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From the Newsroom

NSPR’s Sarah Bohannon, host of Morning Edition, reporting in Chico.

By Matt Shilts
News Director

This summer, our goal was to cover two things central to the identity and well-being of the North State: water and fire. 

Those two issues carry a lot of ecological, economic, and political weight, so we wanted to get it right.

Sarah Bohannon reported on a couple of stories that really captured the spirit of that goal. Her feature on how to be a proactive well owner—complete with step-by-step instructions for North State residents to get their wells checked—was a win for the station and the people we serve, especially at a time when dry wells are more of a concern than ever.

She also showed our listeners how agriculture, water, and public health intersect with a story on an unlikely hero in the battle against West Nile virus—mosquitofish. The finger-long fish get planted into flooded rice fields, and at less than a quarter pound per acre, wreak havoc on mosquito populations by gobbling up all the larvae in the water.

News Director Matt Shilts on the scene of the Lumpkin Fire in Butte County in September.

Of course, as you may have noticed, most of California is not flooded. We march on through the fourth year of extreme drought, suffering through a protracted fire season. You may have heard our continuing updates on your local NSPR translator or on our website. But did you know along with drought coverage, we have a tab on our homepage to guide you to every fire story and update of the season? If you go there, you can find Marc Albert’s recent story on why the coastal mountains have been hit so hard by fires this season, while the northern Sierra has mostly had it easy.

Rampant fires and unrelenting drought aside, we have been fortunate here—fortunate to have your ears, eyes, and support, fortunate to be inspired by the vision of retired manager Brian Terhorst, and to be empowered under the supervision of Stephen Cummins. Now, I’m thrilled to get to work behind our new captain, Beth Lamberson, and I’m honored to be leading NSPR’s news team through this exciting time.