Inyo Register
No support for Death Valley land transfer
Citing a financial hit to area schools and a continued decline in private property ownership, Inyo County supervisors said they couldn’t support a proposed land donation from U.S. Borax to Death Valley National Park on Tuesday. According to staff,...
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‘Hero, dad, best friend’
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part story. The first part was published on Jan. 15. The sea has to be mighty cold for a body to freeze onto the life ring that is keeping it afloat. But the Barents Sea, off the northern coasts of Norway...
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Great haste makes green waste
For Jeanine Lomaintewa, green waste clearance is a weighty, ongoing task. She is a steward and fuel reduction coordinator with the Three Creeks Collective, a rare five-acre oasis returned to Indigenous care that lies between Big Pine and Independence...
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NIHD to tackle anticipated struggles
Henry Ford once said, “If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’re going to always get what you’ve always gotten.” Northern Inyo Healthcare District Chief Executive Officer Christian Wallis quoted the auto industry magnate when describing...
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‘A Living Legend’
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part story. When Bridgeport resident Richard “Dick” Burbine came into the world a century ago in Melrose, Mass., a number of things we take for granted today, like nylon, radar, ballpoint pens, Teflon,...
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Residents want ‘Ice Out For Good’
Eastern Sierra communities joined “Ice Out for Good” protests that were carried out throughout the country over the weekend, following last Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis mom Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
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ESBRC Leadership Development Program graduates 27 local leaders
A first-of-its-kind business leadership training effort in the Eastern Sierra culminated in the graduation ceremony of 27 local professionals who completed the Eastern Sierra Business Resource Center’s fivemonth-long Leadership Development Program...
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New USPS rule could affect mail delivery dates in California
From election ballots to tax returns, a new U.S. Postal Service rule could change how quickly important mail reaches its destination in California. According to the Federal Register — the federal government’s official journal — the Postal Service is...
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Impromptu action taken
Members of the South County Advocates organization gathered at Spainhower Park in Lone Pine Sunday to protest the Trump Administration’s military action in Venezuela over the weekend. Early Saturday morning, U.S. troops seized Venezuelan President...
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A final look back at 2025
Sept. 20: Trustees say policy does not align with district mission — A proposal to consider banning transgender athletes from girls’ sports was rejected in September, with Bishop school leaders stating the move does not align with the mission to...
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Another look back at 2025
May 1: Golden mussel threatens Eastern Sierra — While it had yet to be detected in the Eastern Sierra, officials began warning the public about an invasive species that could have a devastating effect on the local economy. The Bishop Chamber of...
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A look back at 2025
Jan. 7: Missing hiker’s body found on Mt. Whitney — The body of an Inyo County resident Taylor Rodriguez was found on Mt. Whitney days after he set out to summit the peak. Rodriguez was located half a mile northwest of Upper Boy Scout Lake at an...
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Later is better for end-of-holiday sale
While it may be true that the early bird catches the worm, the late shopper — as in the one that waits to hunt for discounts after Christmas — might just be the one to swoop in on the best bargains. The Inyo Register made the rounds earlier this week,...
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Climber to serve 6 months in jail
Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of domestic abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. Prominent California rock climber Lonnie Kauk has been sentenced to six...
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Nuttier than a fruitcake
The colorful wackiness of the Mad Hatter and many other “Alice in Wonderland” characters manifested mightily at the Independence Legion Hall Saturday, during “The Mad Hatter’s Fruitcake Party,” which was the theme of this year’s Fruitcake...
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Local ‘water protectors’ sue LADWP
The three member organizations of the Eastern Sierra Water Alliance filed a joint lawsuit Wednesday against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, claiming the utility has failed to comply with legally required vegetation mitigation work in the...
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‘Mad Hatter’s Fruitcake Party’ promises zany fun
The Independence Fruitcake Festival may outdo itself in theme zaniness this year, as organizers get ready to host “The Mad Hatter’s Fruitcake Party” Saturday for the 18th annual celebration of a rich holiday treat that has been around for...
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Shopping with the cops
It took two counties, more than a dozen law enforcement agencies, scores of volunteers, countless monetary donations from the community, and generous accommodating retailers to put on the Eastern Sierra Shop with a Cop event in Bishop Saturday. But...
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Bishop abuzz with Bronco fever
Will stomping hooves stampede to victory today, or will sharpened talons claw their way to a win? The Bishop Union High School Broncos will face off against the Calaveras High School Red Hawks in the California Interscholastic Federation State Finals...
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A difficult year for wildlife
The annual newsletter of local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation nonprofit Wildcare Eastern Sierra issued last Friday does not pull any punches: 2025 has been “A difficult year for wildlife,” as its headline proclaims. The culprit? “Human-related...
