inviting destination perfect for enjoying your retirement you can still find towns throughout that have no shortage of fantastic amenities and fun activities sure to keep your days busy The picturesque community of Clearlake is right on the lake and hosts a ton of events It is also surrounded by several neighboring communities making the opportunities for adventure endless Check out the three different parks in town Other outdoor activities include golfing at Buckingham Golf and Country Club and the Clear Lake Volcanic Field with amazing views There is also a seniors center and the Redbug Public Library or visit the nursery and find the perfect additions to your garden There are also plenty of restaurants and cute Catfish Coffeehouse is a popular stop and is right by the lake Amenities include major retailers like Dollar Tree and Safeway as well as medical necessities like dental clinics Homes in Clearlake average around $275,000 Arts and culture come alive in the town of Eureka There are also plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and stay active major trails include Eureka Waterfront Trail and Bay to Zoo Trail Take part in outdoor activities like softball Indoor activities include fitness classes like yoga and tai chi at the Adorni Recreation Center You can also get involved with the Empower Eureka Volunteer Program Embrace the arts with Friday Night Markets and popular festivals such as kite festivals and the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts Get to know your fellow artists at the galleries and studios catering to hobbies such as glassblowing Laugh the night away at the Savage Henry Comedy Club Learn about the history of the area at Clark Historical Museum or the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum Amenities include popular retailers like Target and Dollar Tree There are three hospitals in the vicinity as well The small town of Altruras is free from a heavy tourist population leaving you able to enjoy your community to the fullest without big crowds and hefty price tags Enjoy an excellent transit service as well that operates both locally and to nearby communities Fun events to look forward to are Fandango Days and Balloon Fest which sees magnificent hot air balloons hit the skies and offers a digital catalog so you can read from your device from anywhere Other ways to spend the day include the Desert Rose Casino and hanging out at parks such as Modoc National Wildlife Refuge There is also a pumpkin patch minutes from town to enjoy during the fall season The town of Susanville has all the big city amenities without the busy streets Enjoy outdoor activities like the Diamond Mountain Golf Course Fruit Growers Park which is right along the river Susanville Ranch Park is another great option and if you enjoy ATVs and other offroad vehicles Nearby Eagle Lake is also a prime spot for kayaking and fishing Big-name amenities in town include Walmart as well as fast food joints like McDonalds and Starbucks and plenty of other delicious local restaurants and shops Homes in Susanville average around $302,500 Close to the Mexican border and not far from the California city of San Diego Brawley is a quaint town with lots to see and do One of their most popular events is the Cattle Call Rodeo which brings together heart-thumping action with fantastic community events There is also a Christmas tree lighting ceremony and a brisket cook-off in January Get out into nature with nearby attractions such as the Glamis Sand Dunes and sports centers like the Del Rio Country Club and Beechey Field check out the two library branches; the main branch and the Del Rio branch They also serve up daily lunch and offer transit assistance Experience centuries of history right in the community of Barstow Natural wonders and recreational opportunities include Calico Ghost Town The Mojave National Preserve is another place riddled with trails and two nearby canyons include Afton Canyon and Black Canyon If you want to learn all there is to know about the town's history check out places like the Calico Early Man Archeological Site Museums to visit include the Mojave Valley River Museum such as Barstow Heights Park which offers horseshoe pits Harper Fitness Center is great for staying in shape Look forward to events like Civil War reenactments Amenities include a fully functioning hospital Lakeport is located on the western shore of Clear Lake and boasts tons of beautiful beach access points Head to the South Cow Mountain Recreation Area or the Highlands Springs Recreational Area for premium walking trails and bike paths stop in at the various parks like Xabatin Community Park Library Park has boat ramps and a swimming beach Westside Community Park has walking trails Look forward to concerts and movies in the parks throughout the year Events to mark on your calendars include rodeos You can also catch performances at the Soper-Reese Theater Amenities in town include transit services and places for a night out such as O'Meara Bros Brewing Company Feel like you're on a never-ending vacation in Crescent City Parks to check out include Beachfront Park Other main outdoor attractions include the Battery Point Lighthouse and Museum Visit nearby farms for the freshest produce and locally made goods Popular walking trails include Tolowa Dunes and hangout spots like Port O' Pints Brewing Company and Seaquake Brewing Homes in Crescent City average around $485,000 So whether you're looking to relax by the beach and enjoy everything the coast has to offer or find an adorable cabin nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains Although the state's average home price is close to the millions these prime areas take out the stress of a hefty mortgage All that's left to do is find the perfect place to call home photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com a mainstay on the Mojave Water Agency Board of Directors since 1989 has retired after a 47-year career in public service during which she was a tireless champion of the High Desert and a catalyst for numerous projects that benefited local communities whose first major feat was paving roads in Barstow Heights was lauded by her peers during MWA’s final board meeting of 2018 on Thursday Former Congressman Jerry Lewis presented Lowry with a plaque during the meeting and credited her lack of concern for party lines He told the Daily Press he met Lowry in the late 1960s through a mutual friend when he first ran for political office “There was a gal down there in Barstow who was the ‘Queen of Republicans’ by the name of Carrie Hamilton,” Lewis said “She insisted that I must meet the person who was her best friend She and I struck up a relationship that was extremely positive.” That Lewis was a Republican and Lowry a “reasonable Democrat,” as he described her Their first meeting spurred a decades-long friendship and a professional relationship that Lowry said was crucial Lowry served on the committee that worked to bring the second California home for veterans to the city Lewis eventually secured the necessary