Economic Development was the name of the game during two Murrieta candidate forums recently held in the city. The candidate forums were co-sponsored by the Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors and the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce.

The first event, held Monday, Oct. 10, at the SRCAR, was a bit of a “lovefest,” moderator Gene Wunderlich said when introducing the candidates during the second event, held Oct. 13 at Shivela Middle School. Wunderlich reminded the candidates that the goal of the forum was to convince voters to cast their vote for them.

“On Monday night, quite frankly, if you were there, it turned into a lovefest,” Wunderlich told the crowd of about 60 who had come out to hear the candidates’ stance on the issues brought forth by voters. “… Monday night was copasetic.”

The two incumbents – Mayor Randon Lane and Councilman Harry Ramos – along with challengers Robert Tyler, Brian Barton, Kelly Seyarto and Keelen McCollough all said that economic development was something they were concerned with.

Lane, who is seeking his third four-year term on the council, said that there was still work left to do in the community, even though the city has already brought in new hotels, restaurants, car dealerships and many other businesses.

“The reality is that we are still getting things done here in the city of Murrieta,” Lane said. “We have been doing a phenomenal job.”

Robert Tyler, a local attorney said that he was running because there with issues and things that needed to be done in the city.

“There is a stigma here in this city,” he said. “Investors, builders, people look at Murrieta in concern because there is a real lack of capability.”

Tyler said that he wanted to see Murrieta be successful, but much needed to be done in order to move forward.

Retired Marine and retired defense contractor Brian Barton said he felt “called to serve.” After an unsuccessful bid for city council in 2014, he stayed engaged in the community, by attending or watching every city council meeting online and being appointed to the Murrieta Traffic Commission.

“Where Murrieta needs to do better is small business,” Barton said. “I have talked to a lot of people in the past months and small business, the cost of fees, processing time, we are not small business friendly. We need to do that as well as big business.”

Former councilman Kelly Seyarto said that things aren’t as good in Murrieta as some would have the general public believe.

“The truth is in the last 10 years, we have barely got back to where we were in 2006. That’s a long time, that’s like running a relay, handing the baton off and having them run backward and never getting back to the start,” Seyarto said. “Current council isn’t focused on the next step and that step is, we have to have a regional presence to be able to draw in that sales tax.”

Seyarto believes that while the surrounding cities are building a regional presence, Murrieta has fallen behind in that area.

“What is missing is the money to pay for the services that we have to have in the future and if we don’t address that particular issue we are going to be in serious trouble when the next recession hits,” he said.

San Diego police officer and semi-pro football player Keelen McCullough said that he stands for economic development, public safety and fiscal responsibility.

“Our economic development, we have a lot planned, but you know what? Planning is one thing, but actually developing and getting it done is another thing,” he said. “The downtown area of Murrieta that needs to be developed. I know we have a plan in place, but it needs to get done.”

McCullough also said public safety is key as is fiscal responsibility.

“We don’t need to be wasting money on certain things and everybody knows what those certain things are so I don’t have to say,” he said. “but here’s the deal, I am going to be fiscally responsible and show you where every dollar is being spent. It’s time for a change.”

The candidates all agree that the city needs to develop in a responsible manner, Lane called for patience from the community regarding development of the city.

“The development answer is this, ‘you don’t have enough rooftops, you don’t have enough people to come and shop yet,’” Lane said of the question regarding development. “We will continue to meet with those developers. It’s a matter of having patience to do what we need to do.”

Tyler said the city has been stagnant a long time regarding growth.

“For the golden triangle, it’s been 20 years,” he said. “There were 2,200 permits issued in Temecula, 1,800 in Lake Elsinore, but only 200 in Murrieta,” he said. “So there is this stigma we have to address, the development impact fee… if developers come they need to know that the city will work with them.”

Barton said he thought the city might have missed the boat when it comes to development and that he wanted to understand what businesses go through.

“Business whether it is big or small, does not go into business to lose money,” Barton said. “They are going to go where it makes sense. Maybe we convince them. We need to do the things that make us attractive. We need to cut down the time to process and our development fees. We need to be competitive. We need to be at or lower than our competitors.”

Barton said while the city might not gain the money upfront in development fees, the long-term benefits in the form of sales tax would offset the money lost up front.

“Kind of like Reagan’s trickle down economics,” he said. “Stop taxing up front and allow the economic development to occur.”

Seyarto said that rooftops and a bigger population was key to regional development that never came due to the city changing the way it did business.

“Malls are dead, malls are dying,” he said. “You have to have a regional entertainment, shopping and even residential because that is what works these days. So, we have to create that vision, we have to get these guys excited about our city again, we have to cut through the red tape.”

Seyarto said the recession has been over for years but that Murrieta just hadn’t recovered like the other cities in the area did.

“Yeah we had a recession, the recession was over in 2011,” he said. “Everybody else seemed to recover but we haven’t. We haven’t and to fix that we need leadership. I have been here before and I have done it.”

McCullough said developers don’t like to come to Murrieta because it was “complicated” and “tough.”

“When developers come in and they build the businesses and they build the city up, all it does is benefit us,” he said. “That’s what we have to do. Let’s not streamline stuff, let’s not talk about it, let’s just get it done!”

Ramos referenced the free market system and said the city does not create businesses or jobs.

“Our responsibility is to make the process easier,” he said.

Referencing the call for a Trader Joes in Murrieta, Ramos told the crowd that it’s about simple economics.

“They look at Trader Joes as a regional store,” he said. “They are No. 1 in sales for this region. Nobody puts two stores close together, they have to have their stores a reasonable distance away. If they were in Temecula first, they will jump over to Menifee. That is the real reality that we are in right now.”

Ramos said he believed the city could use technology to streamline the process for developers in the city.

“We can address many of the concerns through technology,” he said.

The post Economic development hot button issue for Murrieta City Council candidates appeared first on Valley News.

Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane addressed an audience of 200 community residents, civic and business leaders “to review the progress of our city … to speak of unfinished work, and to set our sights on investing in a healthy future.”

He contrasted the tone of his first State of the City address in 2011, one of uncertainty, with an address of optimism. His theme was “Growing a Healthy Future.”

Murrieta was at a crossroads in 2011. Foreclosure rates were among the highest in the country while property tax revenue dropped dramatically as did the pricing of housing. Many local residents lost jobs in the recession and that affected consumer spending which negatively affected sales tax revenue to the city, resulting in a 30 percent drop. The State of California also “borrowed” $10 million from the city.

The city tightened its belts, reduced 68 jobs and utilized its $9 million economic contingency funding set up in 2008 to ensure service levels and to soften the impact of the recession.

Lane stated that Murrieta resiliently weathered the storm of that economic recession and has grown stronger. The $289,000 median price of a home is now almost $400.000, a 38 percent increase in just five years. This is the fifth consecutive year of economic growth. Thousands of new jobs have been created in that time. Sales tax revenue is expected to grow another 6 percent this year.

The city is meeting residents’ expectations of “high quality of life, safe streets and good schools.” He further stated that City Council and city management are creating a business-friendly environment “that will make Murrieta the future of Southern California.”

Lane quoted Ronald Reagan and John Winthrop as he held up Murrieta as “a shining city upon a hill whose beacon of light guides freedom-loving people everywhere.”

He noted business innovations by iA Robotics, Power Automedia and Cryoquip as well as worldwide shipping by Waterstone Faucets as transformative in the region, leading the way to “a community where you can live, work and play . . . and not have to leave the city of Murrieta for anything but vacations . . . and we’re working on that.”

The city can now be proactive with 10-year revenue projections compared to the reactive one or two year projections of the recessionary period. Due to the “State’s boom-and-bust economic cycles,” said Lane, “Council has directed staff to maintain a 30 percent general fund budget reserve and a 35 percent reserve for our Fire Department and Library.” He contrasted that with the State of California struggling to maintain a 12 percent reserve.

“The most powerful force we can count on to make this region the future of Southern California is a robust sustained economy… a diverse economy with state-of-the art hospital facilities, high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs in the financial sector.”

Lane detailed almost three-quarters of a billion dollars in medical infrastructure development by Loma Linda University Medical Center, Universal Health Services, Kaiser Permanente, HealthSouth, Anthem Memory Care, Renaissance Village and Rady’s Children’s Hospital.

“Murrieta is once again one of the safest cities in America,” said Lane, “Our City Council has chosen to make public safety our No. 1 goal. We are putting more police officers on the streets. We are investing in resources that keep both our officers and our communities safe . . . the city of Murrieta has placed paramedics on every fire engine . . .you are more likely to live through a heart attack in Murrieta than any other area in California.” The Murrieta Fire department recently completed the first Countywide Leadership Academy.

Lane recognized Bruce Coleman, Murrieta’s economic director, for his role in the growth of the city, including health care, hotels, retail, manufacturing and international partnerships. The city has hosted delegations from Israel, Germany, Hungary, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, India, Finland, China, Vietnam and Russia. “Foreign investment in Murrieta is at an all-time high,” said Lane.

Lane noted the addition of CarMax’ flagship store to contribute to the sales tax base from BMW, Volkswagen, KTM Motorcycles of Murrieta, and BMW Motorcycles “that fund our vital city programs.” He also cited the growth of food-related businesses in the city: Barons Market, Panera Bread, The Hat, Dunkin’ Donuts, Golden Corral and others.

Lane credited the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce for their role in collaborating with the city to attract and retain quality businesses.

