City Council Of Big Bear Lake And Mayor Jahn Present Proclamations

Big Bear Lake, CA, May 17, 2012, 8:00am - The City Council of Big Bear Lake and Mayor Jahn presented three proclamations at Monday’s city council meeting.  For his years of service and dedication to our community as commander of the California Highway Patrol, Arrowhead office, Lieutenant Rick Saunders was thanked and acknowledged.  It was noted that Lieutenant Saunders was a great friend of the mountain communities because of his local knowledge and deep commitment.

The Executive Director for Southern California Association of Governments also received a proclamation from the Mayor for his accomplishments to develop the 2012 Regional Transportation Plan.

The highlight for many in the Council chambers was a proclamation given to Julia Seaman, an art instructor at Big Bear High School, for leading her students in a project that completed over 140 ceramic bears to be given to every bike racer in Friday’s Amgen Tour of California “Climb to Big Bear”.

And Ruth Lorentz Associate Planner was recognized for receiving the Best Practices Award” from the Inland Empire Section of the American Planning Association for her work on the recent revised Sign Ordinance.

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Start Smart Program

Running Springs, CA, March 20, 2012, noon - Classes for Start Smart begin next week. The Start Smart program is a cooperative effort between the CHP, teenagers, and their parents.  The goal of the class is to help young drivers and their parents understand the responsibilities associated with driving a motor vehicle.  The class will also show how poor choices behind the wheel can change the lives of everyone involved.  The purpose of this program is to reduce the number of teen-related injuries and deaths due to collisions. On Monday March 26 at 6pm, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will present a Start Smart Class at the CHP, Arrowhead Office in Running Springs. There is no cost for attending the class.  Please RSVP by calling CHP Officer Benjamin Baker at 867-2791.

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California Motorists Urged To Share The Road

Sacramento, CA, March 13, 2012, noon - During the next several months, the CHP will use a federal grant to assist in reducing the number of people killed and injured in motorcycle-involved collisions. The Department continues to improve safety for everyone by placing an emphasis on the concept of sharing the road.  Enforcement and education efforts through the California Motorcycle Safety Enforcement and Education grant will continue through September 30, 2012. To help get the word out and continue to reduce the number of people killed and injured annually in motorcycle-involved collisions, CHP personnel are appearing at public outreach events throughout the state, distributing informational brochures, and providing traffic safety tips. In addition, motorcycle safety and road-sharing presentations are being conducted statewide. The CHP will also launch a media campaign to highlight the motorcycle safety message. Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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CHP Teaches Mobility Independence

Sacramento, CA, February 20, 2012, 8:00am – Driving a car is part of maintaining an active, rewarding lifestyle. It means independence and freedom at any age. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) understands how much seniors enjoy driving, and offers a program to help seniors continue driving as long as possible and save lives. CHP personnel are taking the ‘Age Well, Drive Smart’ program to senior communities in California. The recent receipt of a federal grant will enable the CHP to continue this valuable traffic safety program for California’s growing senior population through September 30, 2012.  “Age Well, Drive Smart” is a free, two-hour senior driver safety/mobility class offered by the CHP and focuses on educating drivers over 65. Individuals can register for the course by contacting their local CHP office. The Keeping Everyone Safe (KEYS) grant will also help fund a public awareness campaign using a variety of tools to address older adult driving issues. In addition, educational materials will be produced and distributed statewide. CHP personnel will also conduct educational presentations at various venues and will staff traffic safety booths at community events. Funding for the KEYS grant is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Click It or Ticket

Big Bear, Ca, November 22, 2011, 3:00pm - The California Highway Patrol is participating in the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign now through November 27^th.  During this time, law enforcement throughout the state and the Big Bear Valley will be actively looking for drivers and passengers who are unbuckled.  The Click It or Ticket program, which started in 2005, has a successful track record, and has seen an increased usage in seatbelts from a 90.4% in 2001, to a record high of 96.02 % in 2010.  The increase represents more than 1.25 million more vehicle occupants who buckle up.  Buckling your seatbelt is important for the safety of you and other passengers in your vehicle.  According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, in 2009 there were 544 vehicle passengers killed who were not wearing a seat belt of using a child safety seat, and more than 9,400 others were injured due to not buckling up.  Last year CHP officers issued more than 155,000 citations to drivers and passengers who failed to buckle up.  The minimum cost of an adult seat belt violation is $142, and can go up to $445 for not properly restraining a child under 16 years of age.  So do the smart thing, avoid unnecessary tickets, and buckle up.

Highway 330 Temporarily Closed Due to Auto Accident

Big Bear, Ca, October 4, 2011, 12:00pm - Highway 330 is currently closed due to an accident involving a Sisco food truck, and a Ford Edge earlier today.  According to the California Highway Patrol approximately 40-60 gallons of fuel was spilled onto the roadway, and is currently being cleaned up.  One of the people involved in the accident has been airlifted at this time, and another was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.  CHP told KBHR that the road may remain closed for the next few hours.  Utilize Highway 18 through the Crestline area as an alternative.

