Saturday, December 28, 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,…

Carjacking spree involving postal truck, Sheriff’s vehicle, ends in open desert

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 25, 2023
Knife-Wielding Woman Suspected of Armed Robbery, Attempting to Hijack Two Trucks in Downtown Joshua Tree

A Fontana man was arrested after a carjacking spree involving a U.S. Postal Truck and a Sheriff’s vehicle ended in the open desert. On Tuesday (May 24) at approximately 1:20 p.m., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies received a report that a postal truck had been stolen near the 58000 block of Bonanza Blvd in Yucca Valley. While investigating the incident, the suspect, identified by Deputies as Luis Lugo, a 23 year-old resident of Fontana, was said to have abandoned the postal truck on…

Two Commissioners resign at last night’s Twentynine Palms Planning Commission meeting

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 17, 2023

Two members of the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission resigned at last night’s meeting. Commissioners Jason Dickson and Eileen Leslie both resigned at the start of the regularly scheduled meeting, each for their own respective reason. Commissioner Dickson, who has been on the planning commission for five years, announced that he would be leaving Twentynine Palms for a new job. Dickson said: “I would like to put out there that this is my last meeting on the planning commission. I am resigning…

How you can help in search for missing hiker Trammell Evans

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 13, 2023
How you can help in search for missing hiker Trammell Evans

The search for missing hiker Trammell Evans continues, and his family is asking residents of and visitors to hi-desert communities to keep an eye out. The mother and brother of Trammell Evans say that the 25 year-old may be passing through or camping in and around communities surrounding Joshua Tree National Park. 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 through the last week. His family…

Second Saturday Art Crawl in Joshua Tree tonight (5/13)

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 13, 2023
The Twentynine Palms Art Gallery announces their Holiday Market Nov. 26

The second Saturday Art Crawl returns to Joshua Tree tonight (May 13) , with most of the area's galleries holding openings for new exhibits. Art snob Jef Harmatz is here to tell you about tonight’s high desert art openings. Art Queen is debuting a new solo show of work from Noel T. Hart, titled "Looking for Horizons." Hart, a former architect, makes mixed media paitings of strange and alien landscapes that push design work beyond the rules of physics. The show opens tonight…

Car stolen in Yucca Valley with owner sleeping in backseat

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 12, 2023
Knife-Wielding Woman Suspected of Armed Robbery, Attempting to Hijack Two Trucks in Downtown Joshua Tree

A man jumped out of his own car after waking up in the backseat to find it was being stolen. On Wednesday (May 10) at approximately 5 a.m., County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a traffic collision involving a pedestrian. When they responded, they discovered the victim, a 39 year-old resident of Yucca Valley, had jumped out of his own car, sustaining minor injuries. The victim told Deputies that he was asleep inside of the vehicle, when the car was broken into and driven away by an…

CHP motorcycle patrols issue tickets in the triple digits yesterday in Morongo Basin

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 11, 2023
California Highway Patrol seeking Senior Volunteers

126 citations were issued across the Morongo Basin yesterday (May 10) as part a special enforcement detail was conducted in the Morongo Basin by the California Highway Patrol. The special enforcement was announced early Thursday morning, and more than 10 additional motorcycle officers from surrounding CHP offices were brought in to step up enforcement of the laws that govern our highways.  The special enforcement period lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., meaning an average of 21 citations were issued…

Trammell Evans – missing in Joshua Tree National Park since Saturday, May 5

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 11, 2023
Trammell Evans – missing in Joshua Tree National Park since Saturday, May 5

Updated 5/9 @ 6:30AM The search for missing hiker Trammell Evans is ongoing, and Joshua Tree National Park and Joshua Tree Search and Rescue are asking for your help. Evans, a 25 year-old male who was last seen at Black Rock Campground on April 30, was declared “missing” on Saturday, May 5. The search now includes several agencies, including the County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Land Management, and California Highway Patrol Helicopter. These agencies have asked members of the…

“Brandon Act” mental health support approved by Dept. of Defense

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 9, 2023
“Brandon Act” mental health support approved by Dept. of Defense

The Brandon Act is a law that creates a self-initiated referral process for service members seeking a mental health evaluation and aims to reduce stigma by allowing them to seek help confidentially. The Brandon Act is named after Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta who died by suicide in 2018. The legislation was made law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. The new policy will put into place procedures to establish protocols and provide procedures for…

Supervisor Rowe Discusses “Alt” Camping Sites

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 8, 2023

On Last week's Z1077 Up Close Show, host Gary Daigneault spoke with County Board of Sueprvisors Chair Dawn Rowe about what are commonly being called "alt" camping sites. These "alt" sites feature uncoventional structures, like trailers, box trucks, tents, and bubbles, on otherwise undeveloped private land, and they are becoming more and more prevalant here in the Morongo Basin. Rowe said, "For better or worse, and folks are going to yell at me for this, it is not an…

County Votes to Cover Half of $1.1 Million Ransom After Sheriff’s Office Hacked

Jef Harmatzby Jef Harmatz
May 6, 2023

San Bernardino County officials said that they paid a $1.1 million dollar ransom to a hacker who took control of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's computer systems. The attack was first acknowledged by a press release the office of County Sheriff Shannon Dicus on April 9. The press release described the attack as a "network disruption" that was being investigated in conjunction with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. Dawn Rowe, Chair of the County…

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