Sunday, December 29, 2024
Jef Harmatz

Jef Harmatz

Jef Harmatz is the co-host of Z107.7’s “Morning Show with Cody and Jef” and Z107.7’s News Director. He has worked as a journalist, cartoonist, chef, and delivery driver. He is known nationally for his writing and comics in publications like TimeOut,…

Vacation Rental boom cooling; TOT tax could raise to 11% across Morongo Basin

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 18, 2023
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON ON THE UP CLOSE SHOW FRIDAY

On Friday’s Z107.7 Up Close Show, host Gary Daigneault spoke with Chair of the County Board of Supervisors Dawn Rowe, who discussed her assessment that the short term vacation rental boom in the high desert is cooling off. She explained how the county utilizes funds from the Transient Occupancy Tax, also known as TOT, which is a fee collected on all short term vacation rentals. The City of Twentynine Palms has projected a loss of $100,000 in TOT revenue for the next two years, but Rowe said the…

Emory Out, Fisher in on Morongo Valley CSD Board

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 17, 2023
Morongo Valley CSD Board Director declares resignation, once conditions are met

Despite the appointment of new Board Director Lance Fisher at Friday’s (July 14) special meeting of the Morongo Valley Community Services District Board of Directors, the board is still short one member as Director Michael Emory has resigned. The CSD oversees the Morongo Valley Fire Department and Covington Park, and has struggled to fulfill their duties in 2023 because of conflict with board members and within the community. Emory, whose inability to appear at scheduled Board meetings has…

YV Airport District Directors to discuss airport closure

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 12, 2023

The Yucca Valley Airport District Board of Directors meets in regular session tonight (July 12) where they are expected to discss the nearly month-long closure of the Yucca Valley Airport. They will also discuss fencing and gate issues, fee policies, and a "closure ceremony." The Board meets tonight at 6:30 pm. at the Yucca Valley Community Center.

Unconfirmed Trammel Evans sightings in Wonder Valley and Slab City; search continues

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 11, 2023
Trammell Evans search continues, family updates and gear list

The family of missing hiker Trammell Evans is again expanding their search, this time to areas with milder climates as desert temperatures increase to triple digits. Trammell’s mother Amy Evans has received unconfirmed tips that the missing 25 year-old has been spotted alive in Slab City and - as of the first week of July - in Wonder Valley. These sightings remain unconfirmed by the family’s private investigator. Amy Evans says these sightings give her an amount of what she described as…

Second Saturday Art Crawl in downtown Joshua Tree tonight (7/8)

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 8, 2023
Blood Drive in 29 Palms Thurs. 12/29 – blood supplies desperately low

Today (July 8) is the second Saturday of the month, and that means it's time for the second Saturday Art Crawl in Downtown Joshua tree. La Matadora debuts a brand new show tonight, featuring the drawings paintings, and tufted rugs of Melissa Monroe, alongside what they're calling a "small kaleidoscope of butterflies" by Alea Bone. La Matadora is holding a reception tonight from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hey There Gallery is kicking off a two-month long group show featuring a number of…

Gem and Mineral Show returns to Joshua Tree this Fall

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 6, 2023
Joshua Tree Gem, Mineral & Craft Show happening this weekend

The Gem and Mineral Show is returning to Joshua Tree this fall. The beloved show’s fate in the hi desert was in question after its usual venue was sold to new owners and the 2023 Spring Show was canceled. Set for September 28 through October 1, the Gem and Mineral Show will be held at ​​Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground. After the loss of the previous venue, vendors said they gathered together to ensure the show continued in Joshua Tree. Now that the new location is secured, more than 30…

Keep your pet’s paws protected as sun heats things up

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 1, 2023
How to stay cool during California’s summer heat wave

It's not quite hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, but it's definitely hot enough to scorch the little feet of your favorite furry friend. Any day in which the temperature stays at or above 85 degrees farenheit can prove treacherous for your dog, cat, or other four-legged friend. Concrete and blacktop, exposed all day to direct sunshine, can hold heat in ways that are less obvious to shoe-wearing humans. If the temperature outside is 85 degrees, expect the temperature of asphalt…

Trammell Evans search continues, family updates and gear list

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
July 1, 2023
Trammell Evans search continues, family updates and gear list

Update: The Family has shared a document with Trammell's Gear. It can be downloaded and viewed here. (PDF) The family of missing hiker Trammell Evans has said that they are continuing their search two months after he went missing, and are utilizing unconventional methods.  Evans, a 25 year-old white male was last seen at Black Rock Campground on April 30, and declared missing on Saturday, May 5. Searches have continued over the last two months, but official searches by Joshua Tree National…

Two homes burned in 29 Palms yesterday (6/29)

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
June 29, 2023
Two homes burned in 29 Palms yesterday (6/29)

A fire burned two homes in Twentynine Palms yesterday (June 29), leaving one person with minor injuries and two families displaced. At approximately 6:30 a.m., engines with San Bernardino County Fire were dispatched to a report of a vehicle fire in the 72000 block of Sunnyslope Dr in Twentynine Palms. When engines arrived, the fire had spread to a nearby home and a Detective from the County Sheriff’s Department was on scene and assisting with the evacuation. The fire spread to a second…

Food giveaway every Wed. at United Methodist Church in 29 Palms

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
June 21, 2023
New Food Distribution in Morongo Basin for Seniors

A bright new sign that says "open" now adorns the United Methodist Church of Twentynine Palms, where they will be providing needy families with food every single Wednesday. The church distributes food to the community every Wednesday, but recently members of the community thought that the church was closed because the woman who organizes the distribution, Linda Geddis does not drive a car, and the parking lot appears empty. Some people even turned back after thinking the church was…

Copyright © 2024 Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree - Local News for the Hi Desert.
Copyright © 2024 Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree - Local News for the Hi Desert.