Last month, Steven Taylor Rutherford, 49, of Banning, pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of arson. On Friday, Sept. 5, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Becky Dugan sentenced him to 45 years in prison. Rutherford was initially charged with 13 counts, but three counts were dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. “Serial…

Should we be worrying? Dear Editor: It’s Thursday, Jan. 26, and the weatherman says we may have 75 mph wind gusts in their wind warning. SCE (Edison) has been doing its fire prevention tree trimming for years now and I’ve always appreciated it; never gave it much thought. But looking up yesterday at the giant…

Phyllis Mueller has long served as caretaker for the Idyllwild Christmas sequoia — coordinating and often providing water, mulch, arborist spray and prayers — coordinating with arborist John Huddleston who volunteered his professional time to assist Mueller’s efforts to save the tree. “The tree has made improvement this year over last,” said Mueller, who founded…