By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
8-31-2010

Inyo County is on the fast track to high-speed broadband capabilities thanks to the recent award of federal funding.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced earlier this month the award of a broadband infrastructure investment grant to the California Broadband Cooperative, Inc., which will build a fiber-optic network in the Owens Valley.
The grant, totaling $81.1 million, will fund the construction of “Digital 395,” a middle-mile fiber-optic network between Barstow and Carson City, Nev.  
According to Inyo County Information Services Director Brandon Shults, Digital 395 “puts the Eastern Sierra on an equal socio-economic footing with non-rural areas without compromising the Eastern Sierra lifestyle.”
Shults said the Digital 395 project “is like the L.A. Aqueduct” in that it provides a huge conduit, but for information rather than water.

The new Bishop Unified School District Board – Trinna Orrill, Eric Richman, Carl Lind, Jim Tatum and President Kathy Zack – along with BUSD Superintendent Barry Simpson, Chief Business Officer Midge Milici and Administrative Assistant Resa Roberts (l-r) at last Thursday’s meeting. The meeting included a presentation of new ROP guidelines by Terry McAteer, county superintendent of schools. Photo by Mike Bodine

By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
8-31-2010

Popular regional occupational programs, known simply as ROP classes, are the latest educational opportunities that need to be adjusted accordingly in response to the sagging state and national economy.
Details are still being ironed out, but due to continued budget cuts from the state, the Inyo County Superintendent of Schools Office has proposed discontinuing adult/evening ROP classes next school year to preserve more classes for students during the day. However, this could also mean the loss of jobs for ROP teachers.
Glossy fliers were just mailed out to Bishop postal patrons advertising this school year’s adult/evening ROP offerings. 
At the latest Bishop Unified School District meeting on Thursday, Superintendent  of Schools Terry McAteer presented his plan to a restless and grumbling crowd.

By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
8-28-2010

The carnival rides have already started rolling into town and early-bird tickets go on sale today for the 2010 Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair being held this coming Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 2-6.
The main gate ticket office opens for business at 8 a.m. today, but some faithful and dedicated patrons have been hanging around in the fairgrounds parking lot most of the week for tickets. The crowd was expected to grow larger on Friday night, with folks showing up in their motorhomes or sleeping bags. And most of these folks are in line for one reason – tickets to the annual Bishop Volunteer Fire Department Destruction Derby.
Looking like a crowd of tweeners waiting for the opening of the newest “Harry Potter” cinematic adventure, each year these diehard derby fans get up early and wait hours, sometimes days, to get the reserved seats under the awning at the Main Arena.
Reserved seats for the derby have historically sold     out within the first couple hours after they go on sale.
The popular derby is the only arena event with reserved seating; all other events are general admission seating.

By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
8-28-2010

Flash-flooding and resulting mudslides closed U.S. 395 in Southern Inyo this week and prompted officials to shut down portions of State Route 190 through Death Valley.
As of Friday morning, Caltrans District 9 had re-opened U.S. 395 after intense, ongoing clean-up operations. Death Valley’s major thoroughfare was reported as open and clear.
The flooding began about 2:45 p.m. following a series of torrential downpours throughout the Owens Valley. Caltrans initially reported at 4:30 p.m. Thursday that a wall of mud between two and four feet deep and approximately 200 feet wide was still flowing across all of U.S. 395 between Dunmovin and Haiwee Reservoir south of Lone Pine.
Representatives from the California Highway Patrol said that the slide had pushed a big rig several hundred feet down the road. When officers arrived, they reportedly found several big rigs stuck in the mud, and vehicles backed up in both lanes. No injuries were reported.
Reports from Death Valley, while sparse, are that S.R. 190 east of Panamint Springs experienced flash-flooding and was washed out, with vehicles involved. The CHP Web Site stated that “softball-sized rocks” littered the road east of Panamint and Inyo County sheriff’s deputies were on scene directing traffic and, with the help of motorists, clearing the roadway of debris.