Dispatch: Week of August 30
Roads reopen across Coachella Valley, plus Land Use Services meeting tonight
Hello from California’s high desert, where we finally got a break in the heat. Labor Day is just around the corner, and it looks like the weather is taking a turn towards fall in anticipation.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Gene Autry Trail has reopened at the wash in Palm Springs.
Vista Chino, Dinah Shore, CA-111, El Cielo, Farrell, and Lawrence Crosby are all now open from previous closures. Water is still present on some roadways, so officials are asking folks to drive with caution.
Indian Canyon remains closed, and county officials estimated the road would be closed for repairs for up to two months.
The Bob Hope exit is now open on I-10 from both eastbound and westbound directions.
CA-62 is still open at the bottom of the Morongo Grade, but both shoulders are closed due to maintenance work on a bridge that was damaged in the storm. Please drive with caution in this area due to the presence of work crews.
Scheduled work continues on CA-62 east of Twentynine Palms, so be prepared for one-lane closures and some delays if heading east.
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Morongo Valley will remain closed indefinitely while volunteers and park employees clean up the damage from Hurricane Hilary.
Morongo Valley received more than 5 inches of rain during the storm. Folks interested in volunteering can call the Preserve offices at (760) 792-1843 for instructions.
The Covington Park skatepark has reopened following the storm, which led to mud and debris damage to the park.
Post offices in Shoshone, Morongo Valley, North Palm Springs, Forest Falls, and Keeler reopened this week following temporary closures due to storm damage.
One student was injured in an accident last week involving a school bus carrying 28 students.
David Terrey, a 53-year-old resident of Yucca Valley, failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Valley Vista and Onaga Trail, hitting the right side of the bus.
Yucca Valley Library is accepting donations of used electronics in any condition as part of August’s reuse and recycle campaign.
Z107.7 has a full list of the items the library can accept.
Joshua Tree National Park is recruiting new field educator volunteers for their preventative search and rescue (PSAR) team.
You can learn more about the role and apply here. Applications close September 23.
San Bernardino County Land Use Services is hosting an open house tonight from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the lobby of the Land Use Services in Joshua Tree.
County representatives will be on-site to answer any questions about building services, development or planning services, and code compliance and enforcement.
Palm Springs International Airport is renovating three gate holding areas in the Sonny Bono concourse as part of a broader airport renovation program. The gates are scheduled to reopen in early 2024.
The airport will also begin renovations on all three existing restaurants next month as well as build out an additional three restaurants and two coffeeshops, with construction expected to end by the end of 2024.
Save Our Deserts is hosting a town hall meeting Thursday to discuss a developer appeal to the glamping site proposal in Flamingo Heights.
The town hall begins at 6 p.m. at the Flamingo Heights Community Association at 55977 Perris Street off of CA-247.
In state news:
PG&E has started cutting power to communities in Northern California Wednesday in anticipation of increased fire danger.
Cases of COVID-19 are rising across the state amid a late-summer surge. Updated boosters are expected to be available in mid-September and tailored to more recent variants of COVID-19.
Surfers rejoice! Waves along the coast of California are getting bigger amid changing ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean, researchers have found.
In other news:
Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm. Widespread flooding is expected along most of Florida’s West coast after the storm underwent rapid intensification earlier this week.
Apple announced its annual product showcase event for September 12. The company is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 and a new version of the Apple Watch.
Pupdate of the week: I’ve been traveling a lot recently, so Oliver has been quite grumpy while I’m gone but very appreciative once I’m back. Alice, on the other hand, is happy enough when I’m back, but enjoys being the center of attention while I’m gone.
Trail tip of the week: A lot of said travel has included some higher elevation hikes, which brings me your tip of the week! Always be aware of how your body is responding at elevations higher than you usually hike or exercise! Hydration is key, and take lots of breaks as needed to make sure you don’t overdo it.
Read of the week: Given our spate of strange weather this summer, I thought it relevant to recommend The Great Displacement by Jake Bittle this week. Bittle is an excellent reporter who covers climate change, and his first book explores how different communities across the U.S. are adapting to the changing climate. He has an entire chapter on agriculture in Arizona, which I found fascinating, as well as communities in the Southeast grappling with hurricanes, a new factor we are contending with.
Watch of the week:
That’s it for this week! I hope you enjoy the long weekend with plenty of chances to get outside.
- Megan