Eastern Sierra News

Date: February 28, 2025 District: 9 - Bishop Contact: Christopher AndriessenPhone: (760) 937-7217   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Caltrans Releases Video Detailing Upcoming Keene Pavement Project   BISHOP – Caltrans released a video Friday afternoon providing the public with an update on the Keene Pavement Project. The project—which is currently in the design phase—will rehabilitate the travel lanes, shoulders, and center median of State Route 58 between Bealville Road and two miles west of Tucker Road (State Route 202) in eastern Kern County. It will also add a 3.5-mile-long eastbound truck-climbing lane just east of State Route 223. The video details the current status of the project, gives information on a recent traffic study, and provides a timeline of when the project is expected to go into construction.   The video can be viewed here: Keene Pavement February 2025 Update   For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e., Braille, large print, sign langua...

A local resident reached out to Sierra Wave Media and raised the concerns over AB 1333 so we looked into the new proposed legislation and delivered what we've found. First, remember, it wasn't that long ago at the Wye Road Shell station self defense was used in a life threatening situation. It was January 6, 2020. A local was held at gun point. How would AB 1333 affect an incident like this one?  Full article here about the Wye Road Shell Incident Click Here. What we found? Assembly Bill 1333, introduced by California Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur in February 2025, proposes significant amendments to the state's self-defense laws. The bill seeks to eliminate certain circumstances under which homicide is considered justifiable, notably in defense of one's habitation or property. Additionally, it aims to clarify situations where homicide would not be justifiable, such as when an individual uses more force than necessary to defend against a perceived threat or when the d...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Public Affairs Officer: Lisa Cox lisa.cox@usda.gov (760) 873-2427 www.fs.usda.gov/inyo Facebook @InyoNF Inyo National Forest to conduct pile burning on June Mountain starting March 4   BISHOP, Calif., February 27, 2025 — Inyo National Forest fire personnel will be conducting approximately 12 acres of pile burning near June Mountain Ski Area starting Tuesday March 4 and continuing throughout the week as necessary. Located adjacent to the upper portion of the mountain and west of the groomed trails (see map below; units MR-04 and MR05, circled), this pile burning project aims to decrease wildfire intensity and risk for neighborhoods and developed recreation sites near June Mountain, while also reintroducing fire to a fire-dependent ecosystem and minimizing spread of invasive weeds. Smoke is not expected to significantly impact the ski area, however smoke will be visible especially from June and Mammoth Mountain ski areas. Firefighters always seek to mi...

You're Invited to an Orchard Tree & Berry Plant Workshop Presented By Eastern Sierra Farm Fresh   Farm Advisor Dustin Blakey will be demonstrating how to prune apples and plant cane berries. There will also be a tour of the farm. The event is March 8 from 10 to Noon. 8830 Starlite Road, Bishop, CA. There is no charge to attend. Feel free to bring some pruners since we'll have some trees to practice on! Please RSVP by emailing esffbishopinfo@gmail.com. https://sierrawave.net/youre-invited-to-an-orchard-tree-berry-plant-workshop/

CONTACTO PARA MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN: Justin Caporusso/Caporusso Communications justin@caporussocommunications.com (916) 412-0571 El Condado de Mono informa de una muerte por hantavirus CONDADO DE MONO, California (27 de febrero de 2025) – La División de Salud Pública del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos del Condado de Mono lamenta anunciar el fallecimiento de un residente del condado a causa del hantavirus. El condado de Mono expresa su más sentido pésame a la familia y amigos del difunto. El hantavirus es común en el condado de Mono y la región de los alrededores, y se encuentra habitualmente en los ratones ciervos locales. La infección humana se produce por la exposición a excrementos, orina o saliva de roedores contaminados, normalmente cuando estos materiales se transmiten por el aire y se inhalan. No se produce transmisión de persona a persona. Estamos profundamente entristecidos por esta pérdida en nuestra comunidad», declaró el Dr. Boo, funcionario de salud púb...