“Traffic comes from growth,” said Lane, “But the flip side is that businesses like to see traffic.. It means there’s better potential to increase customers. It’s the City Council’s responsibility to measure the long-term growth of businesses in Murrieta and prepare our infrastructure.”

Lane cited the completion of I-215 interchange at Clinton Keith, the interchange of I-15 and California Oaks Road, the Jackson Avenue Bridge connection to Temecula. “Every one of those projects came in on time and under budget.”

Future projects include: the Keller Road interchange on I-215, Whitewood Road connection to the border of Menifee, the County extension of Clinton Keith Road from Whitewood to Winchester, the widening of Murrieta Hot Springs from Margarita Road to Winchester.

Lane credited Ivan Holler, Development Services Director for leading the process of the Development Impact Fee Study to plan for the city’s build out, “that will allow us to prepare for an astonishing level of private development over the next generation.”

Lane then addressed the Downtown Specific Plan, community workshops for input and the vision for a vibrant downtown.

He also encouraged support of the new Murrieta Arts Council and their efforts to enhance the arts and culture in the Murrieta Valley.

Lane also noted LIBRARY EVENTS, THE CITY clerk’s Youth in Government program, and the Community Services Department. Lane highlighted the upcoming Fall Festival, Veterans Day Parade, Murrieta Rotary Club’s Field of Honor, and Holiday Magic in December. The Community Services Department maintains 25 miles of trails and 50 parks, including the recently opened Vintage Reserve Park, built for special needs children.

Lane also mentioned the new fitness room at the senior center and thanked County Supervisor Chuck Washington “for helping fund the purchase of this equipment.”

“In the past two years, the city has worked hard to increase our outreach through social media,” said Lane, crediting Assistant City Manager Kim Summers utilizing technology to help the city connect and communicate with its residents.

Contrasting the uncertainty of 2011, Lane concluded his 2016 State of the City address with crediting business leaders who invested in the area and created jobs, civic leaders who “fought like cats and dogs, but always did what we thought was best for the Murrieta community,” education leaders and teachers who maintained high standards of performance, and “residents that remained resilient during the worst recession of our lifetimes.”

“The future of Murrieta is brighter than ever,” said Lane, “While we may still have challenges facing us in the days ahead, we no longer have uncertainty to fear. Instead we should remain optimistic in our future. I truly believe we are about to embark on the most amazing decade of Murrieta’s existence and I am happy to say that the State of the City of Murrieta is great!”

The post Optimism replaces uncertainty in Murrieta State of the City address appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – The 9-year-old son of an active-duty Marine first sergeant survived with minor injuries, after he was struck by a hit and run driver Wednesday, Nov. 2. The collision, that knocked the victim unconscious, happened  in front of the boy’s school at the intersection of Briggs and Baxter Roads in Murrieta. The accident was reported shortly after 7:30 a.m.

9-year-old William Berglund was reportedly wearing his helmet when a car struck him from behind. The accident happened directly across the street from Lisa J. Mails Elementary School and just south of Dorothy McElhinney Middle School. After he was struck by the motorist, William was knocked to the ground and left unconscious.

California Highway Patrol officers responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into the hit and run collision. During their investigation, officers obtained surveillance footage from the elementary school that showed the incident.

Witnesses to the accident told investigating officers that after hitting the victim the driver slowed down for a moment before quickly speeding away from the scene. The car was last seen fleeing northbound on Briggs Road.

Charles Berglund, the victim’s father, was on duty at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside when he received an urgent call regarding the accident. He reportedly rushed to the hospital where his son was taken to be by his side.

In an interview with NBC4’s Tony Shin conducted the day after the accident, the young boy’s father spoke out asking, “I just wanted to find out – what could have possibly been going through your mind that you would want to leave anybody, much less a kid, after you struck them?”

Charles is hoping surveillance footage obtained from the school will help track down the hit-and-run driver, whose vehicle has been described as a grey or silver, 4-door sedan, possibly an Acura or Toyota Camry. Based on witness statements, CHP officers believe the driver was a female.

Lisa J. Mails Middle School officials sent out a message to all parents about an hour after the accident. In part the message said, “Unfortunately, there was a hit and run car accident involving one of our students this morning. The student was transported to the hospital and the parent is on their way to the hospital.”

Just a few hours later, at 11:50 a.m., Murrieta Valley Unified School District Public Information Officer Karen Parris updated that the school’s principal reported William was being released from hospital.

“My understanding is that the child was released from the hospital and other than bumps & bruises, he is fine,” Parris explained in a social media comment about the accident.

After word about the accident began to spread, parents took to social media, sharing what they had seen and heard, while imploring witnesses to step forward and the hit and run driver to turn him or herself in.

Witnesses who happened on the scene immediately after the accident reported seeing the victim on the ground being assessed by the firefighters and paramedics before he was taken by ambulance to an area hospital.

Several people who saw the victim’s bicycle after the accident described it as being “mangled.” One witness reported seeing a school administrator carrying the damaged bike to the school. Another described William’s helmet as being “split in half.” Other witnesses reported seeing CHP officials doing measurements and documenting the scene of the hit and run collision.

CHP officers are continuing their investigation, which is active and ongoing, according to a department official.

Anyone who witnessed the accident or has information regarding the suspect who fled the scene is encouraged to contact California Highway Patrol officials from the Temecula area station at (951) 506-2000. Callers can remain anonymous.

The post MURRIETA: 9-year-old bicyclist recovering after hit and run collision appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – Since 1996, the Murrieta Police Department has taught the DARE curriculum to fifth graders in our local elementary schools. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program’s mission of teaching students good decision making skills to help them lead safe and healthy lives is consistent with the goals and mission of the Murrieta Police Department. Over the last 20 years, countless Murrieta students have gained a greater understanding of the consequences that result from the choices they make as juveniles.

Ten local MVUSD Elementary Schools, as well as Menifee Unified’s Oak Meadows Elementary have Murrieta Police Officers assigned as DARE Instructors. Each year, fifth grade students from those 11 schools receive a 10-week DARE program, culminating in a DARE graduation and Mulligan’s DARE Night.

The program is paid for with funds from within the police department budget. In addition to Police Department funds, the end of year Mulligan’s night sends 25 percent of the proceeds back to the Police budget for the next year’s program.

The Murrieta Police Department believes the youth in our community is the greatest asset we have. Teaching and mentoring Murrieta’s youth over the last 20 years through the DARE curriculum is something the police department is very proud of.

During the month of October 2016, DARE America will be in our community soliciting donations for their organization. They will be set up in front of retail establishments. Although the Murrieta Police Department supports DARE America’s mission, we also want the community to know that Murrieta PD’s DARE Program is fully funded within the city budget. DARE America does not fund the Murrieta PD / MVUSD DARE Program.

DARE Graduation this year is set for May of 2017. Graduation will be held at each school site. Mulligan’s DARE Night will be held the same week. Contact your elementary school principal and/or Sergeant David Baca for more information on the program. Sergeant Baca can be reached at (951) 461-6308.

The post Murrieta Police Department’s DARE program teaches dangers of drugs to students appeared first on Valley News.

Thousands of Temecula ballots remain to be counted including vote-by-mail ballots dropped off at polling locations, provisional ballots, damaged ballots and ballots postmarked by Election Day and received through Monday, Nov. 14, the city of Temecula announced today, signaling their hope that Measure S could still be approved by voters.

The next election status report will be available online through the Riverside County Registrar at http://www.voteinfo.net/on Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m.

UPDATE: 7:15 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9

Temecula’s one-cent sales tax measure intended for public safety failed to win voter approval, according to the most recent update issued by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

Temecula’s Measure S was defeated with 12,286 “no” votes to 12,116 “yes” votes with all 32 precincts are reporting.

The next election update will be Thursday, Nov. 10 by 5 p.m.

UPDATE: 6:25 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9

Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane, Temecula Mayor Mike Naggar and Hemet Mayor Bonnie Wright all have much to celebrate this morning with each easily winning their bid for re-election. Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington also handily defeated challenger Shellie Milne to keep his seat on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.

Temecula City Councilman Michael McCracken and Murrieta City Councilman Harry Ramos both lost their races. Former Murrieta City Councilman Kelly Seyarto will return to the dais in that city, while in Temecula, James Stewart, a former member of the Rancho California Water District Board will take help shape the future of Temecula.

Lake Elsinore City Council won’t see any changes as Natasha Johnson, Steve Manos and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Magee easily defeated the competition in that city.

Two one-cent sales tax measures, Menifee’s Measure DD and Hemet’s Measure U – easily won voter approval, while Temecula’s Measure S is still too close to call with only 240 votes between passage or failure and five precincts left to be counted.

San Jacinto City Council incumbents Crystal Ruiz and Andrew Koyuk both won their seats, Hemet District 1 will be represented by Karlee Meyer and District 3 will be represented by Michael Perciful.

At the state level, incumbent 67th Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez easily won her race as did Marie Waldron with the 75th Assembly District and Chad Mayes in the 42nd Assembly District. Assemblyman Brian Jones did not run for re-election in the 71st District and will be replaced by Randy Voepel.

Representatives Raul Ruiz, Ken Calvert and Duncan Hunter all retained their seats with the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 36th, 42nd and 50th districts, respectively. Attorney General Kamala Harris easily defeated Lorretta Sanchez for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer.