federal funding “It took us five years to get it,” Lowry said “We were in competition with 28 major cities in Southern California calls Barstow Community College the "jewel" in the city’s crown She has a scholarship fund in her name there Topeka and Santa Fe Railway brought the family to Barstow in 1966 She volunteered in the city before deciding to run for the Barstow Heights Community Services District Board of Directors in 1971 Lowry said one of her proudest moments came when the district paved 33 miles of residential streets that were previously “just hard rock dirt.” “What really got me inspired to work on that was one day I was driving home in my husband’s pickup and you have quite a bit of elevation up here in the Heights and there’s lots of caliche everywhere,” Lowry said Lowry walked door-to-door to drum up support Nearly 90 percent of Barstow Heights residents approved the years-long project which was funded through bonds that Lowry said were paid off in fewer than 20 years “It made this a really nice area to live in.” Lowry was first elected to MWA’s board in 1973 the agency wasn’t delivering water to “much of anywhere.” She served one term opting against re-election after she became a field representative for former state Sen east Kern County and all of Inyo County for Stern The job was a dream come true for Lowry because “I got to help a lot of people But Lowry was destined for a return to the business of building pipelines and recharging High Desert aquifers She was re-elected to the MWA board in 1989 and has since served as board president eight times mainly when the board wasn’t ambitious enough for her liking Lowry said every goal she had when she was returned has been accomplished including increasing the amount of water delivered via the State Water Project and building the Mojave River Pipeline Lowry said she was a “big pusher” on the project and lauded the engineering work that was done in-house which is the project up in Hesperia,” she said in reference to the Regional Recharge and Recovery Project that stores SWP water until its later recovered for distribution Lowry credits her Kansas childhood with teaching her how to outlast droughts She said water issues continue to fascinate her Lowry attributed her successes to treating the agency’s six cities and myriad special districts fairly MWA General Manager Tom McCarthy said its difficult to articulate how much Lowry has meant to the agency over 33 years “She has helped MWA mature from a small water contractor with little to no facilities and considerable long-term reliability problems into one that can serve water through the majority of its 5,000 square miles with long-term water supply plans,” McCarthy said “She is a master in the art of persuasion and has been personally responsible for bringing millions of dollars into the area for projects.” She said she coped with his death by doing what she’s always done “We were married 59 years when he passed away,” Lowry said When you lose someone after that many years will be spent missing the agency she helped build “I’ve been thinking for about a couple years that probably I should start thinking about retiring,” Lowry said but I’m not leaving because I’m tired of it I love being on that board because we made things happen Matthew Cabe can be reached at MCabe@VVDailyPress.com or at 760-951-6254 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page This work, Firefighters take fitness to new heights with TRX suspension training, by Laurie Pearson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright A crackdown on historic but troubled motels in Barstow has left dozens of people losing shelter with less than nine-hours notice prompting outrage among nonprofits who say the city’s approach creates new risks of homelessness The Building Department brought Barstow Police along for unannounced visits around 8 a.m to the El Rancho Motel on May 31 and the Desert Inn on June 29 Each morning marked a sweep of “red-tagging”: declaring rooms unsafe to occupy and setting a deadline for property owners and tenants to fix code violations before authorities return to oust the room’s occupants The code-enforcement units returned before 5 p.m Barstow doesn’t have an accounting of where the number of people who were displaced by the red-tag removals ended up according to General Manager of Environmental Services Kody Tompkins who says the city tapped San Bernardino County “to assist with relocating any individuals that qualified under the County’s rules.” “While we are sympathetic to any impacted residents due to the lack of upkeep of the property owner,” Tompkins said in an email Monday "It is more important (that) the City’s goal to ensure safe living conditions are being met.” A team of San Bernardino County respondents spent most of the day June 29 scrambling to find rooms at hotels or any other form of lodging in the area available for day-of check-ins by the Desert Inn tenants set to be displaced when the city returned at 4 p.m. homeless outreach coordinator at New Hope Village a Barstow-based nonprofit that provides emergency-housing services “There’s no plan for these people,” she told the Daily Press around an hour and a half before the red-tag removals began The El Rancho, three-quarters of which burned down earlier this month in a fire currently deemed “suspicious” by investigators and the Desert Inn have served in modern times as rental homes for many tenants rather than short-term lodgings After the El Rancho red-tagging in May blindsided service providers with a stake in the situation Beardshear says San Bernardino County Aging and Adult Services asked Barstow to give them a three-week notice of any future plans for similar action The city did give that heads-up in advance of the Desert Inn red tags but she says it told the county to arrive at 10 a.m for the June 29 action and had finished the initial red-tag visit when they arrived Sitting in the front seats of a jam-packed SUV as the city chugged through its red-tag removals at the Desert Inn were Dale Siders a now former nine-year tenant of the motel Pettway echoed other tenants in saying he woke up to police knocking on his door the morning of the red tags which is when he learned he’d likely be losing his room later in the day His dog danced with ignorant bliss at about 5:20 p.m saying this was a result of sitting in the car so long — the High Desert city hit 107-degree heat on this day Tompkins told the Daily Press the city’s Desert Inn actions were an unplanned result of a standard inspection the city must conduct at least once a year under state law “The Fire District nor the City had any intentions of red-tagging units at the hotel,” he wrote in the Monday email the city is required to address the life safety situation.” Read more: Victorville's Wellness Center Campus, a 170-bed homeless shelter, breaks ground Violations that the city cited at the Desert Inn include “exposed electrical wiring screwed shut windows) … broken windows bug infestation,” missing smoke detectors and non-operating plumbing