Our mix of news and features, I felt, needed a dose of local humor — a poke at how serious we take ourselves in the town sometimes. And I didn’t want to hear yet one more time, “Cartoons in the Town Crier are never funny.” I wanted something people would say was funny, an idea…
The Board of Commissioners for the Idyllwild Fire Protection District last week approved a final budget for the fiscal year 2014-15, which began July 1. The budget has a projected net surplus of nearly $175,000. Estimated revenues will grow 10 percent to $1.9 million. The greatest surge is that expected property tax revenue will grow…
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Boards of Supervisors for Riverside and San Bernardino counties were to meet in a joint session to discuss issues that face both counties, from the changing health-care system to a shift that sends more state prison inmates and parolees to counties for local supervision. “So many issues are important to…
Former Fire Chief Dave Driscoll made a presentation about the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy to the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce last week. When the U.S. Congress passed the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act of 2009, a provision in the law mandated the development of a national, cohesive, wildland fire management…
Covered California has been contacting about 98,000 families that must resolve eligibility inconsistencies in their 2014 enrollment documents. The consumers will need to submit documents showing they are lawfully present in the United States as U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or individuals with eligible immigration status, in order to continue their health insurance through Covered California….
Water consumption has continued to grow this year in Pine Cove. Pine Cove Water District General Manager Jerry Holldber reported at last week’s board meeting that the August production was 3.7 million gallons, 50,000 gallons more than July, but 460,000, or 14 percent, more than a year ago. “Last August’s consumption was low because of…
Sewer bills for Idyllwild Water District’s 600 sewer customers will increase 50 percent in October. The Board of Directors unanimously approved the increase at its Sept. 10 meeting. The new rates are estimated to raise revenues about $180,000 annually. For most of the 420 residential customers, the monthly increase will be $12.75, for a total…
Pharmacist Barry Shapiro of Idyllwild Pharmacy alerted the Town Crier last week to new federal regulations moving medications containing hydrocodone from Schedule III to Schedule II. This includes pain medications such as Lortab, Norco and Vicodin, and cough medicines such as Tussionex. This change in schedules is part of a program to cut down on…
