Uncommon Knowledge
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Since the start of the year, a slew of atmospheric rivers has brought so much rain to the state that its equitable to providing water for 4.8 million people for an entire year.
Several atmospheric rivers have battered the state this month, with the most recent storm arriving in northern California on Sunday and moving south through the state throughout this week. Although the rain has proven beneficial to the state’s drought, the storms have caused devastating floods and landslides. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) drew attention to the impressive amount of water on Thursday in a post made on X, formerly Twitter.
Atmospheric rivers are defined as a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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“This year’s storms have brought a lot of water to California. DWR is looking to the future with projects that will maximize the benefits of heavy rainfall, like the #DeltaConveyanceProject,” the organization posted.
A graphic shared with the post showed that so much rain has fallen that it is equivalent to 457,000 acre feet of water. That’s enough water to supply 4.8 million people or 1.6 million households for an entire year.
The Delta Conveyance Project was approved in December. The DWR describes the project as “a modernization of the infrastructure system that delivers water to millions of Californians,” according to its website.
“If the Delta Conveyance Project was operational, about 457k acre-feet of storm water from January 1 through February 20, 2024, could have been captured and moved in the #StateWaterProject system,” the DWR shared in a follow-up post. “This is enough water to supply about 4.8M people, or 1.6M households, for 1 year.”
If the Delta Conveyance Project was operational, about 457k acre-feet of storm water from January 1 through February 20, 2024, could have been captured and moved in the #StateWaterProject system. This is enough water to supply about 4.8M people, or 1.6M households, for 1 year.
— CA – DWR (@CA_DWR) February 22, 2024
Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2029 or 2030, Carrie Buckman, Environmental Program Manager for the Delta Conveyance Project told Newsweek. Buckman anticipates that the project will be complete by the mid-2040s.
Earlier this year, the DWR voluntarily released billions of gallons of water from Lake Oroville for flood risk mitigation in advance of an atmospheric river. The water traveled down the Feather River and eventually was captured in the San Luis Reservoir.
Water conditions in California have improved significantly since late 2022, when drought plagued most of the state. More rain is on the way, and the National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center expects heavy precipitation to return to the northern half of the state by the end of next week.
NWS meteorologist Mike Wofford previously told Newsweek that El Niño could be the reason the state has received more rain than normal. El Niño is one of two climate patterns that greatly influences the Earth’s weather.
“Going into the winter, the expectation was that we would have higher rain amounts due to the El Niño situation in the Pacific,” Wofford said. “That tends to bring storms farther south and pull in more moisture.”
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
California traveled to Louisville, Ky., in search of a statement win against the No. 14 Louisville Cardinals (7-2, 4-2 ACC), and the Golden Bears (6-4, 3-3 ACC) pulled out all the stops Saturday evening to earn the upset, 29-26, in overtime.
On the first play of the game, California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw a lateral to his slot receiver, Jacob de Jesus, who then connected with Trond Grizzell on a deep 27-yard pass. While the Golden Bears would not score on the drive, their fast and aggressive play early on silenced much of the 51,381 in attendance.
California out-gained Louisville in total yards and offensive plays throughout the entire game. The Golden Bears never once trailed the nationally ranked Cardinals by more than one score, despite entering the game as three-score underdogs, according to many sportsbooks’ odds.
Sagapolutele earned the game-winning touchdown in overtime with a nail-biting throw on fourth down. California’s first-year signal-caller found his favorite target of the evening, de Jesus, who brought in the three-yard reception to close out the game.
De Jesus had a game-high 157 receiving yards and hauled in 16 of 23 passes in which he was targeted. His 16 receptions tie Geoff McArthur’s school record for receptions by a receiver in a single game.
In his post-game press conference, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm praised de Jesus, calling him California’s “best player.”
“… Even at the end, to allow their best player to be one-on-one for an easy throw in the corner… you know, we need to coach better; we need to play better,” Coach Brohm said.
Sagapolutele completed 30 out of 47 passes attempted and racked up 323 passing yards—both career highs. In addition to the game-decider, the quarterback threw his first touchdown of the game in the first quarter, a 20-yard bomb to tight end Landon Morris.
The last time California beat a nationally ranked, top-25 team was on Dec. 5, 2020, when the Golden Bears upset the No. 20 Oregon Ducks, 21-17, for their first win in the 2020 college football season.
With the win, California is now eligible for a post-season bowl bid.
CALIFORNIA (AZFamily) — The mother of a missing California girl has been arrested on charges unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance, but the child still has yet to be found.
FBI Los Angeles announced that 40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody on Friday. However, the whereabouts of her daughter, 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, remain unknown.
Melodee and Ashlee reportedly went on a road trip as far as Nebraska in a rental white Chevrolet Malibu last month, detectives say. Federal authorities say Melodee and her mother may have passed through Interstate 15 in Littlefield, Arizona while on the drive.
Detectives say Ashlee was arrested for a recent incident where she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving against their will. Authorities say this crime is not connected to the ongoing search for Melodee.
“Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance. Sheriff’s detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety,” FBI Los Angeles said in a statement.
Ashlee was booked for a felony charge of false imprisonment. She is being held at a jail in Santa Maria, California, with bail set at $100,000.
Melodee was photographed at a rental car agency on Oct. 7, wearing a wig and a hoodie.
The young girl has brown eyes and brown, curly hair that may be straightened or covered with a dark wig. She is between four and four-and-a-half feet tall, weighing between 60 and 100 pounds.
Anyone with information about Melodee is asked to contact detectives at (805) 681-4150 or submit an anonymous tip at (805) 681-4171.
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A Carmichael home that was originally designed to be California’s official Governor’s Mansion is now up for sale.
The mid-century modern home, located at 2300 California Avenue, was built in 1975 after being commissioned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan to replace the aging governor’s mansion at 16th and H streets in Sacramento.
By the time construction was finished, Reagan had already left office. His successor, Jerry Brown, declined to move in – famously dismissing the Carmichael residence as the “Taj Mahal.”
No California governor ever called the mansion home, with the property being sold to a private citizen in 1983.
A time capsule installed at the property recognizes the home’s history. The capsule is scheduled to be opened on July 4, 2076.
Now, as of Oct. 16, the Carmichael home has hit the market with a list price of $7.5 million. The property spans 4.3 acres that overlook the American River, with the home featuring a total of 8 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and 2 half bathrooms.
“You can really feel the history here,” said realtor Hattie Coleman in a statement.
The Carmichael home last sold in 2004 for $4.1 million.
The East Sacramento home Reagan lived in for much of his time as California governor was designated as a historic landmark in 2024.
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