Inyo Register
Let Millpond’s musical vortex spin you around
Inyo Council for the Arts wants the public to meet three more acts in the lineup of this year’s Millpond Music Festival, which will take place Sept. 18-20 at the Millpond Recreation Area north of Bishop. Highlighted in this fourth of five installments...
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Serving up EcoFlights, town hall and tacos
Local conservation nonprofit Friends of the Inyo is so worried about the Trump Administration’s possible rescission “any day now” of the quarter-century-old Roadless Rule, that it recently took to the air to show policymakers and other stakeholders...
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A mix of music at Millpond
Inyo Council for the Arts has announced the third round of performers for the 2025 Millpond Music Festival who offer up international flavors, big band sounds and folk rock. The three-day event taking place Sept. 18-20 includes two stages of...
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Millpond is bagpipes, Wizzards and more
In this second in a series of five write-ups on the artists that will grace the main stage at the 34th annual Millpond Music Festival Sept. 18-20, Inyo Council for the Arts introduces masters of R&B/Folk/Jazz, bagpipes and “Wizzardry.” For the three...
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Lee Vining turns 100
The saying that big things come in small packages is applicable in a number of ways to the town of Lee Vining. The tiny, unincorporated census-designated place in Mono County boasted a population of just 217 in the 2020 U.S. Census, yet it is the...
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Raising the next generation of anglers
Hundreds of youngsters in the Eastern Sierra recently received much help from experienced anglers who have taught them how to bait hooks, cast lines, handle and clean fish, and many other aspects of the popular sport of fishing. The Snowcreek Ponds...
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Records broken at Badwater 135
New records were set in both the men’s and women’s categories at the 39th annual Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, a grueling race from Death Valley to the Mt. Whitney Portal that took place Monday through Wednesday this week, in the peak of summer. Max...
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‘A Corral of Movie Genres’
Where the west is — and for that matter, what the west is — depends on the vantage point and life experience of the one defining it. And the Museum of Western Film History looks to be broadening the cultural scope of “The West” through the fun and...
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Firefighting becomes complex
The White Mountains east of Bishop were invisible behind a thick curtain of smoke at about 7 p.m. Friday, and yet fire.ca.gov indicated that the nearby Rock Fire had not increased in size that day. The situation was complex — as in the Cinder Complex,...
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Music returns to Millpond
September is more than a month away, but the Inyo Council for the Arts is already preparing for its biggest event of the year. The 34th annual Millpond Music festival will be held Sept. 18-20 at the Millpond Recreation Area, and the council has...
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Rock Fire grows to 8,000 acres by Wednesday
The Rock Fire, which started near Aberdeen on Monday afternoon, had grown to 8,000 acres and was only 5% contained by Wednesday morning, prompting evacuations, campground closures, and partial closures along southbound U.S. 395 and other local roads,...
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‘Transforming Loss into Legacy’
Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, R-Jackson, announced last week that Wild Iris Family Counseling & Crisis Center was one of the many organizations in her district that best align with the 2026 Nonprofit of the Year theme of “Transforming Loss into...
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‘They can navigate the geography, but not the 395’
The Mammoth Lakes US 395 Wildlife Crossings Project has moved closer to becoming a reality, according to the Wildlife Crossing Fund, which supports innovative infrastructure systems that reconnect ecosystems disrupted by roadways. President and CEO...
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Mendenhall makeover
Some 200 people, close to half of them children, flocked like happy birds at Big Pine’s Mendenhall Park Monday evening to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the park’s new playground, which opened to the public on July 1. There was music, hot dogs, cake,...
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Indigenous technology restored
Sometimes life is like geometry, making things come full circle and causing the lines of people’s lives to intersect for a greater purpose. This is what appears to have happened in the case of an ancient Paiute artifact in the shape of a duck that was...
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‘A fine example of community collaboration’
Some come to the Bishop Community Garden to grow flowers or vegetables or fruits; others to find a moment of peace; still others to give back as volunteers, said Bobbie Stryffeler to the 50 or so gathered at the revamped outdoor public amenity behind...
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America celebrated Mammoth style
Mammoth Lakes may be a small mountain town, but it sure celebrated American Independence Day in a “mammoth” way Saturday. Dizzying visual expressions of red, white and blue where everywhere: on buildings, people, pets, and parade floats — 57 floats in...
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Birthday bash in Bishop
Bishop joined other Eastern Sierra communities in hosting day-long Fourth of July festivities Saturday to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Bishop City Park was the stage for plenty of fun activities that included free refreshments, live...
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A new lease on life?
Inyo County supervisors on Tuesday said that while they found a proposal for the “Old Old Kmart” property in Bishop interesting, they wanted to learn more about the project through staff analysis before actually committing any county resources to...
