Despite County Executive Jay Orr’s optimistic view that significant savings can be found in the county’s public safety budgets, Sheriff Stan Sniff is considerably less confident. Orr is focusing on the public safety budgets, which have grown in the past several years, while the other departments have taken cuts of nearly 45 percent or more…
Cal Fire will conduct a prescribed burn in Idyllwild this week. About 125 piles of brush and slash will be burned, located at Camp Maranatha at 54162 Maranatha Drive. The area is between the camp and the Idyllwild Nature Center, according to Division Chief Bill Weiser. The burn will be between Tuesday, Feb. 2, and…
For next fiscal year, which begins July 1, Gov. Jerry Brown has recommended a $200 million increase for the Cal Fire budget. The agency’s total would be $2.1 billion compared to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2015-16. The increased funding will support a proposed staffing increase of nearly 750 positions. About 650 positions will be for…
When voters go to the polls for the June 7 Presidential Primary, three parties have opened their ballot to voters who are registered with No Party Preference. If the Democratic primary is still competitive in June, California voters will have an opportunity to recommend the party’s nominee — either Hillary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders….
Editor: On Jan. 28, the Town Crier reported on a gathering at the town monument to mark the death by legalized abortion of 58 million babies. For some reason, this number was hidden by the use of the phrase “The white crosses were a symbol of the many abortions since 1973.” This untruthful but accurate…
Editor: I must admit that I was furious when Gov. Brown signed AB1371 requiring motorists to allow a minimum of 3-feet clearance when passing a bicyclist. That fury was diminished substantially when I read that the intent of the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), was to provide adequate safety for bicycling children on their…
Editor: I appreciate your article about the trash left by the people visiting Idyllwild to play in the snow. I agree with Chris Trout that we should lead by example and do our best to show others how to respect our mountain community. However, I wonder if some consideration should be given to having law…
Editor: I feel compelled to comment on a statement made by Forest Service local Recreation Officer John Ladley: “This is a much messier group than the general public.” Hello, this is the general public. They weren’t struck ignorant when they turned on to Highway 243. And they need to be educated? It’s no different in…
Last week’s Idyllwild Water District story and editorial about the board deciding to postpone a meeting illicited a rant from one IWD director. He took it so personally that he said unless we publish an apology to him in the paper, he will never answer a question JP or I ask him again. I asked…
A horse was injured and had to be euthanized when it fell out of a moving horse trailer a quarter-mile north of the intersection of Saunder’s Meadow Road (lower) and Highway 243. No other vehicles were involved in the Saturday, Jan. 30, incident nor were any people injured. Idyllwild Fire Department said the incident occurred…