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Caporusso/Caporusso Communications justin@caporussocommunications.com (916) 412-0571 Mono County Reports Fatality Due to Hantavirus MONO COUNTY, Calif. (February 27, 2025) – Mono County Health and Human Services, Public Health Division is saddened to announce the death of a Mono County resident due to hantavirus. Mono County extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Hantavirus is endemic to Mono County and the surrounding region, commonly found in local deer mice. Human infection occurs through exposure to contaminated rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, typically when these materials become airborne and are inhaled. Person-to-person transmission does not occur. “We are deeply saddened by this loss within our community,” stated Dr. Boo, Mono County Public Health Officer. “Hantavirus is a serious concern in our area, and we urge residents and visitors to take precautions to minimize their risk of exposure.” The exact source ...

Area Forecast Discussion Owens Valley / Mammoth Lakes / Mono County / Death Valley Dennis Mattinson / Sierra Atmospheric Forecaster Synopsis - FRI FEB 28 2025 Dry and mild weather thru Saturday. Then we have a small storm pushing in Sunday AM thru Monday, bringing light precipitation to the Owens Valley and Mammoth. Mammoth Main can expect about 4 - 6 inches of snow. It still looks active next week, but how active remains to be seen. We have a trough off the coast thru next weekend, but how close that system is to the coast, will dictate whether we get wetter or drier storms. None-the-less, you can expect some upper disturbances to bring a light precipitation (off/ on) next week. I should have a clearer picture in the next forecast....DMATT Area Wide Temperatures Today: Bishop: 66 / 32 Big Pine: 66 / 37 Independence: 65 / 41 Lone Pine: 64 / 44 Olancha: 66 / 44 Mammoth Lakes: 49 / 28 Death Valley: 86 / 61 https://sierrawave.net/?p=92923

Lunch & Learn   Enjoy great food and important conversations with fellow business leaders!   This month's featured program will be given by Louis Medina of Sierra Forever "The Mule as Working Animal, Teacher, Soldier, Legend, Friend."   Perfect timing as we will be gearing up for the 2025 Mule Days Celebration!   Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025 Time: 12 Noon Location: Bishop Country Club Golf Course Cost: $25 per person. Includes meal, non-alcoholic beverage, tax and gratuity. Also includes a chance to win a free future lunch.      RSVP Greatly Appreciated - Click Here To Reserve a Seat https://sierrawave.net/bishop-area-chamber-of-commerce-lunch-learn-2/

Date: February 27, 2025 District: 9 - Bishop Contact: Michael Lingberg Phone: (760) 920-0280 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Traffic Advisory for the Week of March 3, 2025 EASTERN KERN, INYO, and MONO COUNTIES - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces the following project work and traffic impacts for the week of March 3 – March 7. Work schedules are subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. New Traffic Impacts Eastern Kern County • Inyokern Utility Work – On State Route 178 E between Pony Street and Herbert Street, the eastbound shoulder will close while utility crews install fiber optic cable Monday and Tuesday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Inyo County • North Inyo Crack Sealing – On U.S. 395 between Ed Powers Road and Mill Creek Road, maintenance crews will crack seal the northbound lanes of the highway. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures Monday through ...

The Broncos had our first golf match today. Preseason non league action vs Burroughs from Ridgecrest. We had a very impressive outing for the first match beating Burroughs 421 to 472. There were some nerves going into the match but after playing a couple holes the team settled in and played outstanding. I am very pleased with how we played and kept the focus and recovered from some poor shots and scores. Our Seniors, Garin Pritchard and Cooper Beard stepped up and played very well today. Garin with the low round for the day with a score of 77, with Cooper right behind him with a 78, for Second place.Both Cooper and Garin showed incredible leadership and ability to start the season. Freshmen Francesco Toscanini and Zane Nicholson played amazing for their first ever high school match. Francesco placing 4th with an 82 and Zane posting an 87, for 6th place. I was very pleased with how they played and I am excited about the season ahead, looking forward to them adjusting and getting better....

