Contrary to popular beliefs about winter sluggishness and depression, human cognition is not affected by the seasons Continue
Drunk diver restrictions: AB366 now requires every individual convicted of a DUI to install an IID (device that requires testing for alcohol before vehicles can be started). Slow-down requirements: AB390 requires that when approaching accidents or marked highway maintenance vehicles drivers must now move lanes... Continue
The Joys of Not Winning $1.8 billion As this column was being digitized, the $1.8 billion Powerball lottery was just won by someone(s) soon-to-be-robbed in Arkansas. What a way to end the year! Math majors will note that the odds of winning the whole $1.8... Continue
Some people with advanced dementia show sudden, brief returns of clarity near the end of life—speaking, remembering, reconnecting. What is terminal lucidity? Continue
By Helen Marsh The economics of living in the Sonoma Valley are changing. Families that have been here for generations are closing or selling businesses and properties that have long been stalwarts of the local economy. Think the Lynