Lead in water and in old water pipes has been in the headlines of national media for several weeks, ever since the announcement of its presence in and damage to the Flint, Michigan, water system. While the three local water districts have and still use pipelines many decades old, all three general managers have confirmed…

Idyllwild Fire Protection Department and Cal Fire crews responded to a tour bus fire on Highway 243 at South Circle Drive across from Idyllwild Storage around 11 a.m. today. Captain Patrick Reitz said there were flames coming from the back sides of the bus when IFPD arrived. A large “boom” heard in town was the…

As California begins to roll back COVID-related public health measures, school districts across the state, including Hemet Unified School District (HUSD), have been announcing an end to mask mandates, even as other measures remain in effect.The two-yearlong rolling battle with the virus has divided parents, teachers and school boards, splitting all three groups and putting…

Plastic bags. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, need ‘em, environmental threat, so what? They are ubiquitous. In our pantries, in our trash, on the roads, waterways and especially at the transfer station. So what, they’re recyclable. Or are they? The number of plastics generated has increased nearly six times since 1980 and more than 40% in…