Stephen Patrick Medlock, 53, a transient, charged with arson for starting and igniting the 2013 Silver Fire, had his Aug. 9, felony settlement conference moved to Sept. 10. While negotiations with the prosecutor continue, Medlock has not received an offer. Since Medlock’s March 21, preliminary hearing, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has amended the…

As of press time, the area of Idyllwild-Pine Cove still had a total of six reported cases of COVID-19, according to the Riverside University Health System (RUHS) website. The first reported case for the area was on April 3. The fifth case was reported on May 18. No deaths have been reported for the area…

For a water district meeting, the public turnout for the June 17 Idyllwild Water District board meeting was impressive. At least seven people attended and patiently listened to budget presentations and discussions of resolutions until the public comment period arrived. Water meters, rates and efficiency were all topics brought to the board’s attention that evening….

Donations go to public-facing essential workers By Stephanie Yost and Mary RiderContributed  Three weeks ago, we had side-by-side articles in the Town Crier addressing different ways our mountain communities can cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Yost’s article offered suggestions for how members of the community can support local businesses through the purchase of gift cards…

As a result of the 2010 political redistricting, Idyllwild and other Hill communities technically had no representation in the California Senate. But our former senator Bill Emmerson will continue to represent these areas until the November 2014 election. The state Senate has 40 members and every two years, half of the districts vote for their…