2013 News Archive Stories

The Daily Press and Desert Dispatch made a big change in our Customer Service Department at 7:30 a.m. Friday, flipping the switch on a new phone system that brings all of our customer service calls home to the Victor Valley. Until Friday, customer service had been outsourced for several years, leading to challenges in subscriber satisfac

BARSTOW • A spike to water bills this summer may come sooner than expected. The Golden State Water Company was approved to increase system rates beginning May 22 by roughly 13 percent, according to GSW Mountain and Desert Region District Manager Perry Dahlstrom. The average customer in Barstow and Apple Valley consumes about

LUDLOW • An 81-year-old woman died after the vehicle she was traveling in ran off westbound Interstate 40 outside of Barstow and rolled, authorities said — marking the second fatality on the highway in a week. Marlene Donahue, of Murphys, was in the front passenger seat of a 2007 Lexus RX350 when the crash occurred Thursday af

BARSTOW • Continuing efforts to fill subgroups in the Desert District Advisory Council (DAC), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting nominations from the public for nine members to join its Special Recreation Permit (SRP) Subgroup. “The subgroup identifies operational issues in the application of required SRP proced

VICTORVILLE • High Desert communities have banded together for the world’s largest retail trade convention, hoping to bring new business and development to the area. Representatives of all four cities of the Victor Valley plus Barstow will come together for the first time to attend the International Council of Shopping Centers

BARSTOW • Dr. Deborah DiThomas will become Barstow Community College’s 16th president July 1, according to a BCC news release. The BCC Board of Trustees made the announcement late Wednesday during a regular meeting at the college. “We are very glad to have her as she’ll be working with an awesome team of pr

RIVERSIDE • Two sides in a lawsuit filed March 27 contending the Barstow Unified School District Board of Education acted outside environmental law when it voted to close Hinkley and Thomson schools will come together Tuesday in Riverside, according to a settlement meeting notice. On Feb. 26, the board of education voted 5-0 and 4-1

More money for schools with an emphasis on English-learning and lower-income students highlight Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised budget, which was met with optimism by both local superintendents. “It levels the playing field,” Silver Valley Unified School District Superintendent Marc Jackson said, calling the May revision of

FORT IRWIN • The touring Soldier Show, made up of 15 soldier-performers, will make its annual stop at Fort Irwin on May 24, according to a base news release. This year’s theme is “Ready and Resilient” and the performance will focus on how soldiers and their families can maintain those qualities through military dep

BARSTOW • Scores of motorcyclists zipped through Joseph Boll Avenue at the Marine Corps Logistics Base on Wednesday en route to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. The “Run for the Wall” riders hope to raise awareness about prisoners of war and those killed or missing in action, according to their road guard and flag

BARSTOW • A man falsely presenting himself to passersby as a Boys & Girls Club of Barstow employee was arrested Tuesday night after collecting $22 worth of donations outside Stater Bros., authorities said. Michael Taylor, 26, was booked at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Jail in Barstow for misdemeanor petty theft, acc

BARSTOW • A Wednesday morning blaze at J’s Auto Body Shop caused damage to interior office space and charred much of the West Main Street business’ street-facing metal exterior. The fire at 1440 W. Main St. was reported to Barstow Fire Protection District officials at 7:37 a.m. and under control by 8:30 a.m., Assistant F

SAN BERNARDINO • Stepping up efforts to “deter, prosecute and punish those who attack, threaten or interfere” with law enforcement, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday the formation of the Crimes Against Peace Officers (CAPO) Prosecution Unit. The unit formation is a response to

FORT IRWIN • Fort Irwin will hold its 7th Annual “Tour de Irwin,” a 41-mile bicycle race, on Saturday. The competition route will begin at the base’s Outdoor Recreation building and through NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, with a detour around the Mars and Apollo tracking stations, accordin

BARSTOW • Michael Johnson was the kind of son any father would be proud of. In high school, he was strong, competitive and excelled in fast-paced sports such as basketball, track and water polo. With his natural gusto and patriotism, people saw Johnson as a role model and leader. He enlisted in the Army in 1989 at age 19.

FORT IRWIN • U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Tuesday in a Department of Defense memo that unpaid time off would in fact be required for about 680,000 civilian employees — including workers at local bases — beginning July 8. Though the amount of furlough days will be reduced to 11; original proj

VICTORVILLE • Two Barstow teenagers face attempted murder charges in connection with a weekend shooting after the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office filed the paperwork Tuesday, court records show. Rudy Mesa and Martin Olivares, both 19, were also charged with assault with a firearm on a person the same day each

BARSTOW • East Main Street at the intersection of Yucca Avenue buzzed with construction projects Monday afternoon. On the north side of the intersection, telecommunications contractor SECC Corporation blocked off the center lane in order to repair an Internet wiring conduit, according to SECC fiber optics inspector Manuel Armenta.

SAN BERNARDINO • The San Bernardino County Department of Public Health launched Toddler Immunization Month this month, according to a county news release. TIM is an annual observance which highlights the importance of fully immunizing toddlers ages 1-3 years old against vaccine-preventable diseases. “Families, health c

BARSTOW • Fluky bull’s-eye timing caused a local pizza delivery driver and Barstow police officers to arrive simultaneously at the motel room of a suspected Texas bank thief Saturday night, leading to his arrest. At approximately 9:29 p.m., Barstow police were notified by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department officials

BARSTOW • Two Barstow teenagers are in custody and suspected of attempted murder following a Saturday night shooting on Lillian Drive which left one man with two severe wounds to his torso, authorities said. Rudy Mesa and Martin Olivares, both 19, have a Victorville court date scheduled Tuesday in connection with the shooting, booki

LUDLOW • The man killed after his Jeep Wrangler crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer Friday morning on westbound Interstate 40, roughly 40 miles east of Barstow, has been identified as Daniel Ray Douthit of Laughlin, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department. Douthit, 60, was in the number one l

SAN BERNARDINO • The San Bernardino County Tax Collector’s Office will hold its annual online auction of over 5,000 tax-defaulted properties beginning June 1, according to the San Bernardino County Tax Collector. The online auction will open for bidding on June 1st with staggered closing times lasting through June 7th.

BARSTOW • Immediately after Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre proclaimed May 11, 2013 to be “Mojave River Valley Museum Day” in the city of Barstow, the mayor was unceremoniously tossed into a nearby rusty iron jail — all in good humor during the museum’s 47th annual barbecue Saturday. Hackbarth-McInytre, who would be

VICTORVILLE • Dealing with a long-anticipated influx of caseloads and new personnel due to closed courtrooms around the county, Victorville courthouse officials said that the first full week of transition went as smoothly as it could have, but that fine-tuning is still necessary. “While it was busy, everyone got settled, staff