TWO SHOT AFTER STRUGGLE FOR A GUN IN 29 PALMS
Two
men were shot after struggling over a gun in Twentynine
Palms yesterday. Detective Sergeant James Porter said it was
apparently an armed robbery gone wrong. Deputies responding
to a report of a shooting 10:30 Tuesday morning, found Ben
Daisy with a gunshot wound lying in the front yard in the
5400 block of Lupine. The weapon lying just a few feet away.
Porter said that Justin King HAD let himself into Daisy’s
house, where a struggle ensued. The gun fired once, injuring
King in the right leg and Daisy in the upper abdomen/lower
chest area. A third person, known only as Josh, joined the
struggle. The gun was dropped in the house, picked up and
then dropped outside. King ran from the house, chased by
Josh who caught up with him on Lupine Road just south of
Siesta and hit King on the head with the shovel. Deputies
arrived on the scene, Ben Daisy and Justin King were taken
to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs for treatment. A search
of Daisy’s home revealed a small marijuana growing
operation, evidence of marijuana sales and several firearms.
A search of King’s home and vehicle turned up small amounts
of marijuana and additional firearms. Porter said Justin
King could be facing charges of residential robbery and
attempted murder, Ben Daisy, is looking at charges of
cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for
sale.
...Back To Headlines...
SEVERE WINDS CAUSE DAMAGE, POWER OUTAGES
Morongo Basin resident are being greeted this morning by
debris in the streets, roofs damaged, missing garage doors
and the flotsam and jetsam of a major wind event that
occurred over the night. winds up to 65 miles per hour
caused sporadic power outages throughout the area, the first
affecting most of the Southwest area of Yucca Valley,
another power outage affected the western part of 29 palms
through most of the night. Edison crews scrambled to restore
power as the powerful winds wreaked havoc. Firefighters said
power line was down and a 2-mile road and Hall lane.
Firefighters from both 29 Palms and Yucca Valley spent time
chasing down reports of fires that turned out to be clouds
of dust.
...Back To Headlines...
YUCCA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL HEARS OF SEVERE
BUDGET SHORTFALL, LAYOFFS PLANNED
It was
bad news and bad news last night for the Yucca Valley Town
Council. Severe budget shortfall will make to town look at
laying off some it’s employees. Reporter Tami Roleff was
there and files this report ------
There’s no money—not even $5,000—to help the Morongo Basin’s
only no-kill animal shelter keep its doors open, the Yucca
Valley Town Council was told at last night’s meeting. Due to
falling sales tax and property tax revenues that are 10-15
percent below normal, the town is facing a $500,000 to $1.3
million budget shortfall next year, and the Council was told
its only real option to balance the budget is to cut jobs
from the Town’s payroll. It’s hoped that most of the
staffing reductions will come through voluntary retirements
and separations, although lay-offs are a real possibility.
The Council voted to take $400,000 out of its General Fund
reserves to give 6-months severance pay and 3 months health
insurance to departing employees. In other business, the
Council agreed to leave its underground utility ordinance as
is, finally approved the Master Plan of Drainage with no
comment, and appointed Planning Commissioner Shannon
Goodpastor to the Town’s Redevelopment Agency. The Council
also directed the Town staff to present at a future meeting
additional options for its ordinance restricting
adult-oriented businesses.
...Back To Headlines...
SHERIFF GETS GREEN LIGHT TO HIRE NEW PATROL
DEPUTIES
County
Supervisors gave the Sheriff's Department the green light to
apply for a $17.4 million federal grant to hire 50 patrol
deputies. The Sheriff's Department's plan is to fill 28
patrol positions that are vacant because of budget
constraints and another 22 deputies for patrol duty in 11
cities it contracts with for service, including up to three
more deputies for both Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley.
The grant would fund the salary and benefits for entry-level
deputies for three years. The Sheriff's Department and its
contract cities would be required to retain the deputies for
at least one year after that. The $1.5 million difference
will be made up by contract cities, state asset- forfeiture
funds.
...Back To Headlines...
SHERIFF REQUESTS 5 HUEY HELICOPTERS FROM STATE
The
Sheriff's Department is submitting a request to the
Governor's Office of Emergency Services for five surplus
Huey helicopters. The department plans to refurbish the
helicopters and use them for drug surveillance or search and
rescue operations. A state program allows law enforcement
agencies to obtain surplus property, at no cost, from the
Department of Defense for law enforcement purposes. The
Department of Defense is planning to release about 100
surplus Army helicopters to law enforcement agencies. The
Sheriff's Department already has two Huey helicopters as
part of its fleet, but they're more than 40 years old.
...Back To Headlines...
COUNTY SUES ATTORNEY’S UNION
The
county board of supervisors voted in closed session Tuesday
to sue the union representing deputy district attorneys and
deputy public defenders over a recent change in how it will
handle labor disputes. The policy could result in deputy
district attorneys representing deputy public defenders in
labor disputes, which the county believes could create a
conflict because those same attorneys could be facing each
other in court.
...Back To Headlines...
TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL WRANGLES OVER
COMMITTEE PROCESS, NAMES ART ADVISORS
The Twentynine Palms City Council spent most of last night’s
meeting wrangling over the minutiae of selecting a Citizens
Master Plan Advisory Committee. Reporter Dan Stork was at
that meeting and files this report ------
The issue that took the most attention at the 29 Palms City
Council meeting was how to make a final selection of the 12
to 15 members for the General Plan Advisory Committee.
