Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Rancho Wagons Could Be Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

OLD WEST-STYLE wagons parked outside a Rancho Cucamonga specialty market are for sale: $3,000 each or best offer. "They're pretty old . . . I would guess 80 to 100 years old," owner Larry Taylor of the Cucamonga Fruit Co. told me.

900 Guns Found in Upland Home

UPLAND - Federal prosecutors have charged a man with illegal arms dealing after authorities uncovered a cache of about 900 firearms, submachine guns and explosives at his home, authorities said Tuesday. Officials from the multi-agency task force L.A. Impact and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the find was one of the largest Southern California firearm seizures in recent memory.

Accused Drive-by Will Testify to His Innocence

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- Gregory Paul Hess will testify in his murder trial that he was not one of the gunmen in a drive-by shooting in Chino Hills that killed one man and wounded four others, his attorney told jurors Tuesday. During the second day of opening statements in Hess' trial in West Valley Superior Court, his attorney told jurors they will hear other evidence to corroborate Hess' contention that he wasn't present for the Oct. 10, 2004, attack.

Twentynine Palms Will Get Visit From Bush

TWENTYNINE PALMS - President George Bush is expected to visit the families of U.S. Marines and Navy personnel Sunday at the end of a three-day trip to California, a White House spokesman said this week. The president is scheduled to attend church services in Twentynine Palms before a lunch meeting with military families, White House spokesman Alex Conant said Monday. Exact details on Bush's trip were not provided.

Pomona Favors Youth, Family in Fed Grants

POMONA -- Programs for children and teens along with streetlight and sidewalk projects were given preliminary allocations of federal grant dollars this week the City Council. Council members made the allocations of federal Community Development Block Grant funds Monday night after hearing short presentations from various organizations. City leaders will make the final funding decisions and vote on those at the May 15 council meeting.

George Mcgovern to Lecture at Ulv

LA VERNE -- Former presidential candidate and Sen. George McGovern will lecture on "The Art of Diplomacy" at the University of La Verne on Thursday. The address is part of the university's International Studies Institute's Hot Spots Series.

Bilingual Poll Workers Sought for Primary

The county is looking for bilingual poll workers for the upcoming primary election June 6. According to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, the poll worker must be a citizen, a registered voter and fluent in Spanish and English. Poll workers will be given training.

Passport Requirement for All Border Crossers Still On Track

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said Tuesday it still plans to require passports from all foreigners entering the United States the end of next year, despite calls for a delay by some Republicans worried about strained relations with Canada. At issue is a 2004 law, being phased in over three years, to tighten U.S. borders against suspected terrorists and other criminals. But critics on both sides of the nation's northern border fear the passport requirement will ham...

Grass Plans for Lorbeer Sports Field Shaping Up

POMONA -- Choosing natural grass over synthetic turf, Pomona school officials and the city of Diamond Bar will bring plans to rejuvenate Lorbeer Middle School's battered athletic field to the school board in May. For two years, the Pomona Unified School District has passed on Diamond Bar's offer of more than $1.2 million to install artificial turf on the heavily used athletic field. But Pomona school trustees expressed interest Tuesday in a deal that would bring a new, natural ...

Let's Stand Against the Violence Muzzling Free Speech

(Conor Friedersdorf, who is managing the Daily Bulletin's blog, or special Web site, on immigration issues. The blog is designed to provide a forum for opinions and information on immigration. The blog is at www.beyondbordersblog.com) "South Park" is as crass a show as they come.

Arizona Gov. Vetoes Illegal Immigrant Criminalization

PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill Monday that would have criminalized the presence of illegal immigrants in Arizona, citing opposition from police agencies that want immigration arrests to remain the responsibility of the federal government. The proposal would have expanded the state's trespassing law to let local authorities arrest illegal immigrants anywhere in Arizona, the nation's busiest illegal entry point. Congress also had considered criminalizing the...

Loophole Lets Immigrants Sue for Citizenship

A loophole in the U.S. immigration system is allowing some citizenship applicants to go forward in the naturalization process and receive immigration benefits without complete FBI criminal background checks, according to government documents obtained by the Daily Bulletin. NEW DOCUMENT: * 04/19: View document from source regarding failure of FBI immigrant background checks

Eminent Domain Examined in Norco

NORCO -- The City Council, acting as the redevelopment agency, will decide tonight whether to reauthorize the use of eminent domain. "I think it's just a procedural thing; I don't think the city has any intent of using it," said Councilman Harvey Sullivan.

Neighborhood Trying to Bring Good Out of Death

POMONA - The atmosphere around Eighth and La Mesa streets was filled with the aroma of barbecue, laughing children and chatting adults Tuesday afternoon. Watch Video:

Gumport Report to Be Released

SAN BERNARDINO -- County supervisors agreed Tuesday to release the results of an investigation into the $28 million purchase of a High Desert jail facility. While the Board of Supervisors had previously refused to release the investigation report completed October by Los Angeles attorney Leonard Gumport, 2nd District Supervisor Paul Biane said Tuesday that the board should release the report once the District Attorney's Office completes its review of a related investigation.

Foundation Hosts Cleanup Saturday

Girl Walking Horse Bucks Off Assailant

SAN DIMAS - A 14-year-old girl was walking her horse at the San Dimas Equestrian Center at 8:50 p.m. Monday when she felt someone grab her arm from behind, according to Sgt. Larry Wineinger of the San Dimas sheriff's station. The girl screamed and kicked the assailant, who then released her and ran away, Wineinger said.

Hazardous Materials Fire Closes Garey Avenue

POMONA -- A small fire at a business that handles hazardous materials prompted Pomona police to close down Garey Avenue for more than an hour Tuesday. The fire began a little before 6 p.m. and was contained at 6:31 p.m. It started in a vent hood of Hamilton Sundstrand, 2771 N. Garey Ave., said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Mark Savage. The company makes chemical sensors, Savage said.

Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Girlfriend

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A man suspected of killing his girlfriend in 2004 pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Monday. Alfredo Saez, 38, faces up to 26 years in state prison during a sentencing scheduled for next month, the victim's family said.

Man Nabbed in Forest Service Officer Assault Case

PEDLEY -- Jurupa Valley sheriff's deputies arrested a man Tuesday afternoon almost one month after he fled from a traffic stop, said Sgt. Earl Quinata of the Riverside Sheriff's Department. Clinton Jeffrey Althizer, a 28-year-old parolee from the Pedley area, was being sought in connection to an incident on March 20, in which authorities believe he assaulted a U.S. Forest Service officer, Quinata said.