California legislators can expect to earn about $5,000 more in 2014. The 5 percent pay increase takes affect for statewide elected officeholders starting in December. The California Citizens Compensation Commission made the ruling June 19. While the group was appointed by the governor, it was the voters who created the entity. Most lawmakers make about […]
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By Melissa Healy and Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times The American Medical Association voted Tuesday to declare obesity a disease, a move that effectively defines 78 million American adults and 12 million children as having a medical condition requiring treatment. The nation’s leading physicians organization took the vote after debating whether the action would do […]
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By Quentin Fottrell, Wall Street Journal New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to require residents to compost their food waste may cause headaches for some families, but experts say it could also help cut their rising grocery bills. Under the proposal, by 2016 the city will require residents to separate their food waste for collection. […]
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An early morning fire Wednesday completely destroyed a house in Tahoe City. The occupant and a dog got out without injury. North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District crews have not determined the cause of the fire in the 1800 block of Silver Tip Drive. There was concern the fire would grow larger because flames shot […]
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By Annalise Mantz and Jeffrey Dastin, Sacramento Bee A budget bill awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature would make it optional for local governments to comply with several key provisions of the California Public Records Act. The change is intended to save the state money because it typically reimburses local agencies for providing services it mandates. […]
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By Stephen Baxter, Santa Cruz Sentinel SANTA CRUZ — The voice of Deanna Brooks, a 70-year-old Santa Cruz antiques dealer, came to her son in a dream last week. Brooks has been missing since August 2012, the day she was expected to drive from her home on Berkeley Way in Santa Cruz to her mother’s […]
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By Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee The Placer County District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday that the man who reportedly started the 2,630-acre Robbers Fire has been rearrested and will stand trial on charges of arson causing great bodily injury and arson of an inhabited dwelling stemming from the July 11, 2012, incident. Bryon Craig Mason, who […]
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By Julie Cart, Los Angeles Times A federal report looking at trends in population growth, travel patterns and land use and their impact on the environment is predictably sobering. With the U.S. population expected to grow 42 percent from 2010 to 2050, the report from the federal Environmental Protection Agency offers a glimpse into the […]
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By Susanne Rust and Serene Fang, Center for Investigative Reporting A growing demand for milk and cheese in China has the potential to bring California’s beleaguered dairy industry back to life – and with it, renewed concern about its damaging effects on the environment. As China’s middle class grows, so does its appetite for dairy […]
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By Kathryn Reed Gerri Grego has all the paperwork filled out with the state and is ready to start campaigning for a race voters won’t go to the polls for until a year from now. The South Lake Tahoe resident wants to be the next El Dorado County supervisor who represents the basin in Placerville. […]
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