Tag Archives: mono county california

Local News

Road to Bodie is Open

CALTRANS Opens State Route 270 Bodie Road

April 18, 2016

MONO County – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has reopened State Route 270 (SR-270) Bodie Road.  Snow and debris have been removed and work has been completed to ensure the traveling public’s safety.

The State Route openings are dependent on favorable weather.  If the area is impacted by inclement weather Caltrans may have to re-close the highway.  For the latest in highway information, call the Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623), or online at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.

Weather and road conditions can change rapidly.  Motorists should be prepared when traveling in mountainous areas that are subject to winter driving conditions, which includes carrying chains.

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Local News

Mono County Controlled burn Today

Mono County burn today

March 1, 2016
submitted by the Inyo National Forest

Fire crews took advantage of excellent smoke dispersal yesterday to complete 120 acres of piles near Wilson Butte. A few acres remain, but crews wanted more snow to complete those.

Today, they hope to take advantage of the continued favorable dispersal forecast and they will shift operations to the Dry Creek Unit. This is west of Crestview Rest Area and along Deadman Road. There are 69 acres of piles remaining in the unit that they hope to complete them today. Expect to see smoke along Hwy. 395 and possibly from Mammoth Mountain.

Thinning and pile burning helps restore a healthy forest more typical of the Sierra Nevada. The forest used to be far more open and sunny with less trees per acre than is seen today. Thinning removes the ladder fuels for greater fire safety and reduces competition for water, sunlight, and nutrients among trees and plants.

cover photo, USFS File Photo

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Local News

Mono County Pile Burning

Pile Burning set near Crestview

Inyo National Forest Notice:

Fire crews plan to take advantage of the wintry weather to burn 53 acres of piles today (Tuesday, January 5th) and tomorrow (Wednesday, January 6th). The Dry Creek Unit is located west of the Crestview Rest Area. Visitors and residents may see smoke north of Mammoth Lakes and west of Hwy 395.
Pile burning safely reduces fuels that can lead to larger, more destructive fires under hot and dry conditions.

Pile burning

Photo by Mark Fogg

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Local News

Crews Burning Piles Today Near June Lake

Pile Burning Today near June Lake Junction

By Arnie Palu
Friday, December 11th

The Inyo National Forest has announced crews will be burning piles today near June Lake.  According to officials at the Forest Service, Fire crews plan to take advantage of the recent winter storms and westerly wind (for good smoke dispersal) to complete approximately 16 acres of pile burning near the June Lake Junction, east of Hwy 395. Smoke will be visible along the highway through the June Lake area.

Additional Pile Burning in Mono County is planned this winter along the 395 corridor.  Earlier this week the officials announced that as weather conditions permit, the White Mountain Ranger District of the Inyo National Forest will be conducting prescribed pile burning operations at sites located along the Highway 395 corridor around Crowley Lake from Tom’s Place and Sunny Slopes to McGee Creek this winter.

Fire crews will take advantage of any winter storms passing through the region to safely complete these pile burning projects.

Smoke may be visible at times from Highway 395 as well as from nearby communities. Prior to burning,  much consideration goes into current and forecast wind direction to divert much of the smoke from communities and recreation sites.

The purpose of the burning is to reduce hazardous fuels and to restore fire-adapted ecosystem conditions.

The Inyo National Forest works closely with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District to select days that will provide good smoke dispersal. 

Cover photo provided by the Inyo National Forest

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Local News

Pile Burning planned around Crowley

Inyo National Forest Prescribed Fire Projects

submitted by the Inyo National Forest
Thursday, December 10th

As weather conditions permit, the White Mountain Ranger District of the Inyo National Forest will be conducting prescribed pile burning operations at sites located along the Highway 395 corridor around Crowley Lake from Tom’s Place and Sunny Slopes to McGee Creek this winter.

Fire crews will take advantage of any winter storms passing through the region to safely complete these pile burning projects.

Smoke may be visible at times from Highway 395 as well as from nearby communities. Prior to burning,  much consideration goes into current and forecasted wind direction to divert much of the smoke from communities and recreation sites.

The purpose of the burning is to reduce hazardous fuels and to restore fire-adapted ecosystem conditions.

The Inyo National Forest works closely with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District to select days that will provide good smoke dispersal. 

