The Twentynine Palms Water Board meets in regular session tonight with both water and fire business on the agenda. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the highlight is a discussion of the options for the future of the Twentynine Palms Fire Department... On the agenda at tonight's meeting of the Twentynine Palms Water District, the board will hold a public hearing on the proposed continuation of water availability and assessments. Then the board will discuss options for the fire department.…

An electrical problem sparked a two-alarm fire at a Moose Lodge in nearby Lucerne Valley Tuesday morning, causing an estimated $400,000 damage. County firefighters came to the lodge in the 31800 block of Laramie Road at 2:05 a.m. Firefighters faced challenges in battling the blaze because there were no fire hydrants in the area. They fought the fire for 2 1/2 hours, keeping the flames from spreading beyond the restaurant portion of the building. The business was closed at the time and there were…

After an emotional recognition ceremony honoring retired City Clerk Char Sherwood, the Twentynine Palms City Council occupied the next 3 ½ hours with a workshop and public hearing on the budget for fiscal year 2012-2013. Reporter Dan Stork was there throughout, and summarizes the budget discussions... During the public hearing, several speakers urged complete rejection of the budget, decrying the bulk and format of the budget document, but most particularly the use of $1.7 million of the $12…

A Simi Valley woman was arrested Friday evening after she crashed her car into another car on Old Woman Springs Road. About 8 p.m., Alana Charles, 26, was driving her 1999 Toyota truck northbound on OWS near Pipes Canyon Road when she crossed over the double yellow lines into the southbound lane, hitting the left side of a 1995 Ford Escort driven by Kalliope Bolanis, 56, of Joshua Tree. The collision sent Charles' car out into the open desert where it overturned multiple times, before…

A Twentynine Palms woman was arrested Sunday morning after an argument with her husband of six months turned physical. According to a Sheriff's report, Jessica Johnson, 25, of the 6200 block of Yucca Avenue, was arguing with her husband over breakfast about him cheating on her. Her husband told deputies she grabbed a knife and gave him a 3- to 4-inch slash on his arm, while Jessica Johnson said he shoved her into a closet and threatened to kill her. Jessica Johnson was arrested for…

The Yucca Valley Town Council approved their 2012-13 budget last night, but not without some dissension, Managing editor Tami Roleff was there and files this report... The Yucca Valley Town Council heard at its meeting last night that the 2012-13 budget is a "mixed bag." It's better than last year, but there are still a lot of cuts and deferred infrastructure maintenance. The most discussion was about whether the Town should reduce its subsidy to the Boys and Girls Club by $5,000,…

A Twentynine Palms Marine died in combat in Afghanistan over the weekend. The Defense Department announced Tuesday Lance Cpl. Niall Coti-Sears, 23, of Arlington, Virginia, died Saturday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province. Coti-Sears was a rifleman assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms. Coti-Sears enlisted in December 2008 and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

The County's Special TV District, which provides television service to Wonder Valley and other areas of the Morongo Basin, has completed its conversion from analog television channels to digital channels. Scott Fritz, a communications engineer technician for the County's Television District, said the changeover to digital means that televisions will be able to pick up a lot more channels, but some channels previously received may be lost. He added that residents who use an antenna or…

The 2012 summer movie series wraps up tonight with a free showing at Luckie Park tonight. Reporter Lenore Roberts invites you to the "Muppet Movie". The City of Twentynine Palms Park and Recreation Department will present its last movie for the summer on Thursday, July 26 at the racquetball court in Luckie Park. The last movie to premier will be The Muppets, a Walt Disney Pictures movie in which three fans help Kermit the Frog and the other Muppets reunite to save their old theatre…

The California Highway Patrol will hold another free Start Smart class Monday, July 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Morongo Basin Area office. Start Smart provides classroom instruction on collision avoidance techniques, collision causing elements, and driver responsibilities. Pre-registration is required for the classes. Parents and newly licensed or soon-to-be drivers with questions regarding this class, or to pre-register, should call the Morongo Basin California Highway Patrol Area office at…