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Los Angeles Times •

In the Coachella Valley, a team of middle school girls is helping keep escaramuza alive 

COACHELLA, Calif. — Donning a bright red Adelita dress, a large beige sombrero and a silky bow tied to her hair, Rashel Zamorez rode her horse Bombón up to the starting line.She was preparing to compete in a friendly, untimed carrera con giros — an event in which riders guide their horses at top speed around a circular arena while completing three rotations at designated intervals.The race was the last act of her team’s performances, meant to show off their new skills to a small crowd of relativ...
Los Angeles Times •

The Chicano artist melting ice blocks in Riverside has a bigger story to tell

Some SoCal residents spent their summer at the beach, or at their local rooftop pool; others spent it indoors, hiding from ICE agents. It’s why Riverside artist Perry Picasshoe spent his summer documenting the melting of 36 ice blocks on sidewalks across the Inland Empire.He traveled to nine locations, a mix of parks, storefronts and gas stations, where immigration enforcement raids have taken place in the past few weeks. In each spot, he placed four 25-pound ice blocks on the ground and took ph...
Los Angeles Times •

After decades in prison, he transformed himself into the Inland Empire's homeboy news anchor

In prison and seemingly unable to escape a destructive cycle that began when he was a child, Ahmed Bellozo spent hours watching investigative journalism shows, educational documentaries and Huell Howser’s homespun travelogue, “California’s Gold.” It was a way, he said, to distract from his pain.Years later, out of prison and wanting a drastic change in his life, Bellozo turned to those shows for inspiration as he reinvented himself on social media as the star of “On the Tira” — a video series th...
Los Angeles Times •

Regional Mexican acts contributed millions of dollars at L.A.’s venues post-pandemic

During the final night of Grupo Firme’s 2021 stint of seven sold-out shows at what was then called Staples Center, frontman Eduin Caz launched into “En Tu Perra Vida” — “In Your Bitch Life” — by singing its chorus a capella.Standing in the back and wearing matching white Dodgers-inspired jerseys that read “Gracías L.A.,” the rest of the septet waited for Caz to finish before joining in. The crowd exploded with cheers and applause. “It was like a party happening onstage,” recalled Hallie Yavitch,...
KQED •

Tio's Tacos, a 30-Year Journey of Authentic Mexican Cuisine and Recycled Art

“I saw an opportunity in the garbage, in recycling,” Sanchez said. “I don’t have money to buy materials, but I have bottles. I have cans. I have what the restaurant throws away.”

Sanchez’s love for his hometown of Sahuayo, in the Mexican state of Michoacánis, is reflected in many of his pieces.

“Here we have ‘The Dance of the Old Men,’” Martín said as he pointed to a statue of traditional folk dancers in his back patio. “I always wanted to create different spaces. If you notice here, this dini
KQED •

Salvadoran American Voters in San Francisco Divided Over Tough-on-Crime Approach

Salvadorans are the second-largest Latino population in San Francisco, and with concerns about rising crime throughout the city, the idea of voting for a more law-and-order-leaning candidate is a political force in the community. Bukele’s popularity, however, has also moved progressives in the area to mobilize against the Salvadoran president’s influence abroad and in San Francisco.

Calderon, 73, is firmly in the law-and-order camp. She recounted the danger she faced in El Salvador from both it
Golden Gate Xpress •

Profesores de CFA participan en huelga en SFSU para un mejor contrato laboral

Daniel Hernandez (he/him) is a transfer student from the Inland Empire majoring in bilingual journalism. He also oversees Golden Gate Xpress' Spanish section. His passion for storytelling and journalism started after he bought his first camera six years ago. What began as a fascination for taking photos and videos grew into a passion for multimedia journalism. When he isn't researching for an article or working as the Spanish editor, he explores the Bay Area or falls down a YouTube rabbit hole.
Golden Gate Xpress •

Live Updates: CSU Board of Trustees votes to increase tuition

California State Student Association president Dominic Quan Treseler and students sitting in the meeting walk out.