Twelve of the 17 statewide ballot measures won approval of California voters, including Prop.64 which legalizes medical marijuana, Prop. 56, a $2 cigarette tax, Prop. 57 which will shorten sentences for non-violent criminals in California jails and Prop. 63 requiring background checks for ammunition purchases. Prop 62, ending the death penalty failed as did Props 53, 60, 61 and 65.

President                              Popular                 Electoral

Hillary Clinton              59,113,249                 218

Donald Trump               58,975,438                 279

Candidate                             Votes                      Percentage

U.S. Senator – 23,215 of 24,849 precincts reporting

Kamala D. Harris            4,776,476                 62.7%

Loretta L. Sanchez         2,845,858                  37.3%

U.S. Representatives 36^th Congressional District – 274 of 428 precincts reporting

Raul Ruiz (I)                         88,495                   60.9%

Jeff Stone                              56,900                   39.1%

U.S. Representative 42nd Congressional District  – 111 of 413 precincts reporting

Ken Calvert (I)                     85,797                   60.1%

Tim Sheridan                       56,870                   39.9%

U.S. House of Representatives 50th Congressional District – 559 or 592 precincts reporting

Duncan Hunter (I)               97,548                   64.0%

Patrick Malloy                     54,879                   36.0%

State Assembly 42nd District – 313 of 418 precincts reporting

Chad Mayes (I)                    65,777                   58.2%

Greg Rodriguez                   47,330                   41.8%

State Assembly 67th District – 172 of 244 precincts reporting

Melissa Melendez (I)          66,685                   65.0%

Jorge Lopez                          35,959                   35.0%

State Assembly 71st District – 437 of 493 precincts reporting

Leo Hamel                            30,472                   34.4%

Randy Voepel                      58,112                   65.6%

State Assembly 75th District – 353 of 377 precincts reporting

Marie Waldron (I)               60,452                   63.5%

Andrew Masiel Sr.               34,688                   36.5%

State Assembly 67th District – 919 of 1,037 precincts reporting

Mike Morrell (I)               122,105                   57.9%

Ronald J. O’Donnell            88,625                   42.1%

County Supervisor 3rd District – 194 of 283 precincts reporting

Chuck Washington (I)        50,193                   59.08%

Shellie Milne                        35,267                   40.92%

Canyon Lake City Council – 3 of 3 precincts reporting

Larry B. Green                     2,093                     27.75%

Randy Bonner                      1,886                     25.01%

Jordan Ehrenkranz              1,516                     20.10%

George H. Middle                1,074                     14.24%

David A. Eilers                         972                     12.89%

Temecula City Council – 27 of 32 precincts reporting

Michael McCracken (I)        3,062                     7.92%

Michael S. Naggar (I)        11,254                   29.09%

Ronald Bradley                      4,453                   11.51%

James Cooley                         3,082                     7.97%

Jeffrey Frichner                      1,781                     4.60%

Angel Garcia                          2,903                     7.50%

Adam Ruiz                              4,453                   11.55%

James Stewart                        6,643                   17.17%

Sklyer Tempel                        1,037                     2.68%

Murrieta City Council – 20 of 31 precincts reporting

Randon Lane (I)                    9,458                   26.51%

Harry Ramos (I)                     2,880                     8.07%

Kelly Seyarto                         8,169                    22.89%

Robert Tyler                           5,775                   16.18%

Keelan McCullough              4,228                   11.85%

Brian Barton                          5,173                   14.50%

Menifee Mayor – 32 of 56 precincts reporting

Scott Mann (I)                       9,757                   48.72%

Neil Winter                           10,269                   51.28%

Lake Elsinore City Council – 14 of 15 precincts reporting

Natasha Johnson (I)            5,110                      23.86%

Steve Manos (I)                   5,520                      25.77%

Robert Magee (I)                 5,199                      24.27%

Steve Martin                         3,603                      16.82%

Edwin Castro                       1,395                        9.06%

Hemet City Council

District 1 – 6 of 6 precincts reporting

Karlee Meyer                       1,607                      61.88%

Chuck Moore                          990                      38.12%

District 3 – 4 of 5 precincts reporting

Patty Axelrod                          837                      24.25%

Bryan Hash                             476                      13.79%

Michael Perciful                   1,295                      37.53%

Cameron Scott Broderick      843                      24.43%

District 4 – 4 of 5 completed precincts

Bonnie Wright (I)                1,972                      57.38%

Paul Valenzuela                   1,465                      42.62%

San Jacinto City Council – 12 of 18 precincts completed

Andrew Koyuk (I)               3,407                      31.63%

Crystal Ruiz (I)                    2,554                      23.15%

Ken Kidby                            1,591                      14.42%

James Pangrazzi                  1,219                      11.05%

Russ Utz                                2,261                      20.49%

Wildomar City Council District 2 – 4 of 4 precincts reporting

Dustin Nigg                             962                       65.04%

Linda Gonzales                      517                       34.96%

Local Measures                  yea                        nea

Temecula Measure S           9,960                     9,720   (27 of 32 precincts reporting)

Menifee Measure DD       12,871                     6,382   (32 of 56 precincts reporting)

Hemet Measure U                9,557                     6,626   (21 of 26 precincts reporting)

State Ballot Propositions – 6,785 of 24,849 precincts reporting

Prop 51                                  4,560,848              3,894,456

Prop 52                                  5,830,988              1,212,898

Prop 53                                  3,975,607              4,223,617

Prop 54                                  5,262,110              2,927,315

Prop 55                                  5,239,394              3,193,113

Prop 56                                  5,434,922              5,434,922

Prop 57                                  5,390,023              3,077,277

Prop 58                                  6,117,111              2,321,350

Prop 59                                  4,208,959              3,823,152

Prop 60                                  3,805,403              4,457,841

Prop 61                                  3,852,872              4,469,866

Prop 62                                  3,894,410              4,545,732

Prop 63                                  5,344,854              3,175,536

Prop 64                                  4,853,028              3,804,084

Prop 65                                  3,742,438              4,639,869

Prop 66                                  4,117,942              3,975,870

Prop 67                                  4,384,791              4,042,748

UPDATE: 12:25 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9

Supervisor Chuck Washington is maintaining his lead over Shellie Milne to retain his 3rd District seat on the Board of Supervisors, according to the most recent poll results posted by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

Representative Duncan Hunter is still showing a hefty lead over challenger Patrick Malloy for his seat in the 50th Congressional District. Incumbents Raul Ruiz and Ken Calvert are also both leading their races for the 36th and 42nd Congressional Districts.

Incumbent Menifee Mayor Scott Mann is falling behind in his race, now down 171 votes to challenger Neil Winter. In Temecula, incumbent City Councilman Michael McCracken has fallen to fifth place in his race while Hemet Mayor Bonnie Wright moves forward to a comfortable lead over challenger Paul Valenzuela.

Here are the numbers as of midnight, Nov. 9.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

President                              Popular                 Electoral

Hillary Clinton              56,391,149                 218

Donald Trump               57,292,822                 275

Candidate                             Votes                      Percentage

U.S. Senator – 5,237 of 24,849 precincts reporting

Kamala D. Harris            2,150,201                 67.3%

Loretta L. Sanchez         1,045,768                  32.7%

U.S. Representatives 36^th Congressional District – 122 of 428 precincts reporting

Raul Ruiz (I)                         66,651                   60.5%

Jeff Stone                              43,525                   39.5%

U.S. Representative 42nd Congressional District  – 111 of 413 precincts reporting

Ken Calvert (I)                     59,142                   61.3%

Tim Sheridan                       37,555                   38.8%

U.S. House of Representatives 50th Congressional District – 233 or 592 precincts reporting

Duncan Hunter (I)               50,906                   63.1%

Patrick Malloy                     29,738                  36.9%

State Assembly 67th District – 61 of 244 precincts reporting

Melissa Melendez (I)          46,059                   65.7%

Jorge Lopez                          24,013                   34.3%

County Supervisor 3rd District – 103 of 283 precincts reporting

Chuck Washington (I)        37,560                   59.04%

Shellie Milne                        26,053                   40.96%

Temecula City Council – 0 of 32 precincts reporting

Michael McCracken (I)        1,833                     8.50%

Michael S. Naggar (I)           6,130                   28.41%

Ronald Bradley                      2,843                   13.18%

James Cooley                         1,620                     7.51%

Jeffrey Frichner                      1,025                     4.75%

Angel Garcia                          1,576                     7.30%

Adam Ruiz                              2,382                   11.04%

James Stewart                        3,612                   16.74%

Sklyer Tempel                           556                     2.58%

Murrieta City Council – 1 of 31 precincts reporting

Randon Lane (I)                    7,758                   26.98%

Harry Ramos (I)                     2,283                     7.94%

Kelly Seyarto                         6,508                    22.64%

Robert Tyler                          4,632                   16.11%

Keelan McCullough              3,452                   12.01%

Brian Barton                          4,118                   14.32%

Menifee Mayor – 20 of 56 precincts reporting

Scott Mann (I)                      8,863                     49.52%

Neil Winter                           9,034                     50.48%

Lake Elsinore City Council – 0 of 15 precincts reporting

Natasha Johnson (I)            3,714                      24.12%

Steve Manos (I)                   3,923                      25.48%

Robert Magee (I)                 3,782                      24.56%

Steve Martin                         2,584                      16.78%

Edwin Castro                       1,395                        9.06%

Hemet City Council

District 1 – 3 of 6 precincts reporting

Karlee Meyer                       1,357                      62.02%

Chuck Moore                          831                      37.98%

District 3 – 1 of 5 precincts reporting

Patty Axelrod                          629                      24.79%

Bryan Hash                             354                      13.95%

Michael Perciful                      978                      38.55%

Cameron Scott Broderick      576                      22.07%

District 4 – 1 of 5 completed precincts

Bonnie Wright (I)                1,733                      58.15%

Paul Valenzuela                   1,247                      41.85%

San Jacinto City Council – 6 of 18 precincts completed

Andrew Koyuk (I)               2,771                      31.04%

Crystal Ruiz (I)                    2,077                      23.27%

Ken Kidby                            1,317                      14.75%

James Pangrazzi                     971                      10.88%

Russ Utz                                1,791                      20.06%

Local Measures                  yea                        nea

Temecula Measure S             6,496                   6,084   (0 of 32 precincts reporting)

