This story was updated on 7/18/19 at 4:38 p.m. At approximately 5:10 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, the Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) responded to a call for a commercial structure fire. According to witness Michael Burkhalter of El-Co Contractors, Inc., the flames did not ignite until the fire department arrived and a firefighter moved around…
The Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) budget for FY 2019/20 was approved on June 16 and is projected to run the district $8.8 million into the red. The $303.7-million budget is an $18-million increase from last year’s $285.7 million budget. The largest increase, $9.2 million, is for the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and another…
When Highway 74 reopened after being completely closed, the Idyllwild business community was relieved. However, business was still rough for Idyllwild. At the June 13 community meeting at the Idyllwild School, Caltrans and Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington let the community know that the weekend pilot car hours would be extending. Since that decision was…
Lisa and the Country Gents will return to Idyllwild for the third consecutive year. For the 20th Annual Idyllwild Summer Concert Series, producer Ken Dahleen promised popular and favorite groups. Lisa Morgan and her musicians easily qualified. Chairs brought to sit and listen to other performers are often an unnecessary effort when Lisa sings and…
“I want to die on the hill. I’ve said it. I’m 81 years old. My friends have said it. We are Idy elders,” wrote Virginia Crowder in a letter to the editor in the May 2 edition of the Town Crier. That was the beginning of a new group serving another cohort of Idyllwild residents….
Three years after its last-minute filing of the United State’s lawsuit against Mountain Center property owner, Dr. Tarek M.A. Al-Shawaf, and his employees seeking some $24 million in costs of fire suppression and damage to federal forest lands, the Department of Justice (DOJ), United States Attorney’s Office has filed to dismiss the case. The Idyllwild…
About 5:15 p.m., the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) responded to call about a fire near the Pacific Crest Trial. The .46 acre fire, Pacific Fire, was controlled by 7 p.m. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department also responded to the call. “U.S. Forest Service firefighters this evening responded to a half-acre fire at…
A gentleman has joined the moon and stars. Handsome, hilarious, deeply humane, and brilliant, Ben Killingsworth passed away in his Idyllwild Home on June 7 with his wife Nanci and his beloved animals at his side. Ben was born June 25, 1929 in San Diego to Benjamin and Lois Killingsworth. Job and housing shortages found…
Michael Wallace Stephen Kellner was born September 11, 1951 in Los Angeles, the youngest of five children born to Norine Kellner. His father, Isador Kellner, died before Michael was born. He moved to Idyllwild in 1954, attending Idyllwild Elementary and Hemet High schools. He graduated from Hemet High in 1969. He was with Kathy Gorzny…
Audit faults agency implementation of environmental law The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has failed to meet its responsibilities under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This is the overall finding from the State Auditor’s report released June 27. The audit found fault with how the department reviews CEQA documents, including environmental impact…
