Local fire officials changing The Mountain Area Safety Taskforce held its first meeting of 2019, Wednesday April 10. Attendance was slightly less than normal, due to the current road closures from Hemet and Banning. Several new faces were at the front table. Cal Fire Division Chief Bill Weiser ran the meeting in the absence of…

By Holly ParsonsCorrespondent Idyllwild’s Fourth of July celebrations begin with the 57th-annual parade the Idyllwild Rotary Club has sponsored for over 20 years. This classic small-town parade is long on substance, and short on boredom. The parade is one of a variety of traditions heralding freedom, liberty and neighborly love on this tectonic day. Yet…

Anthony Michael Wood, 25, of Idyllwild, was arrested on Westridge Road on Nov. 14 for a variety of sex crimes. A felony settlement conference has been scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office filed eight charges, to which he pleaded not guilty. These charges range from sexual acts with a child…

Construction to replace Hurkey Creek Bridge on Highway 74, originally scheduled to begin Monday, April 20, has been delayed for about two weeks. Caltrans Public Information Officer Joy Schneider said resolution of two issues has delayed the project. Contractor for the project, Granite Construction, suggested creating a 12-foot-wide bypass to the north of the existing…