California
Hundreds of modern-day hippies known as ‘Rainbow Family’ ordered to leave California forest — or face fines
Peace out!
Hundreds of modern-day hippies who form a commune known as the “Rainbow Family” are being kicked out of their campsites at a California national forest with the threat of fines and jail time.
The US Forest Service ordered about 500 of the permitless campers to leave Plumas National Forest within 48 hours on Wednesday or face a fine of up to $5,000 and/or prison time of up to six months, according to the vacate order.
The California eviction is the first time the Rainbow Family of Living Light — a loose-knit group of free-spirited people who gather to camp together in a different national forest each year during the first week of July — has been forced to end its annual camping tradition since its first gathering in 1972.
The free annual gatherings attract between 5,000 and 10,000 people each year.
The group calls itself the “largest non-organization of non-members in the world” and as such, organizers do not get the required permits as they claim they do not have leaders to sign them on behalf of the group, according to the US Forest Service.
The leaderless commune then sets up a welcome tent, camping and social areas, parking areas, health care sites and several outdoor kitchens. The members develop water sources and dig trench latrines to use as bathrooms.
The Rainbow Family also designates different areas of the campsite for group gatherings, partygoers, families with children, women and men, according to the park service.
This summer’s camping event was expected to bring roughly 10,000 visitors to the Plumas National Forest, near Quincy in northern California — which officials said would overwhelm the area and its natural environment.
Some 500 Rainbow Family members had already set up camp this week in an area near the Indian Creek Headwaters, about five miles north of Antelope Lake in the national forest.
The US Forest Service ordered the group to vacate “for the protection of natural, Tribal and cultural resources, concerns about fire danger, public health and sanitation, and upholding permitted special uses.”
The order went into effect Wednesday and is being evaluated daily to determine when it can be lifted.
“The Forest is concerned about the 500 plus individuals already dispersed camping in a concentrated area… There are existing and projected impacts on natural and cultural resources and other authorized uses,” Plumas National Forest Supervisor Chris Carlton said in a statement. “Our priority is maintaining public health and safety and the appropriate stewardship of public lands and natural resources.”
Locals were not pleased by the late announced arrival of the band of hippies and fought against their stay in town, according to local reports.
Four tribes in the region, the Mountain Maidu, Paiute, Pit River, and Washoe, each wrote to the Rainbow Family asking them to reconsider their camping location, according to SFist.
And Lassen County Supervisor Jason Ingram had been fighting the incoming since he learned of it, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“As I’ve said from the beginning, my concerns with this gathering were always the illegality aspect, the
increased fire risk this would have created, the environmental impact, and the blatant disrespect shown to our local tribes,” Ingram said. “Events are fine, but not events that blatantly disregard the law and endanger our land and community fire safety.”
He celebrated the news of the commune’s first forced cancellation in over 50 years.
“I believe this is the first rainbow gathering event to be shut down, and you all had a hand in that,” Ingram said.
Just days after Northern California saw a stretch of record high temperatures, the high Sierra Nevada is once again getting snow.
Chain controls went up on Interstate 80 in the Sierra early Wednesday morning.
As of 7 a.m., controls are in effect westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to Rainbow. On the eastbound side, chain controls are in effect from Kingvale to Truckee.
Highway 50 is not seeing any restrictions at this time.
Other major Sierra roads seeing chain controls Wednesday include Highways 4, 49 and 88.
Wednesday also marks the day California’s Department of Water Resources will conduct its fourth snow survey of the season. As of Monday, the statewide snowpack is at about 18% of average.
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Preparations are underway for a major bipartisan gubernatorial candidate forum set for Wednesday at Fresno State, where several high-profile candidates for California governor will make their case to voters.
The event is expected to spotlight issues impacting not only the Central Valley but also communities across the state, with a strong focus on affordability, agriculture, and water policy.
Confirmed candidates scheduled to appear include:
- Xavier Becerra, attorney and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Chad Bianco, Riverside County sheriff
- Steve Hilton, author and Fox News contributor
- Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor
- Katie Porter, former U.S. representative
- Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor
The forum will be moderated by Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes and former State Assemblymember Kristin Olsen, who say their goal is to ensure Central Valley concerns remain front and center.
“There are so many issues related to affordability right now, energy costs, housing costs, regulatory costs, even food prices,” Olsen said. “These are real challenges affecting families, farmers, and farm workers in the Central Valley. We want to make sure candidates clearly explain how they’ll address them if elected.”
Moderators say they are prepared to press candidates for direct answers.
“That will be our challenge,” Olsen said. “We’ll clearly lay out expectations for candid responses, and if someone doesn’t answer the question, we’ll follow up.”
Mendes emphasized the importance of water policy, a critical issue for the region’s agricultural economy, noting that many statewide candidates may lack a full understanding of how California’s water systems operate.
“A lot of candidates don’t fully understand water movement in this state, how storage works, or the difference between surface water and groundwater,” Mendes said.
He added that keeping candidates focused may be one of the biggest challenges during the forum.
“We might have to stop them and remind them to answer the question instead of running out the clock,” Mendes said.
Mendes, who is a registered republican, and Olsen, who has since switched from republican to no party preference, have both moderated in the past, though this marks their first time moderating a gubernatorial forum.
They stressed that their approach will be firm but nonpartisan.
“This isn’t about being partisan, it’s about answering the questions,” Mendes said.
Organizers say hosting the forum in Fresno is intentional, aiming to elevate issues specific to the San Joaquin Valley — a region they say is often overlooked in statewide political discussions.
The forum is scheduled to run from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is sponsored by 30 agricultural associations statewide. It will be streamed live on the FOX26 YouTube page.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The average price for a gallon of gas has surpassed the $6 mark in Los Angeles County, and diesel prices also set a new record for California.
On Tuesday, the average price for diesel reached $7.45 a gallon, according to AAA. That’s an all-time high for the state.
The statewide average price for regular gas stands at $5.88, but drivers in L.A. County are paying an average of $6. Of course, prices could be even higher than that at specific gas stations.
GasBuddy, a website that helps drivers find the cheapest gas prices, says the rise in the price for gas is making history. Experts say the spike in gas prices is the largest monthly increase on record.
Here are the average prices for regular gas in other Southern California counties:
Orange County: $5.93
Riverside County: $5.84
San Bernardino County: $5.86
Ventura County: $5.95
Meanwhile, the national average for regular gas has crossed the $4 mark.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, President Trump is willing to end military action in the Middle East even if the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world’s oil supply, remains closed.
GasBuddy predicts that would guarantee higher energy prices.
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