Water Damage Restoration in Menifee, CA

UPDATE: A brush fire that ignited near Clinton Keith Road and Whitewood Road in Murrieta on Thursday was 30% contained as of 6 p.m., according to Patch. The fire broke out shortly after 3:45 p.m. and quickly grew from 10 acres to nearly 59.5 acres by 5:30 p.m., prompting evacuation orders. However, all evacuation orders were lifted by 6:15 p.m., according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

ORIGINAL STORY: A brush fire, named Baxter Fire, erupted near Avenue Manana in Murrieta, a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, on Thursday. Map shows the blaze is burning close to Loma Linda University Health.

“VEGETATION FIRE - RPT @ 3:25PM. 35200 block Avenida Manana in Menifee. Firefighters on-scene of 20 acres burning at a moderate rate of spread in light flashy fuels. Additional ground and air resources en-route,” CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department reported.

Murrieta Fire & Rescue wrote, “Fire is on the scene of a brush fire in the area of Clinton Keith / Whitewood Rd. Please avoid the area at this time.”

As of now, the fire is moving at a moderate rate of spread. The flames are burning in brush-covered hills to the east of Vista Murrieta High School, with residential neighborhoods located to the west.

No injuries have been reported, and no evacuations have been announced.

A local resident noted that the fire appeared close to Loma Linda University Health, writing on Facebook: “FYI, a fire started close to Loma Linda hospital in Murriet. Traffic is kind of bad right now because of fire engines and stuff rushing to get to it.  I hope they’re able to get it out so it doesn’t reach the hospital. Or surrounding houses or building.”

MENIFEE, CA — The Menifee Union School District has announced it will launch full-day kindergarten starting in the 2025-26 school year.

The new schedule will run from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an early-release day on Wednesdays, when school runs from 7:45 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Days can go longer for families that opt into the district’s free Beyond the Classroom after-school program, whereby eligible TK through 5th-grade students can receive free extended learning opportunities until 5 p.m.

The expanded educational model will offer additional time for instruction in reading, math, and hands-on learning, while also allowing for deeper engagement in the arts, social development, and classroom routines, according to the district.

In a released statement, Jesse Ramirez, MUSD's director of expanded learning, said, "Moving to full-day Kindergarten is a powerful step toward ensuring all students have access to the time, support, and opportunities they need to thrive. We know that increased instructional time leads to stronger foundational skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy, while creating space for social-emotional development, creativity, and exploration. This shift promotes greater equity and helps us close opportunity gaps — especially for students who benefit from more structure, connection, and time to grow."

Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Root said the full-day shift supports MUSD’s mission "to inspire learning, exploration, and imagination in every student from the very start."

"Early learning sets the tone for a child’s entire educational journey," Root said in a released statement. "By offering full-day Kindergarten, we are creating space for our youngest learners to grow academically, socially, and creatively. This expanded day gives children more time to build confidence, curiosity, and a strong foundation for the years ahead."

Menifee Union School District will continue to offer half-day Transitional Kindergarten (TK) at all school sites. Designed for children who turn 4 years old by September 1, 2025, TK provides a bridge between preschool and kindergarten.

The 2025–26 school year begins on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, and enrollment is now open. Families can find more information and begin the enrollment process at musd.me/enrollment or by contacting their local school office.

Menifee Motor Madness is back in Sun City in 2025 and it’s bringing the classics with it.

Held in the Sun City Civic Association’s Parking lot, this community car event brings out an impressive mix of vintage rides, muscle cars, and motorcycles. No trailers. Just the real deal, polished and ready for a full day in the spotlight.

The event is a collaborative effort between the Rotary Club of Menifee and the Sun City CruiZers, with the local civic association stepping in as host. That kind of team-up gives the whole day a relaxed, well-organized feel, like the kind of event where everyone knows someone and nobody’s in a rush.

You’ll find trophies up for grabs, food trucks parked nearby, and music in the air. There’s also a 50/50 drawing and plenty of space for families to hang out and enjoy the scene.

It’s the kind of day that’s more about the experience than the flash. Real people, real cars, and a solid community turnout that keeps Menifee’s car culture rolling strong.

Menifee Motor Madness - Riverside County, California

Location: Sun City Civic Association Parking Lot, 26850 Sun City Boulevard, Menifee, CA 92586Starts: 9:00 AMEnds: 3:00 PMAdmission: FreeVehicle Registration: HERE

*Please note: iDriveSoCal is not hosting this car show. To learn more contact Menifee Motor Madness event organizers HERE . Including details about attending and displaying your car. Also about becoming a car meet vendor or sponsor.

