The County Service Area 38 (Pine Cove) Advisory Committee discussed the need and level for a new parcel fee last week. The current fee of $ 60.90 was initially approved in an August 2004 vote as $50 with an escalation formula. The assessment helped defray the cost of emergency ambulance service, which the Idyllwild Fire…
The third bald eagle count of the 2015-16 winter found 14 bald eagles (seven adults and seven juveniles) throughout Southern California, according to John Miller, public affairs officer for the San Bernardino National Forest. Last month, after the heavy snowstorm, only four eagles were seen. Two adult eagles were spotted at Lake Hemet. In January,…
Skepticism about the El Niño weather this winter abounds. Although rainfall on the Hill exceeded historic averages for the period from July 1 through Jan. 31, the storms were neither relentless nor overwhelming. The early January snowstorm dropped more than a foot of snow, nearly 2 feet in some areas; still, February has felt much…
Lead in water and in old water pipes has been in the headlines of national media for several weeks, ever since the announcement of its presence in and damage to the Flint, Michigan, water system. While the three local water districts have and still use pipelines many decades old, all three general managers have confirmed…
Fire log The Idyllwild Fire Station responded to the following calls, Monday to Friday, Jan. 25 to Feb. 5. Idyllwild • Jan. 25 — Medical aid. • Jan. 25 — Medical aid, John Muir Rd. • Jan. 26 — Two medical aids. • Jan. 27 — Medical aid. • Jan. 29 — Two medical aids….
Last week, California fire agencies and several private environmental groups announced their intent to cooperate on educating the general public about the value of prescribed burns. Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service, along with the U.S. National Park Service and Sierra Forest Legacy, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the Wilderness Society, the Nature Conservancy, the…
A school bus caught fire, causing evacuation of students, at just before 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, on Highway 74, at mile marker 54 below Mountain Center. According to a Cal Fire incident report, the Chino Valley Unified School District bus was on the side of the road showing smoke coming from the rear, with…
The County Service Area 36 Advisory Council, moribund for the last several years, will be reconvened as recommended by Riverside County 3rd District Supv. Chuck Washington. The council functions to advise the supervisor on matters concerning county-managed recreation and street lights in the CSA district. There are 10 applicants for the five open seats. Interviews…
Directors of the Fern Valley Water District have begun efforts to recruit a replacement for General Manager Steve Erler, who announced his intention to retire on June 30. At a special meeting, Friday, Feb. 5, the board and the Ad Hoc Hiring Committee discussed its strategy and process for soliciting applicants for its general manager…
