Malibu wildfire rages, destroys several structures
Reuters Firefighters made some progress in containing a wildfire in the beach community of Malibu, California, on Wednesday, but it continued to threaten several structures, force residents to flee and close schools in the area. More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the Franklin Fire, which had scorched nearly 1,620 hectares and was seven per cent […]
From Bach to Beyonce: Why a church orchestra aims to lift up young musicians of colour
DEEPA BHARATH, of Associated Press, reports on an initiative of the New Hope Presbyterian Church in Anaheim, California…
Deadly storm pounds north-west US, leaving half a million without power
Reuters A powerful storm clobbered Washington state on Wednesday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people while disrupting road travel and causing at least two deaths and two injuries. Winds should die down across the region by midday, but the storm has moved to California and is set to bring extreme rainfall by […]
Wildfire near Los Angeles burn dozens of homes
Updated: 3pm (AEDT) Santa Paula, California, US Reuters Over ten thousand people were ordered to evacuate communities north-west of Los Angeles as fierce seasonal winds drove a wildfire down tinder-dry hillsides into ranches and homes, authorities said. Firefighters and police cleared residents from neighbourhoods near Camarillo before homes were set ablaze by embers blown 3.2 […]
Sea lions take over California beach
Monterey, California, US Reuters Hundreds of California sea lions have taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, prompting local officials to close the area to people. Caution tape has been put up but crowds are still drawn to the animal spectacle, taking photos of the sea lions as they rest and play on the […]
Colorado wildfire blamed for one death as California blaze expands
Reuters A fast-moving wildfire has killed at least one person in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Colorado, one of a handful of blazes burning across the state, while thousands of firefighters in California struggled to contain the largest fire in the country. The individual killed in the Stone Canyon Fire, burning about 32 kilometres north […]
Park Fire grows to California’s sixth largest wildfire ever
Reuters Thousands of firefighters battling a massive northern California wildfire were working in milder temperatures and higher humidity Monday, but the blaze that has destroyed more than 100 structures since it began five days ago continues to grow. The Park Fire, which officials said was started by a man who pushed a flaming car into […]
StrangeSights: AI candidate on the ballot for UK election; desert monolith removed; and, fourth time lucky for “ugly dog” Wild Thang…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
United States AP A long-planned series of Catholic pilgrimages has begun across the United States on the weekend, with pilgrims embarking on four routes before converging on Indianapolis in two months for a major gathering focusing on Eucharistic rites and devotions. The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is beginning with Masses and other events in California, Connecticut, […]
Landslide forces closure of iconic Southern California chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son
Rancho Palos Verdes, California, US AP A decades-old landslide that’s rapidly accelerating has forced the dismantling of Wayfarers Chapel, an iconic Southern California church that was designed by one of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s sons and built among soaring redwoods and sweeping Pacific Ocean views. The earth beneath the chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes […]