News

In honor of National Voter Registration Day, clean-elections groups are urging all citizens to take part in our democracy, and they have some tips on how to make the most of the process.

Today is National Voter Registration Day – and good-government groups say it's more important than ever. Millions of citizens have not yet registered. So Jonathan Mehta Stein with Common Cause is working to spread the word: Every vote counts.

The race is on to develop a coronavirus vaccine, but once it’s created, how do we ensure it’s distributed equitably? Este Geraghty is the Chief Medical Officer and Health Solutions Director at Esri, a Redlands-based geographic information systems company. KVCR’s Benjamin Purper interviewed Geraghty about the logistical and planning challenges involved in distributing a potential vaccine and the role GIS mapping technology plays in doing so.

The El Dorado Fire started by a gender reveal party in Yucaipa has now grown to more than 22,000 acres and is at 59% containment. 

Almost 1,000 fire personnel are working the fire, which began on September 5th.

According to fire officials, no fire activity is expected in the Oak Glen, Yucaipa, and Beaumont portions of the fire.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for residents from Angelus Oaks up to Onyx Summit.

Residents of Forest Falls and Mountain Home Village are being allowed through with proof of residency.

The presidential, and other elections, are just under six weeks away. But making sure non-English speakers and young voters have the information they need to participate in the election is a concern, according to a new study from U.C. Riverside. 

Monday through Thursday at lunchtime, Empire KVCR News has your daily news rundown. Stories highlighted today include:

Today on Inland Edition, Lillian Vasquez speaks with Michael Osur, Assistant Director and Chief Health Strategist for Riverside County Public Health. He talks about contact tracing- what it is, who does it, and why it’s needed during the pandemic.

For more information, visit RivCoPH.org

As part of KVCR’s series for Suicide Prevention Month called “Wellness for Times of Uncertainty,” we are talking about grief and loss during the coronavirus pandemic.

For most of us when we think of grief, bereavement or the traditional grief that involves mourning the death of a loved one comes to mind. But we actually grieve every kind of loss.

Dr. Veronica Kelley, Director of San Bernardino County’s Department of Behavioral Health says grief is defined as deep sorrow, trouble or annoyance and:

“Today our grief is hitting us on multiple levels,” said Kelley.

Monday through Thursday at lunchtime, Empire KVCR News has your daily news rundown. Stories highlighted today include:

1. Affordable housing is not only an essential solution for fighting wildfires, but for addressing climate change.
2. A $1.2 billion program aimed at building housing for homeless people has been plagued by delays and soaring costs.

This fire season has revealed the reality that more people are choosing to live in fire prone areas in California—raising the stakes of the worsening wildfire season. KVCR’s Megan Jamerson spoke with a University of Redlands associate professor of ecnomics who says affordable housing is not only an essential solution for fighting wildfires but for addressing climate change.

Monday through Thursday at lunchtime, Empire KVCR News has your daily news rundown. Stories highlighted today include:

The El Dorado fire is now 44% contained and has burned 14,478 acres. It’s threatening the community of Angelus Oaks.

The fire burned actively Sunday night and has become established into Mountain Home Creek.

Fire officials are asking any remaining residents in Angelus Oaks to evacuate now.

Firefighters have built a contingency line between the El Dorado fire and Angelus Oaks.

The fire is near the small mountain community but burning towards San Bernardino Peak.

Local literary nonprofit the Inlandia Institute and the Riverside Art Museum have teamed up for Suicide Prevention Month, presenting an online juried exhibition around suicide prevention in September. 

Cati Porter is the executive director of the Inlandia Institute. She says the project originated with the Riverside Art Museum, where some artists wanted to find a way to commemorate Suicide Prevention Month.

Windy conditions, low humidity and dry brush accelerated the El Dorado Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains Wednesday night. KVCR’s Megan Jamerson reports as of Thursday morning the blaze had burned 12,610 acres and is 23 percent contained.

San Bernardino County Fire officials say four homes have been lost but hundreds more were saved Wednesday evening by firefighting crews. More than 21,000 people have been evacuated so far.

Monday through Thursday at lunchtime, Empire KVCR News has your daily news rundown. Stories highlighted today include:

Through COVID-19 contact tracing, Riverside County is now reaching close to 100 percent of infected people and San Bernardino County is reaching nearly 70 percent.  KVCR’s Megan Jamerson reports tracing plus testing is key to getting the counties moved to the next tier on the state’s re-opening scheme.

Lana Culp, spokesperson for San Bernardino County Public Health, says tracing has shown that a lot of transmission is happening through gatherings between family and friends. Which she says is hard to avoid in a time when seeing those people brings comfort.

Santa Ana winds caused the El Dorado Fire to flare up Tuesday evening to 11,479 acres, prompting new evacuation warnings. But KVCR’s Megan Jamerson reports crews were able to hold the perimeter overnight and increase containment to 19 percent.

Nearly 1,000 personnel are battling the El Dorado fire flames on Wednesday along with over 100 engines, six helicopters, and four fixed-wing airplanes.

As part of KVCR’s series on Suicide Prevention Month called “Wellness For Times of Uncertainty,” we’re talking about bipolar disorder.

If you hear the term “bipolar,” you probably think of what’s known as bipolar I: a disorder characterized by deep lows of depression and sharp highs of mania that may result in hospitalization. But what you might not know is there’s another type of the disease, called bipolar II, which has longer lows and slightly lower highs, called hypomanic episodes.

Today on Inland Edition, Lillian Vasquez speaks with travel expert, author, radio and television host Rick Steves. Rick shares how the coronavirus has impacted travel, how to remain an explorer in your own neighborhood, and how travelers might restart their adventures in the future.

For more information about Rick Steves, visit ricksteves.com

Monday through Thursday at lunchtime, Empire KVCR News has your daily news rundown. Stories highlighted today include:

1. COVID-19 hospitalizations and active cases continue to fall in Riverside County.
2. Firefighters are bracing for the challenge of Santa Ana wind conditions.
3. Governor Newsom says the PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs are  based on better protocols than last year.
4. Governor Newsom has relaxed coronavirus restrictions in five more counties, including San Diego, Orange, and Santa Clara.

Firefighters are continuing their work to contain the El Dorado fire above Yucaipa—which has burned 10,574 acres and is 16 percent contained as of Tuesday. KVCR’s Megan Jamerson reports crews are bracing for the challenge of Santa Ana wind conditions.

The combination of low humidity and gusty winds of over 40 miles per hour will make containment of the El Dorado fire more challenging for crews through Wednesday evening. The Santa Ana winds could potentially spread the fire further west into the neighborhoods of Yucaipa and Mentone.

Monday through Thursday at lunchtime, Empire KVCR News has your daily news rundown. Stories highlighted today include:

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was the guest at a Thursday town hall led by State Assemblymember Eloise Reyes. KVCR’s Megan Jamerson reports constituents asked a wide range of questions that reflect the diversity of the Inland Empire.

Under Becerra’s leadership the department of justice is keeping a busy schedule this year during the pandemic. A year which Reyes of Grand Terrace acknowledges has been unique.

“I think we are all going to agree on this," said Reyes. This year has been a challenge for all of us Californians.”