and cooling systems It’s unclear how many rooms each of these violations apply to and workers at the site argue the city red-tagged many of the units over a security measure the hotel uses. All motel windows have two screws strategically placed to prevent them from being broken into by any number of criminal threats in downtown Barstow The city cited this as a hazard for potential fire escapees but Chen argues enough time wasn’t offered for management or tenants to be notified of this and remove the screws by 4 p.m The red-taggings escalate a clash of ideas over how to combat years of inner-city decay and create a humane system for handling volatile homelessness in the High Desert The latest point-in-time count logged 54 unsheltered people on the streets of Barstow one day this year a 31% decline from the last such count in 2020 But 42% of these unsheltered people in a survey said they’d become homeless for the first time in the past 12 months far higher than any other city or town surveyed in San Bernardino County Problems with the properties Some locals support the red-taggings to combat what they see as havens for problematic out-of-towners fueling an increased presence of drugs violent crime and dilapidated buildings in Barstow Others oppose what they see as the city setting needlessly harsh deadlines and nitpicky red-tagging terms that put mostly poor and often disabled renters at life-threatening risk Related: Homelessness up county-wide, with an increase in Hesperia another Desert Inn tenant displaced in the red-taggings said he’d just moved into his room in May and came to Barstow after a severe family fallout lost his home in Los Angeles Criticisms of the Desert Inn as being slum-like and unsafe aren’t without merit but he attributes that to the broader condition of Main Street rather than the motel alone “I originally moved into Barstow Heights which is nice up there,” he said during the red-tag removals This is all motels and drug trafficking and crazies There’s a lot of violence here.” Wyatt blames the property managers for allowing conditions that could be used as grounds for red-tagging to persist despite the El Rancho action less than a month before being a red flag one mile west of the Desert Inn He referenced Desert Inn rooms not having smoke detectors and an apparent stray cat — or group of stray cats — living on the motel's roof he says of the city’s same-day removals “I believe it could’ve been handled differently.” “I have no idea,” Wyatt said when asked where he planned to go from the Desert Inn parking lot The red tagging at El Rancho went under the radar five weeks before it burned down The July 6 fire engulfed around 75% of the motel an icon of Barstow’s former Route 66 glory built in the 1940s and rumored to have once been frequented by Americana legends like Marilyn Monroe The city red-tagged every room at the El Rancho a count last publicly recorded at 100 rooms It’s unclear if fewer rooms were operating when the red tag happened as Tompkins didn’t respond to a follow-up request and the El Rancho property owner couldn’t be reached The El Rancho red-taggings came because of a raw-sewage pool in the central electricity room resulting in a sheer lack of power at the motel “Two feet deep of raw sewage covering the entire basement floor,” he wrote “The main panel had electrical wiring coming out of the main electrical panel (and) was submerged beneath the raw sewage.” El Rancho’s managers had tried pumping the raw sewage “out of the basement and into a nearby cleanout (but) that cleanout was also backed up and causing raw sewage to flow down the hotel's stairs," Tompkins said “This resulted in the electricity being shut off thus creating a life safety situation of no cooling on the property,” he wrote “The city does not have a number of displaced residents,” Tompkins said of the people who lived in these rooms in his Monday email After the morning red-tags at the Desert Inn “the housing lady showed up and said ‘We’re doing our best to help re-house everybody,’” a reference to the county respondents can’t blame them,” added Pettway he said he’d been told by the team of San Bernardino County respondents at the scene that they’d done what they could to find a place for displaced residents that day meaning Pettway and most other displaced tenants had to find their way for at least the night told the Daily Press on a follow-up visit last week that she didn’t know when the city planned to return to the property and begin revoking the red tags She said one former tenant had been sleeping in their car in the Desert Inn parking lot since the removals which had its windows entirely blocked from the inside with sun-deflecting material said Thursday she gets that the city needs to do something about businesses being out of compliance year after year and that is the human element involved,” she said and do this in a more humane manner.” Print A shallow magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Saturday evening 11 miles from Ft 48 miles from Apple Valley and 295 miles from Phoenix there have been no other earthquakes magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby Read more about Southern California earthquakes. Politics California Climate & Environment Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Whether he’s in a shootout at Oro Grande Days or the Roy Rogers Ranch or browsing other Western-themed events in Barstow and Apple Valley dressed in his best Western duds and keeping an eye out for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans memorabilia.  Kolt was born in 1993 with significant health problems After being diagnosed with epilepsy — experiencing severe static seizures — he often found himself at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital These unpleasant experiences were the norm until Kolt was 14 years old.  Kolt’s parents came up with the idea of calling upon Roy and Dale to get Kolt through the tough times Their voices on CD had soothed him while he was inside the scary electrocardiogram Kolt was rewarded with a stop at the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum on the way home to Barstow Kolt first met Dale and Dusty on one of these trips back up the hill when Kolt was 8 and hospitalized once again in the 400 wing at Loma Linda although that wouldn't have been necessary That visit made a lasting impression on the child How wonderful of Dusty to carry on his parents’ tradition of visiting sick and handicapped children to bring joy and comfort And this was not the only visit Kolt received from Dusty Kolt has never forgotten the kindness and influence of the Rogers family He has become an avid collector of memorabilia filling up his room and part of the living room of the family home in Barstow Heights His set of figurines from the Heartland Collection includes: Roy and Trigger; a rearing Trigger; Dale and Buttermilk; and Bullet He just recently completed his collection of all seven Roy Rogers Dale Evans Film Festival Posters from 1998-2004 3 (and the program) at the Apple Valley Legacy Museum's President’s Day weekend porch sale in February 1 at the museum booth at the Mojave River Valley Museum barbecue in Barstow on May 15.  