Photo: Matthew Carlstroem
East CA
When people divide California into regions, they generally choose to split the state into North and South. But Los Angeles and Sacramento have more in common than either does with Barstow. In East CA, Chris Clarke looks at life, people, and the landscape to the east of the spine of mountains that runs up the middle of the state; a land that might share more with Nevada, Arizona, or Northern Mexico than it does with the California Coast.
East CA:
I have walked the desert with other people and without other people, but I have never walked the desert by myself.
East CA:
The desert is defined by its lack of rain. Ironic, then, that it's during rainstorms that the desert most truly expresses its nature.
Commentary:
For 21 years, the 134-foot-tall thermometer in the center of Baker, California has provided a landmark for people traveling on Interstate 15. That will likely remain the case for some time, though whether the thermometer remains lit depends in part on who volunteers to pay the electric bill.
Commentary:
2012 was a year of change for the California Desert, as human society elsewhere increasingly closed its grip on the desert as a place to sacrifice for our comfort. But in a couple of ways, the desert struck back.
Commentary:
The Interior Department says Southern California can expect to get a lot less water out of the Colorado River in the next 50 years.
Weather:
It looks like the large rainstorm now bearing down on Southern California may skip the desert, or at least most of the desert.
Arts & Culture:
The Bureau of Land Management has offered a reward for information leading to the apprehension of those responsible for a bout of archaeological vandalism near Bishop that has angered fans of rock art worldwide.
Government:
San Bernardino County voters ended what is likely one of the state's most colorful political eras by ousting incumbent District 3 Supervisor Neil Derry, a Republican, in favor of Democrat James Ramos, former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
Government:
California's desert has voted, with turnout running around 50%, and the results of each Congressional race will likely surprise no one - but it looks as though the region may have shifted ever so slightly toward the liberal end of the spectrum.
Government:
Friday's debate between contenders for California's 36th Congressional District's seat got ugly fast.
Government:
Mary Bono Mack's campaign's attempt to cast Democratic challenger Raul Ruiz as a wild-eyed leftist seems to be fizzling.
Government:
The political stands taken by candidates in the Third District supervisor's race in San Bernardino are hard to unravel -- sometimes even if you ask the candidates directly.
Commentary:
Donald Trump calls the San Gorgonio Pass windmills "like a sad person's version of Disneyland."
Weather:
A powerful and widespread storm system hit hard at Thermal and Mecca's Desert Mobile Home Park, informally known as Duroville.
Environment:
A group of high-powered environmental organizations has filed suit to send the Cadiz water project back to the drawing board.
Economy:
Imperial County has the highest unemployment in California. Again.
Environment:
Does this weekend's swarm of earthquakes mean the Big One is coming? Yes... but not in the way you might think.
Commentary:
The Marines' Johnson Valley War underscores a fact of life in California: we no longer have enough desert to go around.
Environment:
An Orange County water district votes to approve importing water from the Mojave, thus claiming a minor place in a 150-year history of desert exploitation.
Government:
This last week makes it clear: California's State Parks doesn't really want to take care of the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. They should give it to someone who does.
SoCal Focus is a daily blog about the people, places and issues in and around Southern California.
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