Most School Spirit 1988: Kirsten Sherve and Freddie Franco – from the Rays from the Purple Yearbook

And by we, I mean Sofia. She has done the hard work.

Thank you to director Jen Wood for giving this to me. We have shared conversations, laughs, and even some tears that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

I can’t wait for pageant night! There is some magic that happens when the contestants get onstage with the lights on them, their hair and makeup done to the nines, glammed out in their sparkling dresses and heels. Tickets are available at the fair office or on their website.

Fair week will be capped off with our 35-year high school reunion on Saturday, July 22nd.

Friendly reminder that it’s NOT TOO LATE to get tickets! (Jeremy, I’m talking to you) This Thursday, 7/13 is our deadline, you can follow this link to purchase tickets.

I know that reunions are not everyone. I am struggling to put my own complicated experiences and feeling into words. All I can say is that I love talking, laughing, and remembering with the cool people I went to school with. Our class is so diverse and has done so many interesting things, it’s impossible to know all of that by looking at their Facebook pages.

Even though I see my best friend Becky all the time, we have had some of the best conversations at our class reunions. Sometimes it’s a long-buried memory that comes out, or a secret revealed, or the fact that so many people get us confused. (I’m the brunette, she’s the blonde.) Granted, we were joined at the hip for our four years at LHS and her maiden name was Bennet while my married name is Bennett.

We totally understand the confusion, but we are still making a list.

This year means a little more to me. One day a couple weeks ago a classmate reached out to me and left a voicemail on Facebook messenger. He told me he thought he would be able to make it to reunion and hoped he would be out of his wheelchair and able to use a walker.

I was so excited to hear that Freddie would make one more trip to Susanville. I don’t remember when Freddie Franco joined the class of 1988, he blended in that seamlessly. I do remember how he would dress up for every spirit day. I remember the purple and gold tie he wore and watching him perform with the band.

I remember going on CSF trips with him and how seriously he took his job as manager of the football and basketball teams. I remember how devoted his parents were, they could be seen at all the games and school events.

His mom was our cheerleading coach and Becky and I nicknamed her “Aunt Mary” while we were at camp during the summer.

I remember when he was crowned Prom King with our classmate Melinda. With laughter through tears, I remember a comic he left in my yearbook. I pulled it out and saw he had written “Something to remember me by! Fast Freddie” in the margin. (I’ll never forget, my friend.)

A few days after he left the message, my friend and classmate Freddie Franco passed away.

This year’s reunion seems more important. A time to remember our dear friend and a time to make memories with the ones who attend. I have been reminded too many times in the last week that life is short. This is the way I know how to refute that claim.

Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that might be newsworthy, please submit it to shelleybennett24@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to include it here in “The Good Stuff.”

Susanville Police Department provided photo

Susanville PD and CHP Issue Eleven Citations During Joint Traffic Operation

On July 5th, officers with the Susanville Police Department conducted a collaborative traffic enforcement operation with the California Highway Patrol, lasting for six hours in the afternoon and into the evening hours.

According to details provided by the department, the Susanville PD and CHP conducted twenty traffic stops with eleven citations issued and one misdemeanor drug arrest.

K-9 Officer Zeke was utilized in this traffic enforcement operation and made a positive alert for the drug arrest.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Susanville Police Department thanked the Susanville Office of the California Highway Patrol for their help, saying that, “Our community is lucky to have such great men and women that work within the California Highway Patrol that are vested in the safety of our community.”

The user interface for the ALERTCalifornia camera on

Antelope Peak, overlooking Susanville and the Honey Lake Valley

ALERTCalifornia Wildfire Cameras Enhanced with Artificial Intelligence

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has announced a groundbreaking partnership with University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia program.

With the shared goal of improving firefighting capabilities and response times, Cal-FIRE and ALERTCalifornia will embark on an innovative Artificial Intelligence implementation trial in collaboration with the San Bernardino Unit, Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit, Nevada Yuba Placer Unit, Shasta-Trinity Unit, and San Luis Obispo Unit.

At the heart of ALERTCalifornia’s cutting-edge technology are its 1,032 high-definition, pan-tilt-zoom cameras strategically deployed throughout California. These cameras, including the 199 sponsored by Cal-FIRE, create a 24-hour surveillance network equipped with near-infrared night vision, enabling efficient monitoring of active wildfires and other disasters.

With remarkable capabilities, ALERTCalifornia cameras can perform 360-degree sweeps approximately every two minutes, providing clear visuals of up to 60 miles on a clear day and an impressive 120 miles on a clear night.

Visit the ALERTCalifornia website and explore their “camera quilt” to access live

camera feeds and detailed network information.

You can click here to see a feed from the ALERTCalifornia camera on Antelope Peak north of Susanville.

One of the key innovations being introduced through this partnership is an advanced AI tool developed by ALERTCalifornia. This groundbreaking tool is designed to identify abnormalities within the camera feeds, promptly notifying Emergency Command Centers and First Responders of any significant changes that may require further investigation.

Limited to authorized and trained ECCs and First Responder users, this AI tool utilizes state-of-the-art anomaly detection techniques, which are particularly challenging to implement effectively. By leveraging the vast petabytes of data recorded by the cameras a machine-learned model has been created to accurately differentiate between smoke and other particles in the air.

Cal-FIRE’s significant investment in the ALERTCalifornia program has totaled $20,277,000 over the past four years, and the commitment will continue with an additional funding of $3,516,000 in the coming years. This collaboration with UC San Diego has proven highly successful, as technology advancements are shared as open-source and freely accessible resources to benefit a broader range of users.

The AI implementation trial aims to unlock the immense potential of AI technology in wildfire prevention, detection, and response.

By harnessing the power of AI, the organization has the opportunity to revolutionize firefighting strategies by analyzing vast amounts of data, predicting fire behavior, and providing real-time insights to firefighters on the ground.

The ALERTCalifornia platform will ensure the development of an exceptional tool, making it accessible to all First Responders across California.

Hallelujah Junction in the late 1930’s from an Eastman Studios postcard.

Lassen County Free From Alfalfa Pest

July 11, 1924

Entomologist Enow of the United States Department of agriculture has just completed a survey of Honey Lake valley for alfalfa weevil, but he was unable to find any trace of the pest. In addition to this, the county horticultural commissioner has swept a large number of fields adjacent to campgrounds and other places where it was feared the weevil might have gained entrance.

Hundreds of weevil have been taken by the inspectors at Doyle and Chilicoot from tourists traveling from Nevada into California. There is little doubt but what weevil would have reached the valley before this time had not the inspection been carried on.

At present, there are two inspectors on the Red Rock road leading to Reno, one inspector on the Constantia lane leading from Constantia to the Red Rock road and two inspectors at Chilicoot. Of these, the inspectors on the Red Rock road and those on the Chilicoot road are maintained by the state.

The inspector at the Constantia lane is maintained by Lassen County.