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Car crashes into power pole on South Circle
Yoichi Christopher Kido Jr., 32 of Idyllwild crashed his white Ford Focus into a power pole on South Circle near Scenic Dr. around 1 a.m. Thursday morning, completely severing the pole causing power lines to arch into both lanes of traffic. South Circle was closed in both directions. Kido was transported by Idyllwild Fire to Desert Regional Medical Center. According to CHP Officer Ron Esparza, Kido was arrested for driving under the influence.
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Banning arsonist pleads guilty
Steven Taylor Rutherford, 49, of Banning, pleaded guilty July 31 to 10 counts of arson. His sentencing hearing is Friday, Sept. 5. At the pleading, a sentence of 45 years was recommended, according to Riverside County Superior Court records. In June, Rutherford had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to 13 counts. The court…
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Plott charged with hit and run
Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Daniel Plott, 45, of Idyllwild, for assault with a deadly weapon, and the district attorney filed a felony hit-and-run charge in Superior Court on July 27, to which Plott has pleaded not guilty. A felony settlement conference is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 14. He currently is still in custody. On…
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Annamarie Padula wins Ernie Maxwell Community Spirit Award
Town Crier readers voted Pine Cove resident Annamarie Padula recipient of the 2014 Ernie Maxwell Community Spirit Award. The award is given in memory of Town Crier founder, publisher, editor and cartoonist Ernie Maxwell whose community and environmental activism added significantly to the growth and identity of the Hill during its post-World War II heyday….
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In the hot seat with Eduardo Santiago
By Richard Barker Special to the Town Crier I arrived at Eduardo Santiago’s house to find him hunched over his kitchen table pounding down shots of what turned out to be Lemon Lily tea. “I just picked this up at Merkaba’s and it’s delicious,” he said. “Join me; we can drown our sorrows together.”…
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Fire abatement ordinance under review
At the recent Town Hall meeting of fire chiefs and at the last Mountain Area Safety Taskforce meeting, important questions were raised about local fire abatement, particularly of vacant properties. Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins established a private-public committee to investigate and recommend improvements to facilitate fire abatement here. The Mountain…
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Convicted embezzler to be sentenced
It was recently learned that on Dec. 1, 2013, Karen Lynne Epperly-Sundsten, 49, of Fern Valley was arrested on charges of embezzlement. Charges filed were grand theft and forgery, with statutory sentencing enhancements of (1) fraud and embezzlement and (2) taking, damaging or destroying property of more than $65,000 in value. The victim was Community…
