Photo of Lake Mead

US Declares Drought Plan Done for Colorado River

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Seven states that rely on a major waterway in the U.S. West have finished a yearslong effort to create a plan to protect the Colorado River amid a prolonged drought, the federal government declared Tuesday. “It is time for us to work with...
Photo of man looking on amid wildflowers

Rain Brings 2nd California Super Bloom in 2 Years

BORREGO SPRINGS — It started with the desert lilies in December. Since then a wave of wildflower blooms has been crescendoing across Southern California's Anza-Borrego desert in a burst of color so vivid it can...
A photo of lemons on a tree branch along Fresno County's Blossom Trail

Fresno County Crops Eclipse $7 Billion in 2017

It's amazing what a wet year can mean to the Valley's farming economy. The rains of 2017, coming after five years of drought, enabled Fresno County growers, ranchers, and dairymen to eclipse $7 billion in agricultural production last year. It was a record t...
Photo of the River Fire consuming a home

Gov. Brown Pledges Any Resources Needed for Fires

UPPER LAKE, Calif. — A massive wildfire in Northern California has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding, authorities said Wednesday as some evacuees were allowed to return home and ne...

How Many San Joaquin College Grads Passed Latest Bar Exam?

Passing the state bar is hard. It’s supposed to be. The California bar exam results from February prove it. Of the 5,000-plus hopeful attorneys, only 29% passed. It is the lowest passage rate since the state started keeping records in 1951. Politics...

Come 2050, Californians Will Wish They Had More Dams

A new University of California report forecasts kick-to-the-gut climate-change realities for California farmers, especially those who grow permanent crops in the Central Valley. In a nutshell, the report anticipates big trouble ahead for crops such as almon...