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Listen To Your News		Wednesday, July 15, 2009		News Archive

SHERIFF’S INVESTIGATING GUNPOINT KIDNAPPING OF YUCCA VALLEY MAN
A Yucca Valley man says he was kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to drive to Arizona. Sheriff Detective James Porter said James Weller 48, reported on Monday, that 8 days ago he was in his car in the 55200 block of Twentynine Palms Highway around 1PM. Weller said he got out of his car and went to a nearby convenience store. When Weller got back into the car, one of two unidentified suspects with Weller put a gun to his head and forced Weller to drive to Arizona. After several days on the road, the suspect pushed Weller out of the moving car and shot at him, leaving Weller out in the middle of the desert. Three days latter Weller dragged himself to a military base, where local law enforcement was contacted. Weller who sustained a shattered ankle and left heel when pushed out of the car was taken to a Phoenix hospital for treatment. Both the Maricopa County and San Bernardino County Sheriffs are working jointly on the investigation.

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MAN CAUGHT DUMPING DEAD DOG FACES PROSECUTION
Not in our dumpster! A Yucca Valley man is under investigation for illegal dumping, after he was seen tossing trash and a dead dog into a dumpster behind Yellow Mart in Yucca Valley. Sheriff Spokeswoman Vera Martinez said on Monday afternoon around 3, employees watched as the 24-year old man, whose identity was not released, place a large black trash bag and a dead white dog into the stores’ dumpster. The witnesses wrote down the man’s green Toyota license number, and gave a description of the man to deputies. Deputy Roger Meyer located the man, who refused to clean up the mess. The storeowner requested prosecution. A report of illegal dumping was turned over to the District Attorney’s Office.

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HI-DESERT MEDICAL CENTER PROMISES MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO EMERGENCY ROOM
The Hi-Desert Medical Center is promising sweeping changes to their emergency room. Reporter Tami Roleff files this feature story today after last night’s board meeting ------
Big improvements are coming to the Hi Desert Medical Center’s Emergency Room, the board of directors was told at last night’s meeting. Chad Chadwick, the hospital’s chief executive officer, told the board, "We are in the process of completely revitalizing the way that we deliver services in the emergency department. We understand that a major role we have for the district is providing timely high quality emergency services." Chadwick has told the doctors and nurses in the ER that he has given the ER a big challenge. "We have set a very aggressive goal of 2 hours from the time you come to the hospital to the time you leave." Dr. Edward Cooper, the ER’s medical director, said the ER staff has already started working on meeting that goal. "They’re going to see you within probably within 5 minutes of triage and probably no later than half an hour." In order to streamline the ER visit, Cooper said the necessary tests will be ordered right away. "We’re ordering tests that need to be ordered, the blood tests, the cat scan, we’re going to give you some pain medical, we’re going to make you feel better immediately. We don’t want you waiting, we don’t want you going down the hill, we want you to get care immediately." A survey of 25 percent of the approximately 2000 patients that seen in the ER during May were called and asked 7 questions about their experience in the ER. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with satisfaction ranging from 91% to 100% happy with their care.

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TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY TO OPEN COOLING CENTER.... AT 115 DEGREES
With a heat advisory issued for this Friday, and summer temperatures in triple-digits, The City of Twentynine Palms reminds residents that the Senior Center at 6539 Adobe Road, is climate controlled and open for residents to cool off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Should the heat index reach 115 degrees, or other conditions necessitate, the Senior Center may remain open for extended hours. The City urges residents to help reduce the risk of heat-related problems by following a few simple steps to stay cool: -Turn on air conditioning, swamp coolers, portable or ceiling fans to help keep rooms cooler. Increase your fluid intake, especially water, avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda. If you or someone you know is feeling ill from the heat, remove them from the heat immediately, offer water, and seek medical help or call 911. Limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours. If you work outside, start drinking fluids before your job begins and keep drinking fluids. Try to arrange your work schedule for the cooler hours of the day. Seniors, infants, young children, and people with chronic health conditions are most vulnerable during hot weather and should take extra precautions. Residents should also check on elderly family members, neighbors, and friends to make sure they are safe. For questions or assistance, residents can call the Senior Center at 760-367-5780.

