Author Archives: Merdies Hayes

Despite the thunderstorms and heavy downpours that blew through the Antelope Valley region this week, the searing heat is expected to expand across the Southwest through early next week which only tends to worsen conditions for drought-stricken California.

One of the joys of homeownership is that neatly-trimmed patch of green grass in the front and back of a house which has traditionally signified pride, dedication and character. Whether a regular crew is needed to manicure a stately landscape, or the homeowner every other weekend rolls out the trusty power mower and edger, maintaining your lawn in pristine condition is one of those regular pleasures which has been learned from childhood.

It couldn’t be a worse time for prep football players. With the season scheduled to begin in the next few weeks, five high schools that had all-weather sports fields (commonly known as “Astroturf”) installed by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) during the past five years must scramble to replace the turf—and find another field to play—because the material used is defective.

Agricultural profits are not the only things sinking in the Central Valley. The ground is sinking—in some places as much as two feet per year—because during the drought thirsty residents and desperate farmers have extracted too much ground water from the aquifer beneath the terrain in the region. New data from NASA suggests this practice has led to an unexpected dilemma because infrastructure—from roads, train tracks and bridges—is being placed as risk.

As wildfires continue to rage in parts of northern California, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this week issued some promising news for the drought-stricken state: El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean are gaining momentum thereby increasing the chances of an extra-wet winter on the West Coast.