Fine-Tuning the Smog Check
Any notion that California is an environmental paradise was punctured yet again this week. The American Lung Association released its annual report card on air quality. All 10 of the smoggiest counties in the nation are here in California. Part of the problem is those old cars and trucks you see spewing smoke. Now the state has a program to get those dirty cars off the road.
State Considers Closure of Major Developmental Center
This state provides services and support for 240,000 Californians with developmental disabilities like Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. These services are widely considered some of the most generous in the nation. But with every passing year, they're a little less generous, because of the budget crisis in Sacramento. Budget cuts are accelerating the closure of the Lanterman Developmental Center, a facility in Pomona that serves people with the most severe disabilities.
A Pink-Slipped Teacher Faces the Future
Throughout California, preliminary layoff notices are presenting thousands of public school teachers with difficult choices about employment, housing and family. We profile one Orange County teacher who's weighing her options.
75 Years of Parks
Wildflowers are in full bloom throughout California, and that's making folks at the East Bay Regional Park District very happy. The district includes 65 parks and 1,100 miles of trails in two counties east of San Francisco. That makes it the largest regional park in the nation. And this year the district is marking its 75th anniversary.