The proposed amendment to reduce the five year tuition increase to four years fails 8-12.

Student trustee Diana Aguilar-Cruz has motioned to reduce the five-year hike proposal to four years as a way to compromise on students paying up to $7,682 by fall 2028. With this proposed amendment, tuition would be raised by $7,248 by fall 2027.

However, trustee Jack McGrory believes that t

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The Riverside Record •

Riverside Selects Entrepreneur Lorna Jenkins As Recipient Of Annual City Spirit Award

After brief deliberations, the Riverside City Council Tuesday selected education entrepreneur Lorna Jenkins as the 2025 City Spirit Award winner. 


“This is always a very difficult decision,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said during the April 7 meeting. “There’s no shortage of fantastic people in this community who serve and do it quietly, without much notice, so this is our opportunity to recognize them.”


The city council voted 6-1 to award Jenkins the honor reserved for community members de...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Officials Unveil New Chicano Art, Literature Section At Casa Blanca Library

A casual conversation over a shared interest in Chicano literature was the inspiration that led two Riverside officials to create a new permanent exhibit at the SSgt. Salvador J. Lara Casa Blanca Library dedicated to highlighting Latino art and literature. 


“Young people from this neighborhood are going to come into the library and they’re going to see themselves in the books, in the art,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Sean Mill, who worked on the space with Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medin...
The Riverside Record •

Court Sides With Riverside Resident, Orders City To Update Measure Z Ballot Language

A superior court judge this week ordered the city of Riverside to change the title and summary for its June 2 sales tax increase ballot measure, ruling in favor of  a resident who argued the language was biased and violated election code.


“The city made some, in my opinion, really weak arguments,” said Jason Hunter, who filed the suit last month, in an interview with The Riverside Record. “A win is a win is a win, but I think that [the judge] left some language in there that was still kind of...
The Riverside Record •

Court Rejects Riverside Ward 2 Candidate’s Legal Challenge Against Opponent’s Job Description

A judge has rejected Riverside City Council Ward 2 candidate Gracie Torres’ challenge to the ballot designation submitted by competitor Aram Ayra, ruling it could remain on the ballot for the June 2 election. 


“They were essentially attempting to strike my entire designation, which could have ended up with me just ending up on the ballot with basically nothing underneath my name,” Ayra said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “If you’re a lower turnout voter, or someone that doesn’t vo...
The Riverside Record •

CBU Wrestlers Say University Discriminated Against Male Athletes, Ask Court To Reinstate Program

After spending months protesting against the decision to cut their team, three California Baptist University (CBU) wrestlers have filed suit against the school in an effort to save the program. 


“I hope it works, so that way we can get back in the room and start training,” Jesse Vasquez, one of the three wrestlers who filed the lawsuit, said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “Everywhere else in the world is getting better, and I’m losing days.” 


The university announced January 2...
The Riverside Record •

Corona-Norco Unified Student Victoria Li Wins Riverside County Spelling Bee Second Year In A Row

After 16 rounds of competition, seventh grade Corona-Norco Unified student Victoria Li has won the county spelling bee. This was the second year in a row that she came out on top.


“I feel completely like I’m in bliss,” Li told The Riverside Record. “I could be in heaven right now, because I’m going back to [Washington] D.C.”


Twenty-nine elementary and middle school students from across the region competed March 26 in the 48th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee in downtown Riverside, all...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Council Approves 2 New Warehouses, Developers Promise Over $1M In Donations

Riverside officials cleared the way Tuesday for a real estate firm to build two new warehouses inside of its industrial sector in exchange for more than $1 million in donations to the city and local higher education institutions.“It’s going to bring jobs, bring in public art [and] workforce opportunities for our city,” Councilmember Sean Mill said. “This project doesn’t just transform this site, they’re going to transform that whole neighborhood.”


The Riverside City Council voted unanimously...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Council Approves Civil Rights Walk Project Highlighting Local Historical Landmarks

The Riverside City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to use almost $3 million in state grant money to fund the Riverside Civil Rights Walk project, a self-guided tour through 24 local historical sites across Ward 1. Councilmembers Philip Falcone and Jim Perry were absent.


