Lessons from the Bay Bridge
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened to the public with much fanfare in November 1936. At the time, the span was the longest bridge in the world. Now, nearly 77 years later, the bridge is set for another historic opening. This weekend, crews are putting the finishing touches on the bridge's new eastern span. The spark for the massive project was the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which damaged a section of the bridge and revealed it needed a seismic upgrade. The new bridge is scheduled to open Tuesday morning. Suzie Racho spoke with KQED's Dan Brekke about the Bay Bridge and what's next on the state's next big project list.
Jumbo Jets Lead Air Attack Against Rim Fire
Crews are gaining ground on the Rim Fire, which as of Friday, is 32 percent contained. It's already scorched more than 200,000 acres of the Sierra, but could have spread even farther if the federal government hadn't brought its biggest weapon to the fight.
Searching for Little Julian
Two years before Ritchie Valens released his first single, "Come On, Let's Go", East L.A.'s Little Julian Herrera had a hit with "Lonely Lonely Nights," which made him the first Chicano R&B heartthrob. But Little Julian had a secret identity, and at the cusp of stardom, he disappeared. Alex Schmidt reports on the mystery that still continues to this day -- and the people who'd like to solve it.
A Postcard from the State of Jefferson
If you drive through the high desert, forests and mountain valleys of Northern California and Southern Oregon, you'll take the State of Jefferson Scenic Byway. You can check out the jam band The State of Jefferson. That's because many people living there don't really identify with California or Oregon. They say they live in the State of Jefferson. There's been talk of a separate state since the 1850s, and earlier this month a group brought a resolution to the Siskiyou County board of supervisors to withdraw from California, and start over. Reporter Lisa Morehouse visited Siskiyou County, to learn the history and culture of the State of Jefferson, and to find out how young people trying to make a life there fit into that heritage.