As of Sept. 10, the CDC reports: The current seven-day moving average of daily new U.S. COVID cases has increased 6.1% compared with last week.The CDC reports the COVID-19 virus is constantly mutating, producing new variants. The Delta variant is the most prominent strain in the U.S., making up more than 99% of current cases….

Brandon McGlover, 32, of Temecula, who was charged with starting the Cranston Fire in July, had his Sept. 24 felony settlement conference deferred. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct 25. McGlover was charged with a total of 15 felony counts related to nine separate fires, of which the largest was the Cranston Fire….

The Idyllwild Water District (IWD) held what was its second special meeting in three weeks and third meeting in four weeks. The subject of the Sept. 12 special meeting was “anticipated litigation.” Since the Riverside County Superior Court shows no filed lawsuits, the board was discussing a potential lawsuit with its legal counsel. The agenda…

A pole fire on the corner of Beard Street and El Campo in Hemet caused the widespread power outage that affected the Hill Wednesday, Jan. 14. A single transmission line runs up the mountain then branches out to the various mountain areas, leading to the broad spread of the outage. The cause of the fire…

The Idyllwild Water District’s Board of Directors approved a budget with a 3-0 vote a few days shy of its new fiscal year. Director Steve Kunkle attended the meeting, but recused himself from voting because he benefits from the district’s programs for retirees. Director Les Gin did not attend. The overall budget — water and…