A traffic stop in Joshua Tree Saturday night resulted in the arrest of one man, not for speeding, but for selling speed. According to a Sheriff’s report, Robert Williams, 39, was stopped near the intersection of Hallee and Verbena Roads about 9:30 Saturday for having an expired license tag and no rear tail lights. The deputy determined that Williams was a felon on parole. During a search of the vehicle, methamphetamine, a scale, and cash were found with Williams. Robert Williams was booked for investigation of unlawful sale of speed and for violating his felony parole. Williams was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail with his bail set at $50,000 but was he is being held with no bail on the parole violation.
HI-DESERT MEDICAL CENTER BOARD TO LOOK AT STRATEGIC PLAN AND CEO GOALS
The Hi-Desert Medical Board meets tonight. Reporter Mike Lipsitz says strategic and CEO goals will be highlighted…
The Hi-Desert Memorial Healthcare District Board of Directors meets in regular session at 6:00 tonight in the Helen Gray Education Center on the hospital campus. At tonight’s meeting, directors will look back with a summary of the 2009 – 2012 Strategic Plan and look ahead with a presentation of the 2012 – 2015 Strategic Plan. The action agenda’s single item is a vote on CEO Performance Goals for 2013. As always, the public is invited to attend.
YUCCA VALLEY FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO TWO FIRES YESTERDAY
Yucca Valley firefighters responded to two fires early Monday morning. About 2 a.m. a California Highway Patrol officer reported three small spot fires between the highway and the outer highway at Pinon Avenue. Each fire was about 5 by 5 feet. Four firefighters had the fires out within minutes. The cause of the fires is undetermined, but Battalion Chief Mike Snow said a discarded cigarette or sparks from a passing vehicle could have caused the fires. Then, at 3:30 a.m., seven firefighters responded to a 1 ½-acre blaze north of Sunnyslope and Sage Avenue. Firefighters had to lay 2,500 feet of hose to reach the top of the ridgeline to fight the blaze. Battalion Chief Snow said the low temperature, 73 degrees, 23 percent humidity, and lack of wind helped keep the fire from spreading faster. But due to the rugged terrain, firefighters were not able to extinguish the fire until about 7 a.m. The fire was located near a transient camp and one person was detained by deputies for questioning.
WORKSHOP TO DETERMINE FUTURE OF TWENTYNINE PALMS FIRE DEPARTMENT
A joint workshop between four involved agencies will meet Thursday to discuss the future of fire services in the Twentynine Palms area. Reporter Dan Stork has details…
In the wake of the failure of the ballot measure to extend and increase the tax that supports the Twentynine Palms Fire Department, there will be a joint workshop to discuss the future of fire services in the City and environs. The meeting will be held at the Community Services Building, 74325 Joe Davis Drive on Thursday July 12 at 7 p.m. The formal title of the session is a Joint Workshop to Discuss Future Organizational Structure, Governance and Operation. Participating in the workshop will be the Board of Directors of the Twentynine Palms Water District, and the Twentynine Palms City Council, the Twentynine Palms Fire Department and the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The regular Twentynine Palms City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 10, has been cancelled.
EXTREME HEAT ADVISORY TO LOCAL RESIDENTS
The County has issued an extreme heat advisory due to high temperatures. Residents should take precautions to prevent heat-related illness. Most vulnerable are the elderly, those who work or exercise outdoors, infants and children, the homeless or poor, and people with a chronic medical condition. Locally, air-conditioned Cooling Centers are the Twentynine Palms Senior Center, the Hi-Desert Medical Center cafeteria, the Joshua Tree Community Center, Bellfield Hall in Landers, and the Yucca Valley Community Center. Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device. Limit outdoor activity and avoid direct sunlight. Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Take cool showers or baths to lower your body temperature. Check on at-risk friends, family and neighbors. Drink more than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Drink two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside. Avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar. Make sure your family, friends, and neighbors are drinking enough water. Heat exhaustion symptoms are heavy sweating; weakness; the skin is cold, pale, and clammy; weak pulse, fainting; and vomiting. Heat stroke symptoms for body temperature above103° are hot, red, dry, or moist skin; rapid and strong pulse; and possible unconsciousness. For more information on extreme heat, go to the California Department of Public Health website.