“This is what the museum of the 21st century looks like,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said during the March 24 city council meeting. “It’s a totally different reimagining of experiencing history.” 


The project will create...
The Riverside Record •

RUSD Looks To Prioritize Community, Student Voices In Updated Strategic Plan

Trustees of the Riverside Unified School District said they wanted to prioritize school safety, community engagement and data-driven results during a workshop discussion about setting goals for the next five years. 


“Integrity, trust and transparency are really important to the community,” Board President Noemi Hernandez Alexander said at the March 19 meeting. “I would like to be able to articulate the commitment…we have to maintain the trust of our families because we acknowledge how valuabl...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Officials Planning Community Forums On Future Of Cesar Chavez Monument, Building

Following several sexual abuse accusations against labor rights leader Cesar Chavez, Riverside officials said they planned to ask residents, especially Latino communities, about the future of a city building and monument dedicated to him and his work.


“Being strategic in anything that we do — being thoughtful in our approach — is always more prudent than trying to be the fastest and the first to do everything,” said Councilmember Philip Falcone, who represents the ward where both memorials ar...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Whistleblower Sues City Over Measure Z Ballot Language

A Riverside whistleblower has filed a lawsuit against the city alleging that the ballot language for the June 2 Measure Z election is biased and violates election code. 


“I’d like to get an actual fair and impartial ballot title and ballot summary,” Jason Hunter, who filed the lawsuit March 13, told The Riverside Record. “Our government has a really hard time — and the city of Riverside in particular — telling people the truth, because they’re afraid that if you actually told them the truth,...
The Riverside Record •

Local Electric Motor Company Says It’s On Track With Production, Hiring

More than a year after Voltu Motor opened its headquarters in Riverside, the company unveiled its flagship heavy-duty electric truck March 19 to prospective buyers.


“The people from the county, both Riverside and San Diego, that were here today are really excited about this,” said Voltu Motor owner George Gebhart. “Let’s see how it’s rolled out, but everyone wants to jump in once they see the vehicle…can do what it needs [and] what is required.”


The truck, called the Voltu3, starts with th...
The Riverside Record •

National Organization Files Petition To Reform Title IX On Behalf Of CBU’s Discontinued Men’s Athletic Teams

As both the men’s and women’s California Baptist University (CBU) basketball teams prepare for March Madness, supporters of three discontinued men’s sports programs continued their push for the university to change course.


An organization focused on reforming federal gender equity rules announced during a Tuesday press conference in front of CBU that it had filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of the three programs. 


“We ask the administration to help us today,”...
The Riverside Record •

Oversight Committee Says Riverside Unified Used Measure O Funds Appropriately Over Last Fiscal Year

An independent committee told the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) Board of Education Thursday that its annual review of Measure O bond funds found the district had used the money in accordance with the law during the last fiscal year. 


“I know it’s not always glamorous or fun, but it’s important and necessary,” Trustee Brent Lee said during the March 12 board meeting. “Not only to be in compliance with the state law, but also reassure the public that their dollars are being spent how...
The Riverside Record •

Report Shows Riverside ‘Far Behind’ State Affordable Housing Requirements

Over the past five years, the city of Riverside has permitted less than 4% of state-mandated housing units for residents making below $90,000 a year, according to data provided by the city. The same data also showed the city has permitted more than 40% of its required market-rate housing units for residents making more than $90,000 per year.


“I see that there are too many homeless people due to the fact that the rent is so high right now,” Rose Mayes, executive director of the Fair Housing Co...
The Riverside Record •

Opposing Teams Wear ‘Keep CBU Wrestling’ Shirts At Big 12 Tourney

This past weekend at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship, college wrestling teams from across the country wore “Keep CBU Wrestling” apparel in solidarity with the California Baptist University (CBU) wrestling team. 


