Despite the high winds finally dying down, it was a rough week in Tecopa and Shoshone as temperatures plummeted into the low 20s and the power went out for nearly 25 hours on Monday, January 20 into Tuesday, January 21.
Southern California Edison updated residents twice on repair work during the day, with an initial estimate of restoration at 6pm, updated later to 8pm, and ultimately coming on somewhere in between.
As the power returned, it surged through the lines, with residents reporting that it wreaked havoc on some Starlink satellites, well pumps and ovens. One local mechanic, by his own account, left on a stovetop after the power went out, drove away and came home after it was restored to find a fried microwave and a 90 degree RV. Luckily it didn’t burn down the RV – or the entirety of The Heights.
That same mechanic, a tipster writes in, is “said to be down on his luck, 86ed from all local businesses, kicked out by his own kin, and living in his RV. The community appears to have turned against him…for now! But let’s just see what happens when someone has a dead battery or gets stuck in the mud! Tecopa: Where the Grudges Are Flexible.”
Last November, he drew attention by towing a cargo trailer along Tecopa Hot Springs Road during the TecopaFest! fundraising event, emblazoned with derogatory graffiti targeting the SIFPD. This act of defiance followed his denial of entry to the private property hosting the event—a location where he was previously alleged to have assaulted a woman he considered his girlfriend, unaware that she was also allegedly involved with another local resident. Despite his troubling behavior, when sober, he is a skilled mechanic who provides vital services to many in the community, leaving them reluctant to call him out on his bad behavior.
“The Inyo County [Board of Supervisors] meeting today was a little chaotic, but everything got done,” 5th District Inyo County Supervisor Will Wadelton wrote on Facebook as the power was out in Tecopa and Shoshone on Tuesday morning, but, great news, the “Southern Inyo Fire Protection District [Memorandum of Understanding] was approved with the $100K going through” for new SIFPD headquarters as part of District 5 Transient Occupancy Tax District Improvement Funds.
Turns out one of the owners at FKAD has been a no-show to recent board meetings for SIFPD and insiders say he may need to be replaced as a board member if he does not appear in person to fulfill his duties. Just recently another board member was replaced for no longer showing much interest in the community.
Over at Death Valley Brewing, brewer Dan recently celebrated a birthday by throwing a fun party and building a brand new shed to expand his brewing operations. He tells us he waited a whole year for permitting to be approved by Inyo County.
A misdelivered package in The Heights ignited a fiery confrontation involving a notorious agitator, who condescended to an eccentric local artist over the erroneous delivery of Home Depot building materials. The tension quickly spilled onto social media, where the community eagerly joined the fray, sharing sightings of the empty delivery vehicle as it drove out of town, transforming the mishap into a town-wide spectacle.
Safety Third
A resident sends in a tip that there is “Still no law and order in Charleston View. DA will not press charges without testifying witness…all the decent folks are 60 and above and most are afraid to get involved…stolen vehicles and RVs in plain site…cops can’t do anything because roads are private and most people turn a blind eye and will not file a complaint… but I’m sure the DA will press charges if some low life is eliminated!!” Yikes!
The neighbors on Noonday are dismayed at a recent arrival wearing a ballistic vest and setting up for target practice in his yard. Regulations say it is illegal to shoot guns within 450 feet of a residential building. The same new arrival was also alleged to have made veiled threats at the campground kiosk lately, leading to two cancelled evenings of music at Tecopa Station in a row.
Pretty scary stuff if you consider on the afternoon of January 8th, Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley became the epicenter of a high-stakes emergency when the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received a chilling 911 call. At approximately 2:40 PM, a caller claimed to be a relative of a former ranch employee and reported a bomb and shooting threat at the location.
