News

Pala Today News – 5/21/25

Written by John Fox on May 21, 2025

The following items are part of the award-winning “Pala Today” newscast heard this day at noon on PALA REZ RADIO™ 91.3 FM in Pala.

In any emergency, knowledge is power. Use our resources to leverage your family’s safety. Email 91.3@palatribe.com to subscribe to our daily M-F e-newsletter. Follow us at www.facebook.com/rezradio and www.twitter.com/rezradioFM. Additional resources at Palatribe.com

LOCAL AND REGIONAL NEWS

Fire broke out south of Highway 371 in Aguanga yesterday afternoon. It was reported shortly after 1:30p in the area of Petes Crossing and Janell Drive moving at a moderate rate through light brush. Evacuations were ordered for about a dozen properties to the East. They were lifted later in the day. 126 acres burned with one structure destroyed. One firefighter from Hemet was taken to a hospital by ambulance suffering from heat exhaustion. Temperatures were in the low 90s yesterday in the Anza Valley. At the Crossing Fire’s peak, five Cal Fire air tankers and three water-dropping helicopters worked the fire. It was 85% contained as of this morning. https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/wildfires/2025/05/21/crossing-fire-updates-size-containment-evacuation-road-closures/83767447007/

A California Appeals Court on Monday blocked the Temecula Valley Unified School District from enforcing its ban on the teaching of critical race theory on grounds that it is unconstitutionally vague and irreconcilable with state education requirements. In December of 2022, the Temecula Valley school board passed two controversial resolutions on the same day a new conservative majority was sworn in. One required that parents be notified if their child requests to be identified with a gender different than the one assigned at birth. The other prohibited the teaching of critical race theory. A group of parents, teachers and students filed suit against the board in 2023 over the latter. Superior Court Judge Eric Keen denied the plaintiff’s motion. But a three-judge appellate panel disagreed and ruled that the vagueness of the policy left teachers afraid to bring up certain historical facts and writings. Because of Monday’s ruling, the critical race theory case remains alive and can still proceed toward a trial. Until then, the school board can’t enforce the resolution. The gender issue was decided last year at the state level, with Temecula’s resolution being invalidated. https://www.courthousenews.com/appeals-court-blocks-socal-school-districts-critical-race-theory-ban/

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office was called to the Fallbrook Country Inn on South Mission in Fallbrook around 2p yesterday to investigate an apparent drug overdose. The unidentified individual, who was a guest of the person renting the room was found unresponsive and declared dead at the scene. https://www.villagenews.com/story/2025/05/15/news/medical-examiner-responds-to-apparent-overdose-death-at-fallbrook-hotel/78868.html

Escondido Police today announced the arrest of a suspect accused of killing a pedestrian last year at the intersection of Mission and Broadway. 42-year old Lair Marin Salas of Escondido was booked into Vista jail for the September 17 hit-and-run that killed 58-year old Miguel Leonides Garcia. https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/suspect-arrested-in-hit-and-run-crash-that-killed-pedestrian-in-escondido-052125

The CHP recently described the increasing level of reckless driving on the state’s highways as “video game-styled”. The only time they behave on the roads is when they see a marked patrol vehicle. That doesn’t deter the majority of their dangerous driving. The CHP is now taking it to the next level, with a new fleet of 100 Dodge Durangos that at a glance look like any civilian Durango. They’re designed to go unnoticed and allow officers to bust reckless drivers. The 100 vehicles are different from the other 300 in the CHP’s new fleet in that they aren’t black and white, have subdued graphics and emergency vehicle lights that are hidden in bumpers and grilles, allowing them to blend into traffic. They are in a variety of colors including burgundy, Navy blue, black, silver and gray. But they do have CHP logos on the doors, and they’re faster than current CHP cruisers to allow them to keep up with speeders. The CHP reports over 18k citations issued last year for speeds over 100 miles an hour. https://www.pressenterprise.com/2025/05/19/new-chp-vehicles-aim-to-blend-into-traffic-to-target-video-game-style-drivers/

The heatwave should peak today with high temperatures in Pala in the low 90s. We’ll begin at least a week in the low 80s this weekend. The full forecast is coming up. (below)

Mass at Pala Mission Church is broadcast live on Rez Radio 91.3 and streamed live on the Rez Radio App every Sunday at 8a.

SPORTS

In the NBA playoffs – Trailing at the halfway point, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder poured it on in the third and fourth quarters to bury the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 in Game One of the Western finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half. The Eastern finals begin tonight with Indiana at New York.

In the NHL playoffs – Florida beat the Hurricanes in Carolina 5-2 in Game One of the Eastern finals. Game One for the West is tonight with Dallas hosting Edmonton.

In Major League Baseball – The Padres losing streak is now at four games. And this time it cost them. The Dodgers and Giants both won, dropping the Padres to third place in the NL West a half-game behind the Giants and 1 ½ games behind the Dodgers, who beat Arizona 4-2 in ten innings thanks to a walk-off sacrifice fly by Max Muncey. San Francisco edged the visiting Royals 3-2. The Padres got shut out by the Blue Jays in Toronto 3-0. In the American League, the Angels beat the A’s 7-5.

In Major League Soccer – San Diego’s next game is Saturday hosting the LA Galaxy. LAFC is at Montreal on Saturday.

In the NFL – At league meetings in Minnesota, owners voted 22-10 to ban the tush push play, popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles. But it needed 24 votes to pass. The controversial play involves a quarterback holding the ball being pushed by teammates from behind to gain needed short yardage. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45252032/proposal-ban-tush-push-nfl-fails-two-votes-sources-say

In rugby – The San Diego Legion’s next game is Friday in Miami.

In local high school sports:

Bonsall – no scheduled games

Great Oak – no scheduled games

Fallbrook – CIF baseball and softball at Mission Bay this afternoon

Valley Center – boy’s golf CIF individuals’ championship at Torrey Pines all day: CIF softball at Sweetwater at 4p

BUSINE$$

As of midday trading on Wall Street, stocks were down again today. The Dow fell 1 1/3%. The S&P 500 dropped ¾ of a percent. And the Nasdaq was down 4 tenths. Gold futures were up $25.80 on the Comex at $3,310.40 an ounce. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures lost ten cents, trading at $61.93 a barrel.

President Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on imports as a way to boost U.S. manufacturing and raise federal revenue to replace cuts in other areas. The uneven implementation and constant change in the rates of those duties on imports is one issue. Another is collecting the tariffs. The federal agencies that screen imports are overwhelmed by the sudden flood of work and understaffed because of DOGE cuts. Add to that, importers are becoming increasingly adept at evading taxes. The higher tariffs go, the more demand there is for smuggling. During the first Trump administration, some importers got around new tariffs then by routing shipments through third countries. U.S. manufacturers that report such acts by importers to Homeland Security either don’t get a response to their complaint, or nothing happens to importers that get caught. So, they just go somewhere else and do it again. The Department of Justice says it doesn’t have the resources to prosecute trade-related cases. Still, Customs and Border Protection reports that in the first week of this month, the department collected $630m in additional revenue after targeted reviews of more than 2k shipments revealed duty evasion. https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5387330/trump-tariffs-china-collect-manufacturing-revenue

Twelve states today asked a federal court to halt President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. They argue that the President is overstepping his authority by declaring it a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The suit filed on behalf of Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont asks that government agencies and their officers be blocked from enforcing the tariffs. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/23/g-s1-62417/trump-tariff-lawsuits-states

LIFESTYLE / GREEN LIVING

Actor and comedian George Wendt, best known as Norm on TV’s “Cheers” died yesterday morning at his home. He earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for playing a barfly accountant on the 80s sitcom which ran for eleven seasons on NBC. Before turning to television, the Chicago native was in the Chicago improv group, The Second City where he met his wife of nearly 50 years. The couple have three children. Wendt reprised the character of Norm Peterson in the Cheers spinoffs, “The Tortellis” and “Frazier”. He also starred his own short-lived sitcom on CBS, “The George Wendt Show” in which he played a radio host car mechanic. It only lasted a month. But he had no trouble finding work, appearing in dozens of TV shows and movies including “Fletch”, “Gung Ho”, and “Spice World”. He appeared many times on Saturday Night Live where he reunited with a number of friends from Second City. He turned to theater later in his career, including roles in “Hairspray”, “Elf the Musical” and as Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman”. Wendt was 76. https://variety.com/2025/tv/obituaries-people-news/george-wendt-dead-cheers-1236404992/

