Cal Trans has provided an update on work to repair the many potholes on Highway 74 between Pinyon Pines and Palm Desert. Eric Dionne, Chief of Media and Public Affairs for CalTrans District 8, provided these details. Two “Emergency District Orders” for repairs on Highway 74 began Monday, January 13. The orders cover 9 highway…
In a Monday, January 13 letter, Idyllwild Fire Protection District Chief Mark LaMont provided an update on staffing and the district’s role in fighting this week’s catastrophic fires in LA county. On the evening of Tuesday, January 7, Idyllwild Fire responded to many calls of downed trees blocking roads and highways in Idyllwild and across…
Last week, record low rainfall since summer was reported and forecasts for a major change in these conditions are not present. On Dec. 31, Cal Fire’s South Operations Outlook for the next three months stated, “Above normal significant fire potential has been added to the South Coast for January, and this potential will remain until…
Concern about eating healthy foods continued last week. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to state agencies “. . . to continue investigating the adverse health effects of synthetic food dyes and increase access to affordable, healthy foods.” Specifically, Newsom was also targeting “Ultra-processed foods.” According to many health experts, these foods “. ….
On the morning of Wednesday, January 8, Pino Tree Company had a crew around and on top of Silver Pines Lodge removing branches. Silver Pines owner, Raj Panjal said “There was tree which fell on the roof around 10, 10:30 in the night, it was hanging on the roof, it came up by the roots….
During the first night of last week’s high winds, trees destroyed trailers at two local Trailer Parks, Idyllwild and Royal Pines. In Royal Pines a large tree broke in half and crushed three units. The residents escaped uninjured, although one man’s dog was killed. Barry Spencer was among those who lost their homes on the…
The January 8 meeting of the Board of Directors of Pie Cove Water District included the swearing in of two members that began new terms, and the election of officers. This should have happened in December, but that meeting was canceled for lack of quorum. Robert Hewitt will continue as President and Lou Padula as…
Cynthia Jean Blair, born to Lois and John Blair on January 17, 1953, passed away this December 13 in Idyllwild, of natural causes. Cindy grew up in Parma, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended St. Francis de Sales grade school and graduated from Nazareth Academy. She moved to sunny California to join her…
Asked about the level of staffing at IFPD during our recent Red Flag Warning, when three local engines were assisting at fires in Los Angeles county, Chief Mark LaMont had this to say: “We have double the amount of staff right here that we would have on a normal day, even with the three engines…
The Governor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26, which starts July 1, is balanced and slightly smaller than the current budget, FY 24-25. In his press release, Newsom said, “The budget I present to you today builds on a framework that balanced the books over two years instead of just one—an unprecedented effort to address…
