In October, John W. Johnston, 31, of Idyllwild, pleaded guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor more than three years younger than himself. Earlier this month, his sentence of 112 days in a work-release program was revoked. On Jan.10, Riverside County requested that the work-release time be converted to straight jail time. Judge Kelly Hansen…

By Melissa Diaz HernandezEditor            Update from Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department at 6 p.m. Friday: “FINAL CAL FIRE UPDATE FRIDAY 1/15/2021 6:00 P.M. The Bonita Fire is 715 acres and is now 20% contained. All Evacuation ORDERS and road closures are lifted. Please use caution when driving in the fire area and yield to personnel…

As June approaches, it appears that winter is finally receding from the Hill and surrendering to the traditional seasons of the calendar. Last week, there were three separate “winter weather advisories” issued for the Hill areas. The final advisory was from noon to midnight Sunday, May 26. Snow fell from San Jacinto Peak to flurries…

There’s a stretch of road in Idyllwild that has long served as connective tissue between the town’s two centers of commerce. Not quite downtown, not quite uptown—the portion of North Circle in between. For decades, it’s been a pass-through. A place you move along, not necessarily a place you stop. But lately, something has started…