Skepticism about the El Niño weather this winter abounds. Although rainfall on the Hill exceeded historic averages for the period from July 1 through Jan. 31, the storms were neither relentless nor overwhelming. The early January snowstorm dropped more than a foot of snow, nearly 2 feet in some areas; still, February has felt much…

A house fire in Pine Cove was contained to 20 percent of the structure Thursday night, Oct. 17. The 1,500-square-foot, single-story family dwelling was reported on fire about 9:15 p.m. In less than hour, firefighters from Station 23 (Pine Cove) and other Riverside County/Cal Fire stations had the fire contained and most of the building…

Keith Herron, Riverside County chief preservation officer, Park and Open Space District, is now the intermediary between the Idyllwild Historic Preservation District and the county. Herron was instrumental in guiding Ordinance 578.5, which created the Idyllwild district, through the process until it was adopted by the County Board of Supervisors. Herron stated that design guidelines,…

Two vehicle crashes occurred on Hill roads last week, according to official California Highway Patrol reports. A third occurred but no official report was completed. At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, Jose Meza, 41, of San Diego, was driving a white 2017 Chevy truck westbound on Highway 74, 5 miles west of McCall Park Road,…