This week, Cal Fire is continuing its prescribed burn at Camp Maranatha. The burn, consisting of 125 piles of brush and slash, was to occur between Tuesday, March 8, and Wednesday, March 9. Residents in Idyllwild, Pine Cove and surrounding mountain communities or anyone traveling on Highway 243 may see smoke from 6 a.m. to…
The National Weather Service forecast for precipitation in Southern California this past weekend proved correct — first rain, then snow. From Saturday through Sunday afternoon, rain fell over the whole region, although the coast and the San Bernardino Mountains received the most rain. And Monday during the morning, late afternoon and evening, snow fell all…
In July 2015, Frank Gutierrez, 67, of Idyllwild, was arrested when Riverside city police, in cooperation with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, arrested Lisa Marie Brown, 40, of Riverside, for hit and run, vehicular manslaughter and possession for sales of methamphetamine. The arrests were made in Idyllwild. Gutierrez, then 66, was arrested for various drug-related…
There were not many collisions on mountain roads over the last week. At 7:17 a.m. Friday, March 4, a Hemet Unified School District bus, with students inside, was sideswiped by an unidentified driver who fled the scene. The incident occurred on Highway 243, two-tenths of a mile south of Rocky Way. The bus, driven by…
Over the past year, hundreds of pines have succumbed to the drought and bark beetle attacks. One of the most affected sites is the Idyllwild Community Center. ICC is popular with visitors and children, even now before any of the proposed improvements have been constructed. With dozens of dead and dying trees, the ICC Board…
A Cold Warning is being issued for Idyllwild. The Idyllwild Town Hall Warm Center will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, through Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Temperatures are expected to reach 40° and below. Individuals susceptible to cold, such as the elderly, disabled and families with young…
On Feb. 24, Jeff Allen Major of Idyllwild pleaded guilty to a felony charge for failing to register within 30 days as a transient sex offender. He had been arrested on June 19, 2015. Judge Helios Hernandez sentenced Major to 363 days in Riverside County jail and one year of probation. He will likely be…
On Feb. 23, the California Department of Parks and Recreation rescued two lost hikers in Mt. San Jacinto State Park. At about 4:30 p.m., State Parks received a phone call from two male hikers, ages 51 and 39, both from Indiana. The hikers said that they had taken the Palm Springs tram to Long Valley…
The Finance Committee for the Idyllwild Fire Protection District has begun discussing and preparing a tax measure that may go before voters in November. The committee believes IFPD’s budget is inadequate to fund programs and initiatives in the future. At the Feb. 24 meeting, committee members focused first on the need for more revenue for…
State Sen. Jeff Stone’s legislation was passed and will rename a portion of Highway 371 in Anza. The resolution designates the portion of the highway between Howard Road and Tribal Road as “Special Deputy Frank Hamilton Memorial Highway.” Senate Concurrent Resolution 51, authored by Stone (R-Riverside County), passed the Legislature on Jan. 27 and was…
