A bill has been submitted in the California Senate to help support a free press, and engender and protect local journalism.While there are state laws such as the Brown Act, to protect and ensure open government, without media, such as local papers, who report on government actions at the local level, open government laws are…
The 13th Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) opens online Tuesday, March 8. The final official day for viewing the more than 80 film selections is Sunday, March 13. Again in 2022, restrictions due to the COVID pandemic have limited the festival’s presence in Idyllwild. While the awards ceremony will still be live, it also…
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and the Office of Emergency Services (OES) are evaluating a new type of grant to mitigate wildfire damage and destruction to individual homes. Grants for low- and moderate-income homeowners to protect their homes in the case of an approaching or in the midst of a…
The 13th Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) opens online Tuesday, March 8. The final official day for viewing the more than 80 film selections is Sunday, March 13. Again in 2022, restrictions due to the COVID pandemic have limited the festival’s presence in Idyllwild. While the awards ceremony will still be live, it also…
Wednesday, Feb. 2, the Riverside County Planning Commission unanimously decided to continue the proposal to expand the former Tahquitz Inn, currently the Pine Woods Resort. The commissioners were confused whether the proposal, which owner Shane Stewart submitted, was intended to expand the existing motel usage or to create more long-term rentals in Idyllwild. The confusion…
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors recently took a major step to change and to improve management of the county’s short-term rental system (STR). At its Feb. 1 meeting, the board unanimously approved (4-0 with 4th District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez absent) a contract with Deckard Technologies of San Diego to upgrade and manage STRs…
In March, the Idyllwild International Festival Cinema (IIFC) is about to have its 13th opening. And one month later, the inaugural Scotland International Festival of Cinema (SIFC) will showcase new films in Peebles, Scotland, south of Edinburgh. Stephen Savage, IIFC founder, inspired the SIFC over a lunch meeting in London in 2019. Joining him at…
Editor’s note: The Planning Commission hearing was Wednesday, Feb. 2, which was after this edition of the Town Crier was published. Although the planning staff did recommend approval of the project, we will report the commission’s decision in the following issue. Wednesday, Feb. 2, the Riverside County Planning Commission reviewed the proposed Conditional Use Permit…
At the Jan. 18, Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, Kim Saruwatari, director of the county Public Health Department, and Bruce Barton, director of the county Emergency Management Department, presented the board with a status report on how the recent COVID surge, driven by the Omicron variant, is affecting the county and its health care…
Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed fiscal year (FY) 2022-23 budget last week. Total expenditures will be nearly $213 billion with project revenues of $195.7 billion. The estimated $23.7 billion surplus from FY 2021-22 plus new revenues is expected to result in a year-end balance of $6.2 billion.Also, the state’s “Rainy Day Fund” will be…
