For next fiscal year, which begins July 1, Gov. Jerry Brown has recommended a $200 million increase for the Cal Fire budget. The agency’s total would be $2.1 billion compared to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2015-16. The increased funding will support a proposed staffing increase of nearly 750 positions. About 650 positions will be for…

The Pine Cove Water District Board of Directors unanimously re-elected its current officers to another one-year term in 2016. Director Robert Hewitt remains board president, Diana Eskew, who was elected to a full term as director this fall, is vice president and Lou Padula is treasurer/secretary. Before the officers’ elections, the board accepted its 2014-15…

Sunday morning, Aug. 31, an injured hiker was rescued near Lunch Rock on Tahquitz Rock. The adult female injured her hip in a fall. Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department helicopter 301 hoisted the hiker out of the park and flew her to Keenwild helibase. From there, Idyllwild Fire Department transported her to a…

By J.P. Crumrine News Editor and Jack Clark Co-publisher/Correspondent Wednesday evening, Aug. 5, about 30 people, not all Idyllwild residents, came out to listen to the candidates for the Idyllwild Water District board answer questions from the public. Besides an opening and closing statement, the five candidates — Jim Billman, Dean Lattin, Steven Kunkle, Warren…