Additionally, for more of the best Southern California automotive events click HERE .

First-timer? Review our Ultimate Guide to Cars And Coffee events and roll like a pro!

And, ever wonder how cars and coffee events got started? Check out this podcast on The History Of Cars And Coffee !

Have a car show, automotive event or car meet you think we should post? Submit HERE .

MENIFEE, CA — When a Riverside County man and notorious family prankster recently won $5 million from a Maximum Millions Scratchers ticket, getting his wife to take him seriously proved to be no laughing matter.

Eugene Brown, of Meniffee, admits his wife had good reason to think she was being pranked, according to the CA Lottery.

"One time I told her one of her favorite singers had passed and then recorded her reaction," he said. And yes, winning $5 million on a lottery ticket would have been the perfect setup, he admits.

On this particular day, Brown was providing his wife with some much-needed respite from him and their child, a CA Lottery spokesperson said.

"He took their toddler out for breakfast and a walk, and on the way, stopped by the ARCO ampm on the corner of Newport and Menifee Road in Menifee to pick up two Maximum Millions Scratchers," they said. For Brown, this is "regular entertainment."

Find out what's happening in Murrietafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“If she hadn’t asked me to go out, I might not have gone to the store,” Brown said. “Or I would’ve gone later, and somebody else would’ve gotten the ticket. But everything lined up in the universe.”

Brown returned home with his ticket, and his wife took over childcare duties again. Once upstairs, he set to scratching his tickets. Purchased for $20 each, the tickets have a maximum prize value of $5 million, according to the CA Lottery.

First, he won $75.

Moving on to the next game card, he saw a 5 with a lot of zeroes.

Was it $5,000? Was it $50,000?

Who better to ask than his wife?

When he asked her to look at the ticket and see if she saw what he did, she answered: “It’s $5 million. Could you please take the garbage out? I’m not in the mood right now.”

“No, I’m serious,” Brown replied. “We won $5 million!”

“You’d better not be lying,” his wife said.

But he knew this was no laughing matter. Brown won the top prize, one of only three top prizes, on the Maximum Millions game. There remain 36 $100,000 winning tickets left, according to the state lottery website.

"Eugene is also well aware of the California Lottery’s mission of providing extra money to public schools, and that hits close to home for him and his wife," a CA Lottery official said.

"It’s all part of giving back,” he said. “My wife is a teacher, and education to me has always been paramount.”

Ultimately, Brown credits his faith for this win.

“I’m not lucky. I’m blessed,” he said. “I’m going to invest my winnings, pay off my house, and put it all in a trust to work on creating some generational wealth for my children.”

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Completed in the summer of 2024, the new Menifee Justice Center in Riverside County stands as a symbol of the judicial branch’s commitment to increasing access to justice and court services for county residents.

Recognizing this facility upgrade for the public, the Southern California chapter of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) honored the courthouse project with its Project Achievement Award. The award “recognizes projects that serve as an example to the industry and are true pinnacles of excellence and innovation.”

New Courthouse Features The Menifee courthouse offers services not possible due to space restrictions in the county’s other court facilities, such as enhanced and expanded jury assembly and deliberation rooms, an adequately sized self-help center and children's waiting room, and attorney interview/witness waiting rooms. The new building also addressed overcrowding, security, and accessibility issues in the court’s previous facility.

Building Is Energy Efficient The building’s sustainability features satisfy the California Energy Code and qualify it for a LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. This is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings, which aligns with the judicial branch's goal of reducing its carbon footprint. The courthouse’s sustainability features include drought-tolerant landscaping, efficient irrigation and plumbing systems, and energy-efficient lighting.

Community Input into New Courthouse A broad-based Project Advisory Group for the courthouse project consisted of community, legal, and government leaders. The group provided input throughout the site selection, design, and construction process. In addition, public input was a part of the environmental review process.

Part of a Statewide Courthouse Construction Program The new courthouse project in Menifee was ranked as an “Immediate Need” in the judicial branch’s capital-outlay plan, making it among the branch’s highest-priority infrastructure projects. Since the state judicial branch took over responsibility for courthouses in 2002, the judicial branch construction program has completed 35 new courthouse projects, with another 18 projects underway and in various stages.

These include new court facilities in both large and small counties, as well as urban and rural areas across the state.

For more information on the Menifee Justice Center, visit the California court’s website at courts.ca.gov/facilities/riverside-county-new-menifee-justice-center.

To see photos of the courthouse dedication ceremony celebrating the renovation project, visit the California Courts Flickr channel.