Last week’s Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting was notable for several reasons. But one was both sad, good and worthy. The board and the county recognized several important public servants who are departing the public sector. The Sheriff’s Department will lose several senior officials who have watched over this community. Foremost is Sheriff Stan…
With no major fires in Southern California, Hill fire agencies were able to hold the quarterly Mountain Area Safety Taskforce meeting last week. Work on fuel breaks, including burns, were the major topics and some personnel changes will occur in the U.S. Forest Service’s San Jacinto Ranger District early in 2019 as well as Rivereside…
The Internet has wrought many changes in the world. Obviously, communication with people around the globe is much easier and more common. Expressing opinions has become facile as well as finding an audience to listen. One of the ways in which people used the Internet to save money was to make purchases of clothes, supplies…
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission revealed a plan to tax text messages and intends to vote on it next month. Since 1994, the state imposed an “All End User Surcharge” on telecommunications services. The exception was the Universal Lifeline. The revenue was used to fund the Universal Services program for low-income residents. However,…
Directors of the Pine Cove Water District re-elected Robert Hewitt as board president last week. Director Diana Luther returns as vice president and Director Lou Padula as secretary. All of the officers were elected to their current board office in August 2015. When Hewitt asked for nominations, Director Vicki Jakubac replied, “I’m happy with the…
Two unions — Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 777, and Service Employees International Union, Local 721 — represent about two-thirds of Riverside County’s 22,000 employees. Their agreements with the county expired in 2016. Negotiations between the county and the two unions have not resulted in mutually acceptable agreements. Last week, the Board of…
Idyllwild Fire Here is one of the calls Idyllwild Fire responded to recently. • Dec.17 — Medical aid, 1:50 p.m. Idyllwild School Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Here are two of the calls Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire responded to recently. • Dec. 10 — Traffic collision, 9:34 p.m. Hwy. 243 and Mtn. Edna Rd. • Dec….
There were two injury crashes on Hill roads over the last week, one involving a van and the other a motorcycle. At 3:55 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, George Appel, 90, of Idyllwild, was driving a green 2000 GMC van eastbound on Highway 74, 3 miles west of McCall Park Road, when he drove off the…
70 years ago – 1948 The Banning Water Company reported that 10 inches of surface water was added to its supply after the Dec. 4 6.4-magnitude earthquake. Officials weren’t certain whether it was due to the quake or the storm. 65 years ago – 1953 Efren Reveles, U.S. Forest Service foreman in Idyllwild, was stunned…
The first bald eagle count of the 2018-19 winter was held Saturday. The two adult eagles, who have built a home at Lake Hemet, were spotted during the count. Nine other eagles, adults and younger, were seen at the other four sites. This is the 40th consecutive year of bald eagle counts on the San…
