Governor Optimistic on Budget Impasse -- P-E

Gov. Schwarzenegger brought an upbeat plea for budget compromise to Riverside on Wednesday, praising one Inland lawmaker and indicating legislators may be close to a deal.

Riverside activist, candidate accuses police of retaliation -- P-E

Community activist Letitia Pepper has filed a complaint with the Riverside Police Department that says police officers tried to kill her a few years ago when she was involved in a spat over a lost dog.

Gains in state's test scores level off -- P-E

California schools improved slightly on tests in English last year, while math scores held steady, according to results released Wednesday.

Ex-Riverside police officer charged in Iraq killings -- P-E

A former Marine who until last week was a Riverside police officer has been accused by federal authorities of killing insurgent prisoners in Iraq.

Two Mt. San Jacinto trustees face re-election challenges -- P-E

Unlike the last time they ran for seats on the Mt. San Jacinto College board of trustees, incumbents Eugene Kadow and Joan Sparkman will face challengers in the November election.

Lake Elsinore steps closer to licensing tobacco sales -- P-E

Hoping to grab another tool in the war on underage smoking, Lake Elsinore could become the latest city in Riverside County to require licenses for tobacco retailers.

Riverside County tax assessor cuts value of 31,333 properties -- P-E

Riverside County has reduced the assessed value on more than 31,000 properties that have seen a drop in market value -- a decline of more than a half-billion dollars, the assessor's office said Wednesday.

Retailers feeling real estate woes -- The Californian

Reports from local governments show that a slumping housing market is weighing on retailers in Southwest County as mortgage payments rise and home-equity loans vanish.

San Jacinto lays out Highway 79 improvement plan -- P-E

More than five miles of Highway 79 through the heart of San Jacinto will soon get $5.3 million worth of upgrades, including new and improved traffic signals, sidewalks and uniform signage under a deal the city cut with the state.

Spirit of beloved desert characters live on -- P-E

They're fond, old characters from a bygone era in Southern California when lovable eccentrics found a place in people's hearts.

New boss drops in on California Conservation Corps workers in Riverside -- P-E

Newly appointed California Conservation Corps director David Muraki got up close and personal Wednesday with a 16-member Inland crew cleaning up a hiking trail at Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park.

Riverside OKs plan to remove, prevent graffiti -- P-E

The City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to remove and prevent graffiti.

Pipeline project to disrupt Riverside thoroughfare for a year -- P-E

Construction of a major water pipeline in western Riverside County will disrupt one of Riverside's busiest thoroughfares for a year starting next month.

Authorities working to identify bodies found in canal -- The Desert Sun

Authorities are still working to identify the bodies found in two different locations in the Coachella Canal yesterday.

Opinion: Roadless wisdom -- P-E

California's need for more roads does not extend to the state's gorgeous back country.  So Gov. Schwarzenegger is right to protest a U.S. Forest Service plan that would open millions of acres of wilderness to new roadways.

Opinion: Popular vote folly -- P-E

The Electoral College is not an undemocratic relic of the past, but a vital part of America's time-tested constitutional framework.  So Gov. Schwarzenegger should veto a shortsighted, partisan bill that would force Californians to pledge their electoral votes to the presidential candidate with the most popular votes nationwide.

Get it together, Desert Hot Springs -- The Desert Sun

Desert Hot Springs is a revolving door - 10 police chiefs in as many years, three city managers in as many years. Multiple lawsuits are pending against the city, and the police department is being investigated by the FBI.