

Ground broken for new Camp Ronald McDonald cafeteria
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Shovels dug into mountain dirt as groundbreaking ceremonies were held at Camp Ronald McDonald, located in nearby Hurkey Creek area, starting construction of a dining hall and cabins to house any child, from infancy through age 18, who has cancer or a similar condition at no cost to the families. Gathered on the 60-acre site, from left, are Bob Parker, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California (RMHCSC), Stuart Siegel, M.D., founder of Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, Rusty Taragan, camp board president, Brian Crater, camp associate executive director, Laurie Dubchansky, camp executive director, Chad Edward, camp program director Ronald McDonald and Ron Piazza, McDonald’s owner/operator and president of RMHCSC. Photo by Cid Castillo

Just after 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15, first responders, including fire personnel and California Highway Patrol deputies, arrived at the scene of an attempted suicide on Highway 243 just above Smith Creek Bridge. An as-yet unnamed 55-year-old male, who had earlier been reported missing from Orange County, had driven his white Toyota Tacoma into an…
Hillbilly Brennen Priefer returns to his Idyllwild roots — to his hometown, elementary school and to his fifth grade classroom. “I’m glad to be back,” said Priefer. Priefer has lived in Idyllwild since he was five years old. “My father came out [from Ohio] to Palm Springs for work, then moved up to Idyllwild,”…
Editor’s note: Four directors for the Pine Cove Water District are on the August mail-in ballot. The terms for three —President Robert Hewitt, Joel Palmer and Lou Padula — expire in December. They and challenger Jeffery Kleefisch are on the ballot for four-year terms. The fourth director, Vicki Jakubac, replaced Tim Lange, who was elected…
The attorney for Robert Pape, 28, requested to re-schedule his preliminary hearing to Wednesday, Sept. 7. This is the same date co-defendant Cristin Smith, 27, has his preliminary hearing scheduled. Both men have been arrested as suspects for the 2006 triple murder of Jon Hayward, Vicki Friedli, and Vicki’s daughter, Becky Friedli, in Pinyon Pines….