Archive - Mar 2012 - News Article
March 14th
An Eastern Sierra man died late last week during a fishing excursion along Topaz Lake.
The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the incident, which ended with the body of 74-year-old Francis McConnell, of Topaz, being pulled by a dive team from his submerged vehicle.
According to a press release issued Monday by the Mono County Sheriffâs Department, deputies were notified about 3:30 p.m. Friday that a vehicle âhad been driven into the water, from the shoreline, at Topaz Lake.â
March 12th
By
By Marilyn Blake Philip/Register Correspondent
Itâs crunch time for 11-year-old Chalfant Valley resident Corie Elizabeth Campbell, who launched a vigorous fundraising campaign in September to earn $8,000 by May 1 to finance a People to People Student Ambassador tour of the United Kingdom.
Two ongoing raffles with prizes to be announced in April, chores for hire and a hand-painted mug sale have helped Campbell to get half way to her goal so far.
On April 1, two raffle prize winners will take home either a Sturm Ruger 10/22 rifle or a Remington 870 .12 gauge shotgun. The first-place ticket-holder gets first choice.
City leaders will be going back to school next week as part of their ongoing efforts to encourage widespread participation in municipal government.
Through a program called âCouncil on Campus,â Bishopâs elected officials have arranged for their next, bi-monthly study session to take place in an auditorium full of high school seniors and other members of the public.
According to City Administrator Keith Caldwell, Mondayâs meeting at Bishop Union High School represents perhaps the first time in Bishopâs history that the City Council has convened in open session at a school campus.
By
By Wendilyn Grasseschi/Mammoth Times Staff Writer/Special to The Inyo Register
Mammoth Lakes resident Wangdowa Sherpa might be the only man in town who considers the 14,000-foot peaks outside of town to be a bit short.
But he can be forgiven.
Sherpa was born in a small village in Nepal, not far from 29,029-foot Mount Everest, where anything below 15,000 feet is considered the foothills.
March 8th
By
Mike Gervais/Register Staff
Inspirational adventurer and author Aron Ralston joined Inyo Countyâs Community Reads project Tuesday to share his story of hope and survival.
This yearâs Community Readâs book, Ralstonâs âBetween a Rock and a Hard Placeâ and the subsequent movie â127 Hoursâ starring James Franco, tell the tale of Ralstonâs fateful trip into the remote Utah wilderness in 2003.
While hiking solo down Blue John Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, Ralston dislodged a boulder that came crashing down on top of him, crushing Ralstonâs hand against the walls of the narrow canyon.
By
Marilyn Blake Philip/Register Correspondent
The 10th annual National Problem Gambling Awareness Week seeks to raise public awareness of the tragic effects of compulsive gambling while drawing attention to the widespread recovery services available.
National Problem Gambling Awareness Week is observed March 4-10 to âeducate the public about signs of problem and pathological gambling behavior,â said Karen Kong of Inyo County Health and Human Servicesâ Prevention arm.
In another sign of the depressed economic and increased environmental awareness times, the Clean Air Projects Program recently announced that it received 49 proposals requesting $16.5 million in funding for âclean air projectsâ throughout the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, with includes Alpine, Inyo and Mono counties.
With a budget of $5 million, it was noted that CAPP administration and the Air Districtâs proposal review committee âundeniably have their work cut outâ as they cull a majority of the requests and select the best of the proposal crop.
March 6th
By
Marilyn Blake Philip/Register Correspondent
As part of its mission to support and boost tourism and retail efforts, the Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau has announced ongoing, multifaceted plans which include revitalizing Bishopâs economy, attracting new businesses, being a presence at major seasonal trade shows, upgrading the Bishop Visitors Bureau and even sprucing up vacant storefront windows.
In addition, four new businesses have opened in Bishop this month alone and mainstays such as Bar-B-Que Billâs, Taco Bell, Paiute Palace Casino and many hotels and motels are investing in facility upgrades and repairs.
By
Deb Murphy/Sports Editor
With the visible scars of last yearâs Center Fire still evident, residents of Big Pine took the first step toward forming a Fire Safe Council last Thursday night.
Representatives from CalFire, the Bureau of Land Management and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power held meetings last week to discuss the advantages of establishing the community-driven councils in both Independence and Big Pine.
Civic leadersâ reputation for fiscal conservatism was on display again in recent days as they took steps to ensure measured growth to the City of Bishopâs workforce.
At the request of City Administrator Keith Caldwell, the City Council agreed Feb. 27 to extend Bishopâs hiring freeze for the remainder of current Fiscal Year 2011-12 and through FYs 2012-13 and 2013-14.
