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Can beavers help combat climate change impacts in California?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

For years, beavers have been treated as an annoyance for chewing down trees and shrubs and blocking up streams, leading to flooding in neighborhoods and farms. But the animal is increasingly being seen as nature's helper in the midst of climate change.California recently changed its tune and is embracing the animals that can create lush habitats that lure species back into now-urban areas, enhance groundwater supplies and buffer against the threat of wildfires.A new policy that went into effect last month encourages landowners and agencies dealing with beaver damage to seek solutions such as putting flow devices in streams or protective wrap on trees before seeking permission from the state to kill the animals. The state is also running pilot projects to relocate beavers to places where they can be more beneficial. The aim is to preserve more beavers, along with their nature-friendly behaviors.“There's been this major paradigm shift throughout the West where people have really trans...

Flo Milli Gets Her Flo Mix On

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

Flo Milli Gets Her Flo Mix On: Alabama-born rapper Flo Milli is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a “Flo Mix” track self-titled “Flo Milli.”The song is a reimagining of Lil’ Wayne’s “A Milli,” and it kicks off with the no-nonsense lines, “Motherfucker I kill, copyright my shit ‘cos weird b**ches like to steal.”Meanwhile, the video sees her wandering through a building, the parking structure, and ultimately on the roof. It’s like Aaron Sorkin directed a hip-hop walk-and-talk. Sorta.“With over half a billion streams to date, 23-year-old, Alabama born rapper, Flo Milli has taken the world by storm in her short ascent,” reads her bio. “Releasing her first official track ‘Beef FloMix’ on her SoundCloud in late 2018, she had gone viral by early 2019 on TikTok, marking her breakout success and she hasn’t let up since. Releasing tracks and visuals throughout 2019, she followe...

Are CBD Edibles Illegal? — The Confusing State Of CBD Edibles Law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

By now, most customers assume hemp-extracted CBD products are legal in the USA. After all, didn’t the 2018 US Farm Bill legalize all hemp-derived goods? If a CBD manufacturer follows this law, why would there be any issue with buying, selling, or using CBD extracts?While it’s true that CBD supplements are now OK in the USA, there are some complications in the nation’s hemp laws. Specifically, many federal authorities have issued warnings and raids on CBD edibles.Although it’s getting easier to find CBD edibles in the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issues with this emerging market. People interested in CBD gummies, drinks, or brownies must review the latest stance from state and federal regulators.Are CBD Edibles OK? — What Does The FDA Have To Say?The FDA’s website makes it clear that it doesn’t permit the manufacture of sale of CBD-containing edibles. Interestingly, the reason the FDA doesn’t approve CBD-infused edibles has to do with the approval of a CBD-containi...

$820 million Mega Millions jackpot is the 8th largest in the US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

Lottery players will have a shot at an estimated $820 million Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night, less than a week after someone hit a Powerball prize that topped $1 billion.The huge Mega Millions jackpot is the eighth-largest U.S. lottery prize and follows a $1.08 billion prize won by a player Wednesday in Los Angeles. California lottery officials haven’t announced a winner of that prize, which was the sixth-largest in U.S. history.Jackpots in the two lottery games grow so large because the steep odds make winning so unlikely, allowing the grand prize to roll over again and again. The last time someone beat Mega Millions’ odds of 1 in 203.5 million and won a jackpot was April 18 — that’s 27 drawings without a big winner.Related ArticlesBusiness | Missed out on the $1 billion Powerball jackpot? $720 million is up for grabs in tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot drawing Business | California man declared winner of November $2 billion Powerball Jackpot wins rou...