Although Kolt was only 5 when Roy died and 8 when Dale passed he will always think of them as his heroes it is from them that he learned his Christian values “Angel Unaware,” illustrates the power of faith to get you through all adversity Kolt recently graduated from Barstow Community College with an emphasis in Theatre and American West History His faith and determination has certainly paid off You can catch him performing at the Apple Valley Legacy Museum's July 10 Shindig during the Western shootout BARSTOW • Three Barstow gang members will stand trial for murder in the 2009 slaying of a member of their own gang On Thursday afternoon at the Barstow courthouse Judge John Gibson decided that there was sufficient evidence for Claudio Jimenez to face a trial for the killing of Gilbert Chavez All four are known members of the Los Gents street gang 2009 in a vacant desert area southwest of P Street and Linda Vista Road in the Barstow Heights area Barstow Police Detective Leo Griego — the only witness to testify — said that Chavez was killed by members of his own gang because they feared retaliation from the more powerful prison gang known as the Mexican Mafia Griego first told the court about video footage that he viewed from a surveillance camera mounted by San Bernardino County to catch illegal dumpers of trash Although the camera did not capture the killing itself the description of the vehicle seen in the footage matched that of a Nissan Altima that Jimenez had borrowed Griego testified next about interviews he conducted with people who had contact with Chavez on the night of his death Griego said that Chavez's cousin — with whom Chavez was living in Victorville — told him Chavez was on the telephone on May 15 with a friend whose boyfriend was in the Mexican Mafia and he left the house to accompany his friend to Barstow Later interviews with Quintana revealed that the Los Gents gang had been threatened with death or bodily harm by the Mexican Mafia who believed that Chavez was involved in a theft in Hesperia and needed to be punished Griego said witnesses at a birthday party on May 15 on Crestview Street in the Barstow Heights area said that Gamez and that the three were encouraging Chavez to drink alcohol Although Quintana denied being involved in the killing during initial interviews Griego said Quintana admitted in September that he accompanied Gamez and Chavez to the desert dumping area on May 16 and saw Jimenez fire a gun multiple times at Chavez Defense attorneys did not present arguments that the three should not be called to answer who said that Quintana tried to tell Chavez to run away at the party and did nothing blameworthy and Quintana did not meet the requirement to withdraw from conspiracy and Quintana's next court date is scheduled for October 22 (760) 256-4126 or adome@desertdispatch.com BARSTOW • A Barstow man is under arrest after allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman in his home is accused of raping a 52-year-old Barstow woman Monday morning The victim was walking near the 1200 block of West Main Street when she was approached by Andrade Andrade "threatened and intimidated" the woman and forced her into his white Ford F-150 truck The suspect then took the victim to his home on the 27000 block of Apache Avenue in Barstow Heights where he raped and sexually assaulted her the police report states Andrade dropped the woman off on West Main Street When the victim walked back to her home she immediately called the police at around 11:23 a.m After police interviewed Andrade and searched his residence they found evidence supporting the victim's allegations oral copulation by force and kidnapping to commit rape Anyone with information is urged to contact the Barstow Police Department at (760) 256-2211 Those who wish to report anonymously can call the WeTip hotline at (800) 782-7463 or visit www.WeTip.com BARSTOW — Josiah Haefele never saw it coming The 32-year-old Barstow Heights resident was out behind his laundry room picking up recyclables blown over by the wind the afternoon of Aug 20 when he came into contact with one of the most venomous snakes in the world "There used to be a tree near the house that I'd cut down and a bush has grown in its place," Haefele said "I was standing by that bush collecting everything I reached down for the next bag and this snake came out of nowhere and bit me." The snake was a 3-and-a-half-foot long Mojave rattlesnake Known colloquially as Mojave Greens because of their occasional greenish hue Mojave rattlesnakes are most commonly found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and central Mexico "(When the snake bit me) I just reacted and grabbed my flat-head shovel and decapitated him," Haefele said Haefele began to feel what he described as a "pretty quick burn" on the top of his left hand where the snake had managed to dig one of its fangs in and immediately called poison control "They asked me if I could send a picture of the head and the whole snake," Haefele said they said I needed to get to the ER right away." which she posted to Facebook and almost instantly received hundreds of comments from people trying to identify it drove his service truck over to Barstow Community Hospital where the staff was ready and waiting for him "When I got there they almost flipped a lid," Haefele said because they took my shirt off and stuck the first vial of antivenin in me right away they've called a helicopter and they're flying me down to Loma Linda." What followed was a more than 24-hour stay at Loma Linda University Medical Center where doctors used 38 vials of antivenin to stop the poison from spreading up his arm "It's not unusual to require lots of vials depending on the severity of the snake bite," said Dr the medical director at the California Poison Control System "A bite from a Mojave Green can cause a lot of local swelling but what it's notorious for is it can actually cause paralysis and even cause you to stop breathing." as well as the fact that he was able to get to a hospital as quickly as he did He estimated 20 minutes between when the fang punctured his skin and the first vial of antivenin was administered But the experience wasn't one he hopes to relive any time soon I started to get some swelling in a round ring around the the bite mark," Haefele said "The swelling and the redness started to crawl up my arm and if you looked close enough you could actually see it spreading "It wasn't until I got to Loma Linda that I ended up with blurry vision and my speech started to slur It just shows how dangerous those things are because with one fang it really beat me up." Vohra said it's possible the snake never even rattled before it bit Haefele if it was startled and he noted that everything after the bite went about as perfectly as possible "The best advice is to call 911 and get to a hospital as quickly as possible," Vohra said "You don't want to spend a long time