The suspension of open burning and the closure of several hazardous fire areas has been revoked due to the wet fall and expectation of a wetter winter. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins announced that these changes to previous proclamations were effective at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7. “Due to the increased relative humidity,…
Whether or not property owners in County Service Area 36 participate in local recreation programs conducted by the county or stand under the occasional streetlight to appreciate its illumination, they are paying for both. Each year, CSA 36 property owners are billed $35 as part of their property taxes to fund both recreation and streetlights….
Idyllwild local Stacey Grant avoided a head-on collision with a motorcyclist on Sunday, Dec. 6. Grant was driving her 2011 silver Subaru Outback west on Highway 74 around 11:00 a.m. just after the last turnout near the bottom of the Hill on the Hemet side. Grant noted she had slowed as cars ahead of her…
Both the Town Baker and the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witnesses experienced attempted break-ins on the same night, with the same basic modus operandi. Paul Amick, co-owner of the Town Baker, reported that he received a call from his alarm service at 12:30 a.m. Sunday that his alarm had been activated. Amick reported that…
On Tuesday, Dec. 8, Riverside County 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington asked his board colleagues to approve the use of Community Development Improvement Funds to help the Soroptimists International of Idyllwild. The Idyllwild Soroptimists is the beneficiary of $1,000. Washington’s memo said the funds would be used for the “Save the Sequoia” project. A water…
Town Hall will reopen as the primary venue for county-managed community recreation, Scott Bangle, Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District parks director and general manager, confirmed Wednesday, Dec. 3. In the Town Crier edition of Nov. 19, we reported the closure of Town Hall. A notice had been posted on the door stating, “Preliminary…
Idyllwild resident Mary Lehman has a history of aiding others. Whether as an emergency medical technician at fire camp, a lookout for the U.S. Forest Service or on ski patrol, showing up to help others who are injured or in distress is not new to her. So it was not surprising, after having discussed it…
The effects of the rainfall from impending El Niño conditions create more responsibilities in the rural parts of Riverside County than urban residents will experience, according to several county representatives. They were on the Hill to discuss what local residents can do to prepare for the rain, run-off and potential problems. The speakers encouraged an…
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, with support from fellow Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer, last February introduced the California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act of 2015, a bill that amends and updates the historic California Desert Protection Act of 1994. The bill would expand protection for more of the California desert. Besides additional wilderness acreage, wild and…
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, Caltrans District 8 partnered with multiple public agencies to hold an El Niño preparation event in the Cajon Pass. Attending were Alex Tardy from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in San Diego and first responder representatives, including the California Highway Patrol, the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, and the San…