On this day in music history – May 21,

1963, The Castiles performed in front of an audience for the first time at Freehold High School in New Jersey where all five members were then juniors. The lead singer was Bruce Springsteen.
On the same day, having just turned 13 eight days prior, Little Stevie Wonder recorded his second album, “The Twelve-Year-Old Genius”, a live album at Chicago’s Regal Theater. It included his first hit single, “Fingertips, Part Two”.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix signed with Reprise Records on the Warner Bros label, who released his first three albums, “Are You Experienced”, “Axis: Bold as Love”, and “Electric Ladyland”.
In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released the protest single, “Ohio”, written and composed by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings three weeks earlier, where unarmed college students protesting the Vietnam War were fired upon by the Ohio National Guard. Guardsmen fired 67 live rounds in 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, including one who suffered permanent paralysis.
In 1971, Marvin Gaye released his 11^th studio album, “What’s Going On” – also a war protest, consisting of nine songs telling the story from the point of view of a returning Vietnam veteran.
In 1972, Rod Stewart was #1 with a double-sided single – “I Don’t Want to Talk About It / First Cut is the Deepest”.
In 1974, Stevie Wonder began the first of three weeks at #1 with “Sir Duke”, a tribute to Duke Ellington.
In 1977, Elton John began a concert tour of Russia, playing the first of 8 dates, making him the first music star from the West to do so.
In 1979, Joe Strummer of The Clash was arrested at a much-troubled show in Hamburg, Germany after smashing his guitar. So? Pete Townsend did that all the time. Strummer did it over the head of an audience member. He was released after a sobriety test came up negative.
In 1983, David Bowie was #1 with “Let’s Dance” – his first hit to be number one on both sides of the Atlantic. Its popularity was greatly helped by the video being played in high rotation on the fledgling MTV cable network.
In 2006, Madonna played the first of three sold out nights at The Forum in LA. The 60-date Confessions Tour grossed $260m – a record at the time for a female artist.
In 2011, Adele was #1 with “Rolling in the Deep”. It became the top single of the year on the Billboard chart and the following February won three Grammys – Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video.

Born on this day …

In 1904, Fats Waller, jazz pianist, composer, singer, and comic entertainer. His songs, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose” were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1999.
In 1941, Isley Brother, Ronald Isley.
In 1943, Kinks’ bass player John Dalton.
In 1948, Leo Sayer.
In 1955, original drummer for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Stan Lynch.

https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/on-this-day/

Other anniversaries today …

Author, comedian, writer and former Senator, Al Franken is 74
T, best known from the TV series, “The A-Team” is 73
Actress Jean Kasem, widow of Casey Kasem is 71
Among those who’ve passed, actress, comedienne and game show panelist, Peggy Cass was born in 1924. Her film credits include “Auntie Mame” and “If It’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium”. On TV, she was in “The Hathaways” and “Major Dad”.
Character actor Richard Libertini was born in 1933.
In 1990, the final episode of the sitcom, “Newhart” aired, in which the main character wakes up not only realizing the entire series was all a dream, but that he’s back in his previous sitcom series, “The Bob Newhart Show”.
In 1992, Johnny Carson hosted his final new episode of “The Tonight Show” in which his final guest, Bette Midler sang two songs to him and one with him.

http://www.dementeddatebook.com/2080-date0521.htm

Programming on Rez Radio 91.3 is made possible in part by the Pala Band of Mission Indians and donations from listeners like you. Call 760 742 4200 or email 91.3@palatribe.com for details on contributing to community radio in Pala.

Call the Pala Fire Department at 760 742 1632 before starting any open fires to get the day’s Cal Fire and APCD recommendations. Fire Department permits are required for any burning on Pala tribal land.

Pala seniors’ lunch menu for tomorrow (5/22) – fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert

The Pala Band of Mission Indians has employment opportunities including full time and part time. For a list, go to the Palatribe dot com website.

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WEATHER

Pala Weather – sunny with a high of 93 this afternoon … 90 tomorrow with winds gusting up to 20 miles an hour both days … patchy morning low clouds and fog, then partly cloudy and 84 Friday … mostly sunny and 81 Saturday … 84 Sunday through Tuesday … overnight lows, 56 tonight … 54 tomorrow night … 52 Friday and Saturday night … about 55 Sunday and Monday night

FIRE PERMITS

Call the Pala Fire Department at (760) 742-1632 before starting any open fires to get the day’s Cal Fire and APCD recommendations. Fire Department permits are required for any burning on Pala tribal land.

PALA

The Pala Band of Mission Indians has a number of part-time and full-time employment opportunities.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

The Community Events and Casino Corner portions of this newsletter can be heard three times daily Mon-Sun on Rez Radio, at 7:25a, 12:25p (in Pala Today M-F), and at 5:25p as the “Pala Community Calendar”. Submit items for the calendar to 91.3@palatribe.com at least a week before the event.

You can view the events on the Calendar page.

SHOWS

You can find a wide-range of Pala Rez Radio programming on our Shows page.

RESOURCES

The Pala Band of Mission Indians and Rez Radio gathered this list of resources as a courtesy and offers no guarantee of accuracy. Please contact us if you find an error or if any link needs to be updated.

Check out the list of information on our Resources page.