Wednesday Gazette: July 22, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! Yesterday we asked where you go for a junk food fix, and reader Amy Gaines wrote in with a sweet answer: Sweet Mood Candy on Iowa Avenue. The shop lets you buy candy in just enough sizes instead of committing to a whole bulk bag, so you can actually try the stuff you'd normally pass up. Amy says the owner, a single mom who built the business from a candy buffet side hustle into a storefront and online shop, has a huge online following but not nearly enough local love. Sounds like a spot worth checking out for yourself. Got a favorite local business you think Riverside should know about? Send it our way.
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CITY HALL
Inspector General Search Continues as Council Holds Second Closed Session
Two residents weighed in on the closed-door process as the council's search for an inspector general continues.
City Council spent a second day weighing inspector general candidates without reaching a decision.
Why it matters: The inspector general post, an oversight role costing about $500,000 a year, remains unfilled as council continues closed-door talks with no set decision date.
Driving the news: Council held a second day of closed-session deliberations Tuesday, continuing from Monday's special meeting, and returned without any reportable action.
What they're saying: Two residents phoned in before closed session began, offering different takes on the pace.
- Pete Benavidez, who chaired the Charter Review Committee that recommended the post, said: "this is a chance to get it right."
Yes, but: Ward 4 resident Rich Gardner questioned the roughly $500,000 annual cost and pushed for more urgency.
- Gardner said he hopes the eventual hire can help address the city's budget challenges.
What's next: Council's next regular meeting is Tuesday, July 28.
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SPORTS
A Culture Change Could Be the Reset UCR Baseball Needs
Gregg Wallis wants to change how UCR baseball thinks before he changes how it wins.
A new era is upon UCR baseball.
After finishing the season 15-37 overall and 10-20 in Big West play, while hitting .236 as a team and posting an 8.43 ERA, it was time for the Highlanders to rebuild from the ground up.
UCR needed more than a quick fix. It needed a reason to believe it could climb out of the hole.
Enter Gregg Wallis, the new head coach of the Highlanders, who's hoping to lead UCR to its first winning season since 2010 by changing the culture of the team.
Just the kind of reset the program desperately needs.
From the get-go, Wallis wants to establish a culture where the players believe they are winners.
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Noteworthy
Amateur boxing returns to Bryant Park Friday, July 24, at 7 p.m., as USA Boxing-sanctioned bouts featuring roughly 12 matchups hit the Arlanza Community Center, with tickets $20 for adults and $5 for kids 5-10.
What's Happening in Riverside
Today
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Strawberry Tote Bags at Marcy Library
- Community Police Review Commission at Riverside City Hall
- County Planning Commission Meeting at 4080 Lemon St., 1st Floor
Tomorrow
- Archiving IE Black History: Stories and Maps that Bring the Past to Life at Riverside Main Library (Community Room)
- History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($65.50 - $71.21)
Save the Date
- July 24: FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
- July 24: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- July 27: Sip with a Scientist at Bar Ni Modo
- October 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
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