The California Highway Patrol’s Morongo Basin office works hard to keep our highways and roads safe.
On the Z107.7 “Up Close” show this Friday (1/17) CHP Public Information Officer Michael Radford will talk with host Gary Daigneault about the unique driving conditions in our desert as well as the wide array of public services they offer.
Listen live and call in to participate live this Friday at 10:00am on Z107.7 or catch it later as a podcast at z1077fm.com.
In the interest of protecting public and private lands and making OHV areas safer for everyone, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department conducted an Off-Highway Vehicle Enforcement operation on Saturday (January 11) in our area and throughout the county.
In an initiative they describe as a way to “education riders” on the “ever growing problem of illegal and unsafe OHV use” in desert areas of the county, representatives from the Sheriff’s Morongo Basin station and other stations contacted more than 1,200 people on Saturday to regarding unsafe driving and failure of drivers and passengers to use safety equipment. 84 citations were written for registration violations, helmet violations, driving without a license and other off-road and traffic related offences.
Three arrests were made, including one resident of Apple Valley who deputies say was riding a stolen motorcycle.
Sheriff’s deputies also educated off-roaders of legal OHV areas and proper driving, safety and off-road etiquette.
At yesterday’s meeting of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, Dawn Rowe, who was recently re-elected to represent the county’s Third District, which includes the Morongo Basin, was re-elected as the Chair of the County Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor Rowe served as chair person of the board through 2024.
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Carrie Harmon, Director of Community Development and Housing, outlined plans for the county’s 2025–2035 Consolidated Plan and 2025–2026 Action Plan. These plans are critical to securing federal funds for projects that address housing and community development needs in unincorporated communities and participating cities.
Harmon highlighted accomplishments under the previous five-year plan, including $5.2 million spent on public facilities and infrastructure, $1.5 million for affordable housing and shelters, and nearly $400,000 to support emergency housing for homeless residents. The county also allocated the last COVID-specific federal grants for housing and community development projects, totaling almost $10 million.
Community input is vital to shaping these plans. This year’s outreach efforts included surveys, media campaigns, and attendance at 26 community events. The county received over 1,600 survey responses—the highest level of engagement to date. The feedback will help prioritize future projects, such as affordable housing, public facility upgrades, and emergency housing services.
The county plans to draft the new five-year and one-year action plans over the next two months, incorporating public comments into the final drafts. The plans will return to the Board of Supervisors for approval in April and will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by May.
Two participants attended yesterday’s meeting in Joshua Tree, and none from the Morongo Basin in San Bernardino.
Twentynine Palms is the largest Marine Corps combat center in the U.S. where all Force Design tactics can be practiced and almost all munitions can be tested, something not possible anywhere else. U.S. Marines are required to attend training sessions every two years on the Twentynine Palms base. Frequently, Marines from other countries come to our Marine corps air ground combat center to practice maneuvers that cannot be utilised elsewhere. The Brigadier General emphasised that the success of the Base is, in large part thanks to the residents of Twentynine Palms and the cooperation and collaboration that occurs between them and the Marines. He also pointed out that the troops, their families and the personnel employed on base bring over 1 billion dollars in annual revenue to the local economy.
The Public Arts Advisory Committee or PAAC presented the first ever Artist of the Year Award to long-time Twentynine Palms resident Lee Ann Clarke.
Mayor Bilderain recommended that Liz Shikler be appointed to the TBID Advisory Board.
The Public Arts Advisory Committee reappointed Paul Razo for a four-year term, while Jenelle Angeles and Rita Lilly were both appointed as new standing members.
Feathers and Fur Wildlife rehab team and Morongo Basin ARCH, were each presented with a check for $300 from Burrtec waste management and a $300 check from the City of Twentynine Palms for their participation in the Cash for Trash and Recycling programs.
The City Council approved the request that the development code amendment item regarding the Mobile Home and Special Occupancy parks be returned to the Planning Commission for further review.
The Yucca Valley Planning Commission kicked off the new year with a review of the Land Development Update. Typically given at the end of each Planning Commission meeting, this report includes updates on capital projects and private land developments within Yucca Valley.
Permits have been issued for the Domino’s Pizza & Jersey Mike’s project, and developers began grading sitework this week. The Town issued permits for both Star Cafe and Starbucks West; construction for the latter is expected to begin by early February. Nice Dream Ices continues to progress and call for inspections with the Town’s Building and Safety Division, and the Tiny Pony continues to advance with the plans for their patio and parking expansion.
On Monday (1/13) hundreds of Yucca Valley residents formed a line out the door of the Yucca Valley Community Center at the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services Resource Fair.
They were handing out bags with small battery powered lanterns, emergency resources, trash bags, gloves…
“… a solar battery charger, which is good for cell phones or whatever!”
