Your Community Radio Station Since 1989
Hear Local News 7 times a day, 7 days a week, at 7, 8, 9, noon, 4, 5, and 6.
Read Local News here every weekday.

Listen To Your News		Wednesday, February 3, 2010		News Archive

A STRONG-ARMED ROBBERY IN THE YUCCA MESA AREA
Sheriffs’ deputies are looking for suspects in a strong-armed robbery in the Yucca Mesa area. Sheriff’s Sergeant Steve Wilson said Sunday morning around 2:50, Michael Edward, 52, was driving home and came across a car that appeared to have broken down at the intersection south of Buena Vista and Paradise View. Wilson stopped to help a woman at the location, when he got of his car he was hit from behind knocking him to the ground. Edward tried to get up, but was kicked in the back, and told to stay down. The suspects, two men and the woman, took his wallet, ID, credit cards and $230, and then fled in a dark color car. Michael Edward was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center with head injuries. Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call the Morongo Basin Sheriff Station at 760-366-4175.

...Back To Headlines...

YUCCA VALLEY MAN HELD AFTER THREATENED KIDNAPPING
A Yucca Valley man is being held for attempted kidnapping after he threatened to take a child from its mother. Sheriff Sergeant Steve Wilson said Sunday night around 11:30, Robert Higgins 26, went to a home in the 58000 block of Barron Drive. Persons at the house heard noises outside, and when they went to investigate, Higgins burst through the door, ran to one of the bedrooms were the child was, called the child’s mother, saying she had 5 seconds to come to the house or he would take the baby. After investigating, deputies arrested Robert Higgins on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, booked him into the Morongo Basin Jail on $75,000 bail. In our news this morning we incorrectly identified the suspect as Thomas Higgins, it was Robert Higgins. We apologize for the error and the inconvenience.

...Back To Headlines...

CROWBAR ATTACK IN COPPER MOUNTAIN MESA AREA
A transient is behind bars after he attacked a homeowner in the Copper Mountain Mesa area of Joshua Tree. Sheriff’s officials said James Helko, 35, showed up at a home in the 68000 block of Anaheim Road Saturday evening, having been to the house in the past. Sunday morning around 11:30, Helko was asked to leave. He refused, attacked the homeowner using a crowbar to hit the victim’s back. During the scuffle, the victim gained control of the crowbar and used it against Helko in self-defense. Responding deputies found Helko as he was waking down Winter’s Road after the fight. James Helko was arrested and booked into the Morongo Basin Jail for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon and held on $50,000 bail.

...Back To Headlines...

Bill Neeb Chad Mayes George Huntington Lori Herbel Frank Luckino

YUCCA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL NAMES INTERIM CITY MANAGER, NO RAISES, NEEB NOT RUNNING Some surprises at last night’s Yucca Valley Town Council meeting. Reporter Tami Roleff was there as they named a new interim manger, turned down raises, and heard one councilman announce he would not run for reelection... The Yucca Valley Town Council announced its choice for a new interim Town Manager at its meeting last night. John Tooker, the former city manager for Yucaipa for 17 years, will take over as interim Town Manager for Andy Takata who is retiring as of February 14.

In other business, the Town Council agreed to continue a policy it started last year and allocate the entire amount of this year’s Community Development Block Grant money--$147,000—toward the Community Center Playground and Splash Park project. This meant, however, that 20 other requests for funding by non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross, Desert ARC, and Unity Home would not receive any grants this year. Next up, Yucca Valley Town Council members voted 3-2 against raising their own salaries. Voting for the raise were Mayor Pro Tem Lori Herbel and Council Member Bill Neeb, who surprised many—both on the Council and in the audience—when he said the raise wouldn’t affect him. “I am not going to be running for office at the next election so I am not going to participate in what we’re deciding tonight.” Finally the Council tabled to its next meeting the policy discussion concerning proposed uses for the PFF Bank, since the Redevelopment Agency was not able to discuss it during it earlier meeting because it ran out of time.

