Steven Taylor Rutherford, 48, of Banning, has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to 13 counts of arson. Trial start still is planned for Aug. 4. Charges were filed in February accusing Rutherford of starting 13 fires in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The fires occurred between September 2011 and June…
Cristin Smith’s motion to have charges against him for the 2006 triple murder in Pinyon was denied Friday, June 20. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jeffery Gunther ruled that Smith must return on Aug. 1 for a trial-readiness conference. On the night of Sept. 17, 2006, Becky Friedli, 18, her mother, Vicki Friedli, 53, and…
Fire log The Idyllwild Fire Station responded to the following calls, Monday, June 16, to Monday, June 23, 2014. Idyllwild • June 17 — Medical aid. • June 18 — Dispatched and cancelled en route. • June 18 — Two rescues, medical aids. • June 19 — Rescue/medical incident. • June 19 — Three…
The Mile High Radio Club is celebrating its 25th year of operation on the Hill this year. Carroll Lindholm, George Covington and others founded the group in 1989. Today, President Bill Tell says the club has 65 members. “We have a lot of strong people with independent skills sets,” Tell said. The individual components create…
Waste Management Inc.’s Eloisa Orozco, area communications manager for Southern California, confirmed today that significant progress has been made in eliminating the green waste pile at the Idyllwild Transfer Station. Without a scale at the Idyllwild Transfer schedule, Orozco said it was difficult to determine the tonnage on site at the beginning of June, but…
As of Thursday, June 19, U.S. Forest Service officials are increasing fire use restrictions on the San Bernardino National Forest because the summer weather is beginning to raise the seasonal fire danger. As if serving as an omen, a small fire ignited near the Cranston Ranger Station in Valle Vista the day tighter restrictions were…
The Idyllwild Fire Protection District commission met Tuesday afternoon, June 24, in a special session. The commission acknowledged receipt of the most recent grand jury report and held a closed session to consider the possible discipline, dismissal or release of an employee or employees. The individual or individuals were not identified. When asked if any…
At their June 20 meeting, Fern Valley Water directors unanimously declared a water shortage emergency. The board adopted Resolution 543, spelling out its process for declaring a water shortage, defining the four stages and implementing the stages. Fern Valley General Manager Steve Erler followed the resolution adoption with a declaration of Stage 1 Water Shortage…
Another grand jury report this year, directed at the behavior and operation of Idyllwild Fire Protection District employees, was issued Thursday, June 19. This is the second report focused on IFPD from the 2013-14 grand jury and the fifth since 2008. This report investigated three topics — the behavior of the administrative captain, Mark LaMont,…
