Drought and fire danger ahead While the 2017 winter La Niña was much wetter than expected, the National Weather Service expects the 2018 version to be significantly drier than normal. This fall has been one of the warmest and driest on record, according to Alex Tardy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Diego Office….

Repairs may take weeks and months Roads into Idyllwild were closed for the second time in six months. This isolation is the result of an atmospheric river overflowing onto Southern California. In late July and early August, the Cranston Fire caused the closure of highways 74 and 243. The latter was opened when the fire…

Idyllwild Water District (IWD) Director Dave Hunt requested the board of directors “consider reestablishing paygrade and step schedule that includes 2.5% per step, and reestablish the district policy of a one-time bonus upon certification completion” at IWD’s November board of directors meeting. On the staff report, General Manager Leo Havener recommended the salary schedule approved…

As of Tuesday morning, the Dashboard of the Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) reported recently confirmed cases (last two weeks) of COVID at Idyllwild School as being no students and one staff member, meaning 0.33% of its combined student/staff population, the same as last week. At Hemet High, no students and two staff members are…

The Idyllwild Nature Center will be hosting their annual Butterfly Daze event this Saturday, August 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, and will include–in addition to a walk-in butterfly aviary–nature walks, lectures, arts and crafts for kids. There will also be vendors with various goods and food. The event is sponsored…