While it has been a very wet winter with precipitation exceeding the long-term historical averages, the March rain production was considerably below normal — less than an inch. The U.S. Forest Service’s Keenwild Ranger Station recorded just 0.4 inches of rainfall during March and Pine Cove received 0.5 inches in the past four weeks. The…
The popular Idyllwild Summer Concert Series looks as if it will take place this summer, beginning on Thursday, July 6, and running for the customary eight weeks. Ken Dahleen’s longstanding summer entertainment staple looked doubtful for this summer, inasmuch as its many-season home, the Idyllwild Community Center site, would be closed for construction throughout the…
A recently released study of 20 years of wildfires found humans caused the vast majority of wildfires. While climate change has contributed to the lengthening of fire season and vulnerability of forested land, the ultimate cause of wildfires is most often a human being — both intentionally (arson) and carelessly. The study, recently published in…
In response to state voters’ approval of Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, in November and the state Legislature’s passage of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act in 2015, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors held a workshop last week to discuss possible county actions, such as banning or regulating medical or…
In an unusual event, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, rather than a defense attorney, requested a continuation of a criminal case. The March 14 preliminary hearing for Marcus Novell Green was continued until April 24 at the request of Deputy District Attorney Samantha Paixao. The defense did not object. Green, 52, of Thermal, was…
The March 15 felony settlement conference for Neil Cooper was continued until April 5 at the request of his counsel, Deputy Public Defender Marni Bender. The District Attorney’s Office did not object. Cooper, 41, of Idyllwild, was arrested on Jan. 6, and subsequently charged with burglary and criminal threats, both felonies. He has pleaded not…
The California Highway Patrol reported two incidents on Hill roads over the last week. At 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, George Lohr, 69, of Bodenwohr, Germany, was driving his red 1995 Dodge Ram pickup truck, towing a trailer, when he was struck by a white 1999 Dodge pickup. Lohr had been driving south on Pinyon…
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Richard Beatty confirmed the March 11, arrest of Poppet Flats resident Joseph Jordan, 21, for making criminal threats against another. Jones is currently incarcerated and the case is open and under investigation. He pleaded not guilty in Riverside County Superior Court.
Cal Fire performed a successful helicopter evacuation of an injured hiker from the Sunshine Face of Suicide Rock on Sunday, March 19. According to Jody Hagemann, Cal Fire senior public information specialist, Cal Fire was notified by Idyllwild Fire Protection District of the incident and responded at 4:44 p.m. According to the Cal Fire report,…
A jury trial for Frank Gutierrez of Idyllwild has tentatively been set for March 24. He was arrested in July 2015 on charges of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of stolen property and firearms. On Friday, March 17, Judge Thomas Glasser presided over a hearing on Gutierrez’s attorney’s request to suppress certain evidence….
