SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A blustery weekend storm added to California’s big mountain snowpack, leaving icy conditions in the Sierra Nevada early Monday. Chains were required on sections of Sierra highways, but a backcountry avalanche warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area expired around sunrise. For a time on Sunday, about 74 miles (119 kilometers)…… MORE
California Sends Highly Specialized Search & Rescue Unit to Quake Area in Turkey
To aid in the rapid response to a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey & Syria early Monday, a California Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) team from Los Angeles will depart Monday evening to assist in life-saving search and rescue operations. At the direction of Governor Gavin Newson, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency…… MORE
7.8 Earthquake Kills More Than 2,800 in Turkey and Syria
AZMARIN, Syria (AP) — A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and neighboring Syria on Monday, killing more than 2,800 people and injuring thousands more as it toppled thousands of buildings and trapped residents under mounds of rubble. Authorities feared the death toll would keep climbing as rescuers searched through tangles of metal…… MORE
Farm Bill Listening Session At World Ag Expo
The Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn “GT” Thompson, according to the International Agri-Center, will kick off the 2023 Farm Bill listening session tour at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, starting at 10am on February 14th. Congressman Thompson will be joined by Rep. David Valadao along with bipartisan Members of the House…… MORE
Protecting U.S. Ag from Foreign Adversaries
The bipartisan Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act was introduced in both congressional chambers. It will protect U.S. national security by preventing foreign adversaries from taking any ownership or control of agricultural land and businesses in the United States. The bill will also ensure the USDA is fully involved in reviewing any acquisition of…… MORE
Pentagon: Chinese Spy Balloon Spotted Over Western US
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to risks of harm for people on the ground, officials said Thursday. A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S.…… MORE
Senate Bill Would Improve the Conservation Reserve Program
Senators John Thune of South Dakota and Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar reintroduced the Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act. A Republican and Democrat, respectively, the bill bolsters the CRP by improving access to grazing, maximizing enrollment options for producers, and addressing implementation issues following the 2018 Farm Bill. “After hearing from South Dakotans, it’s clear that we…… MORE
Selma Police Officer Killed In The Line Of Duty Identified
SELMA, Calif. (KMJ) — The identity of the Selma Police officer killed in the line of duty on Tuesday has been released. Selma Police Officer, Gonzalo Carrasco was shot and killed just before 12 noon while on a patrol in Selma. Carrasco was also an expectant Father who served with the Selma Police Department for…… MORE
California Not Part Of Colorado Water Agreement
Six states that rely on water from the Colorado River Basin recently reached an agreement regarding a model to drastically cut water use in the basin. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, and Nevada, “did exactly what we needed,” according to Colorado Senator Michael Bennet. However, the agreement doesn’t include California, the largest water user…… MORE
Census of Agriculture Deadline Nears
The deadline to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture is next week. USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service says farmers and ranchers must respond by February 6th online or through the mail. NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer says, “By participating in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, producers show the value and importance of American agriculture.” Last…… MORE