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Local News

Mammoth Lakes PD says “Know your Limit”

Know Your Limit Before Driving Impaired

submitted by the Mammoth Lakes Police Department

Mammoth Lakes, CA – The Mammoth Lakes Police Department is beginning a new educational program to reduce drunk and impaired driving. On November 28, 2015, from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM, the Mammoth Lakes Police Department, in partnership with Mono County Behavioral Health and Mammoth Taxi, will be conducting a Know Your Limit event in the Village at Mammoth.

Know Your Limit is designed to help potentially impaired drivers make informed decisions as to whether or not they are capable of operating a motor vehicle safely. Officers will be present in front of Lakanuki (6201 Minaret Road) with several PAS devices and educational material. Citizens will be offered the opportunity to submit to a voluntary PAS test, also known as a breath test. The results will be provided to the citizen, along with information on driving under the influence and a token for a free taxi ride provided by Mammoth Taxi. The tokens have been paid for by Mono County Behavioral Health and can be used the night of this event or any other night for a ride home provided that the ride is within the town limits. If the taxi ride is outside town limits (i.e., Main Lodge, the Bluffs, or Crowley Lake), the token is only good for its face value of $5.

This educational program offers citizens the opportunity to learn more about alcohol consumption and its effect on their breath alcohol content. MLPD hopes that by providing citizens with a better understanding of their own limits on alcohol consumption that they will choose not to drive if they are above the legal limit.

The Mammoth Lakes Police Department will offer this informative opportunity several times throughout the year in Mammoth Lakes.

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Local News

Mono County Search and Rescue

Successful Mono County Mission on Mt. Morrison

Provided by the Mono County Sheriffs Department:

Search and Rescue Operation on Mount Morrison

On Friday, November 20, 2015, two hikers from Ventura, California, called 911 for help.  The two friends had attempted to summit Mt. Morrison just south of Mammoth Lakes, California, but reached a spot on a steep slope near the summit from where they were unable to continue either up or down.  The Mono County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team responded to the trailhead at Convict Lake and sent teams into the hikers’ location.  The Search and Rescue Teams were able to assist them down from their location and escorted them back to their campsite.

Many thanks to our Search and Rescue members, who volunteer their time and expertise to safely extricate those who are in need of assistance in the back country.

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Local News

Delays on Convict Lake road Delayed

4 hour delays postponed

Update to the Convict Lake Road Project:

 The scheduled four-hour closure (for September 1 and September 2-3 (if needed) along the Convict Lake Road has been postponed. Production and shipment of the concrete slabs for the pedestrian bridge has been delayed.

The normal 30-minute delays from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, excluding weekends and holidays, will remain in place.

The Forest Service will update you when the new scheduled four-hour closures soon. It will likely be in late September.

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Local News

Unlucky Day at Shamrock Lake

Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team aids an ill hiker at Shamrock Lake

Written and reported by: Jennifer M. Hansen, Public Information Office

On Monday, August 3, 2015, at approximately 10:20am, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a call regarding an ill hiker at Shamrock Lake.

A female hiker, age 52, of Ventura, California, and her family came to the Eastern Sierra for vacation. The family hiked to Shamrock Lake for an overnight camping trip when the female hiker began experiencing severe altitude sickness symptoms. The altitude sickness prevented her from hiking out of the Shamrock Lake area. Family members hiked out and called 911 along Hwy 120W when they obtained cell phone service.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was dispatched to aid the ill hiker. Seven SAR Team members staged at the Saddlebag Lake Resort. The ground team, along with Mono County Paramedics, was transported across Saddlebag Lake via water taxi. The ground team was then able to continue the hike up to Shamrock Lake where they met the ill hiker at her campsite. The ill hiker was transported via wheeled litter back to the Saddlebag Lake Resort where she was met by Mono County Paramedics for evaluation and then transported to Mammoth Hospital for treatment.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team thanks the staff of the Saddlebag Lake Resort for their assistance in this operation.

