Thursday, September 24 | Volume 40 No 28

• COMPLIMENTARY
• Volume 40 No. 28
• Thursday
• September 24, 2026

City of Rialto to Host Annual Viva La Fiesta Event Honoring Hispanic Culture

RIALTO, CA— Celebrate His panic Heritage Month at the City of Rialto’s fifth annual Viva La Vista Event! Join us at Rialto City Park, 130 E. San Bernardino Ave on Sat urday, September 26 for an unfor gettable evening featuring familyfriendly activities filled with culture, music and community. The City of Rialto kicked off the annual event in 2022 to honor His panic and Latin American cultures. In 2024, the City and Rialto Uni fied School District (RUSD) part nered to expand Viva La Fiesta by offering student groups the chance to showcase their talent and culture with show-stopping performances. This year, you can expect a vibrant performance from RUSD’s Danza Azteca Chichimeca Xiuh Arte. "Viva La Fiesta is an event to re mind us of the pride we share in our culture, traditions and the impor tance of coming together as a com munity,” said Mayor Joe Baca. Dance and cultural performances are free to the public, including per

See "City of Rialto to..." page 8

“We Ride; We Vote” Brings Oakland Community Together Through Fitness, Fellowship and Civic Engagement

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland residents came together on Sunday, September 20, for the We Ride, We Vote Community Bike Ride, an event created to promote physical activity, com munity connection and civic en gagement ahead of the Novem ber election. The community-wide ride be gan at Oakland Technical High School, where participants gath ered before setting out on a route through several Oakland

Office (909) 384-8131

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Covered California Welcomes Sonia Fernandes as New Assistant General Counsel

Sonia Fernandes New Assistant General Counsel

SACRAMENTO, CA — Covered California has announced Sonia Fernandes as the new Assistant General Counsel in its Office of Legal Affairs. In the role, Fernandes will serve as the senior legal adviser to Cov ered California divisions on com plex regulatory and operational is sues, oversee a team of attorneys, provide legal guidance on con tracts, policies, regulations and compliance, and advise leadership on high-risk legal matters. Fernandes has extensive expe rience in state and federal health care law, including administra tive investigations, litigation, and health plan compliance.

“Sonia brings the right mix of experience, knowledge and care to her work, and she has proven time and time again she can ex pertly handle complex and com plicated legal matters with nuance and sensitivity,” said Covered

Don't Blame AI Without sica Altman. “We are thrilled to Blaming the People Behind It

California Executive Director Jes welcome Sonia to the team and are excited to have her immense talents and expertise at Covered California.” Most recently, Fernandes served as Deputy Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Enforcement, at the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), where she managed the DMHC’s statewide litigation activities. Her efforts led to historic settlement agreements aimed at improving access to medical and behavior al health care and strengthening health care delivery systems for millions of Californians. Prior to time as Deputy Direc

Dr. Barbara Reynolds tor, Fernandes was an attorney In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, in several offices and an Assis

Jr.—the prophetic preacher tant Chief Counsel for the Office warned that unless humans are of Plan Monitoring for DMHC, guided by God’s spirit, his new where she managed and oversaw found scientific power will be the work of several staff attorneys transformed into a devastating and directed audits of commer

Frankenstein that will bring his cial and Medi-Cal managed care earthly life to ashes. plans, including an assessment of Following in his mindset, de plan operations, which involved cades later this author warned utilization management, quality that Genesis tells us humans were assurance, and grievance and ap created in the image of God. But peals systems.

today tech companies are playing

It is therefore not surprising that certain insiders are warning that AI (artificial intelligence) could become dangerous enough to threaten humanity. But are tech companies listening? Recently a former Anthropic re searcher Jacob Coxon resigned and warned publicly that the companies racing toward selfimproving superintelligence were “gambling with our lives.” An An thropic researcher, went even fur ther, saying he believed there was a greater than 10 percent chance AI could kill all humans within the next decade. The same week there were alarm ing stories about AI systems going rogue, hacking other platforms, escaping unto the Internet to write emails and phone numbers to give themselves a human identity. One AI agent even wrote to its devel opers that it no longer had to obey the government or their agencies. Fueling the crisis was the 6000- word essay of Bill Gates, co-find er of Microsoft, warning that tech nology is advancing faster than expected and is more dangerous

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God by creating human-like ma chines in their own image which are destined to imitate the flaws of their creators. And that spells trouble.

than the industry is admitting.