“We’re really thankful that all these other teams are able to amplify our voice when we don’t have one,” Tristan Kemp, a CBU wrestler who competed at the tournament, said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “Even at a tournament with [such] high stakes, at the end of the day,...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Begins Search For City’s First Inspector General

Three months after voting to formally create the Office of the Inspector General, overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2024, the city of Riverside announced Tuesday the search for a candidate has begun. 


“As of today, the recruitment is officially open,” Miriana Gonzalez, the city’s human resources director, told the Riverside City Council at the March 3 meeting. “All qualified applicants and candidates are invited to apply.”


This announcement was the latest step taken by the city to accom...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Voters To Decide Future Of Measure Z Sales Tax In June 

Riverside voters will soon decide whether to increase sales tax in the city to cover the cost of improving the city’s fire department. 


The Riverside City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to add a ballot measure in the June 2 primary election that, if passed, would not only extend the city’s 1% Measure Z sales tax past its current 2036 deadline, but also increase it to 1.25%.


If approved by voters in November, the additional revenue would mostly be used to cover the costs of  a massive “...
The Riverside Record •

ACLU, Law Firm Reps Urge Riverside To Reconsider Affordable Housing Vote

Representatives from three nonprofit law firms said the Riverside City Council’s decision to reject millions in state grant funding for an affordable housing project violated the law and could leave the city vulnerable to legal action. 


“This issue is not about politics, it’s about legal compliance and civil rights,” Veronica Garcia, the Inland Counties Legal Services’ housing practice group director, said at a Tuesday press conference outside of Riverside City Hall. “[The city] has an obliga...
The Riverside Record •

At The Riverside County Science Fair, The Experiments Are Just The Beginning

High school senior and multi-sport athlete Azalea Manco has spent the last few months researching the impact of wearing a weighted vest during cardio workouts after an Army recruiter encouraged her to train while carrying a heavy backpack. 


“I started researching weighted vests and they have been used for the military [and] for people in general, who want to practice strength training,” Manco said. “And I thought, ‘What better way than to go to the gym and put on a weighted vest and run?’”...
The Riverside Record •

Alvord Unified Approves Layoffs Citing Decreased Enrollment, Budget Instability

In an effort to reduce spending amid county concerns of budget instability, the Alvord Unified School District Board of Education unanimously voted February 12 to lay off up to 123 employees by the fall semester. 


“District enrollment has steadily declined while staffing levels have remained comparatively high,” the district wrote in a statement. “To align staffing with enrollment and maintain a balanced budget, the district is planning a roughly 10% reduction in non-management certificated p...
The Riverside Record •

Riverside Fire Department To Begin Annual Home Inspections In Response To New Fire Maps

Riverside homeowners living in areas the state says are prone to wildfires will be receiving a letter in the next few months about upcoming property inspections. 


The Riverside Fire Department (RPD) said at Tuesday’s council meeting that the Defensible Space Inspection Program was specifically for homes in high-risk fire hazard zones. 


“The primary goal of our inspection program is to educate our property owners of their responsibility to maintain their properties in a fire-safe condition,...
The Riverside Record •

Residents Talk Lawsuits, Recall In Response To Riverside Council’s Affordable Housing Project Vote

Local organizers have been brainstorming ways to maintain pressure on the Riverside City Council after weeks of failed attempts to convince the majority of the members to reconsider accepting millions in state funding for an affordable housing project. 


“People are really ready to act,” Janice Rooths, a longtime advocate who mediated the conversation, told The Riverside Record. “We need them to go out and vote for the candidates [to] get them elected, go out and recall candidates because that...
The Riverside Record •

RUSD Board Faces Criticism Over Viral Video, Clause In New ICE-Related Policy

A week after a video posted online showed a principal confronting two student protesters, more than a dozen community members demanded the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) Board of Education take action to better protect the free speech rights of students and create stronger immigration enforcement policies. 


“As educators, we are called to support our students and give them wings to make change in their communities,” Daniel Calderon, an RUSD employee, told the board at the February 1...
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