🗞️ Riverside News- June 16, 2026

Monday Gazette: June 16, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday! Before we get into today's stories, we want to take a moment to introduce the reporters behind them. Marissa Perez and Erik Chen are two of the student journalists who have been contributing to the Gazette, and we're proud of the work they're bringing to this newsroom.

Marissa recently graduated from Riverside City College and will be heading to Cal Poly Pomona this fall to study multimedia journalism. Erik is currently a junior at Martin Luther King High School, class of 2027, and will be a senior when school resumes in the fall. In his own words, he came to the Gazette wanting to push back against a news culture he felt was "obsessed" with clicks over community: "I wanted to bring optimism to our city of Riverside." We think that's a pretty good reason to pick up a press badge.

We're glad to have both of them here. Give their work a read.

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COMMUNITY

'Passing the Torch': Riverside Celebrates Juneteenth

Local events honor the holiday's history while challenging a new generation to carry the movement forward.

On June 19, 1865, a Union general stood on weathered Texas soil and announced a belated truth: enslaved people were free.

Despite President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, slavery continued to persist in many parts of the United States — especially Texas, where Confederate influence remained deeply rooted. It was only when Union Major General Gordon Granger issued General Orders No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, that enslaved people in Texas were finally informed of their freedom.

The historical moment is now celebrated as Juneteenth, also known as "Black Independence Day." In remembrance of African American heritage and resilience, President Joe Biden officially signed it into law as a federal holiday in 2021.

Here is how Riverside is marking the important day this year.

Read and share the complete story...

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COMMUNITY

From Family Farm to Nonprofit: The Ungers Are Growing Opportunity in Riverside

Nestled in the Historic Citrus Preserve, Gable Farms offers adults with cognitive disabilities a chance to work, learn and grow.

A Riverside family built a working nonprofit farm in the Historic Citrus Preserve around their son's love of farming — and it's now a day program serving adults with cognitive disabilities from the local school district.

Why it matters: Gable Farms fills a gap that hits close to home for many families — what happens when a disabled adult ages out of the school system. The Ungers' answer was to build something from the ground up, literally.

The backstory: Kara and Erik Unger spent years researching support options for their son Joshuah, who has autism. When he aged out of school, they purchased land on Victoria Avenue, and Erik taught himself to farm through YouTube videos, books, and a workshop at a Mesa, Arizona farm called Steadfast Farm.

• Farming in Riverside's dry, extreme heat required its own hard-won knowledge: "The hardest time to grow is in August and September," Erik said. "But in wintertime you grow the right crops."

Driving the news: The farm recently opened a store selling crops and flowers, and its team has grown to include farm manager Samantha Barnes, who says the role has been "amazing" and unexpected.

Read and share the complete story...

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Noteworthy

Voltu Motor has begun full-scale production of its heavy-duty electric Voltu3 truck at its Riverside headquarters, with the city as its first customer and plans to add 400 local jobs over the next four years.

Riverside Transit Agency is joining more than 10 regional partners to offer fans affordable, stress-free direct bus service to all eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium from June 12 to July 10.

RCC is launching an electric car-sharing service this fall through the state-funded EBDide program, offering students app-based rentals for $5 per hour — with a free one-hour trial — from Parking Lot C near the Kane Building.

This Week in Riverside

Today

• City Council at Riverside City Hall
• Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
• Orange Terrace Library | Library Mini Golf at Orange Terrace Library

Tomorrow

• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• About Writing at Janet Goeske Center
• Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee at Riverside City Hall
• History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)

Save the Date

• June 19: FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
• June 19: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• July 13: River Camp with IE Kids Outdoors at Martha McLean Park ($235)
• July 20: Camp Riverside with IE Kids Outdoors at California State Citrus Heritage Park ($200)

🗓️ See More Events     📝 Submit Your Event

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🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.