DIRT BIKE + STREET SIGN + NO HELMET = MAJOR INJURIES

A Yucca Valley man riding his off-road motorcycle in the early morning hours Wednesday suffered major head injuries when he ran off the road. About 4 a.m., identified as K. Brown, 26, in Sheriff reports, was riding his motorcycle westbound on Sunnyslope Drive. At the intersection with Sage Avenue Brown kept riding straight instead of making the turn onto Sage Avenue. He drove straight into a street sign, tearing the sign out of the ground. Brown, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered major head…

MARINE KILLED IN FATAL CRASH WEDNESDAY MORNING IDENTIFIED

The Marine killed in a head-on collision in Joshua Tree early Wednesday morning has been identified. First Lieutenant Todd Lorell, 24, a logistics officer with 7th Marines at the Combat Center, was driving his silver 2000 Honda Civic about 80 miles per hour westbound on Highway 62, east of Rotary Way at 2:50 a.m., when his car veered across all four lanes of the highway and crashed into the front of a 2011 Freightliner semi tractor trailer being driven eastbound on the highway at about 55 miles…

SOME RESIDENTS TO GET $150 BILLS FOR STATE FIRE PROTECTION

Starting this month, rural residents all over California, including many in our Morongo Basin, will start receiving invoices for $150 per year for Cal Fire services. Residents living within California's "state responsibility area" are required to pay the fee within 30 days of receiving the bill or face steep penalties and interest, according to the State Board of Equalization. The fee was promoted as a way to ensure that rural residents are paying their share of wildfire…

AUDITIONS SET FOR “HALLOWEEN HAUNT” AT THEATRE 29

Theatre 29 is looking for players, helpers, for in the scene and behind the scenes for this year's Halloween Haunt. Managing Editor Tami Roleff tells you how to get involved in the annual haunted theater event… We may still be in the heat of summer, but it's time to start thinking about the ninth annual Halloween Haunt at Theatre 29, produced by Eric Ross, and directed by Frances Wright with assistance from Charles Harvey. Auditions for this year's haunt, entitled…

NEW EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AT HDMC

Steve Cox, RN, MSN, has been named new emergency department director at Hi-Desert Medical center Cox brings a solid background in emergency department nursing as well as management of a telemetry unit to his new post. Before his nursing career, Steve was an EMT/fireman for 18 years. Other experience includes work with the National Medical Response Team, the Disaster Medical Assistance Team and extensive Haz-Mat training. "I am excited about this opportunity to bring my experience and…

JOSHUA TREE BAND FEATURED DURING NATIONAL OLYMPIC COVERAGE

"Desperate Heart…" The millions of viewers watching coverage of the Olympics are hearing the unique sound of our own Joshua Tree. The very distinctive sound of local band Gram Rabbit is the soundtrack to Fruit of the Loom commercials running throughout the International event, and then beyond. Z107.7 News spoke with Gram Rabbit front lady Jesika VonRabbit, who said the whole process has been "pretty exciting." VonRabbit said her representative had submitted the song…

JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT MEETS TONIGHT, BILL FORMAT AND A BILL ADJUSTMENT ON TAP

The Joshua basin Water District Board meets in regular session tonight, Reporter Mike Lipsitz says the Board will look at new bill formats and a major bill adjustment… The Joshua Basin Water District Board of Directors meets at 7:00 tonight at agency offices on Chollita Road in Joshua Tree. There are two items on tonight's action agenda. The board will consider water bill programming changes at an estimated one-time cost of $7,000 plus $1,250 in annual support costs. Also, the board will…

HI-DESERT MEDICAL CENTER OFFERING FREE REQUIRED T-DAP INOCULATIONS

Whooping cough is on the rise in California. To combat the outbreak, new legislation requires that all students entering grades 7 through 12 during the 2012-13 school year show proof of having received the whooping cough booster, or (T-DaP). Just in time for back-to-school, Hi-Desert Medical Center's Family Health Clinics in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms are offering FREE T-DaP boosters to eligible students up to age 18. Two clinics are being offered: one at the Yucca Valley Family…

TWENTYNINE PALMS PLANNING COMMISSION PLODS THROUGH THE CODES

The special meeting of the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission was devoted to a study session on a detailed review of the City's Development Code – the fourth in a series. Reporter Dan Stork hits the highlights… With Commissioner Bill Easter absent, the four members present knuckled down to work. They tightened the Code's language – replacing "should" by "shall," and "encourage" by "require" in many items, eliminating duplicated standards and…

PIT BULL BITES SHERIFF’S DEPUTY

A pit bull in Joshua Tree evidently thought it was McGruff the Crime Dog who wanted to take a bite out of crime—a crime stopper, that is. About 6:15 Monday morning, Sheriff's Deputy John Lett was making a pedestrian check on a man in the 62000 block of Mountain View Circle in Joshua Tree when the man's dog bit the deputy on the arm. Deputy Lett was treated for the dog bite at Hi-Desert Medical Center and is back at work. The dog, named Achilles, is under a 10-day quarantine at home.…