News

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Richard Schnetzer, Fern Valley Water’s new director

Editor’s note: At its Oct. 17 meeting, the Fern Valley Water District Board of Directors chose Richard Schnetzer as director following the resignation of Ron Korman in June. On Nov. 26, Schnetzer visited the Town Crier office. The ensuing discussion is the basis of this story that introduces him to the whole community. While Schnetzer…

State Budget continues improving: Higher revenue to support school funding
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State Budget continues improving: Higher revenue to support school funding

The state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office issued its forecast on fiscal years 2014-15 and 2015-16 in mid-November. With more than half the current fiscal year remaining, the LAO expects a rosy culmination for the state budget. “We estimate that 2014-15 General Fund revenues will be about $2 billion higher than estimated in this year’s budget act,”…

County continues to monitor subsurface hydrocarbons
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County continues to monitor subsurface hydrocarbons

Riverside County continues to monitor a possible underground fuel leak in Idyllwild. R.M. Environmental Inc. of Calimesa, conducting the monitoring work, just completed the third-quarter sampling report. In addition, RME has submitted a work plan to install two more monitoring wells that will be sampled and monitored on a quarterly basis for the next 12…

District Attorney unhappy with passage of Proposition 47
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District Attorney unhappy with passage of Proposition 47

On Nov. 4, California voters approved Proposition 47, which reduces certain non-serious and non-violent property and drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. The measure also allows certain offenders who have been previously convicted of such crimes to apply for reduced sentences. The anticipated long-term result would lessen prison overcrowding. Proponents argued that, if enacted, the…

Man convicted of offensive touching
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Man convicted of offensive touching

A man arrested in front of Cafe Aroma earlier this year with a first charge of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse has been convicted of a lesser charge of “offensive touching only,” a misdemeanor under Penal Code section 242, according to Riverside County Superior Court records. Felipe DeJesus Rubio Gomez, also known as Felipe…

Three-car crash  injures several
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Three-car crash injures several

Emergency personnel responded to a three-vehicle traffic collision just after 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, on Highway 74 north of Vista Point. Michael Kaplan, 54, of La Jolla, driving a Dodge Avenger westbound, attempted to pass — over double-yellow lines — Michael Rein, 69, of Idyllwild, driving a Subaru Forester, according to California Highway Patrol’s…