Menifee Measure DD          11,714                   5,814   (20 of 56 precincts reporting)

Hemet Measure U                  7,802                   5,334   (5 of 26 precincts reporting)

State Ballot Propositions – 6,785 of 24,849 precincts reporting

Prop 51                                  2,128,745              1,963,068

Prop 52                                  2,850,855              1,212,898

Prop 53                                  1,997,803              1,989,707

Prop 54                                  2,532,048              1,442,283

Prop 55                                  2,514,987              1,582,599

Prop 56                                  2,588,360              1,591,608

Prop 57                                  2,643,962              1,455,438

Prop 58                                  2,963,881              1,125,138

Prop 59                                  2,063,527              1,851,667

Prop 60                                  1,868,762              2,116,688

Prop 61                                  1,840,433              2,181,688

Prop 62                                  1,825,556              2,263,195

Prop 63                                  2,585,893              1,543,626

Prop 64                                  2,302,969              1,873,230

Prop 65                                  1,809,742              2,254,752

Prop 66                                  2,058,520              1,868,257

Prop 67                                  2,090,094              1,997,362

UPDATE: 10:41 p.m.

Scott Mann, Menifee’s embattled mayor has slipped to second place falling behind challenger Neil Winters by only 152 votes with 40 precincts left to be counted.

Supervisor Chuck Washington appears to be the winner of his hotly contested 3rd District seat and all three one-cent sales tax measures – Temecula Measure S, Hemet Measure U and Menifee’s Measure DD – have been approved by voters.

In Temecula, Mayor Mike Naggar has a hefty lead over the challengers. As of this update, it appears that Michael McCracken will fall to challenger James Stewart. In Murrieta, Randon Lane maintains his lead, while incumbent Harry Ramos falls to the bottom of the field of 6.

In Hemet, Mayor Bonnie Wright maintains her lead in District 4. San Jacinto incumbents Crystal Ruiz and Andrew Koyuk maintain their leads.

Lake Elsinore incumbent council members Natasha Johnson, Steve Manos and Bob Magee all have comfortable leads over the two challengers, Steve Martin and Edwin Castro.

For complete and up to date results, visit www.myvalleynews.com.

President                              Popular                 Electoral

Hillary Clinton              49,735,254                 209

Donald Trump               50,834,460                244

Candidate                             Votes            Percentage

U.S. Senator – 5,237 of 24,849 precincts reporting

Kamala D. Harris            2,150,201                 67.3%

Loretta L. Sanchez         1,045,768                  32.7%

U.S. Representatives 36^th Congressional District – 122 of 428 precincts reporting

Raul Ruiz (I)                         66,651                   60.5%

Jeff Stone                              43,525                   39.5%

U.S. Representative 42nd Congressional District  – 111 of 413 precincts reporting

Ken Calvert (I)                     59,142                   61.3%

Tim Sheridan                       37,555                   38.8%

U.S. House of Representatives 50th Congressional District – 233 or 592 precincts reporting

Duncan Hunter (I)               50,906                   63.1%

Patrick Malloy                     29,738                  36.9%

State Assembly 67th District – 61 of 244 precincts reporting

Melissa Melendez (I)          46,059                   65.7%

Jorge Lopez                          24,013                   34.3%

County Supervisor 3rd District – 95 of 283 precincts reporting

Chuck Washington (I)        36,998                   59.07%

Shellie Milne                        25,639                   40.93%

Temecula City Council – 0 of 32 precincts reporting

Michael McCracken (I)        1,833                     8.50%

Michael S. Naggar (I)           6,130                   28.41%

Ronald Bradley                      2,843                   13.18%

James Cooley                         1,620                     7.51%

Jeffrey Frichner                      1,025                     4.75%

Angel Garcia                          1,576                     7.30%

Adam Ruiz                              2,382                   11.04%

James Stewart                        3,612                   16.74%

Sklyer Tempel                           556                     2.58%

Murrieta City Council – 1 of 31 precincts reporting

Randon Lane (I)                    7,758                   26.98%

Harry Ramos (I)                     2,283                     7.94%

Kelly Seyarto                         6,508                    22.64%

Robert Tyler                          4,632                   16.11%

Keelan McCullough              3,452                   12.01%

Brian Barton                          4,118                   14.32%

Menifee Mayor – 16 of 56 precincts reporting

Scott Mann (I)                      8,592                     49.56%

Neil Winter                           8,744                     50.44%

Lake Elsinore City Council – 0 of 15 precincts reporting

Natasha Johnson (I)            3,714                      24.12%

Steve Manos (I)                   3,923                      25.48%

Robert Magee (I)                 3,782                      24.56%

Steve Martin                         2,584                      16.78%

Edwin Castro                       1,395                        9.06%

Hemet City Council

District 1 – 3 of 6 precincts reporting

Karlee Meyer                       1,357                      62.02%

Chuck Moore                          831                      37.98%

District 3 – 0 of 5 precincts reporting

Patty Axelrod                          574                      25.36%

Bryan Hash                             314                      13.88%

Michael Perciful                      870                      38.44%

Cameron Scott Broderick      505                      22.32%

District 4 – 1 of 5 completed precincts

Bonnie Wright (I)                1,733                      58.15%

Paul Valenzuela                   1,247                      41.85%

San Jacinto City Council – 4 of 18 precincts completed

Andrew Koyuk (I)               2,551                      30.98%

Crystal Ruiz (I)                    1,909                      23.18%

Ken Kidby                            1,232                      14.96%

James Pangrazzi                     898                      10.91%

Russ Utz                                1,644                      19.97%

Local Measures                  yea                        nea

Temecula Measure S             6,496                   6,084   (0 of 32 precincts reporting)

Menifee Measure DD          11,348                   5,642   (16 of 56 precincts reporting)

Hemet Measure U                  7,608                   5,228   (4 of 26 precincts reporting)

State Ballot Propositions – 6,785 of 24,849 precincts reporting

Prop 51                                  2,128,745              1,963,068

Prop 52                                  2,850,855              1,212,898

Prop 53                                  1,997,803              1,989,707

Prop 54                                  2,532,048              1,442,283

Prop 55                                  2,514,987              1,582,599

Prop 56                                  2,588,360              1,591,608

Prop 57                                  2,643,962              1,455,438

Prop 58                                  2,963,881              1,125,138

Prop 59                                  2,063,527              1,851,667

Prop 60                                  1,868,762              2,116,688

Prop 61                                  1,840,433              2,181,688

Prop 62                                  1,825,556              2,263,195

Prop 63                                  2,585,893              1,543,626

Prop 64                                  2,302,969              1,873,230

Prop 65                                  1,809,742              2,254,752

Prop 66                                  2,058,520              1,868,257

Prop 67                                  2,090,094              1,997,362

ORIGINAL STORY:

Polls in California closed at 8 p.m. and results are beginning to trickle in for the local races. In the 3rd District Supervisor race, Incumbent Chuck Washington leads challenger Shellie Milne.

Menifee Mayor Scott Mann, who was recently censured by that city’s council, currently is ahead of challenger Neil Winters but only by a small margin. In Murrieta Incumbent Randon Lane and former Councilman Kelly Seyarto are leading the race while in Temecula both Mike Naggar and Michael McCracken are looking to retain their seats. All three incumbents in Lake Elsinore are poised to retain their seats.

Three cities have one cent tax measures on the ballot to  be used for public safety. Hemet’s Measure U, Temecula Measure S and Menifee’s Measure DD all are headed towards approval by those cities’ voters.