in the field and we don't advise tourniquets or splinting Haefele said he was trying to take it easy and recuperate His arm was covered in multi-colored bruises and he said there was a lot of blistering but the swelling was beginning to subside and even though he couldn't make a fist with his left hand the doctors told him they expected a full recovery "Every single week for the next month I have to go into the ER and have my blood drawn and cycled to make sure it's not coagulating," Haefele said they said I won't need any therapy for my hand or anything Asked what he took away from the whole experience Haefele said he knows it could have been a lot worse "Everyone at Barstow Community did a great job moving me from their location and getting me down the hill time is just so important with a situation like this I'm just glad I was able to get (to the hospital) as soon as I did." Kevin Trudgeon may be reached at 760-955-5358 or ktrudgeon@vvdailypress.com BARSTOW • Police have arrested a man suspected of killing a member of his own gang in order to avoid conflict with rivals and dumping the body in Barstow Heights in 2009 Friday at 621 Nancy Street for the murder of Gilbert Chavez 2009 in a vacant desert area southwest of P Street and Linda Vista Road detectives interviewed a relative of Chavez's who said that Chavez was in a gang with Gamez and was being accused of theft from a member of a more powerful "prison gang" in Hesperia The close relative of Chavez told police that before the killing members of the rival gang kidnapped another relative of Chavez's and held him at gunpoint forcing the relative to reveal the location of Chavez and other members of his gang Chavez then came to Barstow from his home in Victorville to help free his relative members of the rival gang threatened Chavez and his fellow gang members with violence if Chavez was not disciplined for the alleged theft Chavez's fellow gang members picked him up at a house in Barstow drove him to a birthday party at a house near P Street and Linda Vista Road and encouraged him to drink alcohol Members of Chavez's gang then drove him to a remote spot nearby Police believe that Chavez was killed by his fellow gang members because they feared retaliation upon themselves and their families if they did resolve the theft themselves Witnesses interviewed by police identified Gamez as being in the vehicle with Chavez when he was driven out to where his body was found Espinoza said that police have identified two other people believed to be in the car with Chavez on the night of his death and expect to file charges soon Gamez was booked at the Barstow jail and charged with murder Gamez is currently being held at the West Valley Detention Center without bail Paul Wilkey was born at Barstow Community Hospital and his parents separated when he was too young to remember Wilkey graduated from BHS in 1989 (the best class he says) and married his high school sweetheart Twenty-two years later they have four wonderful children Wilkey is currently the only State Farm Agent in Barstow He is a board member of Barstow Heights Community Services District and attends Crossroads Assembly Church Q: Describe a special memory you have in the High Desert Q: Tell us one thing that most people don't know about you A: : I enjoy having coffee with my wife in the morning watching the sun rise Q: If you could change one thing about the world  Q: If you could change one thing about the High Desert A: I would love to build a lake at the river bottom from 1st street to I-15 would you most like to have dinner with and why I want his view of our country and what he would do to change it Q: Who is someone who had a big influence on your life A: "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error or shortcoming who spends himself for a worthy cause; who so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." — Theodore Roosevelt Q: What words of advice do you have for the next generation A: Never get used to someone else providing for you Q: Tell us about the charities or causes that are close to your heart and why Q: What is something you are particularly proud of A: "Gladiator." One man changes the circumstances he is in and overcomes evil Q: Tell us about your favorite thing about living in the High Desert and two hours away from the other places I like A: Meeting the needs of people in our community Q: What book had a significant impact on you Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world A: Jerusalem to visit the spiritual roots of Christ Q: What's your favorite place to eat in the High Desert we sit together as a family most every meal Q: Is there anything else you'd like to say BARSTOW • Police have located and arrested another suspect for the 2009 slaying of a Barstow gang member was arrested by police at a relatives home in the Fresno area on Thursday Quintana is the third suspect arrested in the May 16 Chavez's body was found in a vacant desert area southwest of P Street and Linda Vista Road in the Barstow Heights area shortly after his death three additional suspects are under review by the district attorney's office Chavez was killed by members of his own gang after the gang feared retaliation from a stronger "prison gang" for a theft in Hesperia blamed on Chavez interviews with witnesses over the past 16 months led to the arrests and the warrant APPLE VALLEY — National Women’s History Month ended amid much celebration inside Council chambers as honorees were recognized for their tireless contributions to the local community Led by League of California Cities Women’s Caucus President Barb Stanton the March 27 ceremony highlighted eight “jewels of the High Desert” whose efforts often go unsung “It’s so important that we uplift each other That we recognize each other,” Stanton said “It was heavy on my heart to honor others in the community who have done so much .. These women we’re honoring tonight are the fabric — I might say the backbone — of our communities.” And while all eight "jewels" stood deserving of the 2018 "Woman of Persistence" award it was 82-year-old Mary Reidel who earned that distinction for her service to those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex in Victorville has counseled inmates at the facility's women’s camp for nearly 20 years let time serve you,” as she works with them toward self-empowerment and reintegration “The counseling enables them to return to their communities and be a positive influence,” Stanton said “This program has been deemed so successful Mary was asked to start a program at the men’s facilities I and II Reidel has also opened her home to a “battered women” group which has afforded her the opportunity to provide tools and resources that “end the cycle of violence,” according to Stanton Reidel retired from the Los Angeles County Health Department 24 years ago and has since dedicated herself to others giving back through volunteering that showcases her wisdom and compassion but the rewards are very fulfilling for me,” Reidel said upon accepting the award “What I know is