The Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council has received Federal Emergency Management Agency authority to begin its cedar shake shingle roof replacement project, according to Executive Director Edwina Scott. Work will begin over the next few weeks and homeowners may receive 75 percent of the replacement cost. Scott can be reached at 951-659-6208.

During the Sept. 10 Mountain Emergency Service Committee meeting, Kathleen Henderson, Riverside County emergency services coordinator for the mountain, discussed the work of the new Emergency Management Department that the Board of Supervisors established in May and was effective July 1. The agency has created a website (www.rivcoready.org/) to help county residents prepare and plan…

The Fern Valley Water District has canceled its scheduled March 15 board meeting. A quorum of the board would not be available to take any action. The next scheduled board meeting is April 19. The February meeting was canceled due to the weather and road conditions following the Valentine’s Day rainstorm.

The Idyllwild Area Historical Society will host their 22nd Annual HomeTour on Saturday, September 14^(th). The tour features five uniqueprivate homes, varying in periods, style and setting, with featurescreated by local craftspeople, and works by local artists. Althoughticket sales at the museum and website will have closed this week,tickets will be available on the day…

Two key developments moved the Idyllwild Historic Preservation District (IHPD) closer to becoming fully functional. One involves the county’s retaining a contractor to draw up the IHPD design guidelines and the timeline for completing them. The other is the opening of the application process for selecting the five members for the local IHPD board (see…