The following are the results from the first report issued by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

President                              Popular                 Electoral

Hillary Clinton              49,735,254                 209

Donald Trump               50,834,460                244

Candidate                             Votes                      Percentage

U.S. Senator

Kamala D. Harris            544,908                     67%

Loretta L. Sanchez          267,824                    33%

U.S. Representatives 36^th Congressional District

Raul Ruiz (I)                         62,416                   60.5%

Jeff Stone                              40,814                   39.5%

U.S. Representative 42nd Congressional District

Ken Calvert (I)                     52,588                   61.3%

Tim Sheridan                       33,195                   38.7%

U.S. House of Representatives 50th Congressional District

Duncan Hunter (I)              44,468                 62.9%

Patrick Malloy                     26,222                  37.1%

State Assembly 67th District

Melissa Melendez (I)          41,614                   65.7%

Jorge Lopez                          21,743                   34.3%

County Supervisor 3rd District

Chuck Washington (I)        31,633                   59.5%

Shellie Milne                        21,529                   40.50%

Temecula City Council – 0 of 32 precincts reporting

Michael McCracken (I)        1,806                     8.56%

Michael S. Naggar (I)           5,998                   28.44%

Ronald Bradley                      2,800                   13.28%

James Cooley                         1,575                     7.47%

Jeffrey Frichner                         992                     4.70%

Angel Garcia                          1,528                     7.24%

Adam Ruiz                              2,327                   11.03%

James Stewart                        3,527                   16.72%

Sklyer Tempel                           538                     2.55%

Murrieta City Council – 1 of 31 precincts reporting

Randon Lane (I)                    5,827                   27.42%

Harry Ramos (I)                     1,631                     7.67%

Kelly Seyarto                         4,737                    22.29%

Robert Tyler                          3,326                   15.65%

Keelan McCullough              2,650                   12.47%

Brian Barton                          3,081                   14.50%

Menifee Mayor – 16 of 56 precincts reporting

Scott Mann (I)                      7,022                     50.84%

Neil Winter                           6,791                     49.16%

Lake Elsinore City Council – 0 of 15 precincts reporting

Natasha Johnson (I)            2,879                      23.87%

Steve Manos (I)                   3,012                      24.97%

Robert Magee (I)                 3,014                      24.99%

Steve Martin                         2,048                      16.98%

Edwin Castro                       1,109                        9.19%

Hemet City Council

District 1 – 3 of 6 precincts reporting

Karlee Meyer                       1,117                      61.64%

Chuck Moore                          695                      38.36%

District 3 – 0 of 5 precincts reporting

Patty Axelrod                          568                      25.36%

Bryan Hash                             310                      13.84%

Michael Perciful                      862                      38.48%

Cameron Scott Broderick      500                      22.32%

District 4 – 1 of 5 completed precincts

Bonnie Wright (I)                1,527                      58.35%

Paul Valenzuela                   1,090                      41.65%

San Jacinto City Council – 4 of 18 precincts completed

Andrew Koyuk (I)               2,194                      31.19%

Crystal Ruiz (I)                    1,593                      22.64%

Ken Kidby                            1,073                      15.25%

James Pangrazzi                     761                      10.82%

Russ Utz                                1,414                      20.10

Local Measures                  yea                        nea

Temecula Measure S           6,328                      5,968   (0 of 32 precincts reporting)

Menifee Measure DD          9,156                      4,469   (16 of 56 precincts reporting)

Hemet Measure U                6,829                      4,671   (4 of 26 precincts reporting)

State Ballot Propositions

Prop 51                                     715,637              701,461

Prop 52                                    976,112              430,967

Prop 53                                    689,252              693,560

Prop 54                                     860,996              527,224

Prop 55                                     856,507              563,506

Prop 56                                     884,563              562,274

Prop 57                                     909,285              506,490

Prop 58                                  1,024,046              391,456

Prop 59                                     718,745              637,299

Prop 60                                     610,369              765,630

Prop 61                                     625,875              765,252

Prop 62                                     631,490              789,661

Prop 63                                     870,243              565,943

Prop 64                                     796,054              659,567

Prop 65                                     632,356              783,038

Prop 66                                     712,801              650,499

Prop 67                                     737,020              690,344

The post UPDATED: Mann loses bid for re-election, city of Temecula remains hopeful for Measure S approval appeared first on Valley News.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. From military war veterans to first responders and even doctors, Murrieta celebrates them all with the ninth annual Field of Honor.

Hosted by the Rotary Club of Murrieta, the event serves as a focal point for the community’s annual remembrance of the sacrifices made by brave men and women who chose to serve in the Armed Forces or in the public safety sector. The weeklong patriotic event pays honor and expresses thanks to those who have served and those who continue to serve the citizens of the United States of America.

The event opened Saturday, Nov. 5, in Murrieta’s Town Square Park located on the corner of Kalmia and Jefferson and will continue through Saturday, Nov. 12. The event features over 2,000 flags flying in silent testament to our personal heroes, soldiers, first responders, veterans and others, those who dedicate their lives to make ours better, according to Murrieta Rotary’s Director Of Public Relations Jann Gentry.

The Field of Honor played host to a number of activities throughout the week. Each year the event grows and evolves with the expansion of those activities along with the Field of Honor. One of the highlights for volunteers is the hundreds of fifth-graders who come from area schools to visit the field and learn the history that goes along with it. More than 3,000 students visited the field Monday through Thursday as docents and teachers led them on tours throughout the park visiting the war memorials, the Medal of Honor recipients section, the historic flags section, Local Heroes section and new this year, the 50 state flags section.

“One of the things that is growing is the kind of response we are getting and the number of people involved,” she said.

Gentry said the number of students who will visit the Field of Honor has more than doubled with the addition of the new students who toured the Field throughout the week. Students taking the tour are educated on the flags, the sacrifices, the history and what the field is all about. She said the group is excited to reach out to more children in their efforts to teach them about patriotism.

“This is the age at which they are learning about our country and the wars and the things that make our country great,” she said. “How do you give them real life visual effects that this is what happened and this is why we are free? So having more than 3,000 students attending the Field is very exciting for us.”

This year’s event opened with the inaugural “Run Forest Run” 5k which featured hundreds of runners. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation which builds specialty homes for wounded warriors.

Also new this year was the Military Family Expo hosted by the Women’s Council of Realtors Riverside County. All vendors at the expo had a service or product geared to military personnel and their families. Paul Mitchell the School of Temecula conducted a Cut-a-thon where haircuts ranged from $5 to $10. About 30 student stylists were on-hand at the event.

Returning this year was the Patriots Chalk Walk which was completely full, the Veterans Luncheon, and the candlelight concert featuring MVUSD Middle Schools combined choir held Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. According to Gentry, this year also had a record number of sponsors and for the first time ever featured the state flag from all 50 states.

The Marine Corps Birthday celebration was held Thursday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. followed by the Final Salute, a flag retirement ceremony conducted by the Boy Scouts at 5 p.m. Over 500 flags that have served their country well were ceremoniously retired and give one, final salute.

Friday is Veterans Day and the City of Murrieta will hold its annual parade scheduled to finish at the park amid the flags. Saturday, Nov. 12, the Patriots Ball will officially close the field and honor this year’s selected heroes. The semi-formal Ball features a band, dinner, dancing and auctions.

The Field of Honor is open for viewing every day through Saturday from 9 a.m. to dusk. For more information on the Field of Honor and the full schedule, visit www.murrietafieldofhonor.com.

The Field of Honor is a fundraiser for the Murrieta Rotary Club so the club may continue to fund student scholarships, leadership camps for students, community projects and international concerns. For more information about the Rotary Club, visit www.MurrietaRotary.org.

The post Murrieta’s Field of Honor reflects on local heroes appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – Officers arrested a person for narcotics violations and a warrant after an early morning traffic stop Oct. 4. The traffic stop and arrest happened in the area of California Oaks Road and Hancock Avenue in Murrieta.

At the conclusion of the traffic stop, officers arrested Anthony Long, 44, of Murrieta, according to Murrieta Police Lieutenant Tony Conrad. A female who was with Long was released at the scene.

A Murrieta Police Officer conducted the traffic stop at 12:45 a.m., after observing a vehicle code violation. During the traffic stop, the officer identified the two occupants as Long and Julie Harrell. Officers conducted a records check that revealed Long was on Post Release Community Supervision probation for conspiracy and had an outstanding narcotics-related felony warrant for for his arrest. The check also revealed that Harrell was on probation for theft with search terms.

Officers arrested Long for his outstanding felony warrant.

Based on Long’s arrest and the terms of Harrell’s probation, officer’s searched the vehicle the pair were in. During their search officers discovered a “significant amount of methamphetamine, a digital scale, syringes, narcotics paraphernalia, plastic baggies and a large amount of cash,” according to Conrad.

Long was booked into jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation/sell controlled substance, and his felony warrant.

“This arrest is a great example of the proactive work our officers do on a daily basis as they partner with their community to make Murrieta a safe place to live and work,” Conrad said after the arrest.

The post MURRIETA: Traffic stop leads to arrest for drugs and warrant appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – A convicted felon who gunned down a San Jacinto man in an ambush-style attack stemming from bad blood between the men was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without parole.

A Murrieta jury last month convicted Juan Javier Mejia of first-degree murder with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait for the June 2013 shooting death of 23-year-old Ivan Ibarra Carrillo.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dennis McConaghy imposed the sentence required by law.

Mejia, 43, was apprehended near Mexico City on Feb. 20, 2015, after more than 18 months on the run. His co-defendant and half-brother, 26-year-old Abram Daniel Palacios, is still at large and facing the same charges.

According to court papers, Palacios allegedly wanted revenge against Carrillo because he believed the victim had orchestrated a home invasion robbery at his girlfriend’s house in October 2012.

The prosecution contended that Palacios had been looking for Carrillo for weeks. Mejia apparently volunteered to act as the hit man, later telling sheriff’s investigators that he had control of both handguns used to carry out the killing, according to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office.

When Palacios got word that Carrillo was in his neighborhood, only a block away, late on the afternoon of June 6, 2013, the defendant picked up Mejia in his girlfriend’s four-door Honda Accord, and the pair allegedly set off to find the victim’s Ford Excursion, court papers state.

Within minutes, they encountered the Excursion heading northbound on Las Rosas Drive, where the defendants allegedly pulled directly into the larger vehicle’s path at the intersection of Las Rosas and Osprey Street, forcing Carrillo to stop, according to prosecutors.