Tascha Shelton thought that after the last couple of power outages caught her by surprise, she better start keeping some things handy at home.
“I was scrambling to find a store that was open to try to get batteries, flashlights, stuff like that.”
Along with some supplies to keep your phone and other essentials charged – information was one of the main takeaways from the event.
Marjorie Smith is the chair of the Morongo Basin VOAD – or Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
“I’m in charge of all the volunteers in time of disasters for the Morongo Basin.”
Marjroie knows how to get volunteers. Betty came down to get some supplies for her 87 year-old neighbor… “and I thought I’d go by (the meeting) and Marjorie saw me and said ‘do you have a few minutes?’ and pulled me right out of line!”
“There’s always need for a volunteer.”
Marjorie says that along with some essentials, having a basic plan of action for any emergency is important. Power outages in the red-flagged wind storms were definitely the impetus for Monday’s community resource event. However, the wildfires in Los Angeles were on everyone’s mind and Marjorie focused on making sure people had the info on who they could contact in San Bernardino County along with a having personal emergency plan should one come up.
Marjorie: “… your family emergency plan, which is ‘what are you going to do if something happens?’ If it happened right now, what would you do and who would you contact?”
It seemed to be working. The event was quickly put together but just a few hours into the event over 300 residents had come through and received the supplies and info from County Emergency Services employees and volunteers.
For Tascha and her friend Renee, they were heading straight from the event to get some things ready at home..
Tascha: “I’m going to get a crate, and put some emergency supplies in there. Some of this that I got today. Because the fire isn’t going to wait on your to pack nothing. So if we get that warning, it’s grab and go.
Mother Nature has a mind of her own, so being prepared is the first step.”
San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services – Extreme Winds / Power Outage resources
San Bernardino County Fire Protection District TENS Alert & Warning System
High Desert Emergency Action Alliance – Morongo Basin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
If you discovered a drone flying over your property around July of last year, it was likely flown by a company called Tallon, which is not affiliated with southern California Edison, yet was supposedly inspecting electric power poles and lines. However, when the drones were found looking in through bedroom and bathroom windows, several complaints were filed. Shooting at drones is an FAA felony as drones are considered to be aircraft, so your only recourse is to video the drone and file a complaint with the sheriff’s department.
Officer Tyler Vanguard from the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s department addressed matters of law and order such as squatters, dope, theft and dumping. His constant advice was to pay attention, take video of individuals and very important: vehicles; notice things like height, stature, hair and eye color so when you call for help all details will be available for the responding officer.
Glen Harris, Field representative to County Supervisor Dawn Rowe, urged us to prepare for disasters and gave us several useful websites to check out like prepare.sbcounty.gov and smart911.com. Pioneer Town will host a fire preparedness session at the Firehouse on January 27 from 5.30pm.
There will be a “Point in Time” homeless count on January 23 from 7:00 a.m. and participants will meet at the Government building on White Feather Road.
Discounted tickets for King of the Hammers are being sold next door to Hero’s Market.Tickets go for $38 of which the Landers Homestead Valley Association will receive $25 per ticket sold.
The next USDA food distribution will be on February 10 at Belfield Hall from 8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
County residents are encouraged to attend a public hearing today hosted by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. The hearing will prioritize housing and community development projects and guide the use of federal grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Community input will contribute to the county’s five-year Consolidated Plan, which aims to increase affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and support underserved communities.
Residents can attend in person at the County Government Center in San Bernardino or join via videoconference at the Bob Burke Joshua Tree Government Center, located at 63665 Twentynine Palms Highway in Joshua Tree.
The City of Twentynine Palms Public Works Department announced that they will be paving Old Dale Road from Indian Cove Road to Copper Mountain Road today from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The City of Twentynine Palms apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. For questions, please contact City Hall at (760) 367-6799.
Tonight’s Twentynine Palms City Council meeting will kick off the new year with the annual ‘State of the Base’ address by Brigadier General Mark H. Clingan, followed by the Public Arts Advisory Committee’s (PAAC) presentation of their Artist of the Year award.
The council will host a public hearing on development code amendments concerning Mobile Home Parks and Special Occupancy Parks. After numerous public hearings on the issue, the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission submitted recommended amendments to the council last October. The Planning Commission Chairman has now requested that the item be returned to the commission for further consideration.
Mayor Steven Bilderain, who acts as the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Subcommittee, will make an appointment recommendation to the council for the TBID Advisory Board. Council will appoint Jenelle Angles and Rita Lilly as new members of the Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) and re-appoint Paul Razo for another term. For the remainder of the meeting, council will review assignments within regional organizations and make new appointments, as needed.
The meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road. It can be livestreamed or viewed on-demand via the city’s website, www.29palms.org.
