As he began his Chief’s Report, Idyllwild Fire Chief Patrick Reitz offered the district’s property owners a Christmas present. The International Organization for Standardization has raised the Idyllwild Fire Protection District rating from 4 to 2, where 1 is the best. The new rating is effective April 1, 2016. “This could lead to [fire insurance]…

Last week, state officials again urged residents to get a flu shot. While influenza activity has been low so far this flu season, it began to rise at the end of December. While not widespread in California, the number of cases has been growing. “Many California counties, and other states, are reporting patients who are…

During the Sept. 10 Mountain Emergency Service Committee meeting, Kathleen Henderson, Riverside County emergency services coordinator for the mountain, discussed the work of the new Emergency Management Department that the Board of Supervisors established in May and was effective July 1. The agency has created a website (www.rivcoready.org/) to help county residents prepare and plan…