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Keeping it Real: California Governor Gavin Newsom Make a Budget Deal, Slashing $16B
Overview: California Governor Gavin Newsom and leaders of both branches of the legislature have agreed on a $300 billion budget for 2024, which aims to close the remaining $56 billion revenue gap. However, the budget includes cuts to housing programs, healthcare workforce development, government operations, and more, totaling about $16 billion. The agreement also includes a deferment of healthcare wage increases until October, or potentially until 2025, which could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars. The budget aims to set the state on a path for long-term fiscal viability.
Celebrating Juneteenth in Moreno Valley and Riverside
On Saturday June 15, a number of Juneteenth events were held across the Inland Empire. The Black Voice News spent time at the City of Moreno Valley’s Juneteenth Celebration held at the Civic Center Amphitheater; as well as, at the 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration hosted by the B.L.A.C.K. Collective at Fairmount Park in Riverside. During these events, community members, local merchants and artists gathered to celebrate the holiday and its significance, while at the same time uplifting community voices and sharing joy.
Inland Empire Community Foundation Launches Journalism Innovation Initiative
The Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub + Fund launched June 3rd at the Redlands Forum with a conversation with Hub + Fund founder and Black Voice News Publisher Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds and former Executive Editor Dean Baquet on the future of local news and journalism. “We find ourselves in a...
Surgeon General Pushes for Warning Label on Social Media Platforms
Overview: Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called on Congress to require a warning label on social media platforms, stating that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face “double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms.” Murthy argues that social media companies must share all of their data on health effects with independent scientists and allow independent safety audits to protect children from the harmful effects of social media. California Sen. Nancy Skinner has introduced a bill that would restrict online platforms from sending addictive social media feeds to minors without parental consent, and prohibit social media platforms from sending notifications to minors between midnight and 6:00 AM.
Riverside County Breaks Ground on $580 Million Wellness Village
Riverside County public officials, health advocates and community stakeholders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a Riverside University Health System (RUHS) health care campus, the Wellness Village, on June 12. The Mead Valley Wellness Village, funded by more than $80 million from the Department of Health Care Services’ Behavioral Health...
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Joins California Department of Public Health’s Take on Alzheimer’s Campaign
Beverly Jones Wright has been a member of San Bernardino’s New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (New Hope MBC) for 42 years. As a former health educator with the public health department, Wright is the chairperson of the social and health concerns ministry and community liaison at New Hope. Although...
Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District Receives Organization of the Year Award
Overview: The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District has been recognized as the 2024 Organization of the Year by the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education, Ten Strands, and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative. The District, which empowers the community to be stewards of natural resources, provides a variety of free environmental education programs, including a demonstration garden of sustainable practices and a 2-acre Monarch habitat. The recognition follows a national award received by District Manager Shelli Lamb from the National Association of Conservation Districts.
Fired! Montoya is Out: City of San Bernardino Exercises Severance Provision in City Manager Contract
Overview: The San Bernardino City Council has voted to terminate Charles Montoya’s employment contract, exercising the severance provision in his employment agreement. Montoya will receive a severance payment of $325,000, equivalent to 12 months’ base salary. The decision was made after Montoya fired the city’s former director of finance and management, Barbara Whitehorn, who raised concerns about the low-balling of costs related to the planned renovation of the city hall. Rochelle Clayton has been appointed as temporary acting city manager until further action is taken.
OpEd: San Bernardino City Manager Montoya Made His Move Too Soon and Was Fired for It
In a unanimous vote by San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran and seven councilmembers on May 22, 2024, the new city manager, Charles Montoya, who had been on the job for seven months, was fired without cause as outlined in his contract approved by the council on October 18, 2023. On October 18, 2023, with a 5-3 vote, Councilmembers Kim Calvin, Ben Reynoso, and Damon Alexander voted against hiring Montoya. Despite objections from a large and diverse cross-section of citizens, the majority of the council went ahead with the hiring.
Keeping it Real: The Forgotten Origins of Memorial Day in America
Overview: Although several American cities claim to be the first to celebrate Memorial Day, the first Memorial Day was celebrated by former slaves on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina, according to Yale Professor David Blight. The Memorial Day holiday commemorates those who lost their lives serving their country. In the wake of the Civil War, Black people of Charleston organized a parade with two floats, one of which featured a mock slave auction, and on the next float they had a coffin labeled ‘Slavery,’ and it read, Fort Sumter Dug its Grave, April 12th, 1861.” The former slaves also re-interred Union soldiers who had died of disease and exposure during the Civil War and held a huge parade to honor the deceased. However, in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson attempted to finally settle the debate about where the first Memorial Day celebration was held when he officially recognized a ceremony in Waterloo, New York, held May 5, 1866, as the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. The debate continues.