Witnesses alleged that Mejia jumped out of the Honda and immediately opened fire with a .40 caliber pistol, expending 14 rounds, several of which struck the victim in the upper body. Mejia told detectives that when he ran out of bullets, he returned to the car and retrieved a 9mm handgun, then walked to the driver’s side window of the Excursion and fired two shots at point-blank range, striking Carrillo in the face and head. Prosecutors said that the victim was holding up his hands in an attempt to shield himself from the bullets.

The defendants sped away, and Carrillo died at the scene.

Palacios allegedly admitted to his girlfriend that evening that he and Mejia had gunned down Carrillo, and that the two men were planning to flee south of the border.

Less than two weeks later, sheriff’s detectives located Mejia’s ex-wife and four children, residing in an apartment on Sunrise Way in Palm Springs. The woman, whose identity was not released, revealed that the defendants had appeared at her residence on the night of June 18 and left three hours later.

An investigator said when he called Mejia’s mobile phone, the defendant “stated he was already in Mexico,” according to court documents.

Mejia has prior convictions for rape, assault with intent to commit rape and burglary. Palacios has prior misdemeanor convictions for illegal possession of a controlled substance, making criminal threats and domestic abuse, according to court documents.

The post Felon who killed man on San Jacinto Street sentenced appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – A man suspected of stealing a car in San Diego was arrested in Murrieta Thursday with drugs and other contraband allegedly in his possession.

Ivan Roy Malabrigo, 34, of Bell Gardens was booked into the Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of auto theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, presenting false identification to a peace officer and failing to appear in court, resulting in misdemeanor and felony warrants for his arrest.

Malabrigo was being held without bail.

According to Murrieta police, a patrol officer spotted the suspect and another man on Clinton Keith Road, just off Interstate 215, about 2:45 a.m. and observed Malabrigo get out of the driver’s seat of the vehicle and allow the other man to slide in after the officer pulled behind them at a red light.

“Due to the suspicious behavior, the officer conducted a traffic stop,” said Lt. Tony Conrad. “A records check was conducted on the vehicle and the two occupants. The officer concluded that the name provided by the now-passenger was in fact not his true identity.”

Malabrigo was found to have several outstanding warrants, including one connected to a prior vehicle theft in a neighboring county, according to Conrad.

A check on the car confirmed that it had been stolen out of San Diego County three days earlier, he said.

“During a search of the vehicle subsequent to Malabrigo’s arrest, narcotics paraphernalia was located in the area he had been sitting in the vehicle,” the lieutenant said.

The man riding with the suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, was not wanted and was released after being questioned, according to Conrad.

The post Suspected car thief arrested during traffic stop appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – Murrieta Police Department has been awarded a $110,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for a yearlong program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries.

Murrieta Police Department will use the funding as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep its roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.

Chief Sean Hadden places great emphasis on traffic enforcement and crash prevention in Murrieta.  He stated, “This is a quality of life issue for our citizens and we appreciate the resources provided by the state with this grant as it will enhance our mission of partnering with our community and reducing the pain and suffering from needless traffic collisions.”

After falling to a 10 year low in 2010, the number of persons killed has climbed nearly 17 percent across the state with 3,176 killed in 2015 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Particularly alarming is the six year rise in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, along with the growing dangers of distracting technologies, and the emergence of drug-impaired driving as a major problem. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunken driving, speeding and crashes at intersections.

“Years of research tell us that enforcement and education work best jointly to combat unsafe driving,” said Office of OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “This grant brings both tactics together, with the Office of Traffic Safety and the Murrieta Police Department working in concert to help keep the streets and highways safe across Murrieta and the state.”

Activities that the grant will fund include: Educational presentations; DUI checkpoints; DUI saturation patrols; bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement; motorcycle safety enforcement; distracted driving enforcement; seat belt and child safety seat enforcement; speed, red light and stop sign enforcement; warrant service operations; targeting multiple DUI offenders Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders; specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST); advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE); and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE).

It also will include; court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from DUI court after ignoring their license suspension or revocation and stakeout operations to observe the “worst-of-the-worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended or revoked driver’s licenses.

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The post Murrieta Police win special traffic enforcement and crash prevention grant appeared first on Valley News.

MURRIETA – Murrieta Hot Springs Road was temporarily closed in both directions between Margarita and Whitewood Roads after a Southern California Edison power pole was severely damaged by a runaway trailer Sunday, Nov. 13. The trailer that was reportedly carrying a dune buggy had come lose from a pickup truck according to a Murrieta Fire official.

The trailer’s impact with the power pole left the pole leaning precariously over the eastbound lanes of the roadway. The accident happened after the trailer carrying the dune buggy came unhitched from a pickup truck that had been towing the trailer, according to Murrieta Fire Battalion Chief Steve Kean.

Southern California Edison personnel were summoned to the scene after the non-injury traffic collision to assess the damaged pole and de-energize the power lines so the pole could be replaced, Kean explained in a telephone interview.

The closure was reportedly impacting a number of commercial businesses along Margarita Hot Springs Road, due to patrons not being able to travel between the closures.

Although both directions of travel were initially closed to through traffic, westbound lanes were reopened about 4 p.m., according to Kean. There was no estimated time available for when eastbound lanes of traffic were expected to be reopened.

There were no reported injuries related to the traffic accident.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

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MURRIETA – A pickup truck that burst into flames on I-215 forced the temporary closure of the northbound lanes of traffic south of Clinton Keith Road in Murrieta Monday, Nov. 14.

A SigAlert that was issued by California Highway Patrol at 3:25 p.m., was lifted just over 30 minutes later, shortly before 4 p.m. However, traffic remained heavy through the area, with northbound lanes backed up beyond Murrieta Hot Springs.

CHP officers were notified about the vehicle fire about 2:58 p.m., after numerous motorists called 911 to report the blaze.

Callers told emergency dispatchers the vehicle, described as a small, older, blue pickup truck, was stopped in the center divider and had either exploded or burst into flames after either breaking down or hitting the center median. Several callers reported seeing a man running from the truck just before it erupted in flames.

The intense flames from the burning truck were blocking the number one and two lanes of northbound traffic and forced traffic to begin backing up in both directions as other motorists moved slowly past the blaze.

Murrieta Fire Department responded to the location to extinguish the fire and reported finding the truck fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters set up their rigs on the southbound side of the freeway to fight the blaze, further slowing traffic on both sides of the freeway. CHP officers arrived on scene about 3:10 p.m., shortly after the fire department began fighting the fire.

CHP officials issued the SigAlert just before 3:30 p.m. to ensure the safety of fire crews as they worked to knock down the vehicle fire.

Once firefighters had brought the blaze under control CHP officers lifted the SigAlert and traffic began moving slowly through the area. By 4:30 p.m., the destroyed truck had been removed from the scene and traffic flow had returned to normal speed.

No information regarding the man who had been seen fleeing from the vehicle when the fire started was immediately available.

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MORENO VALLEY – Nine U.S. military veterans who heeded their country’s wartime call to service and missed graduating from high school received their diplomas during a special ceremony Thursday, Nov. 11, in Moreno Valley. Among them was Walter Schedler, a 95-year-old World War II veteran from Murrieta.

Operation Recognition, now in its 10th year, honors veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War by awarding them their high school diplomas, even if they did not finish high school. The program, which awards high school diplomas to residents of the county who missed completing high school due to military service or due to internment in WWII Japanese-American relocation camps is sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education with assistance from the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services.

“Our veterans are qualified and well-deserving to receive diplomas,” said county Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young. “We want to do everything we can to make it possible for these outstanding individuals to share that experience with their family and friends.”

Schedler, a U.S. Army veteran, was the oldest veteran at the ceremony. He was in the California National Guard and was activated to full-time service after the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7. This year will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called “a date which will live in infamy.” The attack killed more than 2,400 naval and military personnel.

Schedler was at the Battle of Guadalcanal, where he and fellow soldiers “dug foxholes for hours and … spent a lot of time in them” enduring and repelling repeated wave of attacks by the Japanese. After his wartime service, Schedler became a cabinet maker, working in the business for nearly 30 years.

“After I got into adult life, I said, ‘Oh, boy, I should have stayed in high school,’” he said in a video interview before the ceremony. “‘Course I had to make a living so I did everything that I could to make a little money. I’ll be really happy to finally get my high school diploma.”

Schedler said he always wanted his high school diploma.

“I couldn’t go to college without it,” he said. “I got along in my adult life without it, but I will be glad to get it.”

The nine former service members, some in uniform, were clad in caps, tassels and stoles as they received their graduation certificates during a 2 p.m. ceremony at the Moreno Valley Conference & Recreation Center.

Operation Recognition was initiated in 2007, and since then, more than 300 veterans who reside in Riverside County have received diplomas.

The program is based on California Education Code 51440, which permits the retroactive granting of graduation certificates to honorably discharged or retired veterans who served while the country was on a war footing. All they have to do is sign up.

The Office of Education processes applications every year until the first week of October. To see a full video of Schedler’s story, to learn more about Operation Recognition or to sign up to receive a diploma, visit www.rcoe.us and search for Operation Recognition.

City News Service contributed to this story.

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MURRIETA – An alleged impaired driver was arrested after he traveled several miles in the wrong direction on the I-215 Freeway, Wednesday, Nov. 16. The man finally stopped on his own when he encountered highway construction blocking his path.