SUMMER PROGRAM AT THE TWENTYNINE PALMS YOUTH CLUB
The summer program at the Twentynine Palms Youth Club is keeping kids safe and entertained throughout the summer. There are still openings for the program, which offers breakfast, lunch, snack, swimming, arts, nature trips, science, picnics and lots more. The Club has daily and weekly rates. You can sign up at Twentynine Palms Youth Club in Luckie Park on the corner of Joe Davis and Luckie Avenue. They are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. or you can call 760-367-5776.
REALTORS HOEDOWN TO BENEFIT HUMANE SOCIETY
The local real estate community is giving back to the Morongo Basin. Reporter Lenore Roberts says their Hawaiian Hoedown dinner later this month will benefit the local Humane Society…
Come join the Desert Communities Association of Realtors at their Hawaiian Hoedown dinner fundraiser on July 28. This event will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Helen Gray Center in Joshua Tree. All proceeds will benefit the Morongo Basin Humane Society, the only no-kill shelter in the Hi-Desert. Tickets are only $30 and include dinner and fun activities such as dancing, karaoke, a silent auction, and a best-dressed Hawaiian contest. Come in your Hawaiian attire and enjoy an evening filled with fun that benefits an organization that devotes itself to finding abandoned animals new homes. For tickets or more information call 760-365-1145 or visit www.dcaor.com.
TWENTYNINE PALMS CHAMBER LOOKING FOR PIONEER DAYS THEME
The Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce invites you to submit ideas for this year’s Pioneer Days theme. Theme ideas can be submitted in person at the Chamber of Commerce office, 73484 Twentynine Palms Highway or by emailing 29chamber@29chamber.org. Past themes have been “Pioneering Spirit,” “Pioneers of the Future,” “Celebrate 29!” and “Rooted in the Past, Growing in the Future.” Submissions must be received by July 27 to be considered for this year’s theme. The winner will receive a complimentary parade entry and a complimentary ticket to the Pioneer Days Dinner and Dance. For more information, call 760-367-3445.
BLOOD DRIVE AT TWENTYNINE PALMS SENIOR CENTER TOMORROW
Lifestream will conduct a community blood drive in Twentynine Palms tomorrow. Blood donations will be taken at the Twentynine Palms Senior Center on Adobe Road from 9 to 1. Donors will receive incentives including Gift of Life Donor Loyalty points. Healthy individuals at least 15 years old may donate blood. All prospective donors should be free of infections or illness, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not be at risk for AIDS or hepatitis. Donors receive a free mini-physical as part of the donation process. Donating blood takes about an hour, yet gives someone a lifetime. For more information, call 800-777-8844.
“SEUSSICAL” AT THEATRE 29 IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
The Musical “Suessical” is seeing sold out audiences and standing ovations at Theatre 29 all this month. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the family-friendly musical is also a family affair…
The Broadway smash hit musical “Suessical” running at Theatre 29 in Twentynine Palms through July 28 is a real family affair! The Schmelling family has their entire family involved. Dad Marv plays the Mayor of Whoville; wife Robin is running the specialized sound tracks; daughter Lauren is Gertrude McFuzz; and daughter Lizzie shines in a variety of quick-change roles. 13-year-old Kayleigh Coughlin plays Jojo and her 8-year-old sister Natalie charms as Cindy Lou Who. Robin Wilson is brassy as Mayzie LaBird while her daughter Kirby Davis-Wilson is sassy as one of the Bird Girls. Director Gary Daigneault sees wife Cindy playing the Grinch and his grandson, Quentin Roberts, 10, drives the Circus McGurkus train. Choregrapher Mandi Pushkar has husband Robert Pushkar as her assistant, daughter Jasmine on stage and daughter Audrey runs a spotlight. More family fun on stage with Shelly Sheckler joined on stage with her daughter, Emily. And while young Linnea Hilderbrand is in the spotlight, her mom, Celeste Hilderbrand is running the theater’s new hi-tech projection system. Costuming genius Katherine Ferguson has her husband, Charles Harvey in the show as Horton the Elephant. With an all-volunteer cast of 27 and stage crew of 10, “Suessical” is the essence of true community theater for the entire Morongo Basin. Seussical runs weekends through July 28. For tickets go to theatre29.org or call 760-361-4151.