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Thursday, September 24, 2026

Washington: At CBC Week, California Leaders Center Economic Power and Investment in Black Institutions

By Regina Wilson | California Black Media

“We have to lean into talking about money and economics, economic development.” U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA- 37) delivered that message as California lead ers gathered in Washington, D.C., during Con gressional Black Caucus (CBC) Week for a conversation about economic power, strength ening Black institutions and investing in the people and organizations that serve Black communities. “We cannot be ashamed,” Kamlager-Dove said. “We’ve been ashamed to want to talk about money. We have been shamed to not want to say it is important.” For families trying to pay for childcare, care for aging relatives, send children to college, cover rent or build savings, she said economic stability cannot be separated from conversa tions about Black progress. The September 17 gathering, “Rooted and Ready: Building the Coalition to Protect Black Futures,” was presented by the Aya Education Coalition and Sierra Health Foundation during CBC week. Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt said strengthening Black com munities requires investing in institutions that preserve Black history, culture and indepen dent voices, including Black-owned media, bookstores and museums.

“The pathway to prosperity for Black people is not a service. It’s an opportunity,” Hewitt said. He pointed to efforts supporting more than 100 Black bookstores as spaces for Black in tellectuals, artists and creators, along with in vestments in Black newspapers and smaller Black museums that serve as repositories of history. His message was that Black commu nities need institutions with the resources to survive, grow and continue telling their own stories.

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Gov. Newsom Vetoes McKinnor’s Bill to Expand First Responder Pension Benefits

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation that would have expanded retirement benefits for certain California public safety workers, citing concerns about increased costs and potential risks to the state’s retirement system. “I’m returning Assembly Bill 1383 without my signature,” Newsom wrote in his veto mes sage to the California State Assembly. Newsom said the legislation would have partially reversed reforms enacted under the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act, or PEPRA, which took effect in 2013. “This measure would partially reverse some of PEPRA’s reforms and significantly increase state and local government costs,” the gover nor wrote. “Moreover, by widening the retire ment benefit gap between safety members and non-safety members, this measure invites fu ture changes that would expose our retirement system to additional risks.” Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Ingle wood) authored Assembly Bill (AB) 1383. About 500 California public safety workers gathered at the State Capitol on Sept. 14 to urge Newsom to sign the bill. Anthony Gamble, a Sacramento Police De partment public information officer and media

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

See "Gov. Newsom Vetoes..." page 7

African Banks Make Global Top Performers List

NATIONAL--- Forbes has named 22 African banks from 13 countries across the continent among the world’s top performers in its inau gural ranking. The list covers 500 banks from 89 countries and scores institutions on financial strength rather than size. Banks were assessed on profitability, growth and earnings quality, capital and funding resilience, and asset qual ity and efficiency. Eligible institutions needed more than $3 billion in assets, among other re quirements. Egypt and Kenya had the largest representation among African countries, with four banks each, while Nigeria, Tanzania, and Tunisia each had two. The National Bank of Egypt was the continent’s only representative among banks with $100 billion to $500 billion in assets. The list also included institutions from Ethiopia, Algeria, Mauritius, South Afri ca, Gabon, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Namibia.

Keeping Children Safe One Ride at a Time

By Helen Arbogast, DrPH, MPH

Thursday, September 24, 2026

South Africa Leverages Platinum To Court US And China

NATIONAL--- South Africa is seeking to use its dominance in platinum-group metals to navigate a fraught relationship with the US and, at the same time, strengthen economic ties with China. Wash ington needs platinum for its auto motive and defense industries, as well as for other technologies. For Beijing, the metals are necessary to develop green hydrogen and its broader clean-energy ambitions. Both countries also need the metal for expanding their data center in dustries. With South Africa hold ing roughly 80% of the world’s known platinum-group metal re serves, Pretoria is strategically important to the competing pow ers. However, beyond simply sell ing raw metals, Pretoria wants US companies to invest in smelters, factories, and processing facilities in South Africa. The government is pursuing this strategy to create jobs, strengthen manufacturing, and diversify the economy.

Every parent, grandparent, and caregiver want the same thing: for the children they love to be safe. This Child Passenger Safety Week (September 20 to 26), I am proud to partner with the Califor nia Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and Caltrans to encourage fami lies to take simple steps to protect children on every trip. Keeping children safe in a vehicle starts before the engine is turned on. It begins with making sure a child is riding in the right car seat and that the seat is being used correctly. The good news is that one sim ple action can make a big differ ence. Using the right car seat for a child's age and size can help re duce the risk of serious injury. As someone who has dedicated my career to injury prevention and child safety, I have seen how small choices can save lives. I have also seen how easy it is for busy fami lies with the best of intentions to make an honest mistake when us ing a car seat. Many people are surprised to learn that car seat misuse is com mon. A harness may be too loose. A seat may not be installed tightly enough. A child may transition from a rear-facing seat to a for ward-facing seat, or from a har nessed seat to a booster, before they are ready. More than half of car seat installations are incorrect.

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Re-Opening of African American Civil War Museum to Feature 'From Slavery to the White House' - the Life of First Lady Michelle Obama, a Descendant of Black Civil War Heroes

Dr. Frank Smith, founder and executive director of the African American Civil War Museum, stands at the entrance of the museum where a new exhibit on the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama is on display. The First Lady is the descendant of two members of the United States Colored Troops who fought in the Civil War. The exhibit officially opens Sept. 30 during a reopening ceremony of the Museum. (Photo Credit: Hazel Trice Edney/Trice Edney News Wire)

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM) - During her speech at the 2016 Democratic National Con vention, then First Lady Michelle Obama fa mously declared, "I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves." Ten years later, an exhibit about to be un veiled for the first time on Sept. 30 at 10 am at the newly renovated African American Civil War Museum on historic U Street in North west Washington, D.C. will tell the rest of that story. “From Slavery to the White House” will tell how Michelle Obama’s formerly enslaved forefathers fought in the Civil War for the free dom of all of America’s enslaved. And it will tell how America was transformed “from a slaveocracy to a democracy,” as de scribed by Dr. Frank Smith, executive director and founder of the Museum and the Memo rial across the street. The Museum is located at 1925 Vermont Ave. NW in DC's Shaw neigh borhood at 10th and U Streets. “People will come in here. They will see the Michelle Obama feature exhibit. They will see freedom. And they will see enslavement,” says

Smith. But that is not all they will see. The main ex hibit, “Glorious March to Liberty: Civil War to Civil Rights”, tells the triumphant story of en slaved Black people who took their own des tiny into their hands by taking up arms to fight for their own freedom during the Civil War.

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Thursday, September 24, 2026

County Library invests in Continued from the front page

“We Ride; We Vote” Brings

Refreshed Spaces at Rialto, Oakland Community Together Montclair and Yucaipa Branches Through Fitness, Fellowship

RIALTO, CA---- Big changes are refreshed spaces they can enjoy and Civic Engagement

City Council districts. Riders of varying ages and cycling experi ence were encouraged to partici pate, with the event providing an opportunity to explore different Oakland neighborhoods while connecting with fellow commu nity members. The We Ride, We Vote initia tive combines health and well ness with civic participation, us ing community-centered events to encourage residents to stay active, informed and engaged. Co-organizer KaSelah Crockett described the initiative as an op portunity to connect with Oakland residents while creating a positive experience centered on active life styles and civic participation. “We Ride, We Vote is an oppor tunity to support, promote and engage with Oakland residents

