In January, when President Barack Obama submitted his budget requests for fiscal year 2015-16, he included a recommendation to change the funding mechanism for federal firefighting costs. In conjunction with the budget package, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, “The budget again proposes a new approach to wildland fire suppression. It will treat severe wildfires…

By Jack Clark Co-publisher and General Counsel Fourteen weeks until the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Town Crier’s Membership model. You TC readers could not be more clear. You want to keep a community watchdog, warning of danger, advising of opportunity, challenging authority, praising accomplishment, investigating irregularity, marveling at art, exposing abuse, celebrating…

“It all started when my sophomore English teacher at Hemet High School gave the class an assignment to write an essay for the Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales Essay Contest. She told us to use emotion and detail in our writing,” recalls Megan Read. “It was then I decided to write about my horrific soccer accident…

At its June 20 meeting, the Idyllwild Water District Board of Directors was busier than normal. Not only did it hold a public hearing on the proposed new water and sewer rates (see accompanying story on page A1), but the board filled a vacant director’s seat, approved a budget for next fiscal year, formed a committee to explore Hill water district consolidation, and rejected incentives to attract new employees to Idyllwild.