MEDIA RELEASE 2/26/2025  --For Immediate Release— Contact: Louis Medina, Outreach Director, Sierra Forever (formerly Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association), Louis@sierraforever.org, Cell 323.788.7447   SnowSchool: Learning by Frolicking—It’s a Fifth-Grade Thing! Sierra Forever, Friends of the Inyo, partners and volunteers unite in ‘It takes a village’ spirit to teach local kids about snow science. Local nonprofits Sierra Forever and Friends of the Inyo, together with partners Winter Wildlands Alliance, school districts in Inyo and Mono Counties, and community volunteers delivered another successful SnowSchool experience to some 250 local fifth graders this winter. The last two weeks of February brought a flurry of activities to the snow-covered grounds around the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center and Aspendell’s Cardinal Village, turning the outdoors into a classroom designed for hands-on learning about the science of snow, winter survival tactics for both humans and animals, our loca...

Forecast Discussion Owens Valley / Mammoth Lakes / Mono County / Death Valley Dennis Mattinson / Sierra Atmospheric Forecaster Synopsis - THU FEB 27 2025 Mostly sunny weather thru Friday, the late Saturday cooler temperatures and light snowfall by Sunday. Not a big system by any means, but 4 - 6 inches possible at the Main Lodge by Monday. For the Owens Valley, a chance of light showers Sunday and Monday. Then another possible storm Tuesday - Wednesday March 4 / 5. Currently these storms do not look very impressive. Updates in the next forecast...DMATT Area Wide Temperatures Today: Bishop: 67 / 30 Big Pine: 67 / 35 Independence: 67 / 39 Lone Pine: 65 / 41 Olancha: 67 / 43 Mammoth Lakes: 53 / 25 Death Valley: 84 / 53 https://sierrawave.net/?p=92894

News Release Mammoth Community Water District PO Box 597, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 760-934-2596 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2025 CONTACT: Michael Draper, Regulatory Services Division MCWD 2025 Capacity Fee Schedule The 2025 Capacity (Connection) Fee Schedule takes effect beginning April 1, 2025   Mammoth Lakes, California – The Mammoth Community Water District would like to remind the community that the new connection fee schedule, adopted at the January 23, 2025, Board of Directors meeting, will go into effect beginning April 1, 2025. The new connection fees reflect the cost of buying into the existing water and wastewater system, facilities and services provided by the District. Customers are encouraged to review the new fee schedule related to their specific projects as completed applications received prior to April 1, 2025, will fall under the existing fee schedule. In June 2024, the District began work with a consultant, Robert D. Niehaus, Inc. (RDN), to evaluate th...

Mule Days Celebration | 55th Annual Press Release Date: February 24, 2025 Contact: info@muledays.org Phone: ((760) 872-4263 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 55th Annual Bishop Mule Days Celebration BISHOP — The 55th annual Mule Days celebration will take place on Memorial Day at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop, CA, within Mike Boothe Arena. Mule Days 55 will focus on the honoring and celebration of mules in the Eastern Sierra. The event will kick off on May 20th with the main celebrations throughout the weekend. The event will finally conclude with V.F.W. Memorial Day services at East Line Cemetery on Monday, May 26th. REVEAL - Returning to Mike Boothe Arena – Entertainers Bethany and Rider are set to thrill Mule Days audiences of all ages with a Trick Roping, Trick Riding, Gun Spinning, and whip cracking good time. The two have won multiple awards on Television and PRCA National Rodeo and are excited to visit the Eastern Sierra and Mule Days once again. The 2024-25 fundraising eff...

