On February 26, 2016, Administrative Law Judge Eric Sawyer issued his proposed decision in the matter of the accusation against James Reyes, former paramedic and captain with IFPD, who had been terminated by Chief Patrick Reitz in July 2014. Judge Sawyer found on the evidence that Chief Reitz “abused his discretion in deciding to terminate…
Former Riverside County 3rd District Supervisor Jim Venable died of cancer on Thursday, March 17. He was 79. Venable served as county supervisor, representing the 3rd district that includes Idyllwild, from 1996 to 2004. Prior to his election, Venable served as a Hemet City councilman. A pilot, Venable had long operated his family’s business, the…
At the end of February, Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz’s wildfire bill was passed in the House of Representatives. H.R. 1009 targets disaster-relief funds to victims of wildfire and their communities. He wanted to ensure they have access to the same resources as victims of other natural disasters. The funds will be available whether or not…
On Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at about 12:30 p .m. a head-on traffic collision between a dark blue SUV and a white sedan occurred about a mile north of Mountain Center on Highway 243. Debris was scattered over more than an estimated 100 yards along the roadway, as the vehicles came to rest about that…
Photo by Becky Clark A hit-and-run traffic collision about 1 p.m. stopped traffic in both directions at Buckhorn Camp about 2 miles north of Idyllwild on Highway 243. The occupants of the hit vehicle are not injured. The driver of the Toyota truck that appeared to collide with the Audi walked off the scene before…
On Tuesday, March 15, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nasir David Powell, 18, on felony charges involving sex offenses. The arrest was made in Idyllwild on Temecula Drive, which is entirely within the campus of Idyllwild Arts Academy. Indications are that Powell was a student at IAA at the time of the…
Standard Mileage Rates Revised The standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck have changed to the following amounts: • for business miles driven in 2015, the mileage rate increased to 57.5 cents per mile from 56 cents in 2014. For those planning ahead, the 2016 rate, for use…
If you don’t enjoy the return to dark mornings in March after daylight saving time resumes, Assemblyman Kansen Chu (D-San Jose) has submitted a bill to eliminate daylight saving from the California lexicon. If Assembly Bill 2496 were enacted, California would remain on Pacific Standard Time throughout the year. Hawaii and Arizona (except for the…
At its House Appropriations hearing, the U.S. Forest Service received a lot of sympathy for the dilemma that the high cost of fire suppression has had on funding for other agency programs. During the hearing, Tom Tidwell, Forest Service chief, stressed, “You can’t budget for wildland fire … We just have to have a different…
Most taxpayers will have until Monday, April 18, to file their 2015 returns and pay any taxes due. That’s because Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia, falls this year on Friday, April 15. By law, D.C. holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way federal holidays do. Also, because of the…