...Back To Headlines...

CITY OF 29 PALMS EXTENDS 4 DAY A WEEK SCHEDULE
The City of Twentynine Palms announced it will extend its new 4 day a week, 10 hour a day work schedule for City Hall through the month of February. Originally established as a three-month trial period from November through January, the alternate work-week schedule was designed for employees at City Hall to work four 10-hour days each week and offer expanded public hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with City Hall closed on Friday. City Manager Michael Tree said the initial response has been favorable. The city’s Public Works Department on Bullion Avenue will also continue a four-day office schedule, open Monday through Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Anyone who has an urgent matter that requires immediate attention by city staff on a Friday can call City Hall at 760-367-6799 and leave a message and a callback number.

...Back To Headlines...

SCHOOL DISTRICT HEARS THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL
It was a gloomy financial report for the Morongo Unified School Board last night. Reporter Dan Stork says the district heard they were at the bottom of the barrel...
Assistant Superintendent Michael Walker continued to bring unhappy financial news to the Morongo Unified School District Board of Education, in a workshop session. He laid out a 3-year budget that, if approved by the Board, should convince San Bernardino County not to intervene in the management of the District. The plan projects that by June of 2012, the District will have an almost-empty bucket of funds, leaving little room to make adjustments in a budget with expenses of about $75 million per year. In addition to diverting almost all of the existing funds balance to deficit reduction, the plan details cuts that will cover over $10 million in more red ink that would otherwise accumulate over 3 years. Since the lion’s share of expenses lie in personnel, there’s no way to avoid layoffs. The plan holds the cuts down to 83 certificated and classified positions by making numerous smaller moves. These include management pay cuts, elimination of deferred maintenance, use of Federal aid, appropriating unused funds in many programs, and charging bus fare for some students. Walker summed up his presentation by saying, “We’re at the bottom of the barrel”. He also vented his frustration with state priorities, noting that California spends above the national per-capita average in health and human services, higher education, corrections and prisons, courts and government, and transportation, but is consistently in the lowest ranks for per capita expenditures on K-12 public education.

...Back To Headlines...

BRAILLE VAN IN 29 PALMS AND JOSHUA TREE TOMORROW
The Braille Institute is bringing its MOBILE SOLUTIONS VAN to Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree today. The van will be at the 29 Palms Senior Center at 6539 Adobe Rd, Thursday from 9:30-11:30 am. Then the Braille Van will visit the Joshua Tree Branch Library, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Mobile Solutions van brings information on free resources for those living independently with vision loss. Learn more about adaptive products including talking watches, printing guides and large print calendars; magnifications and lighting demonstrations, and information on transportation and classes in cooperation with Reach Out Morongo Basin. Visits are free but please make an appointment by calling the Braille Institute at (760) 321-1111 ext 1215.

...Back To Headlines...

MAKE YOUR OWN VALENTINES AT YUCCA VALLEY LIBRARY TOMORROW
Tomorrow at 6:00, adults and youth of all ages are invited to create their own Valentines at the Yucca Valley Library. Ann Powell will be teaching a class for adults in the meeting room. There is no charge for this class but an RSVP will save a place for you. These Valentines are creative and unique in design. Teens, tweens and all other youth will be provided with materials to create Valentines to give to all those special “someones”. For more information or to RSVP the adult class, call 760-228-5455. This program is sponsored by The Friends of the Yucca Valley Library.

...Back To Headlines...

HI-DESERT AND JOSHUA BASIN WATER BOARDS MEET TONIGHT
Both the Hi-Desert and Joshua Basin Water District Board swill meet tonight in regular session. Managing Editor Karl Gardner checks the agendas...
Both Hi-Desert and Joshua Basin Water District Board of Directors will be in regular session this evening. Hi Desert Water meets at 6 at district offices, 55439 Twentynine Palms Highway. On the docket, a $50,000 contract for Capital Replacement Project inventory, a mid year budget review, reorganization of the Operation Department, and a review of the district’s 2010 strategic plan. Joshua Basin Water meets at 7 at their offices on Chollita Road. On that agenda the Joshua Basin directors will consider a $360,000 design contract for the water recharge project, look to approve a booster pump station replacement for $417,000, consider the purchase of property, and discuss a trip to Washington DC to lobby for grant funds.

