On Sunday, Oct. 9, the auxiliary bishop of the San Bernardino Diocese visited Idyllwild’s Queen of Angels Church. Bishop Rutilio del Riego (right) celebrated the 8 and 10 a.m. masses. Afterward, he joined the parishioners’ potluck after they held a town hall meeting. During the potluck, the bishop joined Father Charles Miller and one of the youngest parishioners, Orion Colinson.

By Robin RobertsContributed Prior to 1900, there was a Christmas tradition to hunt as many birds as possible. Fortunately, an ornithologist named Frank Chapman offered a new tradition — count and identify all the birds you can find in a 24-hour period.This new tradition, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, has continued for 120 years.Not…

Shortly before 8 p.m. Friday night, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department released the following information on the missing female hiker the Town Crier reported online earlier in the day: “On Wednesday, Sept. 11, six hikers reported seeing a female hiker in distress in the area of the Pacific Crest Trail and South Ridge Trail. The…

The Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council conducted fuel abatement in Twin Pines last week. Pino Tree Service did the clearing, including removal of large piles of brush, on the steep mountain side below the dome house foundation. This was the site deaths of the Forest Service firefighters during the Esperanza Fire in 2006.