UCR School of Medicine Addresses Diversity Challenges in Medical Education
Overview: Dr. David Acosta, chief diversity and inclusion officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), addressed diversity and equity challenges in medical education during the annual University of California Riverside (UCR) School of Medicine J.W. Vines Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Colloquium. The event aimed to engage students, staff, and community members in discussions about recent issues impacting health care, medical students, and medical institutions. The EDUCATE Act, which could potentially impact admissions, curriculum, and students and faculty, was discussed, as well as the potential impact of anti-DEI laws in states that have already passed such laws. The resolution introduced by Rep. Joyce Beatty and Rep. Kathy Castor affirms congressional support for DEI programs and academic freedom at medical education institutions.
IE Voices…from The Mission Galleria Antique Shop
Inland Empire natives Betheny S. and Veronica S. were celebrating Betheny’s birthday and wanted to make a stop at The Mission Galleria Antique Shop in Downtown Riverside. They sat down for temporary relief from their high heels while waiting for their friends to pick them up before dinner. “I...
Community Members Rally to Reinstate DEI Director at Perris Union High School District
Overview: Community members and local organizations attended a Perris Union High School District board meeting to discuss the elimination of positions under the CARES teams and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department. The decision to eliminate these positions has been criticized by students, district staff, parents, and community members, with concerns about the impact on mental health and academic struggles. CART, NAACP and LULAC representatives argued that the decision undermines the district’s commitment to equality and marginalizes vulnerable groups. The board made no comments or decisions following the comments made by community members.
Dia Poole Awarded CSUSB Honorary Doctorate
California State University, San Bernardino has announced that Respondia “Dia” S. Poole will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at its Spring Commencement, scheduled for May 18. Poole has spent her career in public service, serving in all three branches of California’s government and with the County...
OpEd: San Bernardino’s Bogus Censure that Maligns and Disenfranchises Councilmember Kim Calvin and the Black Community
Allow me to give you my opinion of this bogus censure from two flawed investigations on San Bernardino Councilmember Kim Calvin and the Black Community. How did San Bernardino’s mayor and council get to this bogus 4-3 vote to censure Councilmember Calvin, alleging she leaked information of Closed Session meetings, while ignoring three others who are named in city manager candidate Steve Carrigan’s $2 million claim filed against the city?
New Law Requires Bars and Nightclubs to Sell Drug Testing Kits for Spiked Drinks
This summer Californians will have a new way to protect themselves against spiked drinks due to a new law set to take effect on July 1. Assembly Bill 1013, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), will require businesses with Type 48 licenses to offer the sale of drug testing kits, such as test strips, that can detect if a controlled substance has been added to a beverage. These controlled substances are commonly referred to as “roofies” in which someone’s drink is unknowingly spiked with a drug.
Keeping it Real: Homelessness–The State Must Do More Audit Says
Overview: California’s homelessness crisis has been growing, with over 180,000 people counted in 2023, a 53% increase from 2013. Despite billions of dollars spent on homeless programs, the state lacks current information on the costs and outcomes of these programs. The California State Auditor found that the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) has not consistently tracked and evaluated the state’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness. The auditor recommended that the California State Legislature mandate reporting by state agencies on the costs and outcomes of their homelessness programs and require Cal ICH to compile and publicly report this information.
IE Voices…From Mothers in the Community: Shirley Coates
Community leader Shirley Coates, her daughter Trina Schneider and granddaughter, Kennedy Schneider engaged in a conversation centered around the importance of education and confidence in career advancement, particularly for young women. They shared personal experiences about the roles of their mothers and female leaders who helped them build confidence, instilled...
Inland Empire Community Foundation Awards Grants to Nonprofits Serving Women
Overview: The Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) hosted an annual Women’s Giving Fund event, Spring Fling, where they awarded grants to three nonprofit organizations serving women in the Inland Empire. The grants, totaling $15,000, will support mental health services at Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center, women’s transitional services at Women of Worship & Warfare International, and breast health services at San Antonio Regional Hospital. The IECF plans to commission new research to better understand the needs of women in the region and direct contributions toward areas with the greatest need. Dr. Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, a trustee of the San Bernardino County Board of Education, was also named the 2024 Woman of Achievement and received $5,000 for her charity of choice.
Keeping it Real: Amazon Workers Will NOT Be Silenced
Overview: Amazon workers at the San Bernardino air hub are raising concerns about back pay for working more than ten hours without a break, despite state law mandating such breaks. This is part of a larger push for fair employment practices and safe working conditions at Amazon, which has faced labor challenges in recent years. Workers have filed complaints with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health and walked out in 2022, alleging unfair labor practices and retaliation. The turnover rate for warehouse workers in counties with Amazon fulfillment centers is high, and a study by the Strategic Organizing Center found that Amazon workers are injured more frequently and severely than workers at other warehouses.
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The I.E. VOICE is the publication where the Inland Empire’s multicultural community interests, concerns, and reporting needs converge. Our journalism delivered via multiple platforms, websites, e-newsletters, social media channels, and print speaks to the multi-ethnic perspectives and concerns regarding governmental, environmental, health, housing, criminal justice, education, and general welfare of residents unlike other local news organizations. The IE VOICE, informs and engages the community through investigative, beat, and commentary reporting meeting the needs of a rapidly expanding inland region.
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