Dispatch: Week of February 2
Bustin Bellies Deliveries gets a permanent office, SB County COVID-cases decline, and Winter Olympics kick off on Friday
Hello from California’s high desert, and Happy Black History Month. We are in the middle of a major Santa Ana wind event today through tomorrow, so make sure all your outdoor items are secured and you have everything ready in case the power goes out. Of course, we chose to put in a new fence this week, so I guess this will be the ultimate test. If it’s any consolation, today was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so we’re in for another 6 weeks of winter.
On to this week’s news:
In COVID-19 news:
San Bernardino County extended its suspension of some in-person services through February 4 due to COVID-19 concerns. The suspension was originally supposed to expire on Tuesday.
Pfizer and BioNTech asked the FDA to clear its two-dose vaccine for children younger than 5 while it evaluates the efficacy of a third dose for younger children. Emergency authorization could come before the end of the month.
Yucca Valley still has free rapid at-home tests available for families in the Morongo Basin. You can pick up the tests at no cost from Yucca Valley town hall.
Cases in San Bernardino County have dropped dramatically over the last week. The seven-day average of new cases per day is hovering around 3,000, down roughly half from early January.
Morongo Basin residents started receiving free at-home rapid tests from USPS last week. We got ours on Saturday and ordered directly from the USPS website the week before.
In state news:
After a wet start to the 2022 water year, California is eyeing another lean snowpack year due to a drier than average January. It would be the state’s third consecutive drought year if late-season storms do not materialize.
Did you feel it? There was a recorded 4.1 magnitude earthquake on Sunday near San Diego. It was an odd combination of jolt and longer shaking, but officials say it is not likely an indication of “The Big One.”
The state Assembly approved a measure on Monday that would give fast-food workers more protection, improve wages, and set standard work hours as part of a new organization. It now moves to the state Senate for a vote.
Here’s some more detail about the wind event we are currently experiencing across all corners of the state. Parts of Northern California are experiencing red flag conditions, which is extremely unusual and concerning in January.
In local news:
A San Jacinto man attending King of the Hammers died after being ejected from his vehicle after it rolled over while driving on a sand dune at Means Dry Lake in the Johnson Valley OHV Recreation Area on Saturday.
The owner of Bustin Bellies Deliveries purchased half of the Alien Outpost Printing building off 247 and will help run the business from an office they plan to operate there, it confirmed in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Climbers were cautioned to inspect all climbing routes prior to setting out in Joshua Tree National Park after bolts and anchors on several popular climbing routes were removed without warning.
Routes include those on Pixie Rock in Indian Cove, Sail Away in Hidden Valley, three routes in Echo Cove, and Heart of Darkness in the Sheep Pass area.
National Park Officials are in the process of hearing feedback on a proposed climbing management plan that would limit the areas in which bolts and anchors would be allowed within park boundaries. You can submit feedback on the plan here through February 27, and there is a public meeting via Zoom on February 8.
Filming for “Swamp Flower,” a new Apple TV series starring Patricia Arquette, started in Joshua Tree last week. The crew is set up in the campground behind Joshua Tree Sportsmans Club off Sunburst.
Greg Wallis announced his intent to run for State Assembly in the upcoming election. Wallis is currently the district coordinator for Assemblyman Chad Mayes. Palm Springs Councilmember Christy Holstege announced her intent to run for the Assembly seat last summer.
Morongo Basin residents will have until 2023 to adhere to the state’s new composting law, which requires all organic waste like food scraps be disposed of separately from other waste. Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms will work with Burtech to provide residents with bins for disposal.
In other news:
The Winter Olympics start this Friday. Events will be broadcast on NBC channels and streaming networks.
NBC commentator Mike Tirico will be announcing many of the marquee Olympic events for primetime broadcasts in the US until Thursday, February 10. Just 72 hours later, he will call the Super Bowl from Los Angeles.
Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! The Year of the Tiger started on Tuesday, and some are hopeful that the positive Zodiac sign signals a better year ahead.
There’s a new football team in the NFL. The Washington Football Team announced its new name, The Washington Commanders, on Wednesday.
I’ve heard from several of you that you missed my updates of the week, so I am bringing them back! Please keep the feedback coming, I’ve really enjoyed hearing from all of you and having conversations about what you find most useful and entertaining!
Pupdate of the week: Alice has been doing wonderfully with her leash training these days. We still have a long way to go, but she’s doing much better on our neighborhood walks. Oliver has built himself a blanket fort now that the weather has turned, and only the best treats can get him out of it.
Trail tip of the week: On the news of a hiker fatality in Idyllwild this past weekend, I wanted to take this chance to remind everyone about winter hiking safety. If you plan on hiking some of our surrounding mountains, be prepared for snow and icy conditions. That includes crampons, an ice ax, and self-arrest training in the event of a fall. And if the trail looks beyond your skill level, always turn around.
Book of the week: I started the year off with Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips and it did not disappoint. The novel follows residents of several small towns and villages in a remote part of Russia after two young girls disappear. It is beautifully written and unlike any novel I’ve read in a long time in that each character is so complex that you cannot help but root for every single one.
Show of the week: The new season of Ozark was just released on Netflix so now is the perfect time to check out the series if you haven’t already. It stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as two Chicagoans that get caught up in an international money laundering scheme and have to relocate to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It is a dark drama, but it is one of the consistently best dramas I’ve seen.
That’s it for this week! As always, please let me know what you liked and didn’t like about this week’s edition. I am all ears and always enjoy hearing from you.
I hope you have a great weekend and are able to get outside!
- Megan