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Celebrating America big!
Have you ever wanted to get back at our local leaders? Well, the Fourth of July festivities at Bishop City Park will provide a fun way to do so: by dunking them — for a good cause! Good sports that include members of the Bishop City Council and Inyo...
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‘I’ve got $6 a pound — Who’ll bid $7?’
Twenty-nine steers, 67 hogs, 48 lambs, 29 goats, 30 turkeys, and dozens of chickens and rabbits, their proud young owners, fast-tongued auctioneers, ringmen helping to confirm bids, and members of the bidding audience kept things lively at the...
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Pack Fire investigation sparks action
It has taken the Pack Fire, a letter of concern regarding Mono County Dispatch’s role in initial response communications, and a monthslong Civil Grand Jury investigation to spur the prioritization of a major overhaul to the county’s dispatch system. A...
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Bishop tells camera vendor to ‘Flock’ off
In a rare split 3-2 decision, the Bishop City Council at its meeting Monday voted to immediately kill a contract with Flock Safety after hearing from the public and discussing the pros and cons of the automated license plate reading system for about...
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Measures R, S, T fund ICOE facilities improvements
One hundred thirtyseven distinct facilities projects have been completed at local schools since voters approved school improvement bond measures R, S, and T in 2024, the Inyo County Office of Education said in a media release issued earlier this...
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Couple recognizes locals’ generosity
Editor’s Note: One of the joys of working for The Inyo Register is being able to showcase the good that exists in the communities that make up the Eastern Sierra. The following heartfelt thank you letter is especially joyous. In reading it you will...
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Honoring the legacy of Janet Barth
Mono County environmentalist Janet Barth did not need TikTok, Instagram or YouTube to be an influencer. Her vision and hard work to protect local public lands are what continue to inspire her friends and fellow conservationists. Before she died...
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Zone change could mean more commercial activity
An empty industrial building on Dixon Lane just outside of Bishop could soon be repurposed for commercial uses with the Inyo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approving a zone reclassification for the property during its recent meeting. Inyo...
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Bustin’ broncs in Bishop
The California High School Rodeo Association’s State Finals have been taking place at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop since June 6 and conclude today, Championship Saturday. The Bishop Chamber of Commerce hosts this event, including the Mandatory...
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Bear euthanized after Mono County encounter
A Mammoth Lakes couple and their two dogs are recovering from injuries following an encounter with a yearling bear outside their home this week. The Mammoth Lakes Police Department responded to the incident in the Old Mammoth area at about 6 a.m....
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Senior Luncheon a Bishop tradition
Fifteen moms, 137 graduating seniors from Bishop Union High School’s Class of ’26, tacos, chips, aguas frescas, fiesta banners, and a whole lot of parental and community love spiced up this year’s Mexican-themed Senior Luncheon on Thursday, the day...
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‘Election day is not election results day’
While this year’s primary election may have ended when the polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Inyo County Clerk Recorder and Registrar of Voters Danielle Sexton would like the public to know one important fact: “Election day is not election results...
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Olympian to lead Mammoth 4th of July parade
Olympic medalist and longtime Mammoth Lakes resident Deena Kastor will serve as the Grand Marshal for the 2026 Mammoth Lakes 4th of July Parade, the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce announced in March. “The 4th of July Parade is one of the biggest...
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“Our rural communities matter”
Editor’s note: Through redistricting, both Mono and Inyo counties are now part of California’s Fifth Congressional District. The top Democratic candidate for that seat in the June primary election is Michael Masuda, who has received his party’s...
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Patriotism, campaigning, sales
A few themes stood out at this year’s Mule Days Parade on Saturday: patriotism around the fact that this year marks the nation’s 250th birthday; energetic campaigning from candidates in the upcoming June 2 election; and retailers and vendors’ ingenuity...
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Hi-yo, silver-haired riders!
One can learn a lot of fun and practical facts about mules — and people — at Bishop Mule Days, which ran from last Tuesday through Sunday. Just ask Lori Barnett, who taught a workshop at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop Wednesday titled Mules and...
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Troubled waters in Indian Wells?
Inyo County officials this week said they will continue to say “no” to water exports. In a letter to be sent to the Indian Wells Groundwater Authority this week, the county said it will reiterate its support for the agency’s efforts to address the...
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The little fire department that could
They say whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The Round Fire of February 2015 may have destroyed more than three dozen homes and outbuildings in the southern Mono County community of Swall Meadows, but it fortunately did not claim any...
