As a rookie at the American Red Cross, I was only a week out of disaster relief training before one of the largest storms in recent history devastated the East Coast. Hurricane Sandy was unlike any other weather phenomenon, affecting 24 states from Florida to Maine. 8 million homes lost power only to have winter storm Athena come through right ...

Annual Christmas bird counts last month in Mariposa, Oakhurst and Yosemite yielded fewer birds than last year, yet organizers of the three local events nonetheless judged them successful–and, as always, fun! The counts were part of the National Audubon Society’s 113th Christmas Bird Count, an annual avian census held between Dec. 14, 2012 and Jan. 5, 2013. Begun on Christmas ...

CALIFORNIA – The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) becomes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), effective Jan. 1. The new name was mandated by Assembly Bill (AB) 2402, which was signed Sept. 25, 2012, by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and is one of numerous provisions passed into law during 2012 that affect the department.

SACRAMENTO –Classic car owners can now give their ride the look it had back when it was hot off the showroom floor. Vintage-look plates are being offered by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and the DMV will be taking pre-orders beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

SACRAMENTO – Even though California’s seat belt requirement was put into law more than a quarter-of-a-century ago, there are some drivers and passengers who still resist the few seconds it takes to safely buckle up, or they may not properly secure a child in a car seat. The simple act of not buckling up can have life-changing consequences, such as ...

SACRAMENTO – California motorists need to be aware of new rules governing the California driving public which go in effect on Jan. 1, 2013. These rules are the product of legislation passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in 2012.

CLOVIS – The Sierra National Forest received two 2012 Regional Forester’s Awards on Nov. 28, for its outstanding contributions to reduce the Forest Service’s environmental footprint in the Northern Region.

As events were being reported today from Connecticut, and people began posting on social media, it became apparent that the tragic realities of this story will not be limited to those who want to watch the news. The news of this unfathomable event will be broadcast extensively on television and online for days and weeks to come, and will be ...

COLUMBIA – A trip back in time to Christmases of long ago is drawing revelers to Columbia State Historic Park. The Park is decorated for the Christmas season and will host a variety of events throughout the month of December. The Columbia City Hotel Restaurant will host the 30th Annual Victorian Feast from Dec. 14 through 16, beginning at 6 ...

CALIFORNIA -The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) is reassuring those who have received notification that their Petition for Redetminiation has been denied, in regards to Assembly Bill 29, which has come to be known as the Rural Fire Fee. “Our lawsuit anticipates that everyone’s petition will be denied,” says the HJTA in an email to subscribers, sent out on Nov. ...