Lightning struck a tree in the front yard of a home on Pine Crest Avenue with explosive force during a storm on the night of Monday, Jan. 22. Neighbor Holly Owens told the Crier that although no one was seriously hurt, one neighbor suffered temporary hearing loss “that seems to be slowly resolving.” Another, in…
This past summer’s forecast of a strong El Niño has been somewhat disappointing, perhaps, for Hill residents. While last year’s precipitation washed away the drought conditions, so far this water year (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30), precipitation has been sparse and far less than average. For the first four months of the water year, the…
By Joel FeingoldPhotographer According to one of the workers, the timeframe for completion of the new bridge at Strawberry Creek on Highway 74 is about August of this year, depending on weather and any potential complications. A lot of factors go into that completion date. The bridge will be wider. It was initially 11 feet…
After more than 10 years, a transient man responsible for starting the Aug. 7, 2013, Silver Fire in the Poppet Flats area pleaded guilty to 14 counts of recklessly and unlawfully setting fire to and burning, “and cause to be burned, an inhabited structure and inhabited property.” Stephen Patrick Medlock, 58, entered into a plea…
After several years of being dark, the Mountain Area Safety Task Force (MAST) is planning meetings again this year. Participants have included fire agencies, water districts, nonprofit organizations and other groups that have a say in safety issues on the Hill. The public forums are from 11 a.m. to noon the Wednesdays of March 13,…
The Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) commissioners met for a special meeting Tuesday, Jan. 9. All commissioners were present to hear Chief Mark LaMont present a resolution regarding a grant application to be submitted to the state. The application asks for almost a million dollars to help IFPD complete work on the Bear Trap Fuels…
Oct. 13, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 446. Now cursive writing or joined italics will be included as part of the educational program for grades one through six. Although it was never formally dropped, writing instruction, particularly for cursive, waned as the use of laptop computers and tablets grew within the school environment….
At its first meeting in 2024, on Jan. 9, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors elected new officers for the year. 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington is the board’s chair for 2024 and 4th District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez is the new vice chair. He served as chair during 2020. Washington last served as chair…
The Pine Cove Water District (PCWD) held its regular board of directors meeting Wednesday, Jan. 10 with all directors present, although last month’s resignation of Diana Luther leaves an empty seat, one of the questions facing the board now. Other matters before the directors included a review of the first half of the financial year…