Fresh produce, Taco Tuesdays on the summertime menu in Los Gatos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

The smell of fresh California summer fruit is in the air at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market every Sunday. Many fruits and vegetables are picked just hours before the market opens and so have that tree-ripened sweetness.Ohana’s homemade potato chips are a favorite, along with the fresh baked good stands. For summer flowers, there’s Cavanaugh Color, a vendor for over six years. Their dahlias will perk up any garden. http://www.cafarmersmkts.com/losgatos-farmers-marketTaco Tuesdays are a hit at Hercules Draft House and Cantina, University Avenue and Highway 9. Owner Beltran Reyes said the response has been terrific. Can’t beat the prices: $5 margaritas, $3 cerveza and $3 tacos. It’s so popular, you might want to make reservations to 408-402-3131 or herculesdrafthouse.com.Traveling this summer? The new Destinations shop can fix you up with anything—and we do mean anything—related to travel. 301 N Santa Cruz Ave.The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an August Networking Mixer a...

Correction: Letters to the editor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

A letter to the editor on July 23 misspelled the name of a contributor. His name is Thomas Gray.

Women found dead in desert park near Las Vegas after hikers became concerned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

Two hikers were found dead in a Nevada desert park on a day the temperature reached 114 degrees.The pair, who were hiking together, were identified as Jessica Rhodes, 34, and Diana Matienzo Rivera, 29, of Las Vegas, the Clark County coroner’s office said. A determination of the cause of death was not released.Police were called to Valley of Fire State Park around 2:30 p.m. Saturday by a group of hikers who had become concerned that the women, whom they had seen set out on the trail that morning, had not returned to the trailhead.One woman’s body was found near a trail and the other in a canyon, the police said.Valley of Fire is a 60-square-mile desert park between Interstate 15 and Lake Mead.The deaths occurred the same week as that of a Death Valley hiker who collapsed after a 6-mile hike in temperatures near 120 degrees. Heat is believed to have been a factor in his death.There have been seven heat-related deaths this summer in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, a...

Caltrans testing new ramp lights to prevent wrong-way crashes: Roadshow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

Q: Another innocent person was killed by a wrong-way driver in Santa Rosa earlier this month. Once an idiot starts driving up the offramp, there are no signs telling the idiot to stop and turn around. Maybe the signage is too costly? What is a life worth? What do you think?Tom Lustig, Mountain ViewA: The state has been testing red lights on onramps and offramps to try to curb wrong-way driving. More testing will be done, but early indications are that these lights are very effective at reducing wrong-way crashes.Q: I am sure that the opinion that Pete Williams of Moraga offered recently is based on his experience. And he made some good points. But having had military driver’s training, a military driver’s license, and an FAA pilot’s license gives me a different experience and a different perspective of the cause of so many bad drivers with bad attitudes and poor driving performance.In my experience of driving in this valley for many years, the real cause of bad drivers is inadequate...

California among the most affordable states in terms of energy costs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

California is one of the most expensive states to live in, but in terms of energy costs, it is surprisingly one of the most affordable in the country.A study done by WalletHub has revealed that the state ranks 46th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in total energy costs for 2023. California residents pay, on average, $408 per month for electricity, natural gas, motor vehicle fuel and, if they use it, home heating oil.The most expensive? Another surprise, it’s Wyoming.The high cost is driven mainly by home heating oil. With its frigid winters, heating a home in Wyoming, as well as in North Dakota and Alaska, has made these states the top three most expensive energy. California, with its milder climate, uses very little heating oil.To determine the costs for each state, WalletHub researchers collected data from the Census Bureau, Energy Information Administration, Federal Highway Administration, AAA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Environment...

Oakland Airport expansion reflects the Bay Area’s changing demographics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:44 GMT

When the Oakland International Airport announced plans for a major expansion last week, the potentially profound implications for the Bay Area may not have been obvious — it’s long operated in the shadow of major airline hubs in San Francisco and San Jose.But in fact, the often-overlooked airport may finally be catching up to the major role that aviation has played in the East Bay — and that the East Bay has played in aviation.Last Wednesday, Oakland Airport officials published a draft environmental report outlining their plans for terminal modernization and development, an early step in a push to reimagine an airport that hasn’t seen significant upgrades in 40 years. The plan, which is currently open to public comment, outlines dramatic changes for the airport — including the construction of a new 830,000-square-foot terminal building, upgrades to existing facilities, and the addition of 16 gates to “meet increasing air travel demand.”It’s an effort to tap into what many see ...