A retired first responder, who served ten years in the San Jacinto Ranger District, has released a memoir of her career in firefighting and law enforcement. It touches on many events that have affected our community, and her path in two male-dominated fields. Deborah Wutzke has chosen the pen-name Deborah Wedoneit, for “We done it.”…
The March meeting of Pine Cove Property Owners association included two guest speakers, Richard Yocum of Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, and Woody Henderson of Mountain Community Fire Safety Council. They shared a wealth of essential information about safety on the trail and at home. Yocum, a retired physician, is President of RMRU. He shared some…
This week, we begin a series of interviews with members of Mountain Disaster Preparedness, the local all-volunteer nonprofit organization with the mission of providing education, planning, and training for residents in support of first responders during emergencies in our mountain communities. Membership is free, and ongoing training prepares members to be part of its several…
A chance to learn about community fire safety and evacuation plans The Mountain Area Safety Taskforce will hold its first meeting of 2025 at the Idyllwild Nature Center on Wednesday, March 12. The event will bring together representatives of all the agencies, governmental and nonprofits, engaged in preventing and responding to wildfire in our community….
A single vehicle crash was reported at 6:06 pm Tuesday February 25 on Highway 74 near mile marker 55, above the Strawberry Creek bridge. According to CalFire Riverside’s X account, firefighters responded to a report of a vehicle on its side. A patient was helped out of the vehicle and refused further treatment. CHP’s Johnathon…
Residents noted helicopter activity above Tahquitz Peak this weekend, as search and rescue teams worked for two days to extract a pair of hikers who had fallen while attempting a treacherous trail. Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sergeant Wendy Brito-Gonzalez confirmed that on Saturday, March 1, at 3:07 p.m., their dispatch received a…
Since 1992 Idyllwild’s HELP Center has lived by a motto: “neighbors helping neighbors.” Executive Director Colleen Meyer and Client Services Director Deva Taffel gave the Town Crier an update on the Center’s programs. Meyer and Taffel are quick to credit and express gratitude to the many local organizations that support them in their mission. As…
The February 19 meeting of the board of directors of Idyllwild Water District began with the swearing in of newly-appointed director Wendy Harsha. As Board President Charles Schelly pointed out, this was the first time since April 2023 that the board has had five members. The board learned from General Manager Bill Rojas that the…
There is now a second petition on Change.org intending to make Highway 74 safer from Palm Desert to 371. The first petition sought action from Caltrans to repair the many potholes in the asphalt. The new one seeks to limit the use of 74 by heavy trucks, enforce the prohibition with a weigh station. The…
The Directors of Pine Cove Water District met on Wednesday, February 12. They heard from General Manager Jeremy Potter that he is ready to start a pilot program to address poor data transmission from the recently installed “smart” meters. Board president Robert Hewitt appointed Vicki Jakubac and Becky Smith to an ad-hoc committee to review…
