Three years after its last-minute filing of the United State’s lawsuit against Mountain Center property owner, Dr. Tarek M.A. Al-Shawaf, and his employees seeking some $24 million in costs of fire suppression and damage to federal forest lands, the Department of Justice (DOJ), United States Attorney’s Office has filed to dismiss the case. The Idyllwild…
About 5:15 p.m., the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) responded to call about a fire near the Pacific Crest Trial. The .46 acre fire, Pacific Fire, was controlled by 7 p.m. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department also responded to the call. “U.S. Forest Service firefighters this evening responded to a half-acre fire at…
A gentleman has joined the moon and stars. Handsome, hilarious, deeply humane, and brilliant, Ben Killingsworth passed away in his Idyllwild Home on June 7 with his wife Nanci and his beloved animals at his side. Ben was born June 25, 1929 in San Diego to Benjamin and Lois Killingsworth. Job and housing shortages found…
Michael Wallace Stephen Kellner was born September 11, 1951 in Los Angeles, the youngest of five children born to Norine Kellner. His father, Isador Kellner, died before Michael was born. He moved to Idyllwild in 1954, attending Idyllwild Elementary and Hemet High schools. He graduated from Hemet High in 1969. He was with Kathy Gorzny…
Audit faults agency implementation of environmental law The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has failed to meet its responsibilities under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This is the overall finding from the State Auditor’s report released June 27. The audit found fault with how the department reviews CEQA documents, including environmental impact…
The Idyllwild Water District (IWD) has scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10. The closed session board meeting is an employee performance evaluation of Chief Financial Officer Hosny Shouman. The next regular IWD board meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17. Board meetings are held in the IWD…
The Pine Cove Water District (PCWD) Board of Directors held a special meeting Tuesday, July 2. The board quickly reviewed and re-approved ordinance 9, which was originally adopted in May 2017. Ordinance 9 is the district’s rules and regulations for setting water policies that replaced Ordinance 4, originally adopted March 16, 1957. The major difference…
Center for Disease Control and Prevention The recent earthquake activity has been a reminder to everyone that we need to be ready for emergencies, especially for those of us living on a mountain. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention compiled a list of necessary items to keep in a basic disaster kit, provided tips…
I fell into local journalism. I am the accidental journalist. Why? I was filling a void at local city council meetings. No one was digging into what was really going on with companies doing business with the city or who was being appointed to various committees and commissions. Only surface information was being reported and…
On the morning of July 3, Susie and Richard Hampson were recognized for their years of volunteering at the Idyllwild Nature Center. The recognition occurred during the unveiling of “The Birds of Idyllwild Nature Center” interpretive panel. This panel, sponsored by the Friends of Mt. San Jacinto County Parks and designed by Janet McAlpine, is…