Highway 38 Closure Update

Angelus Oaks, CA, September 25, 2011, 7:00am - State Route 38 remains closed from Angelus Oaks to Jenks Lake Road West in the San Bernardino Mountains as a result of the traffic collision involving a fuel truck that released approximately 6,000 gallons of gasoline along the south shoulder of the highway. The contaminated material has been removed from the area under the highway and the turnout.  However, testing continues for the remainder of the dirt area impacted by the spill. Cal Trans initiated a Director’s Order on September 23, 2011, and Matich Construction arrived early Saturday and started performing the backfill and paving operations within the roadway prism. Cal Trans/Matich is using dirt stockpiled on SR-330 for the backfill.  This will help expedite the process. It is expected the repair work can be completed in a few days.  The CHP has requested permission for the repopulation of Camp Cedar Falls as soon as possible.  However, permission of the Santa Ana Water Resource Board and San Bernardino Environmental Health is pending. Updated information on the reopening of SR 38 will be provided as soon as it is available.

Overturned Oil Tanker Closes Highway 38

Big Bear, Ca, September 20, 2011, 8:30am - On September 19, at approximately 10:20 p.m., a fuel tanker filled with approximately 9000 gallons of gasoline overturned on Highway 38 approximately two miles east of Angelus Oaks.  According to Cal Trans and the California Highway Patrol approximately 8,300 gallons of fuel has spilled into the surrounding area and Highway 38 is closed due to the Hazardous Material Incident.  According to the CHP the fuel tanker was traveling eastbound on HWY 38 towards the Big Bear Area, and for reasons still under investigation, the truck and trailer overturned onto its right side.   The collision ruptured the trailer causing fuel to spill into the surrounding area.  The Cedar Falls campground has been evacuated due to the fuel spill.  Highway 38 is closed to all traffic from Lake Williams Road to Angelus Oaks.  Motorists needing to access or leave the Big Bear Area should use Highway 18, the front or back grade.  The fuel spill has been contained and has not accessed any streams or lakes.  The San Bernardino County Fire Department and CalTrans Hazmat crews are on scene overseeing the clean up that will involve digging up and replacing the turnout and possibly a section of the roadbed where the incident took place.  The duration of the closure is undetermined at this time.

Big Bear Sheriff’s Station and CHP Had a Busy Weekend

Big Bear, Ca, September 19, 2011, 4:00pm - The California Highway Patrol, and the Big Bear Lake Sheriffs Department were both very busy this past weekend in Big Bear.  On Sunday a Hell’s Angels event was held at Chad’s Place in the village, bringing motorcycle clubs up to Big Bear from across California.  According to a representative from the Big Bear Sheriffs Department not all of the motorcycle clubs or outlaw gangs get along.  While there were no major incidents coinciding with the event, the sheriffs department deployed 12 two-man cars to patrol the area and valley as a whole.  The Sheriffs Department gave out 32 moving citations or tickets this weekend along with six parking citations, six vehicles were towed, and five people were arrested, three for DUI’s, one for being drunk in public, and one for being under the influence of a controlled substance.  A majority of these citations were for motorcyclists.  For the California Highway Patrol, two different grants were utilized this past weekend, one for the “Arrive Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign, and the other for their motorcycle safety campaign.   The CHP had officers out in force on Highway 330, Highway 18, Highway 38, and the back grade.  CHP gave 12 seatbelt tickets, two tickets for unlicensed of suspended drivers, nine for expired registration, six for crossing the double yellow lines, one for passing on the shoulder, six tickets for speeding, four for failing to stop at a stop sign, one cell phone ticket, four warrant arrests, three DUI arrests, and 10 other tickets for mechanical violations such as having a broken tail light or missing license plate.   According to Sergeant Sal Suarez only four of the tickets or arrests made by the California Highway Patrol were for motorcycles, and the rest were for vehicle motorists.  Sergeant Suarez also told KBHR that the CHP and the Big Bear Sheriffs Station have historically worked very well together, and this weekend proved that.

UPDATE: Motorcycle Fatality Identified as Cheryl Hightower

Big Bear, CA, August 31, 2011, 7:00pm - The victim of this morning’s fatal motorcycle accident at Greenway and North Shore Drive in Big Bear City has been identified as Cheryl Hightower, 65, of Hesperia.  Ms. Hightower had been a long time employee of the Snow Summit Corporation and was phasing out her employment for retirement.  Additionally, the driver of the Jeep Cherokee, who was also involved in the accident, has been identified as Walter Campbell, 60, of Big Bear City.  Mr. Campbell was uninjured.  According to CHP, Ms. Hightower was riding on a Harley Davidson motorcycle traveling westbound on North Shore Drive when she was struck by Mr. Campbell’s Jeep Cherokee traveling northbound on Greenway impacting the left side of the motorcycle and ejecting it’s rider.  She was pronounced deceased at the scene by Big Bear City Fire personnel at approximately 7:45am.  The accident caused the intersection at Greenway and North Shore Drive to be closed for 2 to 3 hours with a detour set in place for traffic to avoid the scene of the collision.  The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

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