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Why a California Beach Town Just Banned Balloons

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Why a California Beach Town Just Banned Balloons


Laguna Seashore, California
Picture: Apu Gomes (Getty Photographs)

This story was initially revealed by Grist. You possibly can subscribe to its weekly publication right here.

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Celebrations in a beachside California metropolis will quickly need to happen with out an iconic, single-use occasion favor: balloons.

Town council of Laguna Seashore, about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, voted Tuesday to ban the sale and use of all forms of balloons, citing their contribution to ocean litter in addition to well being and security dangers from potential fires once they hit energy traces. Beginning in 2024, folks utilizing balloons on public property or at metropolis occasions may incur fines of as much as $500 for every violation. (Balloons used solely inside folks’s residences are exempt from the ban.)

The vote is a part of a rising nationwide motion to limit balloon use, in addition to a broader item-by-item push to limit problematic single-use merchandise like plastic straws and baggage. For now, most balloon-related state and metropolis laws solely targets the intentional launch of helium-filled balloons, however consultants say outright bans are gaining traction as folks higher perceive their environmental penalties. Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 2016 banned any balloon crammed with a fuel that’s lighter than air, and there are related bans in locations like East Hampton, New York, and Solana Seashore and Encinitas, California.

“Plastic within the ocean and setting typically is gaining extra consideration,” Chad Nelsen, chief govt of the nonprofit environmental group Surfrider Basis, advised Grist. “It’s good that individuals are taking a look at these disposable, single-use gadgets that we’ve been utilizing day by day and never desirous about the results.” He stated California seaside cleanups organized by Surfrider in 2022 collected a complete of almost 2,500 balloons.”

Balloons, particularly these crammed with helium, typically turn out to be ocean air pollution after only a few hours of use. These fabricated from latex — a type of comfortable, artificial or pure materials that will take many years to interrupt down — might be mistaken for meals by marine animals and birds. When ingested, latex can conform to birds’ abdomen cavities, inflicting nutrient deficiency or suffocation.

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Balloons fabricated from mylar, a type of plastic coated in skinny metallic, principally by no means break down. “They stick round really till the tip of time,” Kara Wiggin, a doctoral researcher on the Scripps Establishment of Oceanography, advised me. The plastic strings hooked up to them can strangle marine life after which chip into microplastics that contaminate ingesting water and the meals chain.

Mylar balloons also can get tangled in energy traces, resulting in energy outages or fires. Based on the town of Riverside, California, balloons prompted greater than 1,300 minutes of energy outages for its publicly owned water and electrical utility in 2021. Different cities and utilities report hundreds of ratepayers shedding energy annually when balloons get caught in energy traces.

Wiggin stated balloons are only a small a part of society’s broader dependancy to single-use gadgets, however that banning them is “low-hanging fruit.” “We don’t throw issues purposefully into the setting, however we regularly try this with balloons,” she advised Grist. “That’s a observe that must be stopped.”

Nelsen stated there are loads of balloon-free methods to maintain the enjoyable going, together with paper-based decorations, streamers, flags, kites, and pinwheels — lots of which might be safely reused dozens of instances. “Let’s discover a strategy to have a good time youngsters’ birthdays with out killing marine life,” he stated.

This text initially appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/cities/heres-why-a-california-beach-town-just-banned-balloons/. Grist is a nonprofit, unbiased media group devoted to telling tales of local weather options and a simply future. Be taught extra at Grist.org

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California Shelves Repeal of 1950 Housing Law That Stoked Racial Tension | KQED

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California Shelves Repeal of 1950 Housing Law That Stoked Racial Tension | KQED


“While SCA 2 was one of many efforts to help address the housing crisis, the November’s ballot will be very crowded, and reaching voters will be difficult and expensive,” Allen said in a statement. “In addition, the legislature recently passed my SB 469, which substantially addresses some of the most significant concerns about how Article 34 might be impacting housing production.”

SB 469 clarifies that the use of state affordable housing dollars does not trigger Article 34’s requirement for voter approval. Allen said his focus is on determining whether these efforts are “making a significant dent in addressing the problem,” adding that quickly building more affordable housing is a priority.

