A new study by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) concludes that the SmartMeters used by PG&E are accurate and not to blame for a recent spike in electric bills. [Press Democrat] However, the $1.4 million study, released Thursday at... (Continue reading)
Visiting a California hospital emergency room last year meant waiting an average of four hours and 34 minutes–two minutes longer than in 2008 and 27 minutes longer than the national average. [California Watch] California ranks 40th in the U.S. for... (Continue reading)
Researchers at Loma Linda University and the University of Arizona have found that reusable shopping bags, long championed by environmentalists, contain large amounts of bacteria, posing a risk that food could become cross-contaminated. [San Gabriel Tribune] The new findings come... (Continue reading)
County public health officials are continuing to investigate a major increase in the number of cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis. Locally, more than 100 cases of whooping cough have been identified, compared to 2 cases in 2009... (Continue reading)
A state inspector, in charge of examining beauty salons and barber shops in San Luis Obispo County, has been accused of leveling steep fines on local beauticians and disrespecting the salons’ operators. Her behavior has caused some to question her motivation... (Continue reading)
A currently untreatable strain of fungus has claimed the lives of at least 23 people in California and the Pacific Northwest, researchers said Friday. [KTVU] Known as Cryptococcus Gattii, the new strain of fungus is spread by the wind. It... (Continue reading)
By RACHEL LYNN SCHERZ Children need therapy. Teenagers need therapy. There I said it. For so long, I’ve shied away from such bold and finite statements. But after years of working in elementary, middle, and high schools, being a nanny, ... (Continue reading)
The executive director of Napa State Hospital was arrested and charged with 35 felony counts including 22 counts of forcible oral copulation, 11 counts of sodomy by use of force and two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child,... (Continue reading)
State officials reported Thursday that nearly 800 people in California were hospitalized with the H1N1 flu last week, the largest one-week hospitalization rate this season. Health experts have predicted a second wave of cases in the coming months. An estimated... (Continue reading)