Inland Empire | rialtonow

Fire Tears Through Closed Rialto Business

02 Feb 2019 Leave a comment

Rialto, CA – Victim Rescued in Vacant Building Fire

Rialto Firefighters were dispatched to the 400 block of W. Foothill Blvd. shortly after 10:30 a.m. this morning. The first unit arrived on scene approximately 5 minutes after dispatch to find a vacant building with heavy smoke coming from a side door. The building was formerly Inland Empire Sewing & Vacuum repair shop and had been had been boarded up. One man who didn’t give us his name claimed that he was living inside this building. (see photo below)

Bystanders on scene reported one victim trapped inside of the building. Crews made quick entry to the building to perform an interior search. A female was discovered and a rescue was performed. The patient was in full arrest and brought to paramedics waiting outside of the building. Resuscitation efforts were started immediately and the patient was transported to local ER in critical condition.

The building a business that had been closed for some time now seems to have become a haven for homeless people. Shuttered businesses along the portion of Route 66 that runs through our city have become a common sight sadly.

Fire was knocked down 17 minutes after the first unit arrived on scene. Rialto Fire Arson Unit is on scene to conduct an investigation in coordination with Rialto Police Department. Two arrests have been made.

Crews were able to keep the fire to one alarm with assistance from San Bernardino County Fire and Rialto Fire. No other injuries were reported. Monetary loss from the fire is still being tabulated. The cause of the fire remains under active investigation.

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Rialto Police Track Down Hit & Run Suspect

02 Feb 2019 3 Comments

Photo from Rialto Police Facebook Page

On January 27^th at approximately 9:05 a.m., the Rialto Police Department received several 9-1-1 calls from citizens reporting that a young female was struck by a car in the 1500 block of Rialto Ave, in the City of Rialto. After the 14 year old pedestrian was struck, the driver in the suspect vehicle fled the scene without stopping. Rialto police officers arrived on scene within minutes and found the young girl lying in the roadway. The Rialto Fire Department arrived on scene and she was transported to Loma Linda University Hospital with severe head injuries. She is currently receiving emergency medical treatment.

Through an initial investigation which included witness statements, the suspect vehicle was described as a dark colored Jeep last seen eastbound on Rialto Ave, and then northbound Cedar Ave. Rialto Police Officers responded to the area and began their investigation. During an area check for the vehicle, officers were able to locate it in the Walgreens shopping center on the corner of Cedar and Foothill Blvd. Further investigation led officers to conclude the registered owner of the vehicle (Jesus Quinonez-Garcia), was the driver. Officers were quickly able to locate Quinonez-Garcia and place him under arrest.

After obtaining his statement and conducting a DUI investigation, Quinonez-Garcia was found to have a blood alcohol level of almost four times the legal limit. He was later booked into West Valley Detention Center under the charges of Felony DUI and Felony Hit and Run causing injuries.

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Rialto High School Cheer Wins CIF Division

15 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

Our Rialto kids are amazing!!!!!

Rialto High School continues to find success in their Cheer program as they finished in 1st place at the CIF Division Competition this past weekend. This is the 1st year that the CIF has recognized Cheer as an actual sport. It all began with the C.H.E.E.R.S Act AB 949 sponsored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher that made Cheer an actual sport (this writer had no idea it wasn’t until a few days ago). The Bill was signed into law by Jerry Brown in 2015. With Jerry Brown’s signature applied this began a clock on the CIF to develop a program for a new sport that had existed since 1898.

In a press release from the assembly woman Lorena Gonzalez:

“Assembly Bill 949, known as the California High Schools Expanding Equality Respect and Safety (C.H.E.E.R.S.) Act, requires the California Department of Education to develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for high school cheerleading no later than July 1, 2017. To date, high school cheerleading has not enjoyed its own competition system like other high school sports and cheer athletes and their teams are forced to rely on private businesses to run competitions, which can be prohibitively expensive for the athletes and their families.”

Rialto High Cheer Team with Coach and Cheer Adviser show off the new plaque and varsity patches.

With this being the 1st year of CIF sanctioned competition there was a race to be the first one to claim the honors of being #1. Rialto High School Placing 1st in the 4A Division isn’t that big of a surprise as they have been crushing it at the State & National USA cheer competitions for the last few years. In 2016 the team took 1st place in both State and Nationals and the following 2 years have either won state and or finished in the top three every year according to cheer adviser Valarie Campa.

Cheer is unlike other sports as the cheer squad is active all year long. “Cheer has always been a four-season sport for those teams that compete said Coach Kristy Streff. “We begin working with the team in April, attend camp and practice in summer, have football in fall, basketball in winter, and tryouts and competitions in spring”

“We as a team and school were very excited to participate in the inaugural CIF cheer season and are so proud to bring the first ever CIF-SS title to the city of Rialto.” Kristy Streff-cheer coach

This isn’t the end for Rialto High Cheer. The team will compete this Saturday at the OC Fair and Event Center for the State Championship.