The Yucca Valley Planning Commission will look ahead to new developments via the Land Development Update. Here is reporter Adeline J. Wells with more on tonight’s meeting.
For their first meeting of the new year, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission will receive the Land Development Update. This report consists of updates on private land development and capital project activity within Yucca Valley. Possible items in this week’s report include Domino’s Pizza / Jersey Mike’s, Starbucks West, and Star Cafe.
Tonight’s meeting is open to the public and begins at 6 p.m. at the Yucca Valley Community Center.
For the meeting’s agenda, there will be an audit report presented by Oscar Gonzalez of Nigro and Nigro.
Consent agenda items include policy updates to nondiscrimination in district programs, intervention in underperforming schools, superintendent contract, and district-sponsored social media, and a bylaw updated to reflect a new U.S. Supreme Court decision, that a district official who limits or prevents critics from speaking, such as by blocking them on social media or deleting their posts, violates the First Amendment only if the official has been granted the power to speak on behalf of the district and claims to be actually exercising that power.
Bylaw also updated to suggest that a Board member make clear when they are speaking as an individual, and not on behalf of the district, such as by adding a disclaimer to the member’s social media page.
Action items include classified layoffs due to lack of work or lack of funds, where the Board is requested to abolish single vacant positions of Custodian, Noon Supervisor, three nutritional service positions, and thirty-seven instructional assistant positions; totaling 42 positions, though most of these positions are for three-hour shifts and their vacancies are for position control purposes.
Tonight the board is expected to authorize an agreement for on-call engineering services from an outside vendor, in other actions directors will likely authorize hire of another contractor to conduct a rate and capacity fee study.
In other business, the resident with Board consensus, will likely approve committee and meeting assignments for the calendar year. The public is invited to attend in person at the agency’s board meeting office under the old water tower on Cherokee Trail in Landers. Remote participation is also an option.
You can find the full agenda, which includes information on all the options for viewing or participating in tonight’s meeting at this link: https://bdvwa.org/board-and-governance/agendas-and-packets/
BINGOcize is a 10-week health promotion program that combines bingo with low-impact exercise geared for senior citizens. The classic game of bingo is mixed together with inclusive seated or standing exercise along with information about nutrition.
BINGOcize is happening at the Twentynine Palms Senior Center every Tuesday through March, beginning at 10:00 a.m. For more information, call 760-361-1410
Patricia “Patti” Boussum, a 44 year resident of Joshua Tree died on December 30, 2024, the day after her birthday. She was 75 years old.
Boussum is survived by her life partner Mark Schrimshaw, and her three daughters, Nicole Boussum and Christian Boussum, both in Joshua Tree, and Jaimie Dirio-Phillip in Las Vegas.
Patti Boussum worked as a social service-IHSS caretaker for San Bernardino County for 25 years before she retired.
A service will be held at Wiefel’s Funeral Services in Yucca Valley on Saturday, January 18 at 11:00 a.m. A celebration of life will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the Joshua Tree VFW.
It will be a potluck, so bring one of your favorite dishes to share along with your loving and fun memories of Patti.
Two people in Joshua Tree were arrested for investigation into numerous drug charges after a child ingested psychedelic mushrooms.
On Tuesday (January 7) at around 6:00 a.m., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a 14 year-old boy who had ingested psilocybin mushrooms. The boy was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
As part of their investigation into the circumstances of the hospitalization, deputies discovered that the boy’s father, identified as Jarek Hawksley, a 40 year-old resident of San Clemente, and his girlfriend, identified as Rachel Kolb, a 39 year-old resident of Joshua Tree, were running a mushroom cultivation operation in the 2500 block of Desert Shadow Road in Joshua Tree.
Deputies, along with the Sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team, conducted a search warrant on the property, where they say they discovered multiple firearms, more than 1000 rounds of ammunition, ecstacy pills, marijuana plants, 80 pounds of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, a scale, and currency. Both Hawksley and Kolb were taken into custody.
Jarek Hawksley and Rachel Kolb was arrested for investigation into child abuse with the possibility of great bodily injury, and numerous drug charges related to cultivating, transportation and sales of controlled substances. Hawksley has been released on bail, and Kolb is being held at the West Valley Detention on $100,000 bail.
A train burglary in Amboy was thwarted with assistance from the Morongo Basin deputies, who made two arrests and recovered $18,000 in property.
On Friday morning (January 10) just after midnight San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted by BNSF rail police, who said that a train in the area of Amboy and National Trails Highway was being burglarized by multiple suspects. BNSF police were unable to immediately respond and requested assistance from deputies.
On their way to the scene, deputies say that they saw an unmarked box truck traveling west on Amboy Road near Bristol Ave. Deputies conducted a traffic stop, and say they found nearly $18,000 worth of items that were later confirmed to have been stolen from the train.