...Back To Headlines...

ROADWORK BEGINS IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
Road repairs planned as part of a $3.1 million contract under stimulus plan began yesterday at Joshua Tree National Park. Contractors started road patching and crack sealing of park roadways as part of a project that will eventually repair and extend the life of 58 miles of the park’s paved roads.
Work began in the Cottonwood area of the park, near the park’s South Entrance, just north of Interstate 10. Visitors traveling through this area may experience minor traffic delays of up to 15 minutes while the work is in progress. Flaggers and pilot vehicles will be on hand to guide traffic through the affected areas. It is anticipated that the patch and crack seal work will progress rapidly from the South Entrance north and west to the park’s Joshua Tree Entrance. This phase of the work is expected to last about 10 days. Additional repair work to park roads and parking lots is planned for later this spring. Visitors traveling through areas of park roadwork are asked to use caution, follow directions from flaggers and pilot vehicles, and adhere to posted speed limits at all times.

...Back To Headlines...

Jim Harris Joel Klink John Cole Steve Flock Steve Spear

TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL IN SPECIAL MEETING TONIGHT ON GENERAL PLAN ISSUES The 29 Palms City Council will hold a special meeting tonight, Reporter Dan Stork joins us again and says the council is finishing up general plan updates...... The 29 Palms City Council will hold a special meeting on Thursday February 4th, to pick up unfinished business concerning General Plan Updates. Up first for discussion is the difficult issue of the options for water treatment in the city. After that, the council will turn its attention to designation of commercial nodes, the circulation plan, and the vision statement for the General Plan. The meeting starts at 4:30 PM in Council chambers on Adobe Road.

...Back To Headlines...

LOSSES FOR JOSHUA SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL LIGHTNING BASKETBALL
Joshua Springs Lightning traveled to Victorville Tuesday to play the Excelsior Eagles. Both teams came home with a loss each. The girls game found the Lightning up at the half 22-14 but saw that lead slip away in the 2nd half and lost 40-50 to the Eagles. Leading scorer for the Lightning was Hayley Hughes, with 21, and she was also the top rebounder for the Lightning with 15. With the loss, the girls fall to 8-11 overall, with a 2-4 league record. The boys had a similar story, The Lightning came out shooting with 4 3-pointers in the first quarter to lead 24-21 after one. In the 2nd quarter they were outscored 23-4 and never climbed back after that. The story of the game for the Lightning was sophomore Levi Garrido, whose statline reads: 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 steals. It was one of the top individual scoring games in Lightning history. The loss drops the Lightning to 6-9 overall, with a 3-3 league record.

...Back To Headlines...

ILLNESSES WEAKEN YUCCA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER TEAM
Illness contributed to a loss for YVHS Soccer, Yucca 1 West Shores 2. the Trojans found themselves without 3 starters and 3 on the field not feeling well due to cold symptoms but the subs were up for the challenge. Coach Tee Vallo said Our defense held strong and the midfielders were distributing the ball well. West Shores scored first in the middle of the 1st half. The Trojan as a team even with 3 on the field not feeling well still had a great game with a combined 50 steals and 15 shots on goal.

...Back To Headlines...

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ACTION
In local high school sports today, the Twentynine Palms High School Wildcat boy’s basketball team travel down the hill to face the Desert Hot Springs Golden Eagles with tip off at 6:30. Tomorrow, (Thursday) the Twentynine Palms Lady Wildcat soccer team is at home versus the Big Bear Bears, that game starts at 3:15. And the Yucca Valley Trojan boy’s and girl’s soccer teams are on the road to Thermal versus the Desert Mirage Rams, both those games start at 5.

...Back To Headlines...