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Bringing holiday cheer to Bishop
Good cheer inundated the streets of Bishop Saturday, with the fun holiday hustle and bustle of the Community Christmas Parade and Downtown Festivities served up by the city and participating businesses, agencies and nonprofits. The fun started early...
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Nurses, techs ready to strike
Union employees at Northern Inyo Healthcare District have given notice of intent to strike beginning Monday, Dec. 15, in case state mediation with the hospital scheduled for Dec. 9 fails to meet resolution over staffing and wage disputes. Employees...
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Small town, holiday spirit, good cheer
Nothing says “small town” like a parade. And nothing says “small town with a big backyard for the holidays” like Bishop’s annual Community Christmas Parade & Downtown Festivities, set to bring good cheer to all on Saturday, Dec. 6. “Bishop’s...
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One more game to go
The Bishop Union High School varsity football team is one victory away from the state finals. The Broncos are headed to their first California Interscholastic Federation Regional Championship in six years next weekend after defeating Woodlake High...
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What’s in a new name?
It began with the need to get new uniforms, Marisa Gierlich explained. The executive director of adaptive sports nonprofit organization Access Mammoth was talking to a full house at Mammoth Coffee Roasting for the Nov. 12 Mammoth Lakes Chamber of...
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Giving a helping hand
Coming on the heels of self-pampering through food and football on Thanksgiving Day and shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday is a selfless call to refocus. This day of generosity that manifests primarily through online giving to...
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Here’s when to fly and drive for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is days away. Whether you’re roasting a turkey, watching football or gathering with family, be ready for recordbreaking traffic and big crowds in California. AAA predicts a surge in holiday travel this year, with nearly 82 million people...
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Swalwell to run for governor
First, there was Bill Clinton and Arsenio Hall. Then, there was Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jay Leno. Now, there’s Eric Swalwell and Jimmy Kimmel. Using the national platform of late-night TV that has created iconic moments for aspiring politicians...
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Crafting for charity and profit
Things got crafty in Bishop last Saturday, but not in a serpent-in-the-Garden-ofEden sort of way. Think artsy, as in holiday bazaars and boutiques— specifically, the Bishop United Methodist Women’s Holiday Bazaar for charity at the United Methodist...
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Pelosi announces retirement
WASHINGTON — Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who scaled the leadership ladder to become the first female speaker of the House, will not seek a 21st term next year, she announced in a video message Thursday. “I want you, my fellow San...
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Love for Owens River runs deep
The love for the Owens River runs deep among anglers and conservationists from all over California who consider its waters home. That was evident last Saturday, a sun-kissed fall day at the Pleasant Valley Campground, where the river skirts around...
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Crews engage Sage Fire in Mono County
Crews are working to contain a blaze that broke out to the southeast of Mono Lake last Monday that has grown to 90 acres in size. The Sage Fire was located and confirmed at 6:12 p.m. on Oct. 27, south of Highway 120 near Sentinel Meadow. The fire was...
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‘Small town with a big backyard’ and a Marshalls
Bishop officially became the “small town with a big backyard” — and a Marshalls — on Thursday. The enthusiastic fanfare with which the opening of a nationwide chain at 1375 Rocking W Drive was received helped illustrate the thirst for shopping that...
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Bishop A-frame to be torn down
The landmark A-frame building that has housed the Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is headed for demolition. The Bishop City Council on Monday said that based on a comprehensive structural condition assessment of the building by...
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Undocumented woman suing ICE contractor for harassment is deported
A Sacramento-area undocumented woman who is suing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractor for sexual harassment was deported to Mexico early Saturday morning before her lawsuit could be heard in court. Silvia Reyna, 52, was removed from...
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A Community Treat
Nearly 500 children and families attended Inyo County Health and Human Services Public Health & Prevention’s LIFE Night Trunk or Treat last Thursday for an evening filled with fun, creativity and community spirit. The Consolidated Office Building’s...
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Lifeline thrown to Lone Pine hospital
Southern Inyo Hospital District received a muchneeded shot in the arm this week. The Inyo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $500,000 loan to help address the district’s short-term funding deficiencies and support its efforts to...
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‘Relentlessly brave, radically kind’
Nearly 1,200 people joined 7 million protesters across the country this weekend to decry President Donald Trump’s policies for a second time this year. Some 700 Bishop residents participated in No Kings 2.0 rallies on Saturday, along with 350 people...
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Mt. Whitney hikers love this Chinese restaurant pitstop
Nathaniel Whitfield’s friend from the climbing gym in Los Angeles recommended checking out the “Merry Go Round” the next time he was in the quaint mountain community of Lone Pine. So the 33-year-old found himself eating panfried noodles 200 miles...