Backed by the California Real Estate Association, the forerunner to the current California Association of Realtors, Article 34 was first adopted by voters in 1950. Realtors played on voters’ fears that affordable housing would lead to greater racial integration of exclusively white neighborhoods.

CAR issued a formal apology in 2022 for its past support of Article 34, with association President Otto Catrina condemning the actions and vowing to address the legacy of its “discriminatory policies and practices.”

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The organization “remains a strong supporter of the repeal of Article 34 … which adds unnecessary hurdles and costs to the creation of affordable housing,” CAR spokesperson Sanjay Wagle said in a statement.

Wagle noted that a majority of Californians support repealing the provision but cited research showing a voter education campaign would be needed to explain the article’s effects.

“The cost of such a campaign in an election year with so many initiatives on the ballot made this campaign more costly and difficult, thus making it more logical to pursue a repeal on a future ballot,” Wagle wrote. “We thank Sen. Allen and Sen. Wiener for their efforts on this repeal effort and look forward to working [with] them and other stakeholders on this issue in the future.”





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California Quarterback Commits to Penn State’s 2026 Recruiting Class

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California Quarterback Commits to Penn State’s 2026 Recruiting Class


Though Penn State has been busily filling its 2025 recruiting class in June, the program hasn’t stopped looking ahead. The Nittany Lions on Tuesday received a commitment from 4-star California quarterback Troy Huhn, who became the second player in Penn State football’s 2026 recruiting class.

Huhn (6-4, 205 pounds) will be a junior at Mission Hills High, just north of San Diego. He threw for 1,623 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. Huhn quickly built a strong offer sheet that included Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Auburn and Notre Dame, among many others. Huhn took an unofficial visits to Ohio State and Penn State in June, committing to the Nittany Lions two weeks after his trip.

Huhn is the 2026 recruiting class’ 10th-rated quarterback prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite, and a top-15 player in California. On3 ranks Huhn highest among the major recruiting services, slotting him at No. 60 nationally and sixth at quarterback.

Huhn, who committed to Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien, spent time with head coach James Franklin during his unofficial visit. He told Sean Fitz of Blue-White Illustrated that Franklin made an impression.

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“Coach O’Brien was great, but really my main thing when I was getting out there was to have more time with coach Franklin. They definitely gave that to me,” Huhn said in his interview with Blue-White Illustrated. “I really felt the love from coach Franklin. He’s very business, he’s awesome, he’s a funny guy. My mom loves him, he loves my mom. That relationship with him is now a lot better and I’m glad I got to spend that time with him.”

Huhn joins Harrisburg athlete Messiah Mickens on the ground floor of Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class. Mickens committed to Penn State in August 2023. Penn State had been recruiting several 2026 quarterbacks alongside Huhn. One of their targets, Dia Bell, recently committed to Texas.

Huhn’s commitment continued a prolific stretch for the Nittany Lions. Franklin and his staff have received commitments from five players in a four-day stretch. Four of them committed to Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class.

The most recent 2025 commitment belonged to Max Granville, a 4-star prospect from Texas and first-team all-state honoree as a junior. Granville, who will be a senior at Fort Bend Christian Academy, is rated as a 4-star linebacker according to the 247Sports Composite. However, the 6-3, 220-pound Granville projects at defensive end and was recruited by Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes. Granville chose Penn State after making an official visit to State College earlier in June. He also visited USC, Texas A&M and Oklahoma in June and took an official visit to Baylor in April.

Penn State opens the 2024 football season Aug. 31 at West Virginia. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff on FOX.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.





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Butte County issues evacuation orders for Apache wildfire

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Butte County issues evacuation orders for Apache wildfire


(FOX40.COM) — An evacuation order is in effect for areas of Butte County amid a wildfire, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, BCSO issued an evacuation order for the Apache Fire on the south side of Grubbs Road between Crossa Country Road and Alta Arosa Drive in zones 884 and 885. Shortly after, evacuation orders were also issued for all of zone 884, 865, 866, 868, and 869. For information about zone locations click or tap here.

An evacuation warning was also issued for zones 867 and 883.

At 9:45 p.m., the Apache Fire has burned through 466 acres, according to Cal Fire. By 10:30 p.m. it reached more than 650 acres.

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For more information visit www.buttecounty.net, or call (833) 512-5378.



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