Dispatch: Week of April 20
PSP gets more direct flights as it struggles to serve increasing number of passengers and two options to celebrate 4/20 (if that's your thing)
Hello from California’s high desert where the wind just refuses to quit. If you are so inclined to celebrate 4/20, both Grnd Sqrl and Tiny Pony have specials all evening long. The sundae at Grnd Sqrl honestly sounds great any day of the year.
And now, onto this week’s news:
In COVID-19 news:
A Florida judge overturned the extension to the mask requirement on public transportation on Monday. Late Wednesday, the CDC asked the DOJ to appeal the ruling in the interest of public health.
Airlines dropped mask requirements within hours of the ruling, though many passengers are opting to continue wearing masks.
Some cities have opted to keep a requirement in place, namely New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, so any travelers going to those areas will have to wear a mask.
The ruling has not changed the country’s requirement to test negative upon reentering the country from international destinations.
COVID-19 cases are rising across the state, but officials say it is unlikely that further preventative measures like mask requirements will be adopted.
In local news:
Palm Springs International Airport is adding more direct flights and attracting new airlines to operate from the small airport, The Desert Sun reports.
However, the airport has struggled with a baggage handler shortage and has struggled to keep up with the increase in total passengers coming through town.
The Homestead Valley Community Council voted unanimously Monday to oppose the proposed camping resort in Flamingo Heights from a Beverly Hills firm called RoBott Land Company.
The schedule for May’s Grubstake’s Days is officially live. Check it out from Z107.7 here.
The Twentynine Palms Park Visitors Center at the Oasis of Mara is relocating to the new Joshua Tree Cultural Center at Freedom Plaza in downtown Twentynine Palms.
The current center will be open until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 2, and the new visitors center will open on Saturday, May 7, at 8:30 a.m.
The Associated Press has a great story on the current Army training program from Fort Irwin based on the current tactics of the Russian military in Ukraine.
Cactus Mart in Morongo Valley is currently offering 10% off 1 gallon and 5 gallon native plants through Friday.
In state news:
A state commission recommended against additional protections for the Western Joshua tree last week. That recommendation can now be considered as the state debates adding the trees to the Endangered Species List.
There’s another spring storm headed the state’s way, though it will likely miss many parts of Southern California.
The precipitation is much needed after a record-dry January through March amid the ongoing statewide drought.
Inflation is really hurting the state’s network of non-profit food banks.
In other news:
Elon Musk really wants to buy Twitter.
Friday is Earth Day! What a great reminder that we are lucky enough to live on this wonderful stretch of desert that surprises me with its grit and beauty every day.
Fewer people are subscribing to Netflix and enough people are cancelling their subscriptions that the streaming company is considering adding a cheaper monthly option that includes ads.
Pupdate of the week: Alice got her one-year vaccines last Friday and is one of the vet techs’ favorite patients, but I bet they say that to all the dogs. I know I would. Now that I think about it, they also said that about Oliver last time he had to get the Bordetella vaccine and asked the tech for another when she was finished.
Trail tip of the week: When was the last time you washed your reusable water bottle? What about your backpack? Did those questions just make you realize how gross those two things are? Okay, now go wash them.
Show of the week: If you entered a shopping mall even once in the early 2000s, you know Abercrombie by the sound and the smell. There’s a fascinating documentary called “White Hot” out on Netflix that looks at how the store got so popular and what went wrong that led to its downfall shortly after. It mostly made me want an Auntie Anne’s pretzel and a Gloria Jean’s smoothie, but that’s a whole other story.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend and are able to get outside.
- Megan