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Happening in Upland is your weekly rundown of what’s going on around town—local news, community events, public safety updates, new restaurants, development, weather, schools, and the stuff Upland residents actually talk about.
Delivered with humor, honesty, and a very local point of view, this isn’t stiff broadcast news. It’s real, relevant information with personality. If you live in Upland or anywhere nearby in the Inland Empire, this is your weekly shortcut to staying in the loop.
MARK: Welcome to 'Happening in Upland', the only local news show that realizes we're all basically living in a giant, sun-baked air fryer. I'm Mark, and I'm currently nursing a cold brew and a significant amount of resentment toward the state of the world.
JOLEEN: And I'm Joleen, coming to you with that classic Inland Empire mix of high energy and soul-crushing cynicism. It's Monday, July 20th, 2026, and if you're listening to this while stuck on Foothill Boulevard, I'm sorry. I'm truly, deeply sorry for your life choices.
MARK: We've got a lot to get through today, mostly because the world is a chaotic mess and Upland is just the specific corner of the mess we happen to inhabit. We're talking about prison time for freeway disasters, why your favorite coffee might come with a side of health code violations, and a weather forecast that makes me want to move to the Arctic Circle. Before we get into the heavy stuff, remember to like and subscribe to this podcast. Leave a comment, tell us we're dicks, we don't care, just engage with the algorithm. You can even reach us at upland@thehappeningnetwork.com if you've got a tip or just want to bitch about the potholes on 14th Street.
JOLEEN: Seriously, send us your hate mail. It fuels me. But first, let's talk about some actual justice for once. Last Tuesday, July 14th, a semitruck driver finally got sentenced for that horrific crash on the 10 Freeway in Ontario that killed three people last year. He's looking at four years and eight months in prison.
MARK: Four years and eight months? That's it? You kill three people because you weren't paying attention or you were pushing a rig you couldn't handle, and you get less than five years? I've seen people get more time for tax evasion. It's fucking ridiculous.
JOLEEN: It's the legal system, Mark. It's not designed to make sense, it's designed to move paper. But honestly, every time I'm on the 10, I'm convinced it's my last day on Earth anyway. Those trucks treat the freeway like a goddamn Mad Max movie. Seeing one driver actually face a cell, even for a short stint, feels like a weird anomaly.
MARK: The sentencing happened over in Ontario, but we all know that stretch of the 10. It's the artery that feeds Upland, and it's clogged with people who shouldn't have a license to operate a tricycle, let alone an eighteen-wheeler. I hope those families feel some sort of closure, but five years feels like a slap in the face to anyone who's ever lost someone to a distracted driver.
JOLEEN: Speaking of things that'll ruin your day, we have to talk about the crime report. And this one's a real gut-punch. A toddler in San Bernardino County accidentally killed himself with a firearm on July 17th. The mom and the boyfriend were arrested for child abuse causing great bodily injury or death. They're being held on over a million dollars in bail.
MARK: There's no sarcasm for that one. It's just pure, unadulterated stupidity and tragedy. If you're going to have a gun in the house with a kid, and you don't have it locked up, you're not just a bad parent, you're a criminal. I don't give a shit what your excuse is. 'Oh, I thought it was safe.' Well, clearly, it fucking wasn't.
JOLEEN: It makes me so angry. These stories are way too common in the IE lately. People treat firearms like they're TV remotes, just leaving them lying around for a curious three-year-old. The boyfriend and the mom are sitting in the Central Detention Center right now, and frankly, they should stay there until they've thought about what they've done for a few decades. It's a level of negligence that borders on evil.
MARK: It's grim. And then we've got the usual Upland flavor of crime too. The police are still looking for that suspect who pulled a knife on an ice cream shop worker. Imagine being that much of a dickhead. You're trying to rob an ice cream shop? What's the haul there? Forty bucks and a pint of rocky road? Get a real job, you absolute loser.
JOLEEN: Maybe he just really wanted a waffle cone and didn't have the change. But seriously, the level of desperation or just sheer assholery it takes to threaten someone over dessert is peak Inland Empire. Stay safe out there, people. Apparently, even your local Baskin-Robbins is a high-stakes environment now.
