KING OF THE HAMMERS One of the major off-road events in the country, "The King of the Hammers," will be held in the nearby Landers area-Johnson Valley Off-Road area next weekend. Reporter Derwood Andrews tells you how to get tickets... The sixth running of the King of the Hammers desert race, takes place from Friday 3rd to Friday 10th of February, at Means Dry Lake in Johnson Valley. The biggest Hammertown yet includes additional entertainment, an expanded vendor show as well as…

NEW SCHAUPPNER BOOK AVAILABLE ON KINDLE The latest book by local author Kurt Schauppner is available as a Kindle e-book. Royalties from The Ghosts of Ide County will go to Reach Out Morongo Basin, the Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization, whose goal is helping people maintain healthy, independent lives as long as possible. The Ghosts of Ide County tells the story of a small Northern California farming community and how people there are affected by the disappearance of a beloved 12-year-old…

SAT PREP COURSE IN PALM DESERT A special preparation course for the Scholastic Aptitude Test will be offered on April 7 and 14 at Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus. The course is geared for high school juniors and seniors planning to take the SAT offered on or after May 5. All question types on the test will be covered and a number of short-form tests will be given to provide practice in actual testing conditions. The two-session course will be held at the CSUSB Palm Desert…

STARGAZING IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK It's hard to find a better place for looking at the night sky than Joshua Tree National Park. Ranger Pam Tripp tells us what to look for... Star gazers know that crucial elements for viewing are a clear night and a dark location. Joshua Tree National Park has both.So be sure to pack the binoculars on your next camping trip or evening drive through the park. At this time of year you can see the brightest object in the sky, the planet Jupiter, while…

Both Yucca Valley High School varsity soccer teams had good outings in their visit to cross-Basin rivals Twentynine Palms on Thursday. The Lady Trojans completely controlled their game and won by a score of 7-1. Stats included junior captain, Chaylin Couzens with two goals and one assist, senior captain Shelby Smith with one goal and three assists, and sophomore Teresa Nava with one goal and two assists. Savanah Rogers, Samantha Gonzalez, and Sabrina Whiting also scored and Vivian Chow added an…

The City of Twentynine Palms is distinguished by its striking murals. Reporter Lenore Roberts tells how you can have your own miniature version of one of them, on a bottle of wine... The members of Action Council for Twentynine Palms will unveil their 2012 sparkling wine, featuring the "Spirit of Mara" collector's label, on Sunday, January 29, from noon to 2 pm at the Twentynine Palms Inn. The label was inspired by the stunning "Spirit of Mara" mural, which portrays a…

A dentist in Chino will give away a computer to some youth under 18, in return for writing about a good deed he or she has done. Dr. Margareta Gavrila says, "We all know that negativity will not improve a situation, but complimenting or rewarding a job well done will actually prompt more of those good activities". The Good Deed Contest will end on April 24. Kids can submit their essay online by going to chinocadentist.com, and clicking on the "Win a Computer" graphic. Dr.…

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is investigating the death of seven desert kit foxes from canine distemper in eastern Riverside County. These deaths, which occurred over the past two months, are the first documented cases of canine distemper in wild desert kit foxes. Wildlife officials want to determine if this is an isolated case or if the disease is more widespread. The kit foxes were found 20 miles outside of Blythe on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and…

A Yucca Valley man was arrested early Thursday morning after reports that he fired a gun dozens of times inside a house. According to Sheriff's reports, about 12:45 Thursday morning, Jose Garcia, 21, was drunk and angry that he had lost a wrestling match that was just for fun. He got his rifle and shot about 30 rounds in the house in the 7100 block of Hanford Avenue. Three of his friends attempted to disarm him, but Garcia was able to shoot the gun again. Jose Garcia was arrested for…

"Jake's Women" continues its very successful run at Theatre 29 through February 11. Director Butch Pelfrey and his talented cast are leaving audiences delighted and garnering rave reviews. In "Jake's Women," America's premier comic playwright, Neil Simon, makes another hilarious foray into the world of modern relationships. Jake, a novelist who is more successful with fiction than with real life, faces a marital crisis by daydreaming about the women in his…