Highland Sets March 28 For Annual Harvest Festival

Highland's annual Citrus Harvest Festival, a street fair celebrating the city's rich citrus history, has been set for Saturday, March 28.

According to San Bernardino County Sun newspaper reporter Joe Nelson's post on his Highland Now blog, the festival budget this year is $15,405.

More than 150 vendors and exhibitors are expected to show for this year's festival, which will include live entertainment, a car show, a kids zone, historic home tour and much more. The festival is held each year at the intersection of Palm Avenue and Main street, the city's historic district.

Vendor information packets and applications are available at City Hall, 27215 Base Line.

For more information, call (909) 864-8732, ext. 204.

image: Highland Observed

Facebook: Replaces Face Time, or Enhances It?

I've wondered for some time now why some friends never call, visit, send cards or gifts anymore, yet seem to always be sending me virtual versions of the above and constantly updating their whereabouts via Facebook, the social networking site. Once a college student-only site, it's popularity is on the increase among the over-25 population. TIME has posted a great article about the Facebook phenomenon on their web site. MORE>>

image: TIME

Police Blotter: Man Is Shot & Dies, Suspect Arrested

According to a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department news release, on Wednesday, January 14, 2009, at approximately 4:00 PM, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call reporting an unknown problem at a residence in the 26100 block of Cypress Street in Highland. Units from the Highland Police Station responded, but found no one at the residence. Within minutes, deputies were contacted by St. Bernadine Medical Center and told a shooting victim had been brought in to the hospital. The victim, 19-year-old Robert Rodriguez, resides at the home on Cypress. Rodriguez was then transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.

Highland Station detectives began an investigation and determined at least four people that were with Rodriguez had fled the scene after he was shot. Rodriguez told staff at the hospital the name of the person that that shot him and indicated it was an accident. Detectives made attempts to identify the subjects who had been with the victim, but were unsuccessful.

On Thursday, January 15, 2009, at approximately 5:49 AM, Rodriguez died while at ARMC. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Homicide Detail was called in to assist with the investigation.

Throughout the course of the day, Detectives were able to identify and contact the individuals that were with Rodriguez when he was shot, including the shooter, 20-year-old Bryan Serrano. Serrano was arrested at his home in the 7800 block of Lankershim, in Highland. He was booked at San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Central Detention Center for Homicide and held without bail.

Anyone with information is can contact Det. Neal Rodriguez at (909) 387-3589. Callers may remain anonymous. Information can be reported anonymously to WeTip by calling call 800-78-CRIME or on-line at http://www.wetip.com/submit.htm

DA Investigators Arrest Postmus On Drug Charges

According to a news release issued by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, on Thursday, January 15, 2009, approximately 50 investigators and technicians served search warrants in the San Bernardino County communities of Highland, San Bernardino, Apple Valley, Victorville, Rancho Cucamonga and Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County as part of their continuing investigation involving Assessor Bill Postmus.

During the search of Postmus' residence in Rancho Cucamonga, evidence of methamphetamine and related paraphernalia was discovered. Postmus was arrested and booked at West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, a felony, and possession of unlawful paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

Both The Press-Enterprise and The San Bernardino County Sun newspapers are reporting Postmus was cited and released this afternoon.

image: FlashReport.org

Highland Chamber To Host Annual Community Awards & Installation Dinner January 15th

According to a posting on their web site, The Highland Area Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Community Awards and Installation Dinner on Thursday, January 15th, at The Castaway Restaurant in San Bernardino. The Chamber will present awards to the Highland area’s Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Firefighter of the Year, Police Officer of the Year, City Staffer of the Year, and many others whose kindness and generosity has served to support and sustain the Highland business community.

The event will also welcome the newest Directors, Charlie Gabriel of Arrowhead Credit Union, Edward Henriquez of Wells Fargo – East Highland Branch, Steve Henthorn of Arrowhead Country Club, Audrey Martinez of San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, J. Vela of Inland Badge Co., and George "Skip" Wilson of East Valley Water District, who will be formally installed into office at the event. We also express our sincerest gratitude and wish fond farewells to our retiring Directors, Rich Blanco of RMB Printing & Promotions, Suzanne Browning, Cathy DeHart of DeHart Consulting Services, Jake Spoor of San Bernardino Employment & Training Agency, and Wes Tate of CalComm Systems.

The Castaway Restaurant is located at 670 Kendall Drive in San Bernardino. Social hour and no-host bar begins at 6:00 p.m. and the program will commence at 7:00 p.m. Dinner is included. The cost of attendance is $40 per person or $320 per table of eight. Reservations are required. Please contact the Highland Chamber by phone (909) 864-4073, fax (909) 864-4583, or e-mail hcoc@highlandchamber.org to reserve your seat today.

The Chamber is seeking items for our Silent Auction to be held during the event. Please contact the Highland Chamber with donations.

Jobs Tell Investors Appearance Is Hormone Imbalance & Simple Treatment Is Underway

Reuters is reporting that Apple CEO Steven Jobs, seen in recent months looking skinnier than a MacBook Air, sought to soothe investor concerns about his health on Monday, saying his weight loss was caused by a hormone imbalance that is relatively simple to treat.

Shares of Apple rose more than 5 percent in midday trade, as Jobs, a pancreatic cancer survivor, said he would remain CEO during his recovery and that his doctors expect him to regain his weight by late spring.

"I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple's CEO," Jobs said in a statement, breaking his silence about his health for the first time in months.

The statement followed widespread investor concern about the executive's health, after Jobs decided not to give the keynote speech at Apple product showcase Macworld this week. Speculation about his health resurfaced in June 2008, when Jobs appeared markedly thinner at an Apple event.

Jobs is seen as the driver of Apple's successful products, including Macintosh computers, iPod media players and iPhones.

He acknowledged he had been losing weight throughout 2008 and that his doctors determined "a hormone imbalance that has been 'robbing' me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy."

He said the remedy for "this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward" and that he has begun treatment. MORE>>

Image: dbpedia.org

Driver Takes Out Wall & Window, Arrested for DUI

According to a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department news release, on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009 at 2:22 p.m., a single vehicle was involved in a traffic collision on Cloverhill Drive north of Highland Avenue. The driver of the vehicle, 32-year-old Amy Rothenay, hit a 6-foot tall concrete wall and damaged a 15 feet section of concrete. A piece of concrete came in contact with a sliding glass door of a residence behind the wall, shattering the window. Rothenay suffered a head injury and at Greenspot Road and Lowe's Center Drive was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. She was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

image: www.ljlawconnect.com