In the aftermath of the 2006 Esperanza fire, during which five Forest Service fire fighters including Idyllwild resident Mark Loutzenhiser lost their lives, the Forest Service and Cal Fire issued an “Accident Investigation Factual Report” on the incident, an action always taken when firefighters are lost in the line of duty. Loutzenhiser and his Engine…
He arrives in a vintage 1976 yellow Chevy, the kind of vehicle that suggests a different relationship to time. “That’s ol’ Hoss,” he says, as if introducing a trusted companion. If you know Gavin Toler at all, it’s likely through his music — songs that drift somewhere between the intimate and absurd, full of strange…...
A half-dozen members of the public attended the October meeting of the directors of Idyllwild Water District. They were not there to participate in the conversation over the district’s sewer plant project, but to weigh in on two other matters: a home daycare business’ request for exemption from additional sewer fees and a development project…...
CHP Press release The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Beaumont Area is investigating a traffic crash resulting in a fatality. On October 25, 2026, at approximately 9:06 a.m., the CHP responded to a solo vehicle traffic crash on State Route 74, east of Diamico Trail. The crash involved a 71-year-old male from Hemet riding a 2022…...
By JP Crumrine Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed three bills intended to strengthen safety for riders of e-bikes and pedestrians on sidewalks and trails where e-bikes run. The rising use of e-bikes has resulted in high-profile collisions and growing safety concerns among parents, healthcare professionals and state legislators. This year, Orange County prosecutor Todd…...
Dear Editor: Thank you, Jeannine Charles-Stigall, for the fitting and touching tribute to the firefighters killed in the Esperanza Fire.And thank you, editor David Jerome, for promising to present a more complete picture of the investigations that followed that tragedy.As I recall, soon after the fire, the Town Crier began asking a lot of questions…...
By David Jerome Ken Dahleen, founder and producer of Idyllwild’s free Summer Concert series, has a separate but related fundraising project: raising money for a generator for the Butterfield Amphitheater. He tells us that several Summer Concert donors have already made contributions towards the purchase. In past years, concerts have been canceled due to power…...