https://sierrawave.net/gun-shots-on-highway-6-shooters-fled-the-scene/

Area Forecast Discussion Owens Valley / Mammoth Lakes / Mono County / Death Valley Dennis Mattinson / Sierra Atmospheric Forecaster Synopsis - WED FEB 26 2025 Spring-like weather continues to dominate our weather. Temps will warm and the days, mostly sunny. A more active pattern looks to begin for Mammoth, with a Pacific low, moving inland into our area. For Mammoth we could see snow showers as early as Saturday night extending into Monday or Tuesday. For the Owens Valley, showers possible by Saturday night into Monday as well. This system will bring light mountain snow and valley rain. This system isn't big, but it's a start to a possible more pattern in March. Updates to follow...DMATT Area Wide Temperatures Today: Bishop: 69 / 31 Big Pine: 69 / 35 Independence: 69 / 39 Lone Pine: 67 / 42 Olancha: 69 / 42 Mammoth Lakes: 51 / 28 Death Valley: 90 / 54 https://sierrawave.net/dennis-mattinson-sierra-atmospheric-forecaster-weather-for-february-26th/

A Community Potluck and Fundraiser To Support Inyo County Residents Who Have Recently Lost Their Positions With Federal Agencies Sunday, March 2nd from 5 to 7 PM at Independence American Legion Hall This fundraiser is for federal employees whose employment was terminated recently, and are residents of Inyo County - including those that worked for the BLM, the Forest Service and the NPS.  We quickly put this fundraiser together so that monetary help could get to them when it is badly needed. If people cannot donate online, or come to our fundraiser on Sunday, they can also mail a check to:   Independence Civic Club P O Box 482 Independence, CA  93526   *Please indicate in the memo line that it is a donation for terminated federal workers. https://sierrawave.net/a-community-potluck-and-fundraiser-to-support-inyo-county-residents-who-have-recently-lost-their-positions-with-federal-agencies/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2025 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Nate Reade, Inyo-Mono Agricultural Commissioner (760)-873-7860 RECENT WARM WEATHER AWAKENS MOSQUITOES FROM WINTER SLUMBER IN THE OWENS VALLEY The Owens Valley Mosquito Abatement Program has received an increase in reports from residents seeing mosquitoes recently due to the unseasonably warm weather we have been experiencing. The mosquitoes are of the Anopheles species. “These mosquitoes are special because they overwinter as adult mosquitoes” said Rob Miller, Field Operations Supervisor for the Owens Valley Mosquito Abatement Program. “The warm weather has tricked them into coming out of their hibernation early.” These mosquitoes overwinter as adult mosquitoes that take shelter near our homes during winter months. They emerge on warm winter days and often appear sluggish but could still try to bite you. They will return to hibernation if the weather turns cold again. “These mosquitoes are more of a nuisance bite...

https://sierrawave.net/regional-entities-to-host-housing-needs-workshop/

Inyo National Forest, Pacific Southwest Region Forest Service News Release Public Affairs Officer: Lisa Cox (760) 873-2427 lisa.cox@usda.gov www.fs.usda.gov/inyo Facebook: @InyoNF Inyo National Forest seeks public input for off-highway vehicle grants for law enforcement Bishop, Calif., February 24, 2025— Inyo National Forest law enforcement is asking for public input on its grant proposal to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR). The public will be able to review and comment on the forest’s preliminary grant application beginning March 4 at olga.ohv.parks.ca.gov/egrams_ohmvr, with a deadline for public comments on May 6, 2025. “Grant funds will be used to support law enforcement activities for both OHV and OSV such as public information and education, staff time for enforcement of registration and safety regulations such as spark arrestor and helmet requirements,” said Laura James, Law Enforcement Patrol Captain for the Inyo National Fores...