MARK: Let's pivot to something that's going to make everyone's stomach turn. The health department has been busy. From July 8th to July 16th, several local spots were shut down for violations. And Joleen, you're going to hate this, because I know you love your morning sugar rush.
JOLEEN: Don't you dare tell me something happened to my donut spots. I will lose my mind.
MARK: Well, start losing it. Christy's Donuts on Foothill was ordered to close. So were Inca's Peruvian Grill and Little Badger Coffee Company. They're all in that same general area on East Foothill. The health inspectors came through like the Grim Reaper of glazed goods.
JOLEEN: No! Not Little Badger! That's where I go when I want to feel like a sophisticated person who pays too much for caffeine. What the hell happened? Was there a rat convention in the espresso machine? This is why we can't have nice things in Upland. You think you're supporting a local business, and it turns out you're actually supporting a biological hazard.
MARK: The report usually mentions things like vermin infestations or lack of hot water. I mean, look, if I'm eating a donut, I already know I'm making a bad decision for my health. I just didn't think the 'bad decision' involved a potential case of salmonella. It's funny how we walk into these places every day, see the 'A' in the window, and just trust it. But that 'A' is clearly a lie sometimes.
JOLEEN: It's a betrayal, Mark. It's a culinary betrayal. I've eaten at Inca's too. Their lomo saltado was great. Now I'm wondering if the secret ingredient was 'failure to follow basic sanitation protocols'. I'm going to have to start cooking at home, and we both know that's a disaster waiting to happen.
MARK: Well, if you do cook at home, make sure you buy your groceries from somewhere that isn't currently being investigated by the county. It's a low bar, but apparently, it's one that's hard to clear for some folks on Foothill. Speaking of Foothill, the road construction situation is still a nightmare. The city reports a two hundred and ten million dollar backlog in road repairs.
JOLEEN: Two hundred and ten million? Where is all our tax money going? Are they using it to gold-plate the Mayor's office? Because it's certainly not going into the asphalt. Every time I drive down Foothill, I feel like I'm off-roading in a Jeep Wrangler, but I'm actually just in a Honda Civic trying to get to Target.
MARK: The backlog is insane. They've got the ongoing work between Benson and Euclid, which we know is a clusterfuck, but the fact that the total bill for the city's crumbling infrastructure is that high is terrifying. It means your kids are going to be complaining about the same potholes when they're driving their flying cars in 2050. It's a systemic failure, and we're all just paying for new tires every six months because of it.
JOLEEN: It's the Upland way. Why fix a road today when you can let it disintegrate until it's a literal canyon tomorrow? And yet, despite the shitty roads and the health-hazard donuts, the real estate market is still a joke. The median home price is hovering around eight hundred and twenty-seven thousand dollars. Who is paying that?
MARK: I'll tell you who. People who have more money than sense and apparently really want to live in a city that's currently a hundred degrees. Homes are selling in twenty-one days. Twenty-one days! You can't even get a decent pair of shoes delivered that fast sometimes, but someone is dropping nearly a million bucks on a stucco box in Upland in less than a month.
JOLEEN: It's because there's no inventory. It's like a game of musical chairs, but the chairs cost a million dollars and are located in a desert. I looked at a listing the other day that was basically a glorified shack with a 'charming' patio, and they wanted nine hundred thousand. I'm convinced the real estate agents are just high on the fumes from all the road construction.
MARK: Maybe they're just banking on the fact that Upland is 'historic'. Yeah, historic as in 'our pipes are from the nineteen-twenties and our electrical grid is held together by thoughts and prayers'. But hey, if you've got the cash, come on down. Just make sure your homeowner's insurance covers heatstroke, because let's look at this weather forecast. It's a goddamn nightmare.
JOLEEN: I'm looking at the NWS report right now, and I want to cry. Today, Monday, it's ninety-three degrees. That's the 'cool' day, Mark. By Wednesday, we're hitting ninety-seven. Thursday is ninety-nine. And then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday? A solid hundred degrees. Every. Single. Day.
