While the National Weather Service is forecasting the development of a La Niña weather pattern for this winter, below-normal precipitation has already begun. While spring saw an abundance of precipitation, the fall season has been abnormally dry. Although a few sprinkles occurred early Friday morning, Oct. 20, total rainfall since July 1 has barely exceeded…

According to California Hwy. Patrol Officer Mike Murawski, at about 1 p.m. Sunday, Charles Marquis, 69, and Bertha Marquis, 68 (on backboard), of Hemet were riding their 1998 Honda Valkyrie northbound on Hwy. 243 near South Circle when the back tire began to fishtail causing the them to lose control and T-bone a 2005 Dodge Ram driven by Jackie Louise Nichols, 58 of Spring Valley, as she was pulling to the side of the road. Idyllwild Fire transported Bertha Marquis to Hemet Valley Medical Center with facial swelling. No other injuries were reported. Oil from a leaking vehicle may have contributed to the crash. Idyllwild Volunteer Fire Company 621 and Cal Trans mopped up the excess oil and the Riverside County Sheriff conducted traffic control during the incident.

A shallow earthquake, 9 miles deep, occurred at 5:24 p.m. Dec. 24 about 4 miles east of Idyllwild. The quake originally measured a magnitude 3.2, but was downgraded to a magnitude 2.9. The jolt was felt as far away as the Rancho Cucamonga and Lawndale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  On social media,…