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Listen To Your News		Thursday, August 5, 2010		News Archive

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FIRE STOPPED QUICKLY IN MORONGO VALLEY
A close call today in Morongo Valley. A travel trailer was destroyed and 15 acres were blackened by a wild fire in Morongo Valley this afternoon. Cal Fire Spokesman David Avalia said fire crews responded to a fire call at about 1:20, on the South side of Morongo Valley about 1 mile from highway 62 near the end of Rose Eden Drive. Arriving firefighters found a potentially dangerous quickly spreading vegetation fire. At the height of the fire, 5 structures along a ridgeline were threatened. Because of the danger of the fire spreading quickly, fire officials called in major resources including two air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter. 111 firefighters got an upper hand on the blaze having it 40 percent contained at about 2:30, full control is expected this evening. No injuries were reported. The exact cause is under investigation.

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SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH LEADS TO ANOTHER ARREST FOR YUCCA VALLEY MAN
A single vehicle crash led to the arrest of a Yucca Valley man for suspected DUI, after he was found walking along Yucca Mesa road near Barron Drive. Sheriff’s Officials said Monday night about 8:12, 9-1-1 dispatcher received a call of a crash on Yucca Mesa Road and Buena Vista Drive. After the crash, concerned citizens confronted the driver, who fled. Witnesses described the man as being 25 to 30 year old man wearing a blue shirt and khaki shorts. A sheriff’s deputy in the area stopped a pedestrian that matched the description, and identified him as Nicholas Ainsworth, 31. Deputies’ reported Ainsworth drove off the road and hit a Joshua Tree. Nicholas Ainsworth was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence, his blood alcohol reported at 0.14, nearly twice the legal limit, and hit and run. Ainsworth was booked into the Morongo Basin jail and released at 5:30. Nicholas Ainsworth has a long history of traffic and alcohol related offenses, as far back as 2000 when he was found guilty of drunk and disorderly conduct, along with a hit and run conviction in 2001.

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MAN SITING IN CAR HELD FOR DRUG USE
A Twentynine Palms man sitting in his car in the open desert behind the Little Church of Desert, was arrested for being under the influence of drugs. Sheriff’s officials said Tuesday night about 10:30, Deputies noticed a car parked in the open desert behind the Little Church of the Desert School in the 6000 Block of Ocotillo Avenue. Upon investigating, deputies found John Cadogan 34 sitting in the car and suspected him of being under the influence of drugs. John Cadogan was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail for investigation of being under the influence of a controlled substance and released Wednesday Morning at 5:11.

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FENDER BENDER AT STATER BROTHERS MAY BE HIT AND RUN
What could have been the minor hassle of a fender bender in supermarket parking lot may turn out to be the major hassle of a hit and run arrest. Managing Editor Karl Gardner has details...
A fender bender in the Twentynine Palms Stater Brothers parking lot, may lead to hit and run charges for a Twentynine Palms man. Sheriffs’ reports say Monday afternoon about 1:30, dispatchers received a call from a man who said someone, later identified as Michael Chorich, 61, just ran into his 2005 Honda Accord, and was starting to leave. When a Stater Brother’s employee began writing down the license plate number, Chorich ran side the market. Responding to a ‘man down’ call, paramedics found Chorich, who was then interviewed by sheriff’s deputies. Chorich’s car was towed from the parking lot, deputies said charges of hit and run will be filed. A review of court records reveal Michael Chorich was found guilty of driving on a suspended license and not having a valid registration in 2007.

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COUNTY PROBATION TRY TO AVOID LAYOFFS
San Bernardino County's probation department is working with the union on a plan to avoid the planned layoffs of 32 correctional officers. Probation made significant cuts due to a $2 million budget cut, including the closure of its West Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. The spending plan included the layoff of seven probation correctional officers last month, the planned layoff of an additional 32 officers and the loss of 79 vacant positions. Due to vacancies, only two employees needed to be laid off last month and the agency is discussing plans to prevent additional layoffs, said Michelle Scray, chief probation officer. Under the proposal, those officers would not be assigned to any particular juvenile hall but instead serve as replacements for officers out sick, on vacation or on leave. Due to state-mandated staffing ratios, the probation department has often had to utilize overtime to fill those posts. Bill Abernathie, president of the County Safety Employees Benefit Association, called the plan a workable solution to reducing overtime and saving those jobs. The probation department will soon transfer staff and juvenile wards to its San Bernardino and Apple Valley centers in preparation for the March 2011 closure of the Rancho Cucamonga facility. Scray said juvenile halls have seen numbers decrease, so the closure should not have any crowding problems. With just the two remaining facilities, the county still will have 480 beds available, 80 more than budgeted for.

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NEWS STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT TWENTYNINE PALMS REQUIRES APPOINTMENT
New student enrollment starts this coming Monday at Twentynine Palms High School. Reporter Dan Stork reminds parents and guardians that they must make an appointment for enrollment, don’t just show up...
All students who intend to attend Twentynine Palms High School this year, and are new to the Morongo Unified School District, must be enrolled by a counselor before registration. These students should call 760-367-9594 beginning on August 9 to make an appointment to become a fully enrolled student. Appointments are necessary. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated. These students need to have a parent or legal guardian present with them at their appointment time. A birth certificate, immunization record, transcript from previous school, and social security card will need to be presented in most cases. Registration packets may be picked up any day in the front office from 6:30 a.m. to 2: 30 p.m. to get a jump start on filling out paperwork prior to going to the counseling office for your registration appointment. Absolutely no students will be seen for registration after Wednesday, August 18. Students still not enrolled by that day will have to pick up schedules I.D cards, and textbooks on the first day of school and will miss the first day of classes to do so.

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MARINE BASE TESTING COMBAT ENERGY EFFICIENCY TECHNIQUES
Marine Corps and Navy leaders will evaluate energy efficient technologies aboard the Twentynine palms marine Base August 6 through 13 as part of the Experimental Forward Operating Base initiative, or ExFOB. ExFOB is a multi-phase experiment seeking and evaluating energy efficient methods to reduce the logistic needs of combat units. Marine officials say reducing energy consumption is critical to combat effectiveness as it extends a Marine unit's sustainability in an expeditionary environment. Also, in the current fight, fewer resupply trucks on the road reduce Marines' exposure to improvised explosive devices and other threats. Now in its fourth phase, ExFOB will evaluate emerging systems for efficient heating and cooling of tents, efficient utilization of fielded generators and efficient water-cooling. There will be 22 demonstrations by 16 commercial vendors. Phase one simulated the energy and water demands of a Marine unit at forward operating bases similar to those in Afghanistan. Phase two evaluated existing commercial, off-the-shelf technologies or COTs with the potential to increase the efficiency of Marine Corps forward-deployed forces. In phase three, a Marine unit training at Twentynine Palms tested the recently acquired COTs during Enhanced Mojave Viper, an exercise that prepares units deploying to Afghanistan.

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