Posts Tagged: Lisa Renner

News

California’s water chief steps up to fight historic drought

Joaquin Esquivel at a water board meeting. (Photo: Water Education Foundation.)

As a native of the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs where it hardly ever rains, Joaquin Esquivel has always known that water is precious. His uncle often took him to the Salton Sea, and he had family served by a well. He carries that respect for the resource as chair of California’s State Water Resources Control Board.   “Growing up in the desert, you are very aware of water,” he said.

News

New push to expand ‘transitional kindergarten’ in California

A teacher and his students in a kindergarten class. (Photo: Monkey Business Images, via Shutterstock)

After a couple of failed attempts, a move to expand transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds in California is under way. Assembly members Kevin McCarty, Phil Ting and Eloise Gomez Reyes and state Sens. Susan Rubio, Lena Gonzalez, and Bill Dodd have introduced Assembly Bill 2500 to approve universal transitional kindergarten.

News

Sea level rise: California’s new reality

Pacific Ocean waves lap against beach front properties in Malibu. (Photo: Elliott Cowand Jr., via Shutterstock)

While wildfires have gotten much of the attention in California as consequences of climate change, it’s really rising sea levels that will likely wreak the most damage. With more than 25 million people living near the coast, some $150 billion worth of property is at risk.

News

Making history: Our first online census

An illustration of the 2020 census in California. (Image: census.ca.gov)

Most of us are already doing a lot of business online, from ordering products to banking to even filing our taxes. Now we will be asked to do one more task over the Internet — fill out a U.S. census survey. The next census, the all-important survey conducted every 10 years and next scheduled in April 2020, will be the first to be conducted largely online. People who choose not to will be able to respond over the phone or by mail.

News

California’s valley fever on the rise

Lab supervisor Marilyn Mitchell pulls samples during tests for Valley Fever at the Community Medical Center lab in Fresno. (Photo: Fresno Bee/Craig Kohlruss, 2014, via AP)

The first sign that Rob Purdie had valley fever was when he woke up one day with what felt like a hangover but he hadn’t taken a drink. He had a splitting headache that was so bad that he had to stay in dark room with the blinds drawn and his sunglasses on. He was eventually diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis meningitis, the most severe form of valley fever.

News

Following fires, NorCal air quality still suffers

A wildfire burns near Fallbrook in San Diego County on July 26. (Photo: Randy Miramontez)

After two weeks straight of heavy smoke blanketing Northern California from multiple wildfires, some residents got a bit of a break this week. Blue skies began to reappear from Sacramento to the Sierra and “good” to “moderate” air quality ratings returned, replacing the previous alarming “unhealthy” ratings.

News

Siskiyou-area tribe’s reinstatement questioned

A Native American flag totem in rural Siskiyou County. (Photo: Zack Frank, via Shutterstock)

A move to restore federal tribal recognition to a long defunct Siskiyou County Indian rancheria has received a major blow. Research done by a college professor indicates no Indian ever lived on the 441-acre Ruffey Rancheria outside Etna.

News

Toni Atkins poised to enter history books

Incoming state Senate Leader Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, flanked by Sen. Ricardo Lara, left, at a meeting with Mexican government officials. (Photo: California State Senate)

This month, the San Diego lawmaker is set to replace Kevin de León as leader of the California Senate. She will be the first woman and first open lesbian to hold the position. She also will be the first person since the 19th century to hold both of the Legislature’s top jobs – Assembly speaker and Senate leader.

News

Siskiyou County’s wild weed woes

A Siskiyou County law enforcement officer in the weeds. (Photo: Siskiyou County)

Illegal marijuana grows in rural Siskiyou County are out of control and state officials should help stop them, local authorities say. Earlier this month, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors took the unusual step of declaring a state of emergency because of the cannabis.

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