LARGEST TRAINING EXERCISE THIS YEAR ABOARD COMBAT CENTER
More than 5,000 Marines are participating in the largest Marine Corps Reserve exercise of the year aboard the 29 Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center this week. Base Public Information officer, Captain Nick Mannweiler said Exercise Javelin Thrust 2012, features reserve Marines from 32 states training along with active duty Marines and Canadian service members. For the final five days of the exercise, now though Sunday, the assembled Marines will be organized as a Marine Air Ground Task Force. The exercise marks a change in service-level training away from the past decade of operations and towards a wider range of operational capabilities. The exercise will predominantly take place at Twentynine Palms and will have elements at Camp Pendleton as well as Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. Stories and imagery from the training can be found in a link www.dvidshub.net/feature/JavelinThrust.
TWO JUVENILES ACCUSED OF 15-20 BURGLARIES IN TWENTYNINE PALMS
Two juveniles were arrested Friday morning in Twentynine Palms, accused of a string of burglaries. According to a Sheriff’s report, when deputies responded to a burglary alarm in the 72400 block of Hatch Road about 8:20 Friday morning, they saw two African-American juveniles running in the desert toward Del Taco, holding large items, including a shotgun stolen from the residence, in their hands. The juveniles ran toward the high school and tried to hide in classrooms. The report states that both juveniles, one 16, and one 17, both of Twentynine Palms, are linked to 15 to 20 other burglaries, and possibly some strong-arm robberies as well. The boys were booked into juvenile hall. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.
TWO FIRES IN THREE DAYS IN SAME YUCCA VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD
Yucca Valley firefighters are fighting a second fire in three days in the same neighborhood north of Highway 62. About 7 Friday evening, firefighters responded to a blaze near the Hi-Desert Water District’s recharge basin at Sunnyslope and Pioneertown Road. That fire was put out in about 15 minutes and was contained to inside the fenced-in area of the pond. Although the cause of the fire is under investigation, Battalion Chief Mike Snow said the fire was started likely due to human activity. Then, about 3:30 this morning, firefighters and multiple fire engines responded to another vegetation fire near Sage Avenue and Sunnyslope, just north of Sunnyslope. Today’s fire is about 1 ½ miles east of Friday’s fire. Firefighters were still at the scene at 7:30 this morning.
HOT WEATHER WITH MONSOONS COMING LATER THIS WEEK
The National Weather Service says we will have excessive heat in our desert, with a chance of monsoonal rains later in the week. Joshua Tree National Park ranger Pat Pilcher says the heat and moisture are a regular part our desert weather cycle and the summer rains are an important reminder…
Summer sun and rising humidity makes us really feel the heat. At Joshua Tree National park, we watch the sky for clouds and wonder about monsoon rains. The word “monsoon” refers to a wind system that often bring moisture. Summer thunderstorms are typically vigorous with sheets of water washing across the land. Never predictable, summer storms elicit a quick response from Mother Nature. A carpet of golden cinch weed commonly follows after summer storms and barrel cactus grow plump. Desert tarantulas appear during summer rains as well as elusive desert tortoises. The excitement of summer rain reminds us that water is precious. Storm runoff is a critical resource for desert life, and recharges underground aquifers for humans. Benefits of a summer storm come with dangers, too. When the rains come, be sure to heed warnings for flash floods as you pause to smell the wet earth and watch the desert turn green.
EARTHQUAKE RATTLES JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
A magnitude-3.3 earthquake rumbled through Joshua Tree National Park early Sunday morning. The quake struck at 3:50 a.m. about 15 miles southeast of Joshua Tree, 12 miles south-southwest of Twentynine Palms, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no reports of damage or injury.