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Inyo County blowin’ in the wind
A huge wind event turned into a dust storm over Bishop and other Eastern Sierra communities Sunday afternoon, downing trees and powerlines, and keeping first responders and county staff busy with numerous calls for service. The National Weather...
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Model coach, strike a pose!
Bishop Union High School athletic director Stacy Van Nest’s (standing) announcement that the California Interscholastic Federation selected varsity football head coach Arnie Palu (in gray shirt at rear of room) as the 2025-2026 Model Coach of the Year...
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No more truckin’ in Bishop?
Gearjammers in downtown Bishop could be driving around the city rather than through it in the future. After hearing a presentation from Mayor Stephen Muchovej regarding how the number of big rigs rolling down Main Street already has exceeded...
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Changes coming to Bishop downtown parking landscape
About a dozen Bishop residents got to learn about the city’s upcoming plans regarding parking in the downtown area during a public workshop held at the City Council Chambers on April 29. Two representatives from the Wood Rodgers engineering, planning...
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National Day of Prayer
One of the busiest intersections in Bishop, where Main and West Line streets cross, was the stage for a National Day of Prayer gathering Thursday evening. Organized by the Eastern Sierra Pastors Association, the interdenominational event brought...
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‘Walking the talk’ of stocking the lake
The praise for Crowley Fish Foundation Tuesday morning from dozens gathered on the Hilton Bay shore of Crowley Lake was as plentiful as the spring rain that had been falling steadily since the night before. Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce board...
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Spring fever continues
The spring fever that began in April is lingering into May with no sign of abatement, and those “stricken” with it — which seems to be just about everyone in the Eastern Sierra — are getting out and enjoying sunshine, warmth and community to the...
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Cameras on chopping block?
Bishop Police Chief Nate Derr will be reviewing automated license plate reader technology vendor alternatives after residents voiced concerns about Flock Safety’s company’s questionable business practices this week. Derr first proposed installing 10...
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Model mules at the museum
A new link to the “King of the Cowboys,” Roy Rogers — besides the one that naturally exists at Lone Pine’s Museum of Western Film History — has surfaced in Inyo County, this time in Bishop. Laws Railroad Museum & Historical Site recently received a...
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‘A sacred and horrific site’
The 57th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage took place Saturday at Manzanar National Historic Site, one of 10 relocation centers for Japanese Americans during World War II, which many have since called concentration camps. Some of the activities showcased in...
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Judicial candidates appeal to voters
The Independence Civic Club hosted an Inyo County Superior Court Judge candidate forum Wednesday evening at the American Legion Hall in Independence, with participation from all four candidates who are vying for two six-year-term seats in the June 2...
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Living the Carnegie Hall dream
Editor’s Note: Earlier this month, 32 of the 40-member Eastern Sierra Community Chorus traveled to New York for an April 13 performance at Carnegie Hall featuring the music of Grammywinning contemporary choral composer Eric Whitacre. Whitacre conducted...
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Celebrating Mother Earth
“April is the cruelest month,” says the opening line of T.S. Elliot’s famous poem, “The Waste Land.” Well, in the Eastern Sierra, April might just be the busiest month for two reasons: the weather is pleasant, inviting locals and visitors to get...
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‘High’ times in the Eastern Sierra
I don’t smoke pot. However, I have been aware of the expression “420” for a number of years, and had a vague idea of its association with the date April 20 (or 4/20) and cannabis culture. I also know that there are a number of highly visible and...
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Bringing the farm to school
The Inyo Farm@School on the Bishop Elementary School campus recently harvested 189 pounds of carrots grown by the students during the winter months and served in the school’s cafeteria last Monday and Tuesday. “Our school farm is an outdoor classroom,...
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Expressing love for Mother Earth
April is Earth Month, and nature-loving Eastern Sierra locals are pulling all the stops to celebrate Mother Earth throughout the entire month with Earth Day celebrations, educational outings, litter cleanups, and community science efforts. Following...
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Disappointment as big as a desert landscape
The disappointment was palpable in the media release received from local Tribes and conservation organizations about the Bureau of Land Management’s decision Monday to allow gold mining exploratory drilling on Conglomerate Mesa following years of local...
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‘Creating some kind of good work’
The Inyo Council for the Arts will celebrate the opening of “Drew Wickman: Getting Here,” a solo retrospective art exhibition highlighting the expansive career of local artist Drew Wickman, with a public reception from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, April...
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Eastern Sierra becomes ‘Easter’ Sierra
Expressions of Christian believers’ faith abounded throughout Inyo and Mono counties from Good Friday through Easter Sunday, as churches observed solemn celebrations of Christ’s death and resurrection in Passion plays, sunrise services, worship, and...