that what I bless blesses me.” Below are the seven other women recognized by Stanton Lard is the survivor chair for Relay for Life in Barstow She has created events to bring cancer survivors and caregivers together Lard is also on the board of the Boys and Girls Club She has organized numerous fundraisers that keep her “up all night baking” despite a full-time job She encourages others to provide support and hope including the Cancer Awareness Team and the High Desert Cancer Connection which raises money for people battling cancer She also volunteers at local warming and homeless shelters while working to bring positive change to her community Vincent works with low-income populations in the High Desert She’s a registered dietitian and health educator who encourages growing gardens as a food source and stress reliever Vincent volunteers countless hours teaching High Desert residents how to select and care for drought-tolerant plants and she empowers women to become leaders in the High Desert Barron serves as director of the Family Center at the Phoenix Academy in Apple Valley She provides food and clothing closets for parents Barron also organizes food and clothing drives single-parent and Spanish-speaking households in her community Weatherspoon-Bell is the founder of Dreamers a project that celebrates multi-cultural contributions to the High Desert DVL has awarded in excess of $12,000 to more than 24 students Weatherspoon-Bell also directed “Women Over 50,” a documentary screened at numerous colleges She produces the Today’s Woman Expo and has raised more than $800,000 for a variety of local charities and nonprofits 47-year career as a public servant and continues to advocate for the High Desert She was instrumental in the paving of 33 miles of dirt roads in Barstow Heights securing state funding for the construction of Silver Valley High School and securing funding for the Newberry Springs Senior Center Lowry also served on the committee that brought the Veterans Home of California to Barstow She then chaired the newly created Barstow Veterans Home Support Foundation Lowry is currently the longest-serving Mojave Water Agency board member a free clothing swap for families with limited means She has worked with fire victims and supports multiple nonprofits in order to give back to her community Anderson has also helped ensure students — 200 at Adelanto High School most notably — return to school on the right foot BARSTOW • Police have released a photograph of Thomas Quintana a Barstow gang member wanted for the 2009 killing of fellow gang member Gilbert Chavez Two other men were recently charged with the murder and remain in custody Chavez's body was found in the Barstow Heights area in May of 2009 Anyone with information on Quintana's whereabouts is asked to call Detective Leo Griego at 760-255-5187 or the Barstow Police Department at 760-255-5111 Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-782-7463 or visit www.wetip.com Singer Veronica “Vee” Nelson proudly admits she's still “madly in love” with writing songs from the heart and inspiring others to achieve their dreams After performing on the Fox TV show "I Can See Your Voice,” living in Nashville and penning songs for other artists the Barstow native said she hadn’t forgotten her roots The 23-year-old Nelson took time out of her busy schedule to visit students at Skyline North Elementary School where she performed and encouraged them to take advantage of their education and work hard to fulfill their dreams “I wanted those students to know that the odds don’t stand a chance against passion and faith in themselves,” Nelson told the Daily Press “I wonder all the time how different things would’ve been for me if more people would have told me that.” AccomplishmentsNelson is a rising star whose accomplishments include co-writing the song "Broken Pieces" with Dr was part of Francois's single debut and music video which some say includes a haunting piano-laden ballad that is smooth as silk and pierces through the soul.  Francois is an orthopedic and spine surgeon who graduated from Harvard Medical School and was featured in 2018 on the FOX show  “The Masked Singer.” Nelson appeared in Season 1 Episode 7 of FOX's new show "I Can See Your Voice." I played something totally out of my character I performed as the Queen of Goth,” Nelson said “We filmed the day everything went on lockdown for COVID-19.” Her song "Crash" was picked up in 2019 for use on MTV’s online streaming show "The Real World." She also produced the song “Dangerous,” which was featured on “Total Bellas,” an American reality TV series on E The piano and guitar-playing Nelson have also been featured in print ads for Taylor Guitars and Kyser Capos Songs from the heartFollowers of Nelson said her music is a fusion of soul with lyrical content reminiscent of Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline with the gusto of Celine Dion Nelson’s debut EP “Kaleidoscope,” released in 2014 on iTunes and Amazon The song “Surrender,” featured in the EP is a soul-searching ballad about “heartbreak a level of despair and hopelessness,” Nelson said ‘’That EP was the first baby steps into my journey as a professional entertainer,” Nelson said “I consider that EP a buried time capsule which you won’t find on the internet.” Nelson is proud of her first EP but admits she’s matured and the music no longer represents her as an artist “Everybody has to start somewhere,” Nelson said.  In her anti-bullying anthem “Stronger Now,” Nelson takes her listeners on the universal journey of despair and hope through the eyes of someone coming of age while simultaneously reflecting on her youth Nelson recorded a song inspired by the man in her life who she said always keeps her on her feet suffers from hallucinations and delusions due to Parkinson’s disease and dementia and some days it feels like we’re living on different planets,” Nelson said he’s telling me about the things he’s seen or the places he’s gone just while he’s sitting in his big chair.” Nelson cherishes her grandfather’s “big adventures and the wonders he gets to see” and wishes she could see them too Nelson said she knows a little something about facing the odds living at home and taking up most of the conversation to discover that their 2-year-old daughter had a hearing impairment I started hearing and couldn’t stop talking,” Nelson said “I repeated what everyone said and even started singing songs that I heard on the radio and TV.” She began honing her vocal skills by performing in her family’s living room and later learning to play guitar and the piano she did her first live musical performance Nelson played the role of Sara Crewe Thursday in Barstow Community College's spring musical “A Little Princess.” “I started writing my own music at age 13,” Nelson said “Mostly about teen crushes and heartbreaks — the things most young girls face.” Nelson was the main attraction at the Concerts in the Park at Foglesong Park in Barstow Nelson had to endure years of bullying in the classroom “When you look and sound different