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Joe Mosca Appointed To Deputy Mayor Position

In a swift unanimous vote, Encinitas Council member Joe Mosca was appointed to the deputy mayor seat on Dec. 20. Mayor Catherine Blakespear, after thanking outgoing Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz for his past year of service, nominated Mosca without further immediate comment. The other council members quickly agreed. The deputy mayor also traditionally serves as the president of the San Dieguito Water District.

Strong Winds Bring Chilly Temps, Potential Fire Danger Across Much Of The Southland

Strong Santa Ana winds continued to blow through most of Southern California on Thursday morning as a red flag warning and wind advisory remained in effect. The gusty winds brought cold temperatures, but fire officials still warned about the potential fire danger. “Mother nature is not helping us out,” said Battalion Chief Raymond Mitchison, adding that the region has experience “nonstop fire wind” for the past three weeks.

L.A.’s Increasingly Hot And Dry Autumns Result In ‘These Near-Apocalyptic Fires’

For weather experts, autumn in Southern California is “the great race.” The severity of the fall fire season is often determined by what arrives first — the fierce Santa Ana winds or the rains. This year, however, it’s been no contest. Autumn has seen excruciatingly little rain, intensely low humidity, record heat and powerful winds that sparked what is so far the second largest wildfire in modern California history. “The result are these near-apocalyptic fires that we’re seeing,” climatologist Bill Patzert said.

Politicians to Trump: Don’t Relicense Oroville Dam Until We Know Why Spillway Failed

Elected officials and other groups representing those living below the troubled Oroville Dam have asked the Trump administration to hold off on renewing its 50-year license, saying the federal government should at least know why the spillway broke in half last winter before signing off. On Wednesday, the dam’s owner, the California Department of Water Resources, sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission saying it was past time to renew the dam’s license, an effort that has been on hold for the past 11 years.

Despite Overnight Rain In Bay Area, December Tracking To Be One Of Driest On Record

For the first time in more than two weeks, rain fell overnight in the Bay Area. But the amount of precipitation recorded was minimal, and with no rain in the forecast through Sunday, December remains on track to be one of the driest in the Bay Area on record. Rain totals were generally less than one-tenth of an inch, with as much as .25 in some North Bay  locations, according to the weather service. Rainfall reports through 4 a.m. include Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains .24 inches, San Francisco .13 inches, San Carlos .10, Oakland .07, Danville .09 and San Jose .03.

Social Media Contacts Help Slash Costs of Yard Makeover

Anyone who wants to accomplish a water-wise yard renovation on a small budget should take a lesson from Happy Aston. When her family purchased a home in the College Area in 2015, Aston knew she’d need to make the front yard makeover a priority. The yard was filled with dying grass, weeds, yellow nutsedge and an ornamental pear tree. Friends and the family’s real estate agent told her there were rebates available for removing turf and planting a low-water-use landscape.

OPINION: California Is Still Dry And December Is Almost Over. Is It Too Soon For The D-word?

Is California back in drought? The unusually warm, dry start to this winter – along with intense wildfires in southern California – has many Californians experiencing “drought deja vu.” Despite this uneasy feeling, we are not in drought. The state’s reservoirs – the traditional measure of vulnerability during drought – are in good shape thanks to last year’s near-record precipitation. And for a change, more water was stored in the state’s underground water basins this past year than was taken out.

Project Backers Seek Investments From Water Bond

Moving closer to final decisions about which California water projects will receive funding from a bond passed by voters in 2014, the California Water Commission heard presentations regarding about a dozen storage projects that have applied for bond funding. Potential projects include large-scale surface storage, reservoir expansions, groundwater projects and recycled-water projects.

Water Board Gives Preliminary Nod To Night Meetings

With considerable discussion about the merits of providing public access to meetings versus cost and time efficiency, Ramona Municipal Water District directors are on course to switch their monthly meetings from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. if the ordinance to amend the legislative code is approved at their Jan. 9 meeting. The meeting will start at 2 p.m. in January. The revised meeting time received preliminary approval on a 3-1 vote on Dec. 12 with board members Jim Hickle, Jeff Lawler and Bryan Wadlington in favor, and board president Thomas Ace dissenting.

Poway Water, Sewer Rate Increases Approved

Water and sewer customers will notice larger bills starting in March as the result of the City Council approving rate increases on Tuesday night. The council approved increases of 3.5 percent for water use and 5.5 percent for the fixed water meter charge. Sewer rates will increase by 4.5 percent and the fixed sewer charge will to rise by 4.75 percent.