The report set off an immediate, coordinated response involving multiple agencies to safeguard the public and investigate the alarming claim. All visitors were told to remain in their rooms. The area was thoroughly searched, with the explosive detection K-9 playing a critical role in ensuring that no immediate threats were present. As of now, no evidence of a bomb or other danger has been discovered. Law enforcement has reassured the public that the investigation remains active and ongoing, with officials committed to uncovering the source and credibility of the threat.
Inyo County Sheriff’s Office is also warning residents to be aware of a FasTrak toll phishing scam operation where targets receive texts with demands to pay outstanding toll charges, but in reality those charges are phony and victims end up handing over payment information to scammers.
Volunteers Needed
Friends of the Amargosa Basin are seeking volunteers for the Shoshone Springbrook Restoration Project on January 24 and 25, 9am-4pm in Shoshone. “We’re looking for passionate volunteers to help restore critical habitat in Shoshone, California, and expand the range of the once-thought-extinct Shoshone pupfish!” Dress appropriately as the work includes, “Digging up and planting wetland plugs like Cooper’s rush, salt grass, and goldenrod. Watering plants and lining the Springbrook channel with harvested rocks. Removing invasive cattails and weeding the upper Amargosa vole marsh. Trimming willows and clearing dead debris in the lower vole marsh.”
Recreational Fire Guidelines
SIFPD has issued a notice regarding safe operation of recreational fires and fire pits:
- Size: Fire must be contained (in a firepit, grill, etc.), no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height. Flames must stay under 2 feet above the containment walls.
- Location: Fire must be at least 25 feet from any structure, with a 15-foot area cleared of brush, weeds, and trash.
- Prohibited Times: Recreational fires are not allowed on Red Flag Days, during burning bans, or when wind speeds exceed 5 mph.
- Safety: Keep extinguishing tools (sand, water, shovel) nearby. Fires must be completely extinguished before being left unattended.
- Permits: No permit is required if the above rules are followed.
- Restrictions: Fires must not produce offensive smoke/odor or pose a fire hazard.
Stay safe and follow all local regulations!
Road Repairs
Via Caltrans: Death Valley Flood Damage Repair – On State Route 190 in Death Valley National Park, crews continue to place gabions on the highway shoulder at two locations: roughly three miles east of Emigrant Campground and a quarter mile east of Zabriskie Point. There will be one-way traffic control at both locations and drivers may encounter 5-minute delays. Work is scheduled seven days a week from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Job Listings
Caltrans District 9 is now hiring for a Region Office Timekeeper & Support Analyst. Join the team and help support maintenance crews.
Nurses are needed at Pahrump’s Desert View Hospital and the Inyo County Sheriff is hiring correction officers, public safety dispatchers and deputies.
Mining
Nevada Public Radio reports: “U.S. Department of Energy has approved a nearly one billion dollar loan to mining company loneer for its Rhyolite Ridge lithium boron processing plant in Esmeralda County.
The $996 million loan will help build a lithium processing facility roughly 45 miles southwest of Tonopah.
The Austrailia-based mining company projects it could produce 22,000 metric tons of lithium annually at the site, enough to build about 370,000 electric vehicle batteries.
The deal specifics are not yet known, but the funding is nearly 50% greater than a conditional commitment made two years ago. It also cannot be revoked by incoming President Donald Trump.
Critics of the loan say they are disappointed by the Biden Administration.”
Environment
basinrangewatch reports: “Rough Hat Clark County Solar Project approved on important desert tortoise habitat – Here is a depressing final blow out from [the Biden] administration. This project will have grave impacts on the already declining Mojave desert tortoise. They expect to move 114 adult desert tortoises and will probably end up crushing 3 times as many juveniles with heavy equipment. It appears that our interior department values the wishes of the large-scale solar industry over protection of endangered species.”
Corrections
We issued a correction on the article “Airbnb and ChatGPT Walk into a Town” as it inadvertantly included some reviews for the Lake Tecopa listing in the ChatGPT analysis that were for a separate listing outside of Tecopa. We apologize for the error and have removed the section that pertained to those reviews.
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