than the so-called norm you’re an easy target for the other kids,” Nelson said “I had to learn to focus on the good and move forward.” Nelson admits that bullying doesn’t stop after graduation but continues online with faceless individuals hurling negativity at her “You are in the line of fire the moment you achieve any success,” Nelson said don't stick around to see the pain and devastation they cause to others.” From Barstow to NashvilleAfter graduating in 2016 from the Excelsior Charter Schools system in Barstow but to continue focusing on her music career my parents were there to support me and my decision,” Nelson said “They knew about my aspirations and how hard I was working.” While working at the Vans store at The Outlets at Barstow a booking agent came across some of Nelson’s online content and asked her to perform on the main stage at the House of Blues in San Diego “I promised myself in high school that I would one day play on a bigger stage,” Nelson said “I was shocked and blessed when I got the offer.” The San Diego gig blasted open the door of opportunities for Nelson who soon began playing House of Blues venues across the West Coast.  Nelson has also performed at the Viper Room nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood She was soon invited to a songwriter’s retreat where she met industry leaders who taught her the tips of the trade “I got an offer to go to Nashville in 2018 to play at writers’ rounds for music writers and publishers,” Nelson said “It was a great opportunity and I connected with a lot of people.” Nelson quickly discovered that she’s a “California girl at heart.” She packed up her things moved back to Barstow and set her eyes on Los Angeles Nelson said she’ll continue commuting to L.A while also working from her home studio in Barstow “My goal is to become a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and to tour the U.S “But the Mount Everest of dreams is residency up the road in Las Vegas.” Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com Richard Harpole is resigning from the Barstow City Council and moving to Texas “He is not leaving because his heart is no longer with Barstow but because his grandkids aren’t,” Barstow City Council Member Tim Silva said Harpole was assigned to Fort Irwin as a Military Police Investigator in 1983 Harpole decided to become a patrol officer for the Barstow Police Department in the late ‘80s Harpole was elected onto the Barstow City Council in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 With his only daughter moving to Tennessee last year with her children Harpole said he is going to miss working with his fellow council members and is “looking forward to watching Barstow build on our past successes and creating a more prosperous community.” “We have done many things during the seven years I have served on this council and it would be hard to pick a single action,” Harpole said when asked about his accomplishments as a council member has set our city on a new direction that gives me cause for great optimism for Barstow's future.” Harpole said he was also glad to see the city adopt Measure Q providing the city with the financial resources to meet public safety needs Harpole said he is proud of his contributions to the Boys & Girls Club in Barstow He served in the organization for 16 years departing after being elected into council “That effort was born from my work as a police gang investigator and after three years of hard work we opened the doors and began providing services and a safe place for kids in our community,” Harpole said that facility is still open and still providing kids a safe alternative to running the streets.” the Barstow City Council may choose among three options: Hold a special election The options will be presented at a future city council meeting The topic is not on the agenda for the meeting scheduled on December 2 “We would hope it will be included on the agenda for the meeting on Dec If the council chooses to find a replacement there will be an application process before appointing Harpole's successor Meetings are held at the Barstow City Council Chambers For more information, visit www.barstowca.org Won his first career Gold Glove...Ranked first in MLB in DRS (28) and T-5th in OAA (16)...Recorded career-highs in triples (seven) and walks (48)...The seven triples ranked T-4th among AL hitters...Against left-handed pitching a .457 SLG and an .813 OPS...Only grounded into two double plays in 95 opportunities on the year (2.1%) fifth best in MLB...In close and late situations during the season a .558 SLG and a .903 OPS...Recorded an OPS of .977 in his first PA of a game on the year eighth best in MLB...Robbed four home runs during the season tied for sixth most in MLB...Had 46 extra-base hits out of 98 total hits on the year (47.4%) tied for sixth best in MLB...Posted a pull rate of 57% 7th highest in MLB...Had a career-high 23-game on-base streak from July 30-Aug went 2-for-4 with a 2B and his 17th HR of the year...Reached 20-2B in a season for the third straight year...On July 14 at ARI becoming the third player in franchise history to do so joining Juan Samuel (9/26-28/97) and Alfredo Griffin (9/27-29/79)...Drilled his second grand slam of the year (third career) 6/16 vs becoming one of three AL hitters with multiple slams at the time (Rutschman Raleigh)...Recorded his second career multi-HR game on April 17 vs 2022 at SD)...Hit the second HR off LHP Caleb Ferguson his 1st HR off a left-handed pitcher since Sept 2022 at COL off Austin Gomber...On April 13 vs hit his second career grand slam (also: 9/9/22 vs homering in consecutive games for the 10th time in his career...Marked the 19th first-inning grand slam in Blue Jays history...Hit his first home run of the season to right field in the second inning on April 12 vs Led the Majors with 29 Defensive Runs Saved (2nd: Fernando Tatis Jr - 27) and was nominated for a Gold Glove Award.. His 18 DRS in center tied for second most among center fielders while his 11 DRS in left were third most among left fielders...Named Toronto’s 2023 Heart & Hustle Award winner the second nomination of his career (2022 with ARI)...Played in a career-high 158 games while matching career highs in doubles (23) triples (three) and stolen bases (16)...Went 1-for-5 with a double and two RBI in his Toronto debut on March 30 at STL...His first inning double was the hardest-hit ball of his career (112.5 MPH)...Hit his first homer as a Blue Jay in the sixth and threw out a runner at home in the second on April 4 at KC...Marked his first opposite-field home run since Aug 2021 at COL...Notched his second career walk-off hit with a single in the bottom of the 10th inning on April 29 vs SEA...Drilled his fourth home run on May 3 at BOS going deep in consecutive games for the 1st time of 2023 (eighth career)...Belted his fifth homer of the year on May 7 at PIT a two-run shot in the ninth...Became the first Blue Jay ever (46th player) to homer into the Allegheny River...Hit his sixth home run of the season and his first at Rogers Centre on May 