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Swept up in movie magic and local charm
LONE PINE — I traveled an hour south of Bishop last weekend to attend the 35th Lone Pine Film Festival, and ended up discovering much heartwarming history, community love and local pride in the “Little Town with Lots of Charm.” For starters, the...
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Running for the ‘Light’
Eastern Sierra runners will have the chance to test their mettle on some of the best trail and dirt road courses the region has to offer later this month while supporting a critical first responder unit at the same time. Inyo County Search and Rescue...
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‘A light at the end of the tunnel’
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voiced support for a potential $500,000 loan or grant to Southern Inyo Healthcare District, which would help keep the Lone Pine hospital’s doors open through the beginning of the year. The district’s...
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A night out in Bishop
Bishop Police Department hosted National Night Out at Holland Park, behind City Hall on Oct. 7 to promote crime awareness and engage with the community. The evening included face painting, K-9 demonstrations and informational materials provided by...
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‘Reel adventure’ in Lone Pine this weekend
The 1948 movie poster promises viewers “The most famous temptress… The most violent romance…The greatest love story in 100 years!” as Rita Hayworth titillates in full Technicolor glory in “The Loves of Carmen.” They don’t make movies like that...
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Trump uses repeated funding cuts to pressure California
The federal Office for Victims of Crime announced in the summer that millions of dollars approved for domestic violence survivors and other crime victims would be withheld from states that don’t comply with the Trump administration’s immigration...
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Preventing a medical desert ‘bigger than Death Valley’
State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, R-Jackson, had several questions, ideas and suggestions for rescuing the struggling Southern Inyo Healthcare District hospital when she visited the facility Sunday. That included an appeal letter she plans to send to Los...
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A Gathering of Nations
Hundreds of Indigenous peoples from Inyo County and beyond converged on Bishop last weekend for the the Pabanamanina Pow Wow and California Indian Days. A pow wow is a gathering and place where Indigenous peoples from all tribal backgrounds come to...
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‘A state worth fighting for’
Former California Controller Betty Yee is glad for direct-flight service from San Francisco to the Eastern Sierra. Last Friday, the East Bay resident and Democratic party member flew to Bishop as part of her Betty Yee for Governor 2026 campaign. She...
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Celebrating heritage and culture
Hundreds turned out for the City Of Bishop’s Hispanic Heritage and Latino Conservation Week Celebration Saturday at the Tri-County Fairgrounds. The six-hour event started with crafts and information activities followed by folklorico dance performances...
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Climbing for a cause
Dozens of Eastern Sierra residents climbed some 2,200 stairs at the Tri-County Fairgrounds Thursday to honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb was hosted by the Bishop Volunteer Fire Department Association to...
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
Building on the success of last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month and Latino Conservation Week Celebration — which drew as many as 700 attendees to Church Street behind Bishop City Hall — the city is moving the event to the Tri-County Fairgrounds this...
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A-frame receives an ‘F’
The structural assessment of the building that houses the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is not good, according to a recent independent engineering report. While the building at 690 N. Main St. has not been red-tagged, the report...
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Restaurant damaged in Highway 395 big rig crash
An allegedly stolen big rig slammed against the side of Bishop’s Mahogany Smoked Meats and a row of unoccupied vehicles parked in front of the North Sierra Highway eatery Wednesday, severely injuring its driver and closing down Highway 395 for almost...
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Staffing crisis hits national parks
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For months, the Trump administration has ordered national parks to stay open and accessible while slashing National Park Service staffing, delaying seasonal hiring and pushing remaining staff to their limits. The National Parks...
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Kiley tours Eastern Sierra
On a whirlwind Eastern Sierra tour Thursday, Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, visited iconic public lands with local nonprofits, lunched with business leaders, cut the ribbon to officially open the TriCounty Fair, and shopped for tasty baked goods at...
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Addressing a ‘bear’ of a challenge
Rumor-fueled concerns about bears “disappearing” from the Mammoth Lakes area were addressed at the Aug. 20 Town Council meeting, dispelling fears that the animals are being trapped and collared to be killed. “We have euthanized zero bears this year,”...
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‘Never Again is Now!’
Pat Sakamoto was born in Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II. Her family experienced detention, ostracism, separation, post-traumatic stress, and following release, lingering prejudice. Her mother had a hard time talking about Manzanar,...
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Carnival lights and mountain nights
The Eastern Sierra’s biggest event, the TriCounty Fair, returns to Bishop with a theme that promises “Carnival Lights & Mountain Nights” this Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 28-31. Like its iconic spinning Ferris wheel, this year’s fair is a...
