The 2020 Colton Municipal Election holds promise as being one of the most contentious, hard fought and impactful elections in the Hub City over the last half century, one that will rank along with the 1994 election in which short-lived Mayor George Fulp managed to outmaneuver Frank Gonzales and the 2010 election in which Mayor David Zamora brought the curtain down on the Chastain Political Dynasty.
Accompanying the kick-off of this year’s electioneering were charges that the regime now in place – that of Mayor Frank Navarro, is using the political/governmental machinery at City Hall to preserve itself. This triggered a refutation of those charges from City Hall.
The backdrop to the current situation is Colton voters’ 2018 passage of Measure R, which called for reducing the seven-member Colton City Council from a mayor elected at large and six council members elected by the constituents in a half dozen districts to a council consisting of an at-large mayor and four council members from as many districts. Measure R passed with 5,321 votes in favor and 4,469 opposed, a margin of 54.35 percent to 45.65 percent. Continue reading →

Isaac Paul Aguirre, who was charged with involvement in a conspiracy in the 2017 revenge murder of the wife of a prominent member of the Mexican Mafia in San Bernardino, was acquitted last month on all charges against him.
Prosecutors for five years pressed forward with investigators’ theory that five people with extensive criminal histories and gang affiliation, including Aguirre, were involved in killing Carmen Gutierrez Rodriguez, the wife of Andrew Rodriguez, as she was walking in the parking lot outside Gaby’s Cafe on North Mount Vernon Avenue on January 18, 2017.
According to investigators, Eric Moreno, Matthew Manzano, Robert Fernandez Jr., Richard Garcia and Aguirre worked in concert to send a message to Andrew Rodriguez, a fellow gang member who had been convicted of armed robbery and was contemplating cooperating with authorities as part of a deal to see his sentence reduced. Maria Del Carmen Gutierrez Rodriguez, a mother of five who lived in the North Hills Continue reading →

Joanne Nursall said her religious conviction is the primary motivating factor in her run for city council representing District 2 in Rancho Cucamonga.
“I am running for city council because God put it in my heart to be more involved in my city to make a positive difference,” she said.
Nursall is running against the incumbent, Kristine Scott, and another challenger, David VanGorden.
Nursall said, “I feel I am qualified simply because I am a citizen of Rancho Cucamonga and care about the quality and integrity of the city.”
“Among the major issues in the city right now is overdevelopment, Nursall said. “The city is becoming extremely overcrowded and with overcrowding comes more crime. To redress these issues, we must listen Continue reading →

By Steve Lambert
The 20/20 Network
Rialto City leaders are mourning the passing of former Mayor Grace Vargas, whose nearly 35 years of service to the community left a lasting legacy that will be felt for decades to come.
Vargas, who passed away on Sunday after a long illness, served as mayor from 2000-2012 and was the first woman and first Latina to hold that position. Her many contributions to the city were memorialized in 2016 with the naming of the Grace Vargas Senior Center, located at 1411 South Riverside Avenue.
Flags are being flown at half-staff at City Hall and other locations.
“Grace Vargas was a trailblazer and an inspiration to women and women of color throughout our region. We will miss her passion, her strength and her commitment to our city,” said Mayor Deborah Robertson, who served on the city council during Vargas’ tenure as mayor.
Said Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott, “Grace had a heart of gold and was determined to help make Rialto a great city. She embodied the best of what public service is.” Continue reading →

In this year’s District 4 Big Bear Lake City Council race, Robert Barton, an attorney licensed to practice in California, New York and Washington, D.C., is seeking to employ his training and expertise in the legal realm to guide municipal operations in the mountain tourism hamlet.
“Lawyers have a duty to use their education on behalf of the public when appropriate,” Barton said. “I believe I have talents and experience that can be beneficial to the community.”
He is qualified to hold the position of city councilman, Barton suggested, because “I’m not a politician and I have nothing to gain financially by running for this office. Thus, I can do what I believe is in the best interests of all residents and business owners.”
He is running against incumbent Councilwoman Perri Melnick, herself an attorney who was appointed to the council in July 2021, and Cory Blake Miholich, an engineering contractor who runs a restaurant in the city. Barton said he is not running against them in any way except the technical sense, as they are in opposition to one another on the ballot for the same position. Continue reading →

Tom Berg is one of three candidates in this year’s Redlands District 1 election vying against the incumbent, Denise Davis.
“It’s my firm belief no incumbent should run unchallenged,” Berg said. “I believe I’d be the better candidate for the voters to choose from.”
Also competing in the District 1 race are Andrew Hoder and Rodgir Cohen.
Berg said, “As a registered civil engineer in California involved in over 40 years of managing large public works projects for governmental agencies, I believe I can serve Redlands well in contrast to the experience levels offered by my opponents.”
Berg said that “Real life and practical experience in the business world and the world of public works; plus, my long-held belief public works are a public trust” distinguishes him from his opponents. Continue reading →

NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENT – CHILD RELATIONSHIP
CASE NUMBER JS21265
SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MARICOPA COUNTY
Juvenile Department
PARENT/GUARDIAN NAMES: Tiffany Araujo – Mother; Malik Russell Etheridge – Father
Petitioner Tiffany Araujo In the Matter of Minor: Delani Nicole Van Damme (10/30/2012)
This is an important notice from the court. Read it carefully.
A petition about termination of parent-­child relationship has been filed with the court, and a hearing has been scheduled related to your child. Your rights may be affected by the proceedings. You have a right to appear as a party in the proceeding.
If you fail to participate in the court proceedings, the court may deem that you have waived your legal rights and admit to the allegations made in the petition. Hearings may go forward in your absence and may result in the termination of your parental rights.
Facility Assignment: Durango Juvenile Court Center 3131 W. Durango St, Phoenix, AZ 85009.
Judicial Officer: Honorable Lauren R. Guyton
Hearing Date/Time: October 13, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.
Hearing Type: Severance-Initial Hearing Location – Court Connect Remote Appearance
Court Connect Hearing: Yes
Video: https://tinyurl.com/jbazmc-juc02
Phone: (917) 781-4590, Participant Code 312 434 5#
How can I prepare for the hearing? Any supporting documentation must be filed with the Clerk of Court at least seventy-two hours in advance of the set hearing date.
If I have questions or concerns who can I contact?
For questions concerning filing, please contact the Clerk of Court at (602) 372-5375. For questions about the hearing, contact the Juvenile Department at (602) 506-4533, Option 2 to reach the assigned Judicial Officer’s staff. If you have legal questions, seek legal counsel.
Published in the San Bernardino County Sentinel July 29, August 5, August 12 & August 19, 2022.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: MICHAEL C. MADDUX aka MICHAEL CHARLES MADDUX CASE NO. PROSB2201012
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of MICHAEL C. MADDUX aka MICHAEL CHARLES MADDUX
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by SHAYNA STEWART in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO.
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that SHAYNA STEWART be appointed as personal representatives to administer the estate of the decedent. Continue reading →