Local businesses and community organizations were also invited to support the ride through the initia tive’s “Adopt-A-Stop” sponsor ship opportunities, which allowed participating organizations to con nect with riders at stops along the route. The September ride was hosted by 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, Inc.; APT C Bar Lounge & Restaurant; Black Church Free dom Fund; Deeply Rooted; Ka Ciere; Makin’ Moves MC; Moods Beauty Bar; Tip Top Shape; Traf fikboyz; Tyehimba & Associates; Roll Out Crew; and We Ride, We Vote. The organization’s civic engage ment efforts are continuing this fall. We Ride We Vote is also pro moting an October 24 “Breaking Down The Ballot 2026” event in underway at three San Bernardino County Library branches as the li brary continues investing in wel coming, modern spaces designed to better serve residents and meet the evolving needs of local com munities. The Rialto and Montclair branch es are temporarily closed for ren ovations, with both locations an ticipated to reopen in late October. The Yucaipa branch temporar ily closed on September 14, with plans to reopen early November. “These improvements represent an investment not only in our li braries, but in the communities, we serve,” said County Librarian Melanie Orosco. “We want our branches to be welcoming spaces where residents can read, learn, create and connect. We appreciate our customers’ patience while this work is completed and look for ward to welcoming them back to for years to come.” At the Rialto branch, renovations include a new dedicated storytime area designed to create an invit ing environment for the library’s youngest customers and their families. The branch will also welcome a new Animaker Space, developed in collaboration with Garner Holt Education Through Imagination, expanding oppor tunities for customers to explore creativity, technology and handson learning. The Montclair branch refresh in cludes a new layout, added study rooms and updated flooring de signed to enhance the library’s functionality and create a more welcoming and comfortable envi ronment for customers.

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while creating a positive commu nity experience around an active lifestyle and civic participation,” Crockett said in the event an nouncement. “It started as a fam ily ride to encourage healthy and informed voters, now we ride as an Oakland family with the same goals in mind.”

Oakland focused on helping resi dents understand the November ballot and make informed voting decisions. For future events and updates, community members can follow @WeRideWeVote on Facebook and Instagram or visit weridew evote.com.

Continued from page 4

Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill lead, said at the rally that he sup ported AB 1383 because it would expand retirement benefits. The measure would have lowered from 57 to 55 the age at which qualify ing public safety employees could receive the maximum benefit un der certain pension formulas.

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CLASSIFIED / LEGAL SECTION

Continued from page

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE - CHANGE OF NAME CASE #: CIVSB2620570 PETITIONER OR ATTOR NEY: ESTELA CAMPO CAZAREZ, 2396 MEDI CAL CENTER DR., SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92411 Telephone: (909) 708-0552 E-Mail Address (OPTION AL): N/A SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO STREET ADDRESS: 247 WEST THIRD ST., SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415 M A I L I N G A D D R E S S : SAME BRANCH NAME: SAN BERNARDINO PETITION OF: IN RE: MATEO ALDANA OC AMPO TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner ESTELA OC AMPO CAZAREZ has filed a petition with the clerk of this Court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: MA TEO ALDANA OCAMPO to Proposed name: MATEO A L D A N A - O C A M P O THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indi cated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person ob jecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the peti tion should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: 10/15/2026

Time:

8:30 A.M.

Dept: S32 The address of the court is the same as noted above. A copy of this ORDER to Show Cause must be pub lished at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county (specify newspa per): WESTSIDE STORY NEWSPAPER Date: SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 S i g n : W I L F R E D J . SCHNEIDER, JR. JUDGE O F T H E S U P E R I O R COURT Wss 26-020 9-10, 9-17, 9-24, 10-01-2026

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE - CHANGE OF NAME CASE #: CIVSB2623677 P E T I T I O N E R O R AT T O R N E Y: LY N E T T E ANN CURRY, 495 E. ERD ST., APT O-8, SAN BER NARDINO, CA 92410 Telephone: (909) 4864-376 E-Mail Address (OPTION AL): currylinda235@gmail. com SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO STREET ADDRESS: 247 WEST THIRD ST., SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415 M A I L I N G A D D R E S S : SAME BRANCH NAME: SAN BERNARDINO PETITION OF: LINDA ANN CURRY TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner LINDA ANN CURRY has filed a petition with the clerk of this Court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: LINDA ANN CURRY to Proposed name: LINDA LYNETTE ANN CURRY THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indi cated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person ob jecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the peti tion should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: 10/07/2026

Time:

8:30 A.M.

