Redistricting, the shifting of political boundaries, to create more balanced districts following the decennial census has begun. California has an official 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission responsible for considering changes to boundaries for districts of U.S. House of Representatives and the California Legislature, both the Assembly and Senate. Counties have independent authority to set the…

Doug Ashcraft is now officially head of the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Since the former school president left in July 2012, Ashcraft had been interim head and dean of the school. Last week, the school’s Board of Governor’s decided to make Ashcraft’s position permanent. While Idyllwild Arts serves two separate, somewhat overlapping functions, the Summer Program…

During the latest Idyllwild Water District meeting, General Manager Tom Lynch discussed efforts to revive about 10 existing horizontal wells above Foster Lake. The lake remains dry. Lynch showed the directors photos of the empty reservoir, and the water district is still in a Water Emergency Stage 2. “The wells at the lake remain critical…

Crystal Lynn St. Marie, 38, of Poppet Flats, was arrested in Palm Desert on March 17, and arraigned on Monday, March 21, charged with one count of felony identity theft. She is currently incarcerated in Indio Jail with bail set at $50,000, according to Riverside County District Attorney Information Specialist John Hall. She had previously…