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Visitors see the stark toll of LA’s water use at Mono Lake
LEE VINING, Calif. — At a trailhead surrounded by sagebrush, a naturalist welcomes a group of visitors to Mono Lake beside a sign that reads “Oasis in the Desert.” Guide Ryan Garrett, his face alight, greets the group of vacationers and entreats them...
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Making the lakes look good
Some people prefer to do their volunteering underwater. That certainly applies to the more than 1,200 individuals who have donated nearly 16,000 hours of volunteer time to Clean up the Lake, a Nevadabased nonprofit that removes litter from bodies of...
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Final round of Millpond artists announced
Inyo Council for the Arts has announced the fifth and final round of performers for the 2025 Millpond Music Festival, taking place Sept. 19-21 at the Millpond Recreation Area just outside of Bishop. The three-day event includes two stages of...
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Mix of music lined up for Millpond festival
Inyo Council for the Arts has announced the fourth round of performers for the 2025 Millpond Music Festival, taking place Sept. 19-21 at the Millpond Recreation Area just outside of Bishop. The three-day event includes two stages of performances from...
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Summiting her namesake
An Olancha 7-year-old will have a lot to tell her friends when she starts second grade next week. Together with her father Jeff, Lo-Inyo Elementary School student Sierra Heinz hiked to the top of the highest peak in the contiguous United States: the...
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West Nile Virus found in Inyo County
The Owens Valley Mosquito Abatement Program confirmed this week that a trapped single mosquito sample tested positive for West Nile virus. The virus was detected on Tuesday in a trap collected on the Owens River Delta near Highway 136 from a mosquito...
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‘Last Party at The Woodsite’
This year marks the end of an era for the Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza, as the popular music festival will celebrate its “Last Party at The Woodsite” today through Sunday following the recent sale of Minaret Road land that has been its...
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Tanasi, The Motet and Roy Rogers to perform at Millpond
Inyo Council for the Arts has announced the second round of performers for the 2025 Millpond Music Festival. The 33rd annual festival will take place Sept. 19-21 at the Millpond Recreation Area just outside of Bishop. The three-day event includes two...
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Concerns about memorial park raised
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors has directed staff to address concerns regarding a veterans memorial park proposed for Independence that would highlight the accomplishments of two veterans. The Independence Civic Club has proposed turning the...
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Chasing the geostorm
Tracking a geomagnetic storm last October, professional astrophotographer Dan Zafra drove from Las Vegas to Mono Lake with one goal in mind: to try to capture the aurora borealis. It would mean a sleepless night for him, as he had to be back home the...
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Talkin’ trash at Rock Creek Lake
Last week, Redlands residents Mason and Michele Einhorn were on their way Santa Rosa to celebrate a 93-year-old friend’s birthday. As they were passing through the Eastern Sierra on their 488-mile trek, the couple decided to make a pit stop and help...
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Supes to consider memorial park in Independence
The former site of the old county jail could become a memorial to two Independence veterans. The Inyo County Board of Supervisors will listen to a proposal to convert the southwest corner of the Independence Courthouse Campus to a veterans memorial...
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Bold art inspired by love, kindness, acceptance
Like the proverbial yellow brick road, the crosswalk at the intersection of Main and Church streets in downtown Bishop leads one straight to a fanciful place: the vibrant color vortex of Wild Free Spirit Art. Teresia Knight opened the new gallery at...
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Bishop Mule Days 2025 surpasses expectations
Last fall, the Bishop Mule Days Board of Directors said the decadesold event was in jeopardy due to financial constraints and asked the community for help in raising at least $100,000 to keep this years’ show alive. After a successful winter and...
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Breaking Badwater 135
Simen Holvik of Norway recorded his best time in the Badwater 135 this week, leading a pack of runners from the United Kingdom, United States and Spain in the 48-hour ultramarathon. Holvik, 48, crossed the finish line at Mt. Whitney Portal in 21...
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Music to Millpond’s ears
The 33rd Annual Millpond Music Festival returns to Bishop Sept. 19-21, and the Inyo Council for the Arts has announced the first round of performers taking the stage at the Inyo County Millpond Recreation Area. The three-day event includes eclectic...
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Fishing, frolicking and fun on the Fourth
There were plenty of Owens Valley residents and out-of-town guests enjoying the sunny weather and activities in the region this past Fourth of July weekend. From taking a free dip in the Bishop City Park pool, to watching the Slim Princess steam along...
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Owens Lake turning to dust?
In the early 20th century, when Los Angeles was still a nascent city in a dry California basin, William Mulholland, the former head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — and the controversial figure who inspired Roman Polanski’s...
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