The two men in the box-truck were identified as Jose Villalobos-Infante, a 45-year-old resident of Phoenix, AZ, and Oscar Sosa, a 28-year-old resident of Apple Valley. The Sheriff’s department said that train burglaries are a crime that is often organized and committed by criminal groups, and their investigation into the incident is continuing in collaboration with BNSF police.
Jose Villalobos-Infante and Oscar Sosa were arrested for investigation into burglary and are both being held at the West Valley Detention Center on $100,000 bail.
Tonight the association will reveal the 2025 priorities which were determined by the results of a recent poll. Among other items, attendees will learn how locals can get deeply discounted tickets to the upcoming King of the Hammers race, how to pitch in at the next Giant Rock Cleanup, and why the January 23 “Point-In-Time Count” of the unhoused has special significance in Landers.
Tonight’s hour-long meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. and takes place at Belfield Hall, 58380 Reche Road in Landers.
Yes, there will be cookies.
Chris Badger, a professor at Santa Monica College and head of an architectural design and construction company, was at his Topanga Canyon home on Tuesday morning when he received a call from his children’s school, reporting a fire was in close range, suggesting to pick up his children immediately, though Badger was soon alerted their home was already in evacuation warning and contacted his wife to rush home from UCLA. After securing a temporary rental in Mid-Wilshire, the Badgers witnessed multiple other fires raging in the city, and by Thursday they knew they had to make further distance.
“At this point we just had to get out of the smoke. The LA basin was full of everyone’s refrigerator and fiberglass insulation, their Tesla batteries and everything else as a vapor in the air that you don’t really want to put in your lungs or your kid’s lungs. We had the good fortune of having a car and decided to come out of that smoke and go upwind. We booked a place in Yucca Valley and then we got news that there might even be a power outage up there. The host said, ‘there’s maybe or maybe not power with rolling blackouts.’ We looked around at what we were looking at and said ‘hey no power that sounds fine, comparatively right? Sounds relaxing.’”
When I asked Badger ‘why the hi-desert,’ versus anywhere else they could have escaped to, he mentioned they had been coming up here all their lives, then reminded me of the ‘Southern California Organism’ that the Basin plays a role in, regardless of our perceived isolated independence.
“The large megalopolis of Southern California is kind of one big functioning system, the different parts are different organs. Like the port does something, Wilmington does something really particular within that as an organ of the machine right? So what does the hi-desert do? I mean, it’s an extremity of the organism—it’s all the way out at the tip. It serves a role for the people of the whole region as a kind of mythic wilderness or at least portal to the mythic wilderness. This archetypal place on the outskirts of town that has a role in literature, music, and this imagination that we all have about our heritage and the American West. Then also, where can you go find a place to stay for who knows how long, that’s going to be more affordable? That’s a real consideration when you have to leave home on no notice and where you don’t know how long you’re going to pay for a place to be in. So we come to the hi-desert—it’s beautiful up here, we can get a simple accommodation. I took my kids up to Pipes Canyon and they played in the frozen stream in pristine wilderness at a time of high stress.”
Justin Maurer and Heather Rossi, two sign language interpreters from East Hollywood, were able to avoid the path of the Runyon Canyon Fire yet had to escape to the hi-desert for Heather’s personal health reasons due to the smoke.
“I have asthma and I was concerned about the air quality and when we were near the evacuation line, we looked at the air quality it was triple the amount that it should have been. My asthma is not usually an emergency until there is some sort of air quality issue. During COVID I had to use my inhaler regularly, so I was just really nervous that all of that would happen again and I felt it instantly. It was 10:00 at night and we thought, ‘do we evacuate, do we stay overnight?’ Luckily, we had an air purifier and we put it in the bedroom and then in the morning we were just like ‘yeah we need to get out of here somehow.’ It was either get on a plane—physically go somewhere else—instead, we decided to just come drive out here to where there’s better air quality.”
Heather’s partner Justin, a long time visitor to Joshua Tree, is aware of the stress this mass exodus of Angelenos is having on the hi-desert but asked for local understanding.
“If you’re local to Joshua tree I know that during the pandemic probably folks here in the valley felt overrun by people from L.A coming out and kind of taking advantage and you’re feeling like your special place is being overrun. As an Angeleno I’d would ask for a little bit of empathy. A lot of the folks not only have had their houses burned down, and others simply can’t go back because their houses are unlivable because of all the chemicals in the air, all of these disgusting substances that aren’t meant to be lit on fire are just lingering. These houses and apartment buildings and condos that haven’t burned down are now health hazards, so maybe the desert is an option for some of these folks because you have about 100,000 refugees two hours away, so some of them are bound to come here so I guess I would ask the locals for some empathy and some understanding.”