National Slam the Scam Day March 6, 2025 On National Slam the Scam Day and throughout the year, we give you the tools to recognize Social Security-related scams and stop scammers from stealing your money and personal information. Help protect your loved ones and people in your community this Slam the Scam Day by: • Learning about the latest scams. Information can empower you to quickly recognize a scam. Signs of a scam include: o An unexpected problem or offer of a prize or benefit increase, o Pressure to act immediately, and o A request for an unusual payment like cryptocurrency, gift cards, gold bars, and wire transfers, even with the promise of keeping your money “safe.” • Reporting scams as soon as possible. Victims shouldn’t be embarrassed if they shared personal information or suffered a financial loss. We are all vulnerable. • Sharing our Scam Alert fact sheet and helping educate others about how to protect themselves. Report Social Security-related scams to th...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 24, 2025 CONTACT: Nick VaVerka, (916) 651-4614 Nicholas.VaVerka@sen.ca.gov   Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil prioritizes wildfire resiliency, rural issues in 2025 legislative package Priorities also include making California rural living affordable again, protecting parental involvement in children’s healthcare decisions, and promoting healthy bodies and minds of aging women   SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) rolled out her 2025 legislative package, featuring five bills focused on wildfire resiliency and rural issues—including two that were killed last year after she switched from Democrat to Republican.   “The devastation from recent fires is a stark reminder of the threat rural Californians face every year. Families are losing their homes, struggling to get insurance, and are potentially facing long-term health conditions due to smoke,” said Senator Alvarado-Gil. “These bills strengthen resources for rural communities, cut thro...

WASHINGTON – Last week, Representative Kiley (R-CA) sent a letter to Henry T. Yang, Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara, requesting an explanation for the University’s sponsorship and promotion of an “Anti-Palestinian Racism” workshop led by Academics for Justice in Palestine (AJP).   “AJP’s presentation framed Zionism, a core component of Jewish identity for the vast majority of Jews, as something to be deconstructed and separated from Jewish identity. It went further by mischaracterizing federal Title VI protections for Jewish students as ‘developed from anti-Palestinian racist frameworks,’ distorting their purpose and undermining efforts to combat antisemitism. This misrepresentation emboldens campus hostility against Jewish students. Furthermore, UCSB Student Affairs' endorsement of this session—without engaging Jewish community representatives—raises serious concerns about whether Jewish voices are being excluded from conversations about their own identit...

                                                   Bishop Bronco Wrestling                                                         22 Feb 25 By Dr. Mark Hodges Last Friday, two Bishop Broncos wrestled at the Central Section Championships, also called Masters. This tournament has the best wrestlers in the Central Section: 32 wrestlers in each of 14 weight classes, for a total of 448 wrestlers from 93 schools. The top 10 wrestlers in each weight class from Masters qualify for the California State Championship, which will have the top 40 wrestlers in the state.   The Bishop Bronco wrestlers were Mikey Trejo at 159 pounds and Kano Graves at 167 pounds.   Mikey Trejo lost his first match, putting him in the consolation bracket, but he bounced back in his next match. Mikey was ahead 6-2 then pinned his opponent from Righetti in 4 minutes, 2 seconds. Unfortunately, he lost his next match to a wrestler from Paso Robles, which put him out of the tournament. Mikey finished as one of the top 24 w...

Our girls basketball is returning to the Championship Game but this time in Division 5.  We will be taking on league rival Rosamond who we split with in league.  Game time is 10AM and the doors to Selland Arena in Fresno open at 9AM.  All tickets will be sold through GoFan. GoFan box office will be available for onsite credit card sales. There will not be a cash option available to purchase tickets. General Admission Ticket Pricing: ● Adults: $18.00 ● Students: $12.00   All seating is general admission and on a first-come first-serve basis. We are suggesting the higher seeded team fans sit in the Odd number sections (East Side of Arena) while the lower seeds use the Even sections (West Side) Look for yourschool’s banner hanging in the arena. Please be advised the arena has a new policy, whereby, NO BACKPACKS ARE ALLOWED INTO THE ARENA. The largest size bag is a diaper bag, provided you have the child with you.   We hope to see everyone there supporting your girls basketball t...