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From the Eastern Sierra to the Big Apple
Echoes of the Eastern Sierra will be heard on the East Coast in less than two weeks, when the Eastern Sierra Community Chorus performs in one of the nation’s most famous concert venues: New York City’s Carnegie Hall. On Monday, April 13, some 32 of...
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Donations encouraged for unpaid local TSA officers
The concern was evident in the email sent last Wednesday to local service clubs and media outlets by Joe Pollini, guest host and information supervisor at the Bishop Chamber of Commerce. It followed an urgent round of phone calls he had already made...
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Nearly 900 gather for No Kings 3.0
People driving between Southern California and Mammoth Lakes or vice-versa on Saturday likely encountered one, two or all three of the peaceful protests that took place in Independence, Bishop and Mammoth, as part of the 3,300-rally-strong No Kings 3.0...
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Witness Stations of the Cross drama on Good Friday
For the past 13 years, members of the group Renacer Católico (Catholic Rebirth) of Bishop’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church have hosted a reenactment of the Passion of the Christ on Good Friday. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the faith...
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‘Celebrating Desert Communities’
The only “vole” sighted at the Vole Fest Saturday was Inyo County Fifth District Supervisor Will Wadelton posing for a photo with his face poking through a human-sized vole cutout board in the parking lot of the Tecopa Community Center. Nevertheless,...
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Call of the ‘Wild Spirits’
Feathered and reptilian “ambassadors” of animal rescue stole the show at Wildcare Eastern Sierra’s Wild Spirits Annual Fundraiser Sunday, while their human handlers/ spokespersons shared animal care fun facts and useful tips with about 100...
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California leaders now reckon with Chávez’s past
César Chávez, the legendary California farmlabor activist and MexicanAmerican civil rights icon, has for decades been a figure intertwined with state and national Democratic politics. Former President Joe Biden had a bust of Chávez inside the White...
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World peace coming to Lone Pine
A group of Tibetan Buddhist monks will be in Lone Pine from March 24-29 as part of their 2026 Sacred Harmony World Peace Tour. The monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery Phukhang in South India seek to cultivate intercultural understanding, peace, and...
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Prepping for maximum vole-tage
Friends of the Amargosa Basin is hosting its third annual Vole Fest, which it calls “a daylong celebration of the diverse communities of life that call the Amargosa Basin home,” on Saturday, March 21, in Tecopa and Shoshone. Named after the Amargosa...
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Three vying for District 3 seat
A colorful race for the Inyo County Board of Supervisors Third District seat is in store as part of the June 2 Primary Election. In the running are incumbent Scott Marcellin, along with former Bishop Paiute Tribal Chairman Steven Orihuela, and The...
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Field trip showcases Round Valley herd
More than three dozen people joined Eastern Sierra Land Trust staff and California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Inyo and Mono County Unit biologist Dan Taylor last weekend for a mule deer migration corridor field trip. For a couple of hours...
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Warding off a mollusk apocalypse
Using PowerPoint graphics that could very well be publicizing a horror film titled “The Invasion of the Golden Mussels,” Mono County Sustainable Recreation Superintendent Marcella Rose effectively delivered a workshop on these marauding mollusks to the...
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Kiley to run in new district
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, has chosen to seek re-election in a left-leaning Congressional district where he will face off with a crowded field of Democratic contenders. In a statement on Monday morning, Kiley said he will be running in the 6th...
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Is Kevin Kiley shifting away from donald trump?
Nearly four years ago, a surprise endorsement from President Donald Trump helped propel Kevin Kiley from the state Assembly to Congress. “He doesn’t wait for the fight, like the donothing RINOs who have watched California get absolutely destroyed by...
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Almost top dogs!
Three Inyo County Sheriff’s Office deputies and their canine partners earned top-five rankings in a variety of categories during the 2026 Murrieta Police K9 Trials held on Feb. 13-15. The event featured 47 teams competing for the prestigious Top Dog...
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Healthcare district could face bondholder takeover
Northern Inyo Healthcare District’s current failure to meet loan terms on outstanding bonds could lead to bondholders taking over the hospital even as administration works on long-term plans to ensure the facility’s solvency. District CFO Andrea...
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Keeping track in the snow
Sixteen people from across the Eastern Sierra and as far away as Death Valley gathered Saturday for an all-day wildlife tracking workshop in the snow in Round Valley hosted by Eastern Sierra Land Trust and Sierra Forever. Participants learned how to...
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Tahoe avalanche victims identified
Details began to emerge Thursday about the people killed in a deadly avalanche at Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe four days ago. Many of those killed belonged to a tight-knit group of Stanford University graduates, The New York Times reported. Reports are...
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