Video by rialto-now

Election Rules Changed To Favor Incumbents & Silence Latina Challenger

08 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

Rialto may seem like a Left leaning city but when it comes to politics, but all sides come out to make sure that honest hardworking voices are silenced.

After the 2016 election where nine different people all were seeking to occupy one of the two vacant city council seats Ed Scott wanted to make sure that the playing field was leveled when he ran for re-election. A city ordnance was put into place banning regular people from being able to promote their intentions of seeking public office. Everyone forgot about the 2017 ordnance and apparently the City Clerks office and Police department were unaware.

On Tuesday August 7th Mayor ProTem Ed Scott witnessed Ana Gonzalez who was seeking to occupy one of the two seats up for re-election with a campaign booth at the cities annual National Night Out witnesses said he came unglued. Mayor ProTem Ed Scott apparently directed Intern Chief of Police Mark Kling to kick Ana Gonzalez out of the event. What happened next was mind blowing the Chief of Police went over to remove Mrs Gonzalez’s booth from the event!

Now the Police Chief doesn’t respond to calls for service, he doesn’t go out on patrol and most chiefs delegate enforcement duties on other officers in their department. Well in this case when Ed Scott says jump the Chief jumps! Witnesses said that the Chief went over to Mrs. Gonzalez and forced her to remove anything about her campaign or leave. When we reached out to Chief Kling this was his response”

“I understand that the City accepted the application from Ms. Ana Gonzales to have a booth at this year’s National Night Out in August, without recognizing that campaigning activities would be conducted or in violation of the City’s enacted policy from 2017. When the application was accepted PD staff did not notice the description of informational postcards about her political campaign. PD staff did recognize that she would also give candy and school supplies to children visiting her booth. No other council candidate was allowed to distribute campaign literature from a booth at the event, pursuant to Resolution 7084.

Nevertheless, at the event, when Rialto Police Department staff members learned of the activities being conducted at Ms. Gonzales’ booth in violation of the city’s policy, Ms. Gonzales was asked to cease passing out campaign literature, but she was encouraged to continue passing out candy and school supplies to children attending the city sponsored event. At no time was Ms. Gonzales asked to leave the event.“

Nobody stopped Ed Scott or councilman Joe Baca Jr. from addressing the public or having city resources taking photos of them at the event but the Latina Woman running to oppose them she was shutdown?

The question is why such an ordinance even exists and why both city staff and police staff are not aware of a city ordinance?

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Eisenhower Rolls Through El Rancho to a CIF Semi Finals Win

21 Nov 2018 Leave a comment

Eisenhower High School has officially broken through and done what many called impossible. In a city of Rialto’s size with three major High Schools all competing for the talented young youth building a High School program that can return to a CIF final wasn’t an easy task, but it has been done.

On Friday November 16th in Pico Rivera Eisenhower entered the El Rancho High School with a passion to win and get a chance at a CIF title ring. El Rancho a much different team than the Chaffey Tigers of the week before from the begining you could tell this game wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. El Rancho had stands full of fans and plenty of fan fair and flair to go with it. El Rancho known for trick plays and onside kicks came to play and in the end Eisenhower was to the task.

Eisenhower as an entire team won this game as it was done with touchdowns and field goals this time around under the perfect foot of female player Taylor Jackson. Yes you heard that right a girl playing Varsity Football in a game that mattered scoring points that were crucial! Another stand out in this game and the person responsible for getting Eisenhower on the board early was #14 Dayveon Benton who turned a high snap over the El Rancho Quartbacks Head into a fumble recovery and touchdown!

Quaterback Ceaser Ayala orchestrated a masterful game where the ground and air attack were both viable options. He went 8-17 for 138 yards and 1 touch down.

Joel Ayala a player chosen to stand among other High School Players last week for the title of So Cal Player of the week carried 12 times for 49 yards. Jordan Goodloe put Eisenhower on his back against El Rancho with 23 carries for 237 yards and 2 touch downs! Jordan Goodloe was getting down and dirty on El Rancho’s old style real grass and dirt field and you could see that on his #11 Jersey.

Eisenhower plays the CIF final game against Highland High School from Palmdale on Saturday November 24th at Eisenhower High School. Both teams come into this game with a 13-0 record this season. This final game will be for the title in Division 10 title. Rialto it is time to come out and fill the stands of the NEW stadium. Come out and support our hometown teams return to greatness!

Tickets are:

$5 for students with an ASB card or children 5-13 years old

$12 for adults and students without an ASB card

Cash and Credit Card accepted!

