San Jacinto District Forester Hal Carey is leaving the Hill and the Forest Service to take up a new foreign mission with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in an infrastructure-building role he has long been preparing to undertake. Carey will be an agricultural development officer tasked to address food security issues by improving…
Many times when the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU) gets called out, it is in conjunction with the California State Park for a situation that has taken place in its area. Over the past year, we have seen a steady decline in rescues within the state park. A new program, which Ranger Sue Neary started,…
Editor’s note: In the June 2011 Grand Jury report, item no. 5 stated, “A Board Member has an arrangement as a paid on call firefighter, EMT, or pump operator for the Fire District. This is a conflict as this Board Member is the Fire Chief’s superior as stated in AR IFPD #107 and when working…
Even before regulations implementing the recently enacted state fire fee are implemented, state officials submitted proposed changes to ensure a higher fee. Last week, state officials submitted the changes to the Legislature, which include raising the fee to $175 and setting the minimum fee level at $150. Revenue generated by the law would be eligible…
Hot weather and lower fuel moisture have prompted the San Bernardino National Forest to increase fire restrictions, effective Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Forest officials took these steps to prevent human-caused fires and raise public awareness as the summer continues to get warmer and drier. Most wildfires on the San Bernardino National Forest are human-caused and…
The Mountain Restaurant, after two sets of owners, is closing. New owners Jambey and Emily Dixon, who bought the business from Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Brian Ayers, will shutter the restaurant in mid October. The Mountain has been known for its dedication to “slow food,” a style of from-scratch preparation of high-end cuisine. “We may…
Caitlin Burns, daughter of Maureen Jones, will be competing this year for the Junior Miss California International title, Sept. 8 to 10, representing Idyllwild. If she is crowned she will tour California speaking on her platform, “A New Path, Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing.” While on tour, she will also be representing the youth…
The Idyllwild Recreation District (IRD) has planned free transportation to a college fair for local high school students. On Saturday, Sept. 24, the College and Vocational Invitational will be held in Temecula. Over 150 colleges and trade schools are slated to attend. Presented by the Temecula Community Services Department, the annual event gives college-bound students…
The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU) celebrates its 50 birthday on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, a goodly distance from the mountain rescue work in which this skilled and committed group of volunteers is usually engaged. And it would not be surprising if, during…
Idyllwild School’s Annual Performance Index (API) soared 29 points, the largest gain in the district, to 873. Hemet Unified School District’s (HUSD) overall API is 755. The API is an index that combines the results of language and math achievement tests for the individual grades into one value for the whole school or district. Two…
