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.…

Morongo Basin Ambulance adds portable ultrasounds to fleet

Morongo Basin Ambulance has added a potentially life-saving piece of equipment to their fleet of five vehicles. The butterfly ultrasound is a tiny handheld device that plugs into a standard iPad and can help diagnose hidden traumas that normally would have to wait until the patient arrived at the hospital. Operations Manager Craig Bell demonstrated the device, and he says that in a rural service area that covers over 2700 square miles having as much information as possible is vital to making…

The Iconic ‘Desert Christ Park’ needs community support to survive the desert elements

Listen to this story here: LINKS:Save The Supper GoFundMeDesert Christ Park Website Nestled into the northern hills that overlook Yucca Valley are fifty stark white statues contrasting with the brown hills and blue desert skies. Roxanne Miller and Kathleen Gibson are board members and caretakers of Desert Christ Park, a community sculpture garden that’s been overlooking Yucca Valley since 1961. It started with a priest named Eddie Garver, a sculptor named Frank "Antone" Martin and a…

WHY METALLIC BALLOONS ARE A BAD IDEA

Southern California Edison says that last year over eleven-hundred power outages were caused by metallic balloons - with as many as 6 per day during graduation season where the buying and subsequent releasing of these balloons spike. Metallic - or Mylar - balloons can get tangled in overhead wires and cause fires, transformer explosions, downed lines and of course - power outages. SCE says that these costly disruptions are entirely preventable by keeping balloons tied to weights and kept…

JOSHUA TREE PRIDE SATURDAY EVENT SCHEDULE – UPDATED

UPDATE: The Desert Split Queer Voices Show has moved to the Beatnik Lounge. Follow @joshuatreepride on Instagram for all Pride related updates! Thanks @highdeserthappenings! Joshua Tree Pride is this Saturday the 18th and there are lots of indoor and outdoor parties going on from sun up to sun down. Starting at 10 AM the Beatnik Lounge will be continuing their “Queerated” Art Show featuring local LGBTQIA+ artists. If you can’t drop by the gallery by 2PM the show will be running all of June. Just…

LOCALS RALLY FOR STRICTER GUN LAWS AND SAFER SCHOOLS

LISTEN TO THIS STORY HERE: Triple digit temps didn’t stop a group of demonstrators from gathering in Yucca Valley to support the March For Our Lives rallies that were taking place across the country on Saturday. Residents from the high and low desert gathered and held signs demanding stricter gun laws and a safer school environment for kids. Jo Ann Bollen is the President of the Democrats of the Morongo Basin which organized the demonstration. She says that some of the changes that they want to…

TIPS TO CONTROL WATER USAGE WITH YOUR SWAMP COOLER

Swamp coolers can use as much as 90 gallons of water during triple digit days, and with a drought in full effect and hot summer days coming - the Joshua Basin Water District is urging owners of these evaporative coolers to follow some simple tips to help conserve water as well as save some money on your bill. Drawing window coverings to keep the sun out can keep temperatures down during the day, and running just the fan when temperatures drop at night can cool down your house without using any…

29 PALMS JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION SET FOR THE 18TH

This year’s Juneteenth celebration in 29 Palms will take place on Saturday, June 18th - one day earlier than the official federal holiday. Juneteenth just became a federal holiday in 2021 despite being one of the longest celebrated African American events in the country. It was first celebrated in 1866 and commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation eliminated slavery in the Confederacy in 1863 but news was withheld from the enslaved people…

Joshua Tree Residents reporting more aggressive coyote behavior

The spring weather can bring an increase in wildlife activity, especially coyotes. A Joshua Tree woman says that her last few interactions with the coyotes in her neighborhood has her changing her habits. MAUREEN MORRIS: (Dogs barking) - Come in, quick…” ROBERT HAYDON: Maureen Morris is 75 years old and lives with her two dogs in the upper Friendly Hills of Joshua Tree. Her house sits adjacent to open desert with washes that run all the way to the bordering hills of the national park - so she’s…

FIRE EXPLORERS PROGRAM RETURNS AFTER 2 YEAR HIATUS

The San Bernardino Fire Protection District hasn’t held its annual youth Fire Explorers program for the last two years. The pandemic and a rapidly expanding fire season put a hold on the program, which lets area youths train and work alongside firefighters and other emergency first responders. Battalion Chief Mike Mclintlock says this year they are looking to bring the program back full-force for a Summer / Fall schedule. McClintlock got his start as a fire explorer when he was a teenager, and…