A2  PALO VERDE VALLEY TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018
Wanted felon caught and arrested by Blythe police
BY CATHYLEEN RICE
TIMES REPORTER
Blythe Police Department
officers arrested 40-year-old
Christopher Rios in connec-
tion with the robbery and as-
sault of a 69-year-old Blythe
resident.
BPD reports that the arrest
was made around 12:33 p.m.
Jan. 24, after receiving a call
Larry Green Auto Group pays it forward
The Larry Green Auto Group paid it forward Friday, making a special delivery of $6,000 Palo Verde High School for the Ford Drive
4UR School event hosted last year during homecoming week. Donating the money to the school with her colleagues, Business
Manager of LGAG Patty Johnson said she thanks the community for the out pour of love and support and shared that Principal
Brandy Cox will use the money to reinforce good behavior and academics.
PVVEA aims for bright econmic future
BY CATHYLEEN RICE
TIMES REPORTER
From a conversation
between the Blythe In-
terim-City Manager and
a representative from
the Riverside County
Economic Development
Administration (EDA),
the Palo Verde Valley
Economic Alliance was
formed.
Hosting monthly
meetings at City Hall,
where the commu-
nity is invited to be a
part of the discussion
of the city of Blythe’s
economic future, EDA
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about the abuse
earlier
morning.
According to
a BPD press re-
lease, “On Jan.
CHRISTOPHER 24, at about 0647
RIOS hours, officers
from the Blythe
Police Department responded
to Albertsons in reference to a
representative Joaquin
Tijerina and Interim
City Manager Mallory
Crecelius believed this
to be the best way to in-
clude everyone interest-
ed in helping to rebuild
Blythe as a sustainable
job growth site with a
durable economy.
The next meeting will
be held Feb. 21, at 10 a.m.,
with future meetings ev-
ery third Wednesday of
the month.
PVVEA will also part-
ner with the Blythe
Chamber of Commerce,
the Community Im-
provement Fund (CIF)
report of a male subject being
that assaulted.”
The victim told respond-
ing officers that he was as-
saulted and robbed of his jew-
elry by a male subject at 7th
and Rice Street a few minutes
prior.
Interviewing several wit-
nesses in the area, key evi-
dence of the identification of
PHOTO BY CATHYLEEN RICE/PALO VERDE VALLEY TIMES
organization, the Coach-
ella Valley-based Small
Business Development
Center (SBDC) and Riv-
erside County represen-
tatives to host a busi-
ness “Lunch & Learn”
workshop Wednesday,
Feb. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to
1 p.m., at 235 N. Broad-
way.
According to Crece-
lius, this workshop is
for anyone who is think-
ing about starting a
business or who already
owns a business.
She said, “The work-
shop, hosted by the
Small Business Devel-
the suspect was obtained by
officers and detectives, which
helped capture the San Ber-
nardino, Calif., suspect.
The press release reports,
“Near the intersection of Ju-
niper Trail and Broadway,”
Rios was arrested.
Booked shortly after into
the Riverside County, Blythe
Jail for robbery and elder
opment Center will dis-
cuss local, commercial
and alternative lending
options available if you
want to start or expand
your business. There
are a lot of resources
available to our local
businesses through the
Small Business Devel-
opment Center and they
want to help the busi-
nesses in Blythe. They
can help with business
plans, financial projec-
tions and finding fund-
ing for your business-
es.”
Doctors call woman’s recovery from
Las Vegas shooting ‘miraculous’
BY MELINA ZUNIGA
CRONKITE NEWS
PHOENIX — Jovanna
Calzadillas is heading
home from a Phoenix
hospital, three months
after she was shot in the
head after a mass shoot-
ing at a Las Vegas music
festival. She was not ex-
pected to live but doctors
— and her family — re-
fused to give up.
“I feel strong and posi-
tive,” the Queen Creek
mother of two said
Wednesday, speaking to
reporters about her re-
abuse, the case still remains
under investigation.