Shamrock Lake SAR_1
photo courtesy of the Mono County Sheriffs department
Shamrock Lake SAR_2
photo courtesy of the Mono County Sheriffs department
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Local News

Mono Meetings now Streaming Live

Mono County Board of Supervisors
Incorporates Live Video Streaming

MONO COUNTY PRESS RELEASE:

At the June 2, 2015 Regular Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting, live video streaming became available through a software program called Granicus. The video feed which appears live during meetings on the internet and is later archived for future viewing has now been in use for approximately two months. The feedback  received in the Board of Supervisor’s office has been positive and the system is working very well. The use of Granicus allows the public and members of Mono County Staff to watch a board meeting in real time and then review details of that same meeting long after it’s over. This saves County Staff time and money as it reduces time away from the office and time spent traveling across the County to attend meetings. It also saves the public time if they are interested in seeing only one or two items as it eliminates the need for
them to attend meetings in person, unless necessary. With the help of the Mono County Information Technology Department working closely with the Granicus team and with input from the Clerk of the Board, this system was set up fairly easily and rather quickly. The Mono County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of the
Granicus System in last year’s budget seeing it as a benefit for the public that would provide flexibility and enhance the experience of “attending” a meeting. The Board of Supervisor’s staff has experienced no difficulty incorporating the use of Granicus into
their work routines and sees a large benefit to having the videotaped meetings archived for future use in creating and enhancing minutes. For those interested in streaming a meeting live or viewing an archived meeting, please go to the following link:
http://www.monocounty.ca.gov/meetings.

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Local News

Mono County Search and Rescue

Orange man Lost, now he is found

Written and reported by: Jennifer M. Hansen, Public Information Officer, Mono County Sheriffs Department

On the evening of Monday, July 13, 2015, at approximately 8:40PM, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding an overdue day hiker near the Sherwin Creek campground.

A male day hiker, age 44, from Orange, California, set out on a day hike around 2:30PM. The hiker wasn’t expected to be out for long, and when he didn’t return when he said he would, the family became concerned. The Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was dispatched to help in the search for the overdue day hiker near the Sherwin Creek campground. After securing the overdue hikers campsite for tracks, two SAR teams started searching nearby dirt roads and spoke with nearby campers to see if anyone had seen the overdue hiker.

The hiker had walked to a familiar place but had found himself turned around when he tried to return to his campsite. Realizing he was lost, he tried to hale down some motorists and knocked on an RV’s door but no one would help. Eventually he walked towards a light which put him at the closed-up YWCA Camp. The caretaker of the camp had previously spoken with one of the SAR teams, so when she found the overdue hiker, she gave him food and water, as he was very dehydrated and shivering, and called 911. The SAR team returned to the YWCA Camp and safely returned the overdue hiker to his family.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team uses this successful rescue as a reminder to always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return, even if it is just for a small day hike or walk.

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Local News

Road Projects Begin

Projects on  Highway 395 and 6

Crews are set to begin work on two separate highway improvement projects.  Both efforts in Mono County will begin Monday, July 13th.

Rush Creek Thin Blanket

Mono County – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin the Rush Creek Thin Blanket project on July 13, 2015.  The location of the work is in Mono County, from 2 miles south of the southern junction of State Route 120 East to the northern junction of State Route 120 West (6 miles).  This project will place a hot mix asphalt overlay, place shoulder backing in various locations, fog seal shoulders, and paint traffic stripes.

Drivers should anticipate daily lane closures Mono County US Hwy 395 Monday – Thursday from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm and on Friday’s from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. Roads connecting to US Hwy 395 within the project can expect five to ten minute delays when intersections are being paved.  No delays are expected for US Hwy 395 through traffic.

This project is scheduled to be completed by September 2015.

The contractor for this $2,219,566 project is Qualcon Contractors, Inc. of Minden, Nevada.

South White Mountain Shoulder Project

Mono County – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin the South White Mountain Shoulder project on July 13, 2015.  The location of the work is on US Hwy 6 in Mono County, from the Inyo-Mono county line to White Mountain Estates road just before Chalfant.  This project will widen the shoulders of US Hwy 6 and place rumble strips.

Drivers should anticipate daily lane closures Mono County US Hwy 6 Monday – Friday during the daylight hours.  One way reversing traffic control will be in effect with flaggers on each end of the project and a pilot car leading traffic through the project.  The traveling public should expect up to 20 minute delays.

This project is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2015.

The contractor for this $854,783 project is Granite Construction Company of Bakersfield, California.

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