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City Council Seeks Input On Dumping Woman’s Shelter into Two Neighborhoods

15 Nov 2018 Leave a comment

The city of Rialto after a heated and contentious city council tab item on September 11th 2018 is finally giving Rialto Residents what they deserve, a right to voice their concerns on the proposed project.

The City of Rialto’s Neighborhood, Housing Preservation, and Beautification Commission is hosting a workshop to consider a transitional housing facility proposed by the Time For Change Foundation (“TFCF”). The meeting is on Thursday, November 15, beginning at 6:00 p.m in the Rialto City Hall City Council Chambers, 150 S. Palm Ave. Rialto

The City and TFCF considered several sites in Rialto, but narrowed the choice to two locations:

(1) a 1 acre site at the northwest corner of Olive Avenue and Rialto Avenue owned by the Rialto Housing Authority/Rialto Successor Agency

(2) a 2.2 acre site at 475 N. Linden Avenue, just north of Foothill Boulevard owned by a private party.

The City would appreciate your input on any aspect of the project proposal. The City Council will ultimately decide the project location and characteristics after taking public input.

Both proposed sites have created concern in the minds of residents. The original site is in a downtown area zoned for cottage commercial and is not a desirable addition to the current residents in the area. The 2nd and most recent proposed site is even worse. The 2nd area is an area already dealing with large amounts of crime from other multi family dwellings and has multiple homes that are used as group homes where homeless and mentally ill people roam the streets and harass residents and in some cases have defecated on homeowners lawns. The community on Linden is a older neighborhood and nobody wants to see more transitional housing dumped there.

Even though everyone keeps calling the work being done here a feasibility study the mayor has been jumping into every picture she can and is doing her best to push this facility on Rialto.

Residents with questions or concerns should email jdutrey@rialtoca.gov or call (909) 820-8014

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Eisenhower High School Football On Their Way Back To Their Old Winning Ways

13 Nov 2018 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in 100 Black Men, Al Brown, Ana Gonzales, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy, Ca, City of Rialto, Colton, Eisenhower High, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Inland Empire, Rialto, Rialto Police Department, San Bernardino, youth

After struggling for two years in a row Eisenhower High School has come on with a fury this season with a 12-0 record after shutting out the Chaffey Tigers 28-0 at Chaffey High Stadium Friday. Chaffey used a mostly ground game that never got them into the end zone. Eisenhower traded shots in the air and on the ground to move the ball into the end zone multiple times Friday.

Coach Alvin Brown said the players are playing so well because they are listening to what they were told. We taught them what needs to be done and they are doing it. They are reacting to on the field coaching and playing their hearts out.

Two wins are all that stands behind a section title something that has eluded Eisenhower since 93. One way they were able to get back into contention was getting out of the Citrus Belt League and into the San Andreas League.

Ronnie Lott a Eisenhower alumni pumped everyone up by posting a youthful chant to the young team and players on Twitter.

Another standout helping the Eagles make sure every point is accounted for is the new Field Goal kicker Taylor Jackson. Two years ago we watched Eisenhower struggle with field goals. Now they have a female kicker who has only missed two kicks all season!!!! Go girl power!!

Eisenhower’s next game is at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera.

Henry Nickel looks for voters to elect him to California Assembly

29 Oct 2018 Leave a comment

Henry Nickel a San Bernardino Councilman is asking for voters to elect him the the California State Assembly on November 6th. Henry Nickel is looking to replace Republican Assemblyman Marc Stienorth who has decided not to run for reelection.

Henry Nickel claims that the reason that we are so heavily taxed in this state is because of the lack of checks and balances in our governmental structure. One party has complete control and power and that party seems Hell bent on raising every tax known to man and creating some new ones along the way.

Henry Nickel calls out one proposition that will hit local residents the hardest and that is Prop 6 the Gas Tax Repeal measure. It has been calculated that people who live in the Inland Empire will spend an additional $800 per year on top of what the Democrats claim it will cost taxpayers. This is due to the amount of time Inland residents spend commuting to work.

Henry Nickel has some experience in dealing with budgets and hard times as you can see in the video below:

Video by rialto-now

Council Looks To Put Tax Money In Danger To Help Special Interests

26 Oct 2018 3 Comments

Rialto has seen a boom in development this year with the opening of the new Super Walmart development on the south end and the Renaissance development in the north end of town. Each development has come with its own unique set of challenges to reach the point of completion.

The last few developments that have been handled by one developer have seemed to fall short of the promises made and this developer is a close friend and campaign contributor to Councilman Ed Scott.

Fernando Acosta is a business owner and developer who lives here in Rialto. He owns the Popeye’s fast food restaurant on Ayala and Baseline and has been the developer of the In-N-Out Burger restaurant pad and now the area of the Cracker Barrel.