BPD asks anyone with in-
formation regarding this case
to call (760) 922-6111 or by
emailing blythepd@cityofb-
lythe.ca.gov.
If you have information and
wish to remain anonymous,
call Crime Stop at (760) 921-
CARE (2273).
Harlem Wizards
basketball team
comes to Blythe
BY CATHYLEEN RICE
TIMES REPORTER
The world-famous
Harlem Wizards will
return to Blythe on
Saturday, Feb. 3, at the
Clancy Osborne Physi-
cal Education Complex
at Palo Verde College
(PVC).
As a widely antici-
pated community event
sponsored by the PVC
Pirates Basketball Club,
PHOTO BY URIEL AVENDANO/PALO
the Wizards will deliver
VERDE VALLEY TIMES
a “world-class, high-
flying and interactive BLYTHE AND THE GREATER
basketball show,” as the PALO VERDE VALLEY
organization has been COMMUNITY  are eagerly
doing for the past 56 anticipating the return of the
years. always-entertaining Harlem
According to Jaclyn Wizards Basketball team
Randall, event coordina- on Feb.3 at the Palo Verde
College.
tor and the Palo Verde
College student success
Commerce, Randall said
manager, this will be
the second time in eight advanced ticket pur-
years that the Wizards chases will end Friday
will visit Blythe. at noon.
Showing off slam
dunks, alley hoops, fast
dribbles and more, sev-
However, tickets can
also be purchased on-
line at www.harlemwiz-
ards.com.
en professionals from
the Harlem Wizards will Game time will begin
at 4 p.m., and doors will
challenge the commu-
nity’s PVC team, begin- open at 3.
Advance ticket prices
ning 4 p.m.
are $10 for students and
Two students from
$12 for general admis-
each elementary school
will also be selected by sion. Tickets at the door
will be $12 for students
their principals to help
assist the local team and $15 for general ad-
in their head-to-head mission.
match up against the Reserved seating is
Wizards. $18 per person or indi-
Randall said this viduals can purchase
friendly community courtside plus plans for
function will serve as $35, which will include
a fundraiser for the Pi- a VIP lanyard, a 15-min-
rates Basketball Club’s ute meet and greet with
upcoming spring bas- the team, one auto-
ketball season. graphed photo, a hotdog
With tickets on sale and drink.
now and available for For more information
purchase at Palo Verde about this event, contact
College, Halby’s and Randall at (760) 921-5503
The Blythe Chamber of or (760) 989-9560.
covery. hospital in critical condi-
“A part of me changed tion. At one point, Frank
that night. Even though Calzadillas said, doctors
I will not be the same there asked whether he
old Jovanna, I will come wanted to take her off
back stronger.” life support. He refused.
She was at an Oct. 1 “The hardest part for
outdoor concert with her us was not knowing,”
husband and high-school Frank said. “However
sweetheart, Frank, when long it takes. That was
a gunman opened fire our promise to her, and
from a nearby hotel, kill- her promise to us was
ing 58 and injuring 546 she wasn’t going to give
in the nation’s deadliest up.”
mass shooting in mod- Three weeks after the
ern history. shooting, she was trans-
Calzadillas, who was ferred to Barrow Neuro-
shot in the head, was logical Institute in Phoe-
rushed to a Las Vegas nix. In November, she
grabbed her husband’s
hands and asked for ice
cream. She has been
working to recover in a
rehab center for about
six weeks.
Doctors called her re-
covery miraculous.
Christina Kwasnica,
the medical director of
Barrow’s Neuro-Reha-
bilitation Center, said
Calzadillas has been fo-
cusing on physical, oc-
cupational and speech
therapy for three hours
a day.
“The next step is even
more exciting,” Kwasni-
ca said. “The next step is
about being able to take
back your life, which is
really what we all want.”
Frank Calzadillas said
his family’s focus has
been on getting his wife
healthy so she can “con-
tinue to blossom.”