MARK: We're under a Heat Advisory until July 27th. That's a full week of being baked alive. I saw a lizard on my porch this morning and I'm pretty sure it was trying to ask me for a glass of water. It's that kind of heat where you walk outside and your skin immediately feels like it's being interrogated by the police. Why do we live here?
JOLEEN: Because we like the suffering, apparently. I'm just going to stay in my bathtub with a bag of ice until August. If you see me at the grocery store, I'll be the woman wearing a cooling vest and crying in the frozen pea aisle. Seriously, check on your elderly neighbors and your pets. This isn't 'fun summer heat', this is 'I might actually die' heat.
MARK: And keep your dogs off the pavement. If you wouldn't walk barefoot on the asphalt, don't make your dog do it. I see people walking their labs at 2:00 PM on a hundred-degree day and I honestly want to tackle them. Use your brain, people. It's hot. Your dog doesn't have shoes.
JOLEEN: Exactly. Now, if you're looking for a reason to actually leave your air-conditioned bunker, there are some events coming up. But they're mostly in Claremont, because apparently Upland is too busy closing restaurants and letting the roads rot. There's a 'Claremont Speed Dating Weekend' coming up in early August, but they're advertising it now. It's five age groups, from August 7th to the 9th.
MARK: Speed dating? In this economy? In this heat? 'Hi, I'm Mark, I'm sweaty, I have a massive mortgage, and I'm currently angry about a donut shop closing. Want to get married?' That's the vibe. Who is actually going to speed dating in 2026? Isn't that what the apps are for? You can get rejected from the comfort of your own couch.
JOLEEN: I think people are just tired of the apps. They want to see the person in real life so they can confirm the disappointment immediately. It's more efficient. You walk in, realize there's no chemistry, and you've only wasted eight minutes instead of three weeks of texting. Plus, it's in Claremont, so you know everyone there is going to be talking about their organic gardens or their PhDs.
MARK: Ugh, Claremont. It's like Upland's fancy cousin who went to a private school and never lets you forget it. But hey, if you're lonely and you don't mind the smell of desperation mixed with high-end cologne, go for it. There's also the Treasury of Claremont Music Annual Summer Concert on August 1st. Live music, appetizers, and a memorabilia auction.
JOLEEN: That actually sounds decent. It's from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Hopefully, the sun has stopped trying to kill us by 6:00 PM, but I wouldn't count on it. It's a nice way to support the local music scene and see some stuff that isn't just a cover band playing 'Hotel California' for the billionth time.
MARK: I'd rather listen to a dial-up modem than another cover of 'Hotel California'. But honestly, the Treasury of Claremont Music is a cool organization. They do good work. It's worth checking out if you can stand being outside for more than ten minutes without evaporating.
JOLEEN: For the weekend guide, keep in mind that the 'Moonlight and Music' series at Magnolia Park is a regular thing, but after the whole 'pet-friendly' country-rock performance last week, I think everyone needs a break. Just check the city calendar for Upland. They might have something hidden among the announcements for road closures and public hearings about water rates.
MARK: Yeah, the Upland city website is a real treasure trove of 'why is my life like this' information. Make sure you download the UplandConnect app if you want to report a concern. You know, like the fact that the entire city feels like the surface of Venus. I'm sure they'll get right on that.
JOLEEN: I reported a pothole on that app once. Three months later, they sent me a notification saying it was resolved. I drove by, and they'd just put a orange cone in it. Thanks, Upland. Really top-tier service there.
MARK: It's the little things, Joleen. The orange cone is a symbol of hope. It says, 'We know this hole exists, and we've decided to warn you instead of fixing it'. It's poetic, really. Anyway, that's our look at the week. It's hot, the donuts are dangerous, and the roads are expensive. Welcome to Upland.
JOLEEN: We'll be back next week to tell you more about how everything is falling apart in our charming little corner of the world. In the meantime, try not to die of heatstroke, and if you see that guy with the knife at the ice cream shop, tell him he's a dickhead for us.
MARK: Like, subscribe, and hit us up at upland@thehappeningnetwork.com. We'll see you assholes next Monday. Stay hydrated, I guess.
JOLEEN: Later, Upland. Try to keep it together for seven more days.