The In-N-Out pad was one that still to this day has issues that the developer and city failed to address:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf almost didn’t happen.
There was supposed to be a Miguel’s Jr.
Other retail uses were planned but never added.
Responsibility to clean the lot still resides with the city.

Now Mr. Acosta is the developer of the Cracker Barrel site and has hit a bump in the road and Mr. Acosta is looking for the city to bail him out!

As you can see staff is telling the city council that this is a bad idea and a bad position to be in. Mr. Acosta is more than a year out on completing pad 3, yet he wants the city to put our money in jeopardy. Staff points out multiple times that this is a bad idea and reminds the council that this is General Fund money and that the city has already assisted Mr. Acosta.

To add insult to injury the council directs the City Treasurer to broker a finance deal for Mr. Acosta between the city and Banner Bank. When was the last time the city ever bent over backwards for a resident or business owner in this city when it came to the financial dealing of a new house or business construction?

Councilman Ed Scott claims he doesn’t want to see the project delayed but empty stores still exist across the street in the Renaissance development and that hasn’t hindered anything? There are tons of empty buildings all over Rialto especially on Foothill – one of Rialto’s most heavily traveled routes. Where is the city council jumping to intervene in those situations? Maybe it is because there are no campaign contributions in it for them in those situations?

Another item that should cause great concern to Rialto residents is that Mr. Acosta stands to make a lot of money on this deal. So we’re going to put tax dollars and the city into a risky position so a developer can make a ton of cash? Does that smell to anyone else?

The truth of the matter is that Cracker Barrel is already well under construction and the other tenants are ready to begin construction soon. Mr. Acosta has done this before – promised tenants that never materialize. I looked at his presentation to city council as a bad pitch on Shark Tank. He spoke of offers to fill spaces but never produced any proof, it seemed clear he was pulling a favor from the campaign favor bank!

See video of the full tab below!

Video by rialto-now

Assembly Member Eloise Reyes Staff Labeled as Out of Control

18 Oct 2018 2 Comments

by rialto-now in #CA31st, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy, Aquenetta warren, Assembly Woman Eloise Reyes, Bad Commerce, Ca, Cancer, City of Rialto, Colton, Currupt, Deborah Robertson, Ed Scott, Edgar Montes, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Josie Gonzales, Poor, Protest, Public Safety, Rafael Trujillo, Rialto, San Bernardino, youth

Eloise Reyes has been your assembly member for about two years now and nothing has changed, right?

Wrong. She has made this area more divisive and polarized than ever before. One major change may not look so bad on the surface, but it is now affecting Moreno Valley.

Under former Assembly Member Cheryl Brown Rialto had a strong young man acting as our liaison with the Assembly Member’s office. I can tell you as someone who had issues with connecting to the Unemployment Office Cheryl Brown’s staff helped a lot more than the current staff. Before Eloise won the election we had Josue Castillo as our Rialto liaison. Josue lived in Rialto and really made you feel like they cared, even if you were not aligned politically.

Now we have Daniel Peeden, a progressive Democrat who gives you the feeling he is trying to intimidate you rather than help you. He spends his time pushing a very strong progressive agenda and it doesn’t feel like he cares who the Assembly Member cuts down or steps on along the way. If you’re not a progressive you have no worth to him. He spends his time attacking our County Supervisor Josie Gonzales (a Democrat) on warehouse projects in the Bloomington Area, yet has given a pass to the City of Rialto as they dump warehouses right on top of long established neighborhoods and eating up prime real estate in Rialto.

This has been going on for 2 years and it is getting old, but this isn’t the reason we penned this post. This isn’t a political attack on Eloise to unseat her because she is running unopposed.

This post exists to call attention to Public Officials being held accountable for acting like children and feeding an angry mob.

Daniel is a twin (Darrell Peeden); his twin was seeking an open seat on the Moreno Valley Unified School Board. Darrell and Daniel Peeden posed with another person with an F Trump sign! Now we can love or hate the president if we want, but if you A) represent a community on behalf of an Assembly Member maybe you should have a little more tact on how you publicly share your disdain, and B) if you’re running for school board maybe you shouldn’t be using profanity publicly because you’re representing Students, Parents and Staff. You are supposed to be an example to them.

Why is Eloise Reyes getting attached to this post? She condones this behavior and celebrates it. As you see in the photo below her staff are given kudos for working hard on ignoring constituents that don’t align with her politically and shoving through a very progressive plan of action. Remember that this seat has been Democrat forever but never with a person or staff so dedicated to whipping the assembly district into a frenzy.

Reports are that no call from the assembly member has gone out to remove this photo from social media and Darrell Peeden was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Moreno Valley Unified School District without an election of THE PEOPLE!

Normal everyday people are already so full of hate, shouldn’t our elected officials and their staff be required to use just a little bit of thought when creating social content?