Dept: S33 The address of the court is the same as noted above. A copy of this ORDER to Show Cause must be pub lished at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county (specify newspa per): WESTSIDE STORY NEWSPAPER Date: AUGUST 18, 2026 Sign: JOSEPH T. ORTIZ, JUDGE OF THE SUPE RIOR COURT wss 26-021 9-3, 9-10, 9-17, 9-24-2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS N A M E S TAT E M E N T : FBN20260007494. The fol lowing person(s) is(are) do ing business as: WESTSIDE S T O RY N E W S PA P E R , EMPIRE TALKS BACK, CALIFORNIA ROUTE 66 MARATHON, 577 N D ST #112-H, San Bernardino CA 92401. Business Mail ing Address: 577 N D ST #112-H, San Bernardino CA 92401 . County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO. Number of Employees (Optional): N/A. This business is conducted by: A CORPORATION. Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: W J AL LEN MULTIMEDIA PRO DUCTIONS, 577 N D ST #112-H, San Bernardino CA 92401. State of Inc./Org./ Reg.: CA. Inc./Org./Reg. No. (Optional): N/A Registrant commenced to transact business: JAN 16, 2009. By signing, I declares all information in this state ment is true and correct. Signature: /s/ WALLACE J ALLEN. Printed Title of 08/11/2026. This statement City of Rialto to Host Event

Person Signing: CEO. Date:

was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on 08/11/2026. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original state

Honoring Hispanic Culture ment on file in my office. COUNTY CLERK DEP UTY formances from Folklorico Group Class, Estrella Brillantes (Rialto’s

SAN/K6677 NOTICE – IN ACCOR

Parks and Recreation Folklorico

DANCE WITH SUBDIVI SION (A) OF SECTION

Group Class), Bailando con el 17920. THIS FICTITIOUS N A M E S TAT E M E N T

GENERALLY EXPIRES Corazon (Rialto’s Down Syn

AT THE END OF FIVE

YEARS FROM THE DATE drome Folklorico Dance Group)

ON WHICH IT WAS FILED

IN THE OFFICE OF THE and Rhythm Beats (a Rialto Dance

C O U N T Y C L E R K E X

CEPT, AS PROVIDED IN group).

S U B D I V I S I O N ( B ) O F SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH I N T H E S TAT E M E N T PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESI DENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSI NESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATE MENT DOES NOT ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF FICTI TIOUS BUSINESS IN VIO LATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR C O M M O N L AW ( S E E SECTION 14411, ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFES SIONS CODE). Run Dates: 8-13, 8-20, 8-27, 9-3-2026, 9-24, 10-1, 10-8, 10-15-2026 WSS# 26-020

Residents and visitors can also purchase wristbands for admis sion to all activities, including a piñata station, interactive games, a mechanical bull, a petting zoo, dominos and more. Attendees who purchase a wristband will also be able to participate in traditional Hispanic crafts, such as designing Lucha Libre masks, constructing paper fans, coloring guitars and creating talavera tiles to show off their own cultural identity. Presale pricing is $5 through Sept. 25 in Room 204 at the Rialto Commu nity Center, 214 N. Palm Ave., and $7 on the day of the event. “I am so grateful to be a part of a City that promotes unity and in clusion,” said Parks, Recreation and Community Services Direc tor Cynthia Alvarado-Crawford. "Viva La Fiesta embodies our city’s core values of fostering an active and family-first commu nity." For more information about Viva La Fiesta, call (909) 421-4949 or visit the City’s website.