Opinion was divided between having the Council make the
selection from all remaining applicants, or having city
staff evaluate applicants and present a final list to
Council. By a 3-2 vote, Council decided to make the decision
itself, following a public meeting at which each of an
anticipated 29 applicants will make a 3-minute presentation.
Those presentations will pre-empt almost all other business
at the council’s April 28th meeting, with
selections to be announced May 12th. Council
members Klink, Flock, and Harris voted for this approach;
members Spear and Cole dissented. In other business, Council
approved amendments to the city’s development code,
concerning flood plain regulations, treatment of incomplete
or inactive applications for review, unwanted parking on
private property, and the shifting of periodic reviews of
conditional use permits from city staff to the Planning
Commission. Also ratified was the expansion of the Public
Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) from 5 to 7 Members. In the
wake of Ray Kinsman’s resignation from the committee, Ann
Congdon, Lesly Thornburg, and Allen Barter were appointed.
Pat Flynn was named as an alternate member. In its final
action, the Council accepted the latest tweaks in the
wording of an ordinance regulating the distribution of
unsolicited written materials.
...Back To Headlines...
GRUBSTAKE DAYS BOOTH APPLICATION DEADLINE SET
The
Grubstake Days Community Fair committee and Yucca Valley
Chamber of Commerce are taking applications for booth space
for this years 59th annual Grubstake Days Celebration in
Yucca Valley. This years event will be a one-day event set
for 11:00am until 7:00pm Saturday, May 23 at the Yucca
Valley Community Center Complex. New for 2009, the Yucca
Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting on a Home, Garden, and
Crafts show inside the Community Center Complex. Vendors,
Non-Profit organizations, artisans, and crafters who wish to
participate in either the Home, Garden and Crafts show
inside the Community Center, or the Community Fair outside,
are being asked to register for their booth space as soon as
possible. The nominal charge for booth space includes
insurance coverage. To apply for space for Non-Profit
booths, Commercial Vendors, or to be included in the
Chambers Home, Garden, and Craft show call the Yucca Valley
Chamber of Commerce office at 760-365-6323.
...Back To Headlines...
HI DESERT WATER DISTRICT LOOKS AT MWA ALLIANCE,
SEWER TREATMENT UPDATE
The
Hi-Desert Water District Board meets in regular session
tonight. An alliance with the Mojave Water Agency,
wastewater technology and an update on the sewer system are
all on the agenda. Managing Editor Karl Gardner takes a
closer look ------
A proposal to cooperate in a Legislative Alliance with the
Mojave Water Agency is first up at this evening’s Hi Desert
Water District Board of Directors meeting, being held at
district offices 55439 Twentynine Palms Highway, starting at
6. Other items of interest include an update on the pros and
cons of wastewater technology choices, a mid-year budget
review, and an overall update on the sewage treatment
project. Reports and comments from staff and board members
and a call for future agenda items closes out the reminder
of the docket.
...Back To Headlines...
JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT WANTS 30,000 FEET OF REPLACEMENT
PIPE [AUDIO ONLY]
MARIJUANA ANTI-PROHIBITION PROJECT MEETS TONIGHT [AUDIO
ONLY]
HOSPITAL BOARD THANKS MUFFIN HILL
The
Hi-Desert Medical Center Board met last night, a busy
reporter Tami Roleff joins us again, she says the only
official action taken was kudos to a hospital volunteer
------
The Hi Desert Medical Center Board of Directors took no
action at last night’s meeting. The board began the meeting
by recognizing Muffin Hill, the hospital’s volunteer art
coordinator, for creating the Art in Healing gallery at the
hospital. The board then heard a presentation about the
upcoming Cancer Prevention Study-3 that will be soliciting
participants for a long-term study at the Relay for Life
event at the Yucca Valley football field on April 25. The
agenda had an action item to approve preliminary financing
for a new 64-slice CT scan, but Chief Executive Officer Chad
Chadwick informed the board that it did not need to vote on
it yet; the item was included on the agenda for information
purposes only. The board then went into closed session to
discuss a report involving trade secrets and a credentialing
report, after which it was to hold a strategic planning
session.
...Back To Headlines...
"MILES OF WONDER" PHOTO EXHIBIT AT JOSHUA TREE
VISITORS CENTER
Joshua Tree National Park, in partnership with the Joshua
Tree National Park Association, announces the opening of the
"Miles of Wonder" photography exhibit at the Joshua Tree
Visitor Center, on Park Boulevard. Over 190 stunning color
photographs by local nature photographer, David Jesse
McChesney, depict the scenery, plant life, and wildlife of
Joshua Tree National Park. The exhibit will be on display
until June 8 and is free to the public. The Joshua Tree
Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
...Back To Headlines...
YUCCA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL INCIDENT DRILL
TOMORROW
Yucca
Valley High School will see a collation of emergency
vehicles tomorrow morning. Reporter Dan Stork tells us why
------
If you see a commotion and collection of official vehicles
around Yucca Valley High School during the morning on
Thursday April 16th, don’t be alarmed. The school
is performing a mock critical incident drill around 10:30 AM
that day. It will involve responses from several emergency
agencies, including the California Highway Patrol and its
helicopter unit, the county sheriff’s and fire departments,
the county coroner, Morongo Basin Ambulance, and Wiefels &
Son Mortuary. Remember, this is only a drill.
...Back To Headlines...
YUCCA VALLEY
ELEMENTARY STARTS KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION [AUDIO ONLY]
