. He expects to be only one semester away from completing his associate degree in computer science when he graduates from high school. He offers tech support for others, which was especially needed and appreciated during the period of online learning. Brandon did not always like mathematics and credits a tutor with helping him escape his prejudice against the subject. “The most important life lesson I learned is that something you despise can one day be turned into something you love with the right approach,” he said. Tahquitz High School’s Sierra Evans Hamilton was nominated for being a great role model. She was introduced by Principal Kari McGowan who said she was reminded of a quote when she thought of the senior who is full of passion and compassion for others. She said, “In a world where you can be anything, be
RECIPIENTS: Recipients of the Hemet/San Jacinto Student of the Month award for November are, from left, Janis Ignacio, Enrique Martinez, Sierra Evans Hamilton, Alexander Nahsohn, Brandon Evans and Litzy Morales. | Courtesy Photo of Carrie Best. kind. That is Sierra.” Sierra is a member of the Titans’ award-winning co-ed cheer squad, was homecoming princess and is her school’s NAMI Club president, taking the club to new heights. Sierra plans to pursue
studies in psychology, criminal justice and paralegal while continuing cheerleading at the college level. Her dream job is to become a forensic psychologist.
See RECIPIENTS on page D4
Policies: Twitter ends enforcement of COVID misinformation policy DAVID KLEPPER | AP NEWS
T
witter will no longer enforce its policy against COVID-19 misinformation, raising concerns among public health experts and social media researchers that the change could have serious consequences if it discourages vaccination and other efforts to combat the still-spreading virus. Eagle-eyed users spotted the change Monday night, noting that a one-sentence update had been made to Twitter’s online rules: “Effective November 23, 2022, Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy.” By Tuesday, some Twitter accounts were testing the new boundaries and celebrating the platform’s hands-off approach, which comes after Twitter was purchased by Elon Musk.
“This policy was used to silence people across the world who questioned the media narrative surrounding the virus and treatment options,” tweeted Dr. Simone Gold, a physician and leading purveyor of COVID-19 misinformation. “A win for free speech and medical freedom!” Twitter’s decision to no longer remove false claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines disappointed public health officials, however, who said it could lead to more false claims about the virus, or the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. “Bad news,” tweeted epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, who urged people not to flee Twitter but to keep up the fight against bad information about the virus. “Stay folks — do NOT cede the town square to them!” While Twitter’s efforts to stop false claims about COVID weren’t
COVID MISINFORMATION:
Between January 2020 and September 2022, Twitter said suspended more than 11,000 accounts for violating its COVID misinformation policy and removed more than 100,000 pieces of content that did so. | Courtesy Photo of Getty Images
perfect, the company’s decision to reverse course is an abdication of its duty to its users, said Paul Russo, a social media researcher and
dean of the Katz School of Science and Health at Yeshiva University
See TWITTER on page A4
CLASSIFIEDS
$9.50 for 12 words .50 per additional word
Yard Sales, Items For Sale, Non profit / Organizational, Churches, Announcements