FILING OPENS FOR 20 SEATS ON EIGHT LOCAL ELECTED BODIES MONDAY
Local elections are coming; the filing period opens July 16 and runs through August 10 for 20 seats on eight local elected agencies. For Yucca Valley Town Council, two terms, those currently held by George Huntington and appointed incumbent Robert Lombardo, are up. On the Twentynine Palms City Council, the terms of John Cole and Joel Klink are up. For Hi-Desert Water District, two seats, those held by Sarann Graham and Bob Stadum, are up, and on the Joshua Basin Water Board, three full term seats and one short term seat, filled after the death of Mike Luhrs are up. They are currently held by Bill Long, Mike Reynolds, Mickey Luckman, and appointed incumbent Frank Coate. Joshua Basin General Manager Joe Guzzetta said candidates can choose to run for the long or short term seats. For Morongo Unified School Board, three terms are ending, those of Phyllis Swinnerton, Ron Palmer, and Ed Will. Three terms are also ending on the Copper Mountain College Board, those held by Rita Ramirez-Dean, Owen Gillick, and Dick Rogers. For Hi-Desert Medical Center Board, three seats are open, those held by Paul Hoffman, Pat Cooper, and appointed incumbent Martie Avels. Mojave Water Agency representative Jim Ventura is also up for reelection. The deadlines will be extended if incumbents do not file. Information on how to file is available from the Secretary of the agencies involved or through the County registrar of voters. Candidates must be a registered voter within the boundaries of the agency they are running for, at least 18 years of age, and a citizen of the State of California.
LANDERS WOMAN ARRESTED FOR CULTIVATING MARIJUANA
A Landers woman was arrested Friday for investigation of cultivating marijuana. The Sheriff’s Department received a call about 3 p.m Friday about a fight at a neighbor’s house in the 51900 block of Desert Daisy Drive in Johnson Valley. After an investigation, Kathy Lindley, 42, of Landers, was arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana and for an outstanding warrant. Kathy Lindley was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail with her total bail set at $30,000.
WOMAN HIT IN HEAD BY PASSING PICK-UP TRUCK
A Twentynine Palms woman walking her dog was hit by a truck Saturday night. An unidentified 27-year-old woman, who was wearing a black jacket and khaki pants, was walking a dog on the side of the road on the east side of Utah Trail shortly before 8 p.m. when the side mirror from a passing Dodge pick-up truck hit her in the back of the head and knocked her to the ground. The west side of Utah Trail has sidewalks and there are street lights in the area. The woman had minor swelling on her head and complained of neck pain. She was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center for treatment. The dog is OK.
TWENTYNINE PALMS MAN ARRESTED FOR FELONY SPOUSE ABUSE
A Twentynine Palms man is behind bars for assaulting his wife. According to the Sheriff’s Department, a woman sent a text message to her sister shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday saying her husband, Raymond Lopez, 23, had beaten her up, and that she had locked herself in a room in her house in the 5800 block of Bagley Avenue. The sister also told the Sheriff’s Department that the woman had a burn mark on her stomach. After an investigation, Raymond Lopez was arrested on suspicion of felony spousal abuse. Raymond Lopez was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail with his bail set at $50,000.
STATE ASSEMBLYMAN PAUL COOK EXPLORES RUN FOR CONGRESS
State Assemblyman Paul Cook, a former Town Council member and Mayor of the Town of Yucca Valley, is exploring a run for U.S. Congress. In an interview with Z107.7 news, Cook said he is considering running for the newly created 8th Congresssional District, which includes our entire Morongo Basin, parts of San Bernardino, Highlands, Yucaipa, the Victor Valley, Inyo and Mono Counties, and Needles. Cook said his final decision will be largely based on what long-time Congressman Jerry Lewis does. After redistricting, Lewis now finds himself in the 31st District, already with incumbent representation. Lewis can choose to run again or retire. Cook, a retired decorated Marine Colonel, says the 8th District includes large military installations in Twentynine Palms, Barstow, and Fort Irwin, and he thinks it will be a great opportunity to continue his work in support of active duty and retired military in the region. Former Yucca Valley Councilman and Mayor Chad Mayes is the chairman of Cook’s campaign committee. Mayes is the Chief of Staff for San Bernardino County’s 5th Supervisor, Janice Rutherford. County sources have said current 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt is also considering a run for the new 8th Congressional District.