The area around California’s Joshua Tree National Park has long exerted a gravitational pull on artists, seekers, and freewheelers. But this secret desert hideout isn’t so secret anymore.
At last night's meeting, the Yucca Valley Town Council introduced a new employee, Yolanda Perez, Administration Assistant in Code Compliance, and received
The crew of the Osprey aircraft prepares to take off for the Marine base in Twentynine Palms.
Tami Roleff photo
High winds and blowing sand forced a Marine Corps Osprey aircraft on its way to the Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms to divert to the Yucca Valley airport Saturday morning, where it was grounded for about 22 hours. The twin-engine, tilt-rotor aircraft from VMM-268, based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, was participating in the Integrated Training Exercise at the Combat Center. The pilot told onlookers who gathered at the airport that they were training when they had some trouble and landed in Yucca Valley due to a sensor picking up metal fragments. A second Osprey brought in parts to fix it and after repairs they remained grounded due to wind. The Osprey took off from the airport for the base about 8:30 Sunday morning.