Once the man stopped for the construction, “deputies were able to stop the suspect from driving away from that location and detained him,” according to CHP Public Information Officer Mike Lassig.

Officials later identified the driver as Cameron Michael Yancey, 28, of Oceanside. He was detained by deputies and turned over to CHP officers to conduct a DUI investigation and was subsequently arrested.

In a press release about the incident and arrest, Lassig explained, “Witnesses notified the California Highway Patrol Border Communications Dispatch Center of a wrong way driver traveling southbound on the northbound side of I-215, just north of Nuevo Road.”

According to Lassig, an alert Riverside County sheriff’s deputy first spotted the speeding wrong way driver about 11:42 a.m., in a 2007 Dodge Challenger, at the Ramona Expressway in Perris.

The deputy who first located the wrong way driver was driving southbound on the 215 freeway. The deputy radioed for assistance from other deputies and CHP officers in the area as he paralleled Yancey. During the dangerous incident, Yancey allegedly reached speeds up to 80 miles per hour.

The deputy used his PA system and hand gestures to make contact with Yancey; however, the intoxicated man refused to pull over or stop, Lassig explained.

CHP officers and other deputies soon joined the first deputy, as they continued trying to get Yancey to stop and intercept him before he could cause an accident.

Yancey eventually stopped about 12:10 p.m., underneath the Newport Road bridge.

“As the suspect vehicle approached the Newport Road over-crossing in Menifee, the vehicle was unable to continue in the center divider due to construction,” Lassig said. “RSO deputies were able to stop the suspect from driving away from that location and detained him.”

“CHP arrived on scene and observed the suspect had objective signs and symptoms of intoxication,” Lassig said. “Following an investigation for DUI, CHP arrested the driver at approximately 12:10 p.m.”

A jail records search indicated Yancey was booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. He was released from jail a few hours later with a citation to appear Southwest Justice Center Jan. 17, 2017.

No one was injured during the wrong-way driving incident.

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“The future of Southern California is Murrieta,” said Bruce Coleman, Economic Development Director for the city of Murrieta at the recent 2016 Murrieta Economic Outlook. Coleman was just one of a panel of eight local leaders sharing their views on real estate, education, health care, public safety and economic development.

Local business and civic leaders, chamber members, residents and entrepreneurs attended the annual event. Breakfast was provided by New Life Culinary Creations.

Real estate:

Gene Wunderlich, Government Affairs Director for the Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors, reported that housing sales for the year are up 6 to 7 percent and median home prices are up 5 to 6 percent. Inventory (supply is at 2-3 months) has been down for the past three years, helping to fuel the rise in prices. Although prices had dropped 42 percent due to the recession, they have rebounded nicely with the median price of homes rising from $254,000 in 2010 to $385,000 in 2016, representing a healthy gain in equity for homeowners.

“We are one of the most underbuilt counties in California,” said Wunderlich, “short of demand by about 65,000 homes. Our housing affordability is only 41 percent in Riverside County compared with 13 percent in San Francisco where the median price of homes is $1.4 million. Rising prices in both home sales and rentals make it hard on the workforce.”

Wunderlich said that “economic growth is painfully slow at 2 percent annually,” but that job growth at 3.2 percent is just behind Silicon Valley (3.8 percent).

Despite the uncertainty of socio-economic and political factors, Wunderlich expects a 1.4 percent growth in residential home sales and a 4.3 percent increase in median prices.

Education:

Patrick Kelly, Superintendent of the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, gave an extremely positive report on local schools. MVUSD serves almost 23,000 students in 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools and one alternative high school. The district employs 2,180 full-time employees.

The schools are ranking at the top in Riverside County in academic achievement, graduation rates and college readiness. MVUSD is one of only 11 out of approximately 1,000 school districts recognized as a CBEE Honor Roll District with 13 schools named as CBEE Honor Roll Schools, 12 Distinguished Schools, and four California Gold Ribbon Schools. CBEE is the Campaign for Business & Education Excellence. He cited a robotics team is top in the nation and a Virtual Enterprise team is third in the nation.

According to Kelly, the district’s top three priorities are to increase student engagement and achievement, expand access to Career Technical Education opportunities, and to expand access to visual and performing arts.

They are actively seeking “to create a systematized way that students connect with the business community” and they are exploring programs with the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce.

“Every second-grader will get to learn ballroom dancing,” said Kelly.

Health care:

Brad Neet, CEO of Southwest health care Systems, shared his organization’s mission of “Building Relationships That Touch the Heart.” SWHCS has 240 beds, a Level II Trauma Center, Pediatric Emergency Center, a DaVinci® Surgical Robot, a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and the largest birthing center in the Valley with a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. SWHCS employs more than 500 doctors and 1,400 employees with an annual payroll of over $102 million. They pay local sales tax of over $1.38 million.

Last year they had more than 100,000 emergency room visits and 16,000 admissions.

“We need to move from competitor-centric to customer-centric and align our inventories accordingly,” said Neet.

Peter Baker, VP of Business Development for Loma Linda University Health System, reported that Loma Linda serves 1.5 million patients each year. Loma Linda has 15,000 employees, 5,000 students, and 750 resident physicians in six hospitals, eight schools and 10 institutions. It has over 800 physicians in 67 specialties.

As part of their “Vision 2020” program, Loma Linda is building a new adult hospital and a new children’s hospital. They are utilizing local contractors as much as possible to stimulate the local economy. They also are a key supporter of Abbott and spend $3.6 million annually for medical supplies with Medline.

“There is a lack of physician coverage in our community,” said Baker, “There are 346 primary care doctors and there should be 1,000. There are 38 pediatricians and there should be 100.”

“Kaiser Permanente, founded in 1945, is one of the largest nonprofit health care providers with more than 10.6 million members in the program,” said Vita Willett, Sr VP, Area Manager for Kaiser Foundation, Health Plan and Hospitals.

Locally, Kaiser has 680 physicians and 5000 employees in Riverside and Moreno Valley. The Murrieta campus in fall 2017 will have 200 physicians and 1500 employees. The new 35-acre campus, just north of Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta, will start with a medical office building as Phase I. They have 25-year entitlements for complete build-out.

Willett expounded on the use of technology in the medical field including integrated medical records, telemedicine and artificial intelligence.

Public safety:

Sean Hadden, Chief of Police for the Murrieta Police Department, emphasized his department’s mission of working together in partnership with the community to provide a high level of public safety and education. MPD currently has 94 sworn officers and 42 staff.

Hadden acknowledged Murrieta’s ranking as the second-safest city in the nation based on FBI crime statistics for cities with at least 100,000 population. Violent crimes (murders, forcible rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults) have been steadily declining in Murrieta from 122 in 2005 to 99 in 2009 to 68 in 2015.

However, Hadden voiced concerns on the effects of Proposition 47 (reducing certain felonies – specifically drugs and commercial burglaries – to misdemeanors) and AB 109 (providing for early release of prisoners to reduce prison overcrowding) on the recent crime in Murrieta.

“Many of these offenders are aware of the thresholds and know they will be back on the streets in no time,” he said.

According to Hadden, property crimes increased 16.7 percent between 2014 and 2015; violent crimes increased 15.94 percent. Violent crimes are down 9 percent so far this year.

Hadden also outlined the numerous programs that the MPD is involved with including Citizens’ Academy, Explorer Program, Ride-Along, Volunteer program as well as youth programs, like the Police Activities League.

Economic development:

“The City Council gave me one mandate: to aggressively pursue economic development,” said Coleman, “The City of Murrieta currently has a population of 114,000, median age of 34, 25 percent with a college degree, high family income, great schools, affordable housing, good quality of life, and room to grow. The city is business-friendly located in the center of Southern California with access to seven airports and a population of over 24 million within 90 miles.”

“We want to become a regional job center focused on health care, STEM and growing small businesses,” said Coleman. “We are forming partnerships to develop skilled workforces.”

In addition to the hospital facilities, Coleman noted the planned health care investments of Rady Children’s Hospital, Anthem Memory Care, Renaissance Villages, Health Care Resort of Murrieta, HealthSouth and Granite Rehabilitation.

Investments by the hospitality industry include Comfort Inn, Hampton, Residence Inn, Courtyard by Marriott and Holiday Inn Express.

Food and Beverage investments include Baron’s Market, Downtown Public, Golden Corral, Le Grange Grill and Cellars, 8-Bit Brewing, Electric Brewing Company, Inland Wharf Brewing Company. Some are slated for Downtown Murrieta development.

New retailers include Marshall’s, CVS and Sleep Train.

Coleman also noted companies involved in manufacturing such as iA Robotics and innovation like aerospace and medical devices.

Citing a 1 percent vacancy rate, Coleman stressed the need for business park development.

“Our Innovation Center represents our commitment to entrepreneurship,” said Coleman. “It provides entrepreneurship training and resources, UC Riverside technology transfer, Tech Coast Ventures, seed capital fund.

“Murrieta is benefiting from over $50 million in direct foreign investment,” said Coleman. The city has hosted delegations from two dozen countries and has established partnerships with the U.S. Department of Commerce and other trade organizations. “We hope to grow locally by exports.”

Lastly, Coleman described three infrastructure projects: the I-215 / Keller interchange, Whitewood Road, and the Clinton Keith Extension to Winchester Road.

