Although attendance was less than normal, firefighters at the Mountain Area Safety taskforce meeting were alert and wary.   August is the middle of fire season and the extremely high daytime temperatures and dry days pose significant warnings for these public safety officials. Just as the meeting began, firefighters’ cell phones, blackberries and iPads all…

La Niña is expected to continue through 2022 and into 2023. The drought’s end is not in sight. Last week, state officials issued drastic limitations on water withdrawals from the San Joaquin watershed. But it is the middle of June and the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaches. Our annual celebrations will offer some relief…

Three entrants correctly identified last week’s puzzle spot so the winner’s name was drawn from among them — Dallas Browning. Since no winner came forth last week, Browning won four tickets to the Rustic Theatre. This week you are again challenged to identify the particular spot depicted in this Hill photograph. It might be the…