Hello from California’s high desert. We still have a few chances for monsoon storms to roll through this week, so everyone please wash your cars now. That way, we’ll be guaranteed some rain.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
The Morongo Valley Community Services District Board of Directors met last week for the first time in four months following a series of infighting and resignations.
Lynn Watts and Lance Fisher were recently appointed to the board. Watts was voted in as vice president and former park commissioner Christina Gorke as president. Fisher will fill in as fire commissioner following Michael Emory’s resignation.
Z107.7 has the full summary of the board’s first meeting here.
Chris Carrillo is challenging Dawn Rowe for County Supervisor of San Bernardino’s Third District.
The Yucca Valley Planning Commission approved the sign construction for Black Bear Diner’s news location in the old Sizzler building in Yucca Valley.
The two suspects charged with starting last year’s Elk Fire in Joshua Tree National Park will appear in court on October 3.
Third District Supervisor and Chair of San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Dawn Rowe is hosting a monthly open house on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. with the Mojave Desert Land Trust.
The meeting will be held at the Joshua Tree Community Center at 6171 Sunburst St. in Joshua Tree.
The Copper Mountain College Wildland Fire Academy will begin its second class for the 2022 school year in August. Eight graduates of its most recent program were hired and are working this fire season.
Theatre 29 is holding open group auditions for their upcoming 2023-24 theatre season on Saturday, August 5, at Theatre 29 in Twentynine Palms.
The Morongo Valley Firefighter’s Auxiliary and Firefighters Union 5028 is hosting a golf tournament fundraiser on Saturday, August 19, at the Mission Lakes Country Club in Desert Hot Springs.
To register or to inquire about sponsorships and silent auction donations, contact Heather Bird at MVFirefightersAuxiliary@gmail.com
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public nominations for positions that are or will soon become vacant on its California, including one position of the BLM’s Desert District Advisory Council.
Interested parties may nominate themselves or another person. Nominations are open now and must be submitted by August 18. The nomination application is here.
In state news:
A $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot ticket was sold in Los Angeles at Las Palmitas Mini Market.
Otter 841, the surfboard-stealing star, continues to evade capture from state wildlife and law enforcement officials.
The Santa Barbara News-Press, the longest running newspaper in Southern California, has ceased operation after filing for bankruptcy.
The U.S. Justice Department has charged three men in connection with a firebombing at a Planned Parenthood location in the state last spring.
In other news:
The U.S. Women’s National Team won their initial match against Vietnam 3-0. They face the Netherlands tonight at 6 p.m.
Barbie’s opening weekend smashed box office estimates with $162 million in sales. It is the most successful opening weekend for a film with a solo female director.
A construction crane partially collapsed in New York City Wednesday morning. The cause is under investigation.
Sinead O’Connor, an accomplished Irish singer, died Wednesday. She was 56 years old.
Skittles is teaming up with French’s, the mustard brand, to make a special-release mustard-flavored candy for National Mustard Day on August 5. Thanks, but I’ll pass.
Pupdate of the week: We are in the middle of transitioning the dogs to a new food on a recommendation from our vet. She advised us to avoid “grain-free” brands that may contribute to heart disease in some dogs, so we are taste testing a few alternatives and the dogs could not be more thrilled.
Trail tip of the week: My hike up San Gorgonio was cut short this week when a group of unprepared hikers caught up to me while I waited for a Southern Pacific rattlesnake to move off the trail. The group didn’t want to wait and continued forward, causing the aggravated snake to strike one man’s foot. Luckily, he was wearing steel-toed boots and all was okay, but consider this a reminder to always have a snakebite kit handy and maybe take a breath before deciding to challenge these creatures.
Read of the week: Another novel recommendation for you as we round the corner on summer break. I very much enjoyed Kikuko Tsumura’s There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job, her first novel translated for the English-reading market. It follows an employee who left her previous job due to burnout, and through a series of temporary jobs, discovers more about what she wants out of her life and those around her. The writing and translation are impeccable, and the novel contains just enough mystery to keep the whole plot moving.
Watch of the week: It took me a while to sit down for Wild Life, the documentary about the creation of national parks in Argentina and Chile, but it was entirely worth the wait. The film is shot by the same team that filmed Oscar-winner Free Solo, and it follows the life of the husband-and-wife team that fell in love with the wild landscapes in South America only to run into massive resistance when they sought to protect them.
That’s it for this week! The Dispatch will be off next week, but I hope you have a great weekend and are able to get outside.
- Megan