12 vs ATL...Notched his ninth homer on June 2 at NYM a two-run blast in the ninth inning...Was his fourth home run in the ninth inning tying Yordan Alvarez for the most in MLB at the time...Smacked his 11th home run on June 6 vs going deep in consecutive games for the second time of the year (ninth career)...Had a career-high 10-game hitting streak from May 27-June 6 (11-for-38 .957 OPS)...Cranked his 14th home run and recorded a career-high five RBI on Aug 22 were in the seventh inning or later...Went 2-for-4 with his 20th home run and three RBI on Sept TB...Reached 20 home runs for the second straight season (27 in 2022)...All 20 blasts were off right-handed pitchers...Hit .248 (39-for-157) over his last 50G with 7-2B 46 walks and 16 stolen bases over 151 games in his third season with Arizona…Set career highs in games walks and stolen bases...Made 61 starts in right field 18 at catcher and 15 at DH...Named the D-backs’ 2022 Heart and Hustle Award winner by the MLBPAA on Aug 4 and awarded the 2022 D-backs’ Luis Gonzalez Award...Established in 2015 the award recognizes the player who best exemplifies the talents spirit and heart of D-backs legend Luis Gonzalez both on and off the field community impact and fan engagement...The award was voted on by coaches broadcasters and staff members...Named a National League Gold Glove Finalist as a right fielder eventually losing out to Mookie Betts...With Cooper Hummel became the first pair of teammates with 10+ games at catcher and the outfield in a single season since the 2013 Twins (Chris Herrmann and Ryan Doumit)...His 18 Outs Above Average were the most among MLB outfielders while his 19 defensive runs saved were tied for the most with Michael A Taylor...Also tied for sixth in the NL with a career-high eight outfield assists...Also threw out 6-of-18 attempted base stealers...Led the NL in 1st-pitch slugging percentage (1.151) and 1st-pitch homers (10)...Blasted 15 homers post-All-Star break tied for the eighth most in the NL...Of his 27 home runs 12 were of the go-ahead variety...His seven home runs as a leadoff hitter through May were second in the NL...Made his first career Opening Day roster...Had a career-long nine-game hitting streak from April 28-May 9 (.351 AVG 5RBI)...Matched that streak later that same month with another nine-game stretch from May 17-26 (.333 AVG 5RBI)...Became the first catcher in D-backs history to hit a leadoff homer May 24 vs taking the second pitch he saw from Jonathan Heasley deep to center field...His homer on a 101.8 mph cutter from Camilo Doval on July 5 vs SF was the fastest pitch that resulted in a D-backs home run in the Statcast era (since 2015)...Hit a career-long 451-foot homer on July 22 vs WAS in the bottom of thesixth inning off Jordan Weems...His projected 441-foot double off the centerfield wall on Aug PIT tied for the longest non-home run hit in the Statcast era (also: Carson Kelly double on May 10 14 at COL after being hit with an errant throw between innings...Recorded his first career multi-homer game Sept 7 at SD with both shots coming off Yu Darvish...Became just the fifth player with a multi-homer game vs 2017...Homered in three straight games from Sept including his first career grand slam on Sept 9 at COL reliever Austin Gomber in the top of the fifth inning...His nine home runs in September were tied with Pete Alonso for the most in the NL and tied for the second most in club history (J.D Martinez - 16 in 2017; Steve Finley - nine in 1999) 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 95 games over two stints with Arizona.. Appeared in 41 games (37 starts) at catcher 12 games (9 starts) in right and 12 games (6 starts) in left.. Was the first player to appear in 40+ games at both catcher and an outfielder since Evan Gattis/ATL in 2013 and just the third to accomplish the feat since the start of the 2002 season (also: Eli Marrero/STL in 2002) [source: Elias Sports Bureau].. Homered in 3 straight games from July 21-24 and Aug Appeared in 37 games in his first Major League season 3 home runs and 9 RBI....Played in 14 games in center field (13 starts) 10 at catcher (6 starts) and 5 in left field (all starts)…also made 5 starts as designated hitter. . Anthony Barstow is a publishing operations manager at Ranker He studied journalism at Humboldt State University and is a writer, editor and designer with 15 years of experience in the field.  and travel for publications such as the New York Post and Nature World News his job is to keep up with everything trending in the worlds of entertainment and pop culture and to ensure that the best most relevant content from Ranker's 100,000-list deep archives are presented to readers when it matters most Anthony also writes about movies at his personal blog where he enjoys sharing his love of film and his encyclopedic knowledge of the Academy Awards He is also a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan and believes the year can be divided into two seasons: baseball season from April to October and Oscars season from November to March He is not as cool as that picture makes him look 2025 10 itemsIn the high-stakes world of professional sports franchise valuations soar as teams combine on-field prowess with savvy business moves the most valuable sports franchises in 2025 are more than just teams the top franchises dominate through strategic revenue streams like stadium ownership Here’s a rundown of the top 10 heavy hitters leading the pack in 2025 showcasing the NFL’s dominance alongside the NBA’s rising stars and global soccer giants the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys hold the crown as the world’s most valuable sports franchise for the ninth consecutive year With nearly $800 million in local revenue from AT&T Stadium and top-selling merchandise “America’s Team” sets the standard for financial dominance ride a wave of championship success and a $781 million revenue stream from Chase Center fueled by stars like Stephen Curry and a massive media deal makes them the NBA’s top-valued team and a close second overall the Los Angeles Rams benefit from SoFi Stadium a $5 billion venue shared with the Chargers Their $286 million in operating income and a growing L.A market presence make them a financial powerhouse and savvy sponsorships keep them in the top five even as baseball lags behind the NFL and NBA in overall growth the New York Knicks prove that market size matters the Knicks rake in revenue through high-profile sponsorships and TV contracts the New England Patriots combine a loyal fanbase with $261 million in profit Gillette Stadium and the Kraft family’s business acumen keep them in the NFL’s elite A light magnitude 3.3 earthquake hit 34 km (21 mi) away from Ridgecrest, California,  United States The quake had a very shallow depth of 7.1 km (4.4 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter A light magnitude 2.4 earthquake hit 34 km (21 mi) away from Ridgecrest, California,  United States The quake had a very shallow depth of 8.8 km (5.5 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter.