In July 2013, the Mountain Fire burned more than 26,000 acres with both the fire and the immediate rainstorm destroying miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Almost 15 miles from Garner Valley near Paradise Corner to Saddle Junction had to be closed for safety reasons. Much of this trail remains closed. For the…
Short-term rentals within Riverside County are becoming more popular and now are within the purview of the Board of Supervisors. The subject was on the agenda of the board’s Nov. 17 meeting because supervisors John Benoit (4th District) and Chuck Washington (3rd District) proposed an ordinance (927) to regulate this burgeoning industry. While the Coachella…
Gov. Jerry Brown issued his second executive order last Friday regarding water conservation this year. Last April, the governor’s first order mandated a 25-percent reduction in water use throughout the state. The Nov. 13 order authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to extend the water reductions through October 2016 if drought conditions persist through…
The Art Alliance of Idyllwild has established three sites to enable locals to commemorate the horrific events that occurred in Paris last week. Tri-color boards will be set up at the Idyllwild Post Office, Town Monument and Town Baker where the community and visitors may express their feelings, sorrows and hopes for a better future….
Riverside County will participate in a hazardous-material response drill this week, along with numerous state and federal agencies. The drill involves a simulated response by hazardous-materials teams after anthrax is detected in multiple locations. The drill, from Monday to Friday, Nov. 16 to 20, will include the California Department of Public Health, the California Emergency…
At 7:10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, a school bus carrying 45 students was traveling westbound on Highway 74, 1.1 miles west of McGaugh Road, when an eastbound big rig crossed into the westbound lane. The bus driver swerved to miss the big rig, avoiding what could have been a catastrophic outcome. The big rig continued…
A single person attended the latest Mountain Emergency Service Committee meeting. But Kathleen Henderson, the Riverside County emergency services coordinator for the mountain, briefly discussed the county’s plans to help residents on the Hill and throughout the county prepare for the impending El Niño event. (See other story, this page.) The county’s new Emergency Management…
Discussions of the pending El Niño weather pattern have shifted from its probability to which month will it peak and its longevity. Last week, the latest National Weather Service forecast stated, “El Niño will likely peak during the Northern Hemisphere winter 2015-16.” Neutral conditions are expected by late spring and possibly early summer 2016. The…
A major house fire occurred Sunday evening, Nov. 15, essentially destroying the house. At about 4:30 p.m., Idyllwild Fire Department received a dispatch alert about a house burning at 25435 Scenic Drive. When IFD arrived, the house was already “fully involved,” according to Idyllwild Fire Chief Patrick Reitz. “Crews had some difficulty accessing the residence…
The Town Hall building has been closed for a duration yet to be determined, according to Kyla Brown, parks and recreation bureau chief for the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open-space District, although she hopes it will be only a week.
