Opinion

The Covid-19 pandemic has dominated the headlines for 18 months — and rightly so. But there is another respiratory virus that still demands our full attention. I’m referring to the all-too-common influenza, a viral infection that can be deadly, especially in high-risk groups. The flu...

In response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, California enacted stringent seismic safety standards for hospitals under the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act. While crucial for ensuring the safety and functionality of hospitals during and after seismic events, this mandate has presented...

Growing up in Greenfield in the late 1950s through the ’60s and beyond, we (“we” meaning those whose parents, grandparents and beyond spoke English) were introduced to foreign languages and English with idioms and accents previously unknown to us. I doubt I’m alone of...

Local column by Joanne Banuelos

Each holiday season comes with high expectations for happy, carefree gatherings. It’s all too true, however, that once the calendar turns to November, feelings of sadness or anxiety can sometimes take hold. Beyond major depression or severe anxiety disorders (which require professional help), it’s common...

It was one of those defining moments. Near reminiscent of the morning we watched one and then two towers collapse; when we got the news Diana died in a car crash. Not apocalyptic like that, but still shocking and time-defining. The newsflash came across...

The headline reads simply “Funny Papers June 18 2025.” Below the headline there is a blank page where on the left margin, expecting to go to work, the cursor waits, and waits, and waits. A quick glance at the clock on the wall lets...

California’s Central Coast and the broader statewide economy stand at the brink of a technological transformation driven by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. These innovations, once...

For those who do not recall Funny Papers Again of two weeks ago, it was about Christmas and so I had done some research about December celebrations, but due to word allotment it was omitted because I went on, some would say, on and...

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