Karen Epperly, 50, of Idyllwild, pleaded guilty to embezzlement before her jury trial began Tuesday, July 21. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3. She was initially charged in December 2013 with fraud and embezzlement, and taking, damaging or destroying property of more than $100,000 in value from Community Lumber in Idyllwild over a number of…

Some may have noticed a recent increase in enforcement by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). This increased enforcement is due to community concern regarding unsafe speeds in and around town.Long-time resident Eric Townsend said in an email at the beginning of July, “On busy weekends with crowded streets, pedestrians in the street, I see people…

Thursday afternoon, July 28, several local citizens approached 3rd District Supervisor Jeff Stone, who was in town for his monthly meeting with Hill residents, to discuss the county’s decision to cancel its recreation management contract with the Idyllwild Community Recreation Council (ICRC). Stone agreed to meet with them later that afternoon and at about 4:30…

The last week’s Idyllwild Water District (IWD) Board of Directors meeting, both General Manager Leo Havener and Chief Financial Officer Hosny Shouman told the board that a glitch in a software program resulted in the district losing about 20% of data while transferring from the old meter to the new meter system. The lost data…

Doug Ashcraft is now officially head of the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Since the former school president left in July 2012, Ashcraft had been interim head and dean of the school. Last week, the school’s Board of Governor’s decided to make Ashcraft’s position permanent. While Idyllwild Arts serves two separate, somewhat overlapping functions, the Summer Program…