Winter storm conditions — snow, ice and road closures — have contributed to Hill vehicle crashes over the last week. At 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, Luis Ronquillo, 60, of San Jacinto, was operating a highway construction vehicle on Highway 243, 12 feet north of McGovern Road in Pine Cove. Ronquillo was backing the vehicle…
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is appealing the Superior Court’s 2018 decision to reject the association’s litigation seeking refunds of past state fire fees. This is the $35 fee for property in State Regulated Areas, including Idyllwild. HJTA filed its appeal last week and is waiting for a hearing to be scheduled. State Sen. Bob…
Financial services for the budding cannabis industry was the topic of a hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. The House Committee on Financial Services, which California’s Maxine Waters (D 43) chairs, organized the session. Its Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions held the hearing, which was entitled “Challenges and Solutions: Access…
Directors of the Idyllwild Water District met Wednesday, Feb. 13, to discuss both short- and long-term goals for new General Manager Michael Creighton. Each director offered his ideas for goals, and Creighton made some general comments and will provide a proposed plan at the Feb. 20 meeting. Director David Hunt offered three short-term and three…
January water production was up in the Pine Cove Water District compared to January 2018, General Manager Jerry Holldber told the board at its Feb. 13 meeting. “The January production was a little more water than the last couple of years,” he said. “There have been a few leaks for people [customers], not us.” He…
70 years ago – 1949 The U.S. Forest Service reported that 90 inches of snow had fallen in Idyllwild since Oct. 1. 65 years ago – 1954 Local children, in the spirit of making this “America’s Cleanest Forest,” launched a cleanup campaign. 60 years ago – 1959 ISOMATA appointed a committee to develop plans for…
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reported that the body of Piotr Hopper-Jasinski, 62, of Idyllwild, who went missing from his South Circle Drive home Monday evening, Feb. 18, was found behind Fairway Market about noon Wednesday, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Ken Reichle. The department posted a flier on its website and…
Repairs may take weeks and months Roads into Idyllwild were closed for the second time in six months. This isolation is the result of an atmospheric river overflowing onto Southern California. In late July and early August, the Cranston Fire caused the closure of highways 74 and 243. The latter was opened when the fire…
Judge sentences him to 12 years, four months Brandon McGlover, 33, of Temecula, who was charged with starting the Cranston Fire in July 2018, has pleaded guilty. McGlover pleaded guilty to two counts of arson, Penal Code section 451.5 (c), which is burning of a structure or forest land. “In count one, which is the…
During their workshop on the potential parcel fee and tax measure last week, Idyllwild Fire Protection District commissioners encountered a conundrum. Commissioner Ralph Hoetger raised the question, “Are we sure we want a ballot measure or something else?” Based on his conversations with the Registrar of Voters Office, Assistant Chief Mark LaMont offered the commission…