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CITY CLUELESS, CALTRANS SAYS NEW LIGHT AT LARREA IN 1 WEEK
While the City of Twentynine Palms could not tell us when the new traffic light at Larrea would be activated, CalTrans could. Now Managing Eeditor Karl Gardner tells you -----
"We don’t know when it’s going to be turned on, it’s under the purview of Cal-Trans," said Twentynine Palms City Officials, when asked when the traffic light at Larrea and Highway 62 would be activated. CalTrans officials told Z107.7, the new light that was installed months weeks ago, is tentatively set to be activated July 22nd at 11 AM. Work on the long awaited traffic signal began back in February at a cost of $290,000. Cal-Tans could not explain the delay in activating the signal.

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MORONGO BASIN TRANSIT AUTHORITY GETS ANOTHER $500,000.00 IN STIMULUS FUNDING
The Morongo Basin Transit Authority, the MBTA, has received an additional $500,000 in stimulus funding. The money will be used to fund a Twentynine Palms Transit Center as well as additional vehicles. This will bring the planned Transit Center closer to reality and could result in construction as soon as this summer. The total amount of stimulus funding acquired by the agency so far is now just under one million dollars for the Transit Center, vehicle purchases, and operations support.

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SUPERVISORS APPOINT DENNIS DRAEGER AS COUNTY ASSESSOR
The Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Dennis Draeger as Assessor for the County of San Bernardino yesterday. Draeger has worked in the Assessor’s Office for 24 of his 34 years with the county, most recently as Assistant Assessor. He has served as interim Assessor since the Feb. 13 resignation of former Assessor Bill Postmus. The term to which Draeger was appointed expires in January 2011. The post of Assessor will come before voters on the June 2010 ballot.

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Jim Harris Joel Klink John Cole Steve Flock Steve Spear

TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL APPROVES KNOTTS RESTROOM, PAYS UNAUTHORIZED BILL The Twentynine Palms City Council met in regular session last night. Wrangling over a restroom and paying for an unauthorized repair job were part of a busy meeting. Reporter Dan Stork has broken up his report into two parts, today part 1 ------ At the 29 Palms City Council meeting, one item separated from the consent calendar for individual treatment concerned the unauthorized OK by a staff member of work on a storm damage repair project that exceeded the amount approved by council by more than the discretionary 10%. The council approved the additional $48,000 on a contract that was awarded to Ficara Paving at $73,000, after hearing an opinion from legal counsel Patrick Munoz that it would be unwise to make a legal fuss after the fact. Council changed the zoning of one particular city block from commercial to residential. This corrected a clerical error of long standing. The longest discussion of the evening concerned plans for moving the location of the Knotts Sky Park rest room. City resident Muffin Hill claimed that the planned new location would be damaging to the safety and aesthetics of the park, as well as to the view from her house. The location plan proposed by staff was approved 3 to 2, with Mayor Joel Klink and Council member Steve Spear in opposition. Also approved was a resolution that combines approval of the Engineer’s report for a Maintenance Assessment District in the Historic Plaza, the mailing of ballots to affected parcel owners, and the setting of September 8 as the date for a Public Hearing on the matter. Mayor Joel Klink announced the resignation of Bill Easter from the Planning Commission, effective August 16th, and requested that the replacement process be started.

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WONDER VALLEY ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETS TOMORROW [AUDIO ONLY]

WONDER VALLEY FIRE MEET AND GREET SATURDAY [AUDIO ONLY]

Bob Stadum Dan Munsey Roger Mayes Sheldon Hough Surann Graham

HI DESERT WATER DISTRICT TAKING NEXT STEP TO SEWER SYSTEM The Hi-Desert Water District will take the next step towards a new sewer system this evening. Managing Editor Karl Gardner says they have called a special meeting ------ It’s the next step in the planning phase of Hi Desert Water District’s sewage treatment plant. A public hearing to consider the project’s environmental assessment is being held this evening in the Yucca Room of the Yucca Valley Community Center starting at 5:30, please note the change of time and venue. Prior to the public hearing, the board will look at supporting State Senate Bill 407, calling for low use water retrofitting, then hear a report by Regional Water Quality Control Board ombudsman Jose Angel, on the need for a centralized sewage system in Yucca Valley.

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JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT MEET TONIGHT [AUDIO ONLY]

YUCCA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1979 PLANNING REUNION [AUDIO ONLY]

Z1077 CONTINUES A 29 YEAR TRADITION, A REMINDER ABOUT DUI
For the past 20 years, Z1077 has followed a tradition of reminding you that drunk driving can take a families most treasured members, with this sobering reminder, here is Patricia Fowler ------
This is Patricia Fowler, Michael and I once again want to make you aware of the consequences of drinking and driving. If it had not been for the drunk driver on November 9, 1986, Today, July 15, would have been our son Sean’s 30th Birthday. Please don’t drink and drive.

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