It's Official, Northern Sierra Precipitation Sets Water Year Record
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/13/2017 09:46 PM
Sacramento, CA...Never in nearly a century of Department of Water Resources (DWR) recordkeeping has so much precipitation fallen in the northern Sierra in a water year. DWR reported today that 89.7 inches of precipitation – rain and snowmelt – has been recorded by the eight weather stations it has monitored continuously since 1920 from Shasta Lake to the American River basin. Today’s total surpassed the previous record of 88.5 inches recorded in the entirety of Water Year 1983. The region’s annual average is 50 inches.
Some Seasonal Roads On Stanislaus National Forest Will Remain Closed Past April 15
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/12/2017 11:04 AM
Sonora, CA...Record-setting snow levels and extensive storm damage mean some roads scheduled to reopen April 15, 2017 will remain impassable, Stanislaus National Forest officials announced. “In past years our estimated date of April 15 to open seasonal roads was pretty accurate,” said Jim Junette, acting Deputy Forest Supervisor for Stanislaus National Forest. “This year’s amazing snowpack and the level of storm damage on the Forest means many roads will remain closed, possibly for several months.”
The Winners Of The 49th Annual Calaveras County Spelling Bee Are?
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/12/2017 09:13 AM
San Andreas, CA...The 49th Annual Calaveras County Spelling Bee saw some intense spelling competition on Thursday, April 6 at the Calaveras River Academy/Mountain Oaks gymnasium. Fifty students competed from the following schools: Avery Middle School, Bret Harte High School, Calaveras High School, Christian Family Learning Center, Copperopolis Elementary, Jenny Lind Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, San Andreas Elementary, Toyon Middle School, Valley Springs Elementary
Remarks With Rex W. Tillerson & Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a Press Availability
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/12/2017 09:50 PM
Moscow, Russia...FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: (Via interpreter) Good evening. This has been a long day. We have had talks with State Secretary of the U.S. Rex Tillerson. Right now, we have had a long conversation with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. It has lasted for more than two hours. The negotiations have proved to be substantial and very frank. They have comprised the whole gamut of issues of importance to our bilateral relations as well as our interaction in the international arena. We have taken note of the fact of the current state of our relations, as well as the international situation as a whole, and of the most (inaudible) there are certain issues that have been inherited, so to speak, as time bombs from the previous administration, the Obama administration. We are being realistic, and we do understand that in order to overcome these obstacles we have to make efforts, and we seek to do that.
Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson Ahead Of Russia Meeting
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/11/2017 07:35 AM
Lucca, Italy...Good morning. I’ve got a statement. I want to share it first, and then I’m happy to take a couple of questions. Last week, Bashar al-Assad’s regime killed even more of its own people using chemical weapons. Our missile strike in response to his repeated use of banned weapons was necessary as a matter of U.S. national security interest. We do not want the regime’s uncontrolled stockpile of chemical weapons to fall into the hands of ISIS or other terrorist groups who could, and want to, attack the United States or our allies.
Week Five Op-Ed By Former Calaveras County Supervisor Tom Tryon On The "War On Drugs"
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/10/2017 06:34 PM
Angels Camp, CA...Open letter to Assemblyman Norman Waters in the summer of 1985: I read your recent letter concerning the Tri County Narcotics Task Force with great interest. While you correctly point out the economic and human costs associated with drug abuse and that the problem of drug abuse is increasing, you fail to conclude that our current government policies of longstanding have failed. Your suggested response of greater coercion and intimidation within the policing power of the state will as surely fail as the policing power has failed to date to control drug abuse.
President Trump's Weekly Address...This Week It Is On Safety & Security
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/08/2017 02:27 PM
Washington, DC...My Fellow Americans, We're only 11 weeks in, but already my administration has achieved historic progress for the American people – in fact, 93% of our domestic manufacturers have expressed optimism in the future, a record. The confidence we are seeing in our Nation is about jobs and opportunity – but it's also about safety and security.
Madera, CA...State Assemblyman Frank Bigelow has announced that he will seek to serve another term. From his campaign website: "Dear Friends, As your Assemblyman, you've put your trust in me to protect taxpayers from Sacramento's out-of-control spending and to defend our way of life. Despite all the work we've done together, it's clear there are many problems left to solve. That's why I'm asking for your trust to continue our fight for a stronger economy, a smaller state government, additional water storage for our communities and the quality education our children deserve.
Neil McGill Gorsuch Confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/07/2017 09:13 AM
Washington, DC...Neil McGill Gorsuch was confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States this morning by the Senate. He was confirmed along a largely party line vote. He was confirmed using the "Nuclear Option" but it should be stated that the Harry Reid led Senate first used that tactic in 2013. The tactic had been threatened with use earlier but it wasn't until 2013 it was actually used for nominations. In many ways it is a sad day for the Senate that partisanship has reached the level that it has in what was always the more deliberate part of our political system.
Fuel Tax Funded Transportation Package Headed to Governor
Posted by: thepinetree on 04/07/2017 12:09 PM
Sacramento, CA...Late last night, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1 by Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose), a 10-year, $52 billion transportation plan, the largest overhaul of transportation funding in the state in more than 25 years. The Senate voted 27-11, and the Assembly voted 54-26 – the bare minimum two-thirds margins required for a tax increase. The voting occurred primarily on party line with all but one Democrat supporting the bill in the Assembly, and all Republicans voting “no.” In the State Senate, all Democrats voted to support the bill, with the exception of Senator Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa) voting “no," and Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Stanislaus) voting “aye.”