“Why Murrieta?” asked Coleman, “Because it is the future of Southern California!”

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MURRIETA – A felon accused of stealing a Riverside County sheriff’s patrol car from the parking lot of a Wildomar hospital and leading deputies on a short pursuit was charged Wednesday, Dec. 7, with auto theft and other felonies.

Alvin James Smith, 31, was arrested Saturday after allegedly taking the patrol unit outside of Inland Valley Medical Center and driving it to nearby Lake Elsinore, where he was apprehended following a chase.

Along with the auto theft count, Smith is charged with felony evading, receiving stolen property, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, misdemeanor vandalism and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

He’s being held without bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta and was slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Durham, a deputy parked his patrol car in front of the hospital about 2:40 a.m. Saturday and went inside with a detainee to have the man medically cleared for booking at the Murrieta jail.

Durham alleged that while the deputy was in the emergency room, Smith busted into the locked patrol car, hot-wired the ignition and drove away.

The deputy was alerted to the theft and immediately requested assistance. Another patrol unit spotted the stolen cruiser moments later and gave chase, triggering a 10-minute pursuit that ended near the intersection of Joy and Machado streets in Lake Elsinore, where the defendant was forcibly taken into custody, according to Durham.

No deputies were injured.

Court records show that Smith has prior convictions for elder abuse, domestic violence and assault.

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The Nighthawks doubles team of Alyssa Karavitch and Natalie Duffy were ousted Wednesday, Nov. 30, in the round of 16 of the CIF-SS Individual Girls Tennis Championships, losing to Amanda Chan and Sophia Genender of Studio City’s Harvard-Westlake at the Seal Beach Tennis Center, 6-1 and 6-3.

The two girls, who spent their season playing as singles, teamed up for the Southwestern League finals, where they finished as runners-up. They went on to win their first four matches in the CIF-SS Individual tournament before falling to the Mission League champions last week.

Duffy, a freshman, will be one of the key pieces to Trent Warren’s Nighthawk program for the next few years and will be very valuable next season especially behind No. 1 Faith Pearson, who is only a sophomore. The senior, Karavitch, has received interest from quite a few college programs, but is still undecided on her plans for next year. The two were the only area doubles players to advance to the round of 16 this season and one of only two doubles teams to advance past the sectional round along with Murrieta Valley’s No. 1 doubles team of Kelsey Lajom and Alana Andrews.

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Jann Gentry

Special to Valley News

The Rotary Club of Murrieta saluted five military veterans for special honors during the 2016 Field of Honor. The veterans were recognized at the club’s annual Veterans Lunch at the Field of Honor in Town Square Park Monday, Nov. 5.and will be honored again at the Patriots Ball which closes the field Saturday, Nov. 12.

“The Field of Honor is all about Heroes, and we humbled by them all. Still, when we called for nominations for our 2016 Heroes, we received a good response from friends, family and acquaintances,” said Mike Stromsoe, Rotary president, “They were each singled out for their ‘Service Above Self.”

Three World War II veterans were among the honorees. Murrieta resident Saul “Berny” Anshen is 96 years old, a Pearl Harbor survivor and a B-24 bomber pilot with 50 bombing missions over Europe. He was a private in Honolulu when Pearl Harbor was attacked; after that, he came back to the States and learned to fly. Anshen was sent to Europe as a B24 pilot with the 15th Air Force. He had 39 years of military service when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following active duty service, he worked with Hughes and Lockheed aircraft companies, earned an MA and MBA, and was a business consultant, in addition to numerous other business endeavors.

Richard Harthun was a B-24 gunner and flew 33 missions. On a bombing mission in a B-24 Liberator, he witnessed the atomic blast which leveled Hiroshima Aug. 6, 1945. After the war, he left the Air Force, attended college and taught before spending 30 years working in the insurance business. Still, that early history has come back to him, with his wife’s encouragement to use the detailed diaries he kept during the war, to tell the story of his service. His book, “The Imperfect Lady,” was published in 2013. Richard is 89-year-old and lives in Sun City.

A U.S. Army sergeant, Ed Hustead served in both World War II and the Korean War. As an example of continuing Service Above Self, at 90 years old, Ed serves as commissioner of the Menifee Senior Softball League. He works tirelessly overseeing the league which has more than 100 players, and does all of the scheduling and the website. They play on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings at Wheatfield Park. Once a year, he and his wife, Linda, host a picnic for all of the players and their families.

David F. Barragan is a Retired Sergeant Major from the U.S. Marines. He served more than 27 years, and was involved in combat missions in both Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as serving in North and South America, the Middle East and Asia. Today, David is owner/president of Barragan Corp International, a strategic risk management firm located in Temecula. His passion is helping Marines transition from enlisted to civilian life.

Linda A. Cleary retired in 2014 as a Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force Reserve, Nurse Corps. Linda was in the Reserves for 28 years. She started her nursing career as a nursing assistant at Hemet Valley Hospital where she became a registered nurse. Looking for a little excitement she became a commissioned officer at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino. Her numerous deployments included Desert Storm, Restore Hope, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom plus Hurricanes Iniki, Katrina and Rita. While deployed to Afghanistan she earned a Bronze Star for exemplary service as the Commander of Aeromedical Evacuation. As a registered nurse/flight nurse she saved countless lives and earned numerous medals including the Air Medal and Aerial Achievement Medal. She retired from the 452 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at March Air Base, Riverside. She and her husband Warren L. Eastman, Colonel, USAF Reserves, reside in Temecula.

The Rotary Club’s Field of Honor is in its eighth year with American flags filling the Town Square Park in Murrieta each around of Veterans Day.

The Rotary Club of Murrieta was chartered April 28, 1992, and serves the City of Murrieta and area. The club is involved in many local area and several international projects in cooperation with Rotary International, which has as its theme “Service Above Self.” For information regarding Rotary membership and more, please visit www.murrietarotary.org.

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MURRIETA – A broken water main on Chaco Canyon Road just west of E. Hale Elementary School in Murrieta left city streets flooded and many residences without water Sunday, Dec. 11. Murrieta Fire and Rescue responded to reports of the broken water main about 9:44 p.m.

“When crews arrived, the asphalt surface of the road had begun to lift and crack and large amounts of water were observed flowing from beneath the street,” Murrieta Fire Department Press Information Officer Matt Corelli explained.

Emergency crews were able to quickly shut off the water valve, stopping the flow of water before more damage occurred.

Rancho Water Company and City of Murrieta Public works personnel arrived to assist in repairing the mater main and the road surface.

“Residences were temporarily without water but water service has been restored,” Corelli stated.

Chaco Canyon Drive between Troyes Lane and Chateney Lane will remain closed while the road repairs are made. The damaged roadway is expected to take two to three days to repair.

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MURRIETA – The City of Murrieta announced that after a nationwide search they have hired Linda Catherine Le as their new administrative services director.

“Ms. Le has an impressive resume and has had extensive involvement in finance, human resources and information services, with the county of Ventura for the last 17 years where she was most recently the assistant treasurer-tax collector and chief operations officer for the elected county treasurer-tax collector,” City Manager Rick Dudley said.

In her role as a County executive Le managed a staff of 40 full-time employees and was responsible for the day-to-day organizational operations of audits management; $1.4 billion tax collections; $5 billion treasury management; and $2.3 billion of investment management.  She was also responsible for establishing and maintaining the office’s information systems disaster recovery and backup procedures and information security and control structures.  She served as a project council member and director on the county’s recent information technology enterprise resource planning solution and the county’s property tax integrated system.

Before her recent role Le served as Ventura County program management analyst in the county Executive Office of Budget and Finance division where she was assigned to oversee policy, financial planning and analysis, revenue projection and budgeting, program evaluation and operation for a collective 18 departments with overall of $700 million in appropriations. She also managed and prepared the 5-year capital improvement plan; administered 16 contracts in the amount of $8.6 million; conducted the business process improvements portion of a countywide job classification review; conducted audits; and worked on legislative issues related to county government.  While at the county executive office, she staffed many boards and commissions, including the county’s supplemental law enforcement oversight committee for the Citizens’ Option for Public Safety program.

Also with the county of Ventura, Le served as the human resources manager where she managed 245 full-time employees and oversaw all aspects of recruitment, labor negotiations, investigations, developing employee programs, job classification reviews, benefits, payroll, program streamlining and much more.

Le has a master’s degree in public policy and administration; a Bachelor of Arts in applied research psychology; and certifications as a California municipal treasurer and public finance administrator from the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada just to name a few. She is very active in her community as a volunteer for Ventura County United Way’s scholarships program as well as a long list of groups that support her career responsibilities such as the Government Finance Officers Association and California Society of Municipal Finance Officers.

In Le’s spare time she serves as an adjunct professor for the Master’s Public Policy and Administration Graduate Program in Human Resource Management, Organizational Theory and Development and Directed Thesis programs at California Lutheran University. She also spends time with her family and is a long-distance runner.

“There are no words to match my gratitude for this incredible opportunity to learn from and work with the talented workforce of the City of Murrieta. I would like to thank Mr. Dudley and Ms. Summers for their willingness to have faith in my ability. I am committed to service excellence, and I will work very hard to contribute positive impacts to the city, its leadership and all residents,” Le said.

The duties of administrative services director include oversight of the finance, human resources, and information systems divisions within the city. Le will serve on the city’s executive team to assist in improving programs citywide. Her first day of work will be Jan. 2.

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