Robert Haydon is the Online News Editor at Z107.7 He graduated from University of Oregon's School of Journalism, with a specialty in Electronic Media. Over the years, he has worked in television news, documentary film, and advertising and marketing.…

Bank scammers squeeze $49k out of local victim, impersonating Chase fraud department

According to the San Bernardino sheriff’s department, a man was contacted by someone identifying themselves as a Chase Bank agent - and told the man that there were fraudulent purchases on his chase account. The victim says they confirmed that the number matched the number on the back of their card, and thinking the call was odd - they called the number back and were reassured that they were speaking with the Chase fraud department. The victim was instructed to wire money to the supposed fraud…

MUSD Board of Trustees Leadership Team Workshop today at 11 AM (Mar. 28)

In lieu of their regularly scheduled 6pm meeting, MUSD Board of Trustees will instead meet for a Board and Superintendent Leadership Team Workshop at 11am at Joshua Tree Elementary. This study session is open to the public. The purpose is to affirm the structure and protocols, as defined in the Board Governance Handbook, for an effective governance team, and to understand the definition and purpose of a District Master Plan.

Yucca Valley Starstruck Dancers heading to NYC, seeks community’s help getting there

9 Morongo Basin kids are heading to New York City for a week of dancing exposure, classes, performances and competitions, and are asking for the community’s help to get them there. The Starstruck Dancers Diva Team are HQ’ed out of Yucca Valley and have been invited to Broadway Dance Center in New York City for a once-in-a-lifetime trip where the dancers will stay in Times Square, train at  the Dance Center and attend a class instructed by a Radio City Rockette, as well as professional photos,…

Spring in Joshua Tree National Park brings more visitors, more flowers and busier hikes

It’s official - spring is here and the weather is finally playing along with some warm days that actually feel like the hi desert. It’s been a strange year of weather all up and down the state - but here in the Morongo Basin the late snow and heavy precipitation have some whispering excitingly about a superbloom here in the desert. There’s no official definition of this still nascent term for an extra-colorful California wildflower season - however, just the possibility of an even more colorful…

“Recycled Art” opening reception tonight at Hi Desert Nature Museum

The Hi Desert Nature Museum is holding an opening reception tonight for its newest art show titled “Metamorphosis: A Recycled Art Exhibition.” The show features artwork made from recycled or reused materials that have been contributed by local artists. The opening reception is open to the public. They will be awarding one adult and one youth art piece with a best-in-show award, and there will be live music and refreshments. The opening reception is tonight from 4pm to 7pm at the Hi Desert…

High Desert Beekeepers meet Saturday, Mar. 25 in Joshua Tree

The High Desert Beekeepers Association is meeting tomorrow, March 25th from noon to 2PM. Come share your bee stories and adventures, or bring your bee question and be prepared for multiple answers, ideas and opinions from the growing number of high desert beekeepers. The topic for tomorrow’s meeting is “what do you look for inside the hive?” THe meeting is happening at the Nourishing Tree at 62057 29 Palms Hwy in Joshua Tree. You don’t have to be a beekeeper to attend, just have an interest in…

29 Palms Track & Field vs. Desert Hot Springs results

The Twentynine Palms High School Track and Field traveled to Desert Hot Springs to face the Golden Eagles yesterday (March 22) Both teams were bested: boys 82-22, girls 80-40. Outstanding PRs for the meet were Elisabeth Marshall in the 1600m (6:47.88), the 3200m (14:48.02) and Amiel Escobal in the 800m with a time of 3:05.11. Top scorer for the girls was Jayde James with 15 points. She won the high jump, triple jump, and long jump. Freshman Anea Haynes scored 10 points with…

Morongo Basin Regional Council on Aging meets Thursday, Mar. 23

The Morongo Basin RCA (Regional Council on Aging) is having their monthly meeting on tomorrow (March 23) from 12 to 1:00 at the Yucca Valley Senior Center. David Wilder, Chairman of the San Bernardino Senior Affairs Commission (SAC). Chairman Wilder will have a presentation and provide information concerning issues of seniors and the disabled. All seniors, disabled, concerned family members, care givers and interested members of the public are invited.

Mil-Tree performance featuring Tim Easton and local songwriters

Mil-Tree is presenting a performance from singer/songwriter Tim Easton, featuring participants from Mil-Tree’s Singer Songwriter Workshop. The FREE event is taking place on Sunday, April 2nd at Noble Hall at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Doors open at 5PM with the performance starting at 5:45 promptly. The singer-songwriter workshop took place over 4 days at Mil-Tree, where it offered active military members and veterans the skills to write and perform their own music. Class leader and…

Scammer impersonating bank employee steals over $19,000 from Morongo Basin resident

Last week a Morongo Basin resident received a call from an unknown male telling her that he was from her bank, and that her account had been hacked into. The male told the victim that he would help set up fraud detection on her account, and requested that she tell him her account information, which she provided. A few days later, the victim found transactions from San Diego totaling just over $19,000 dollars from her account.  The sheriffs report that they are continuing the investigation. …