Supervisors can help wind power start spinning- A committed group of Burney residents has been fighting the project, arguing that it would destroy the basin's most prominent vista. They want the windmills moved back off the ridge and out of view. Redding Record Searchlight editorial

Utilities putting new energy into geothermal sources- Geothermal energy may be the most prolific renewable fuel source that most people have never heard of. Although the supply is virtually limitless, the massive upfront costs required to extract it have long rendered geothermal a novelty. But that's changing fast as this old-line industry buzzes with activity after decades of stagnation. LA Times article

Input sought on diesel truck emissions- The Air Resources Board has made available for public comment its latest draft version of two landmark regulations that, if adopted at the board's December hearing, will clean up emissions from the estimated one million heavy-duty diesel trucks that operate in California beginning in 2010. Red Bluff Daily News article

Making the California water crisis a people issue- You almost need binoculars driving up Pacheco Pass on Highway 152 to find the water now puddled in San Luis Reservoir north of Los Banos, Calif. The lake in the foothills on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley can hold 2.1 million acre feet of water. It now holds just over 200,000 acre feet of water — stark visual testimony to the current California water crisis. Western Farm Press article

El Dorado County to review recycling options- Growing opposition to a proposed recycling site has spurred El Dorado County to take a fresh look at how it handles refuse. County supervisors also have agreed to involve the petition signers and other critics in the planning but said a new recycling center will remain key. Sacramento Bee article

City will count on tax hike - While reports show the city's sales tax revenue is less than the amount planned, a spike in property tax revenue will keep the city's budget in the black this year, the city's finance director said. Chico Enterprise Record article

Salmon carcass in Battle Creek estimated at 85 pounds- Measuring in at 51 inches - 4 1/4 feet - long, the male salmon was likely five to six years old, Killam said. Scientists used the salmon's girth and length to come up with their estimate of 85 pounds - and that's dead. The salmon probably weighed about 90 pounds alive when it started its swim from the Pacific Ocean back to Battle Creek. Redding Record Searchlight article

Good news shoppers: USDA says supermarket prices will soon fall- You knew it was bound to happen. For two years, farmers have watched with amazement while corn and then soybean and wheat futures rose into uncharted territory as short crops and ethanol demand fueled wild speculation in the commodity markets. Western Farm Press article

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