Dispatch: Week of February 22
Dispatch: Week of February 22
Storm road closure updates, Essig Park improvement plan, and new date for Yucca Valley 5K
Hello from California’s high desert, where we were lucky enough to see a dusting of snow this morning! Don’t worry, if you missed out today there are chances for overnight snow again tomorrow and Friday.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
San Bernardino County is expecting wide-spread chain controls and road closures through the weekend due to snow.
I recommend following San Bernardino County Fire and Caltrans District 8 on Twitter for up-to-date travel information.
I-15 was closed at Primm due to a crash this morning. Be sure to exercise lots of caution while out on the roads this week.
Registration is now open for the HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours and runs until March 31. The tour runs for the first three weekends in October and features artists living and working in the Morongo Basin.
The two men suspected of starting the Elk Fire in May 2022 appeared in court on February 15 for an early disposition hearing. The trial is set for April 25.
Yucca Valley’s Healthy Hearts 5k Run and 2k Community Health Walk has been postponed until March 25. Registration will remain open until the new date and cost will remain $25 per entrant.
The Yucca Valley Town Council presented an improvement plan for Essig Park at Tuesday’s meeting. Proposed improvements include adding more shade elements, playground features, water fountains, and lighting improvements.
Twentynine Palms Mayor McArthur Wright is holding an open grilling session inside City Hall on Friday, February 24, from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
The Joshua Basin Water Agency Board of Directors approved a 52% rate increase for customers over the next five years on February 14.
Cholla Needles Arts & Literary Library is holding a poetry reading with Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar on March 1 at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.
The event is free to attend. You can read more about both poets and find out more about the event here.
In state news:
Los Angeles County issued a blizzard warning for the storms this week. The warning applies to higher elevation areas, including parts of I-5 near Grapevine.
Barbara Lee, a U.S. Representative from Oakland, announced her intent to run for one of California’s Senate seats in 2024. The seat is being vacated by Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is retiring at the end of this term.
Laguna Beach banned the sale and public use of balloons to curtail the risk of devastating wildfires and eliminate a major source of trash floating near the community’s scenic shores.
In other news:
As Axios’ Andrew Freedman puts it, “there is too much weather in the U.S. this week.”
The National Labor Relations Board ruled Tuesday that employers can no longer demand laid-off employees avoid publicly disparaging the company as part of their severance agreements.
Pupdate of the week: Alice cannot get enough of the cool temperatures and snow. She gets immediate zoomies when we go outside and it’s a challenge to bring her back in, which is all fun and games until its below 30 degrees. Oliver is content being wrapped in 3 different blankets and watching this circus from inside.
Trail tip of the week: The mountains in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are getting walloped with snow this week, so local groups are advising everyone stay home for at least the next week until they can assess the avalanche risks and conditions at higher elevations.
Read of the week: I devoured this piece on why Amazon has seemed particularly bad as of late, with tons of scammers and false products popping up every time you search for something. I respect Jeff Bezos’ genius, but I really wish I could just buy my detergent online and be done with it.
Watch of the week: I finally caught up with The Last of Us, a show on HBO based on the hit video game. Like the game, it follows a man that is put in charge of transporting a young girl to safety after a deadly fungus has infected most of the country and turned humans into zombie-like creatures. To be honest, that description barely does the show justice, and the third episode in particular might be the most emotionally impactful hour of TV I have ever seen.
That’s it for this week! I hope you stay warm and get outside, even if it’s just a quick walk around the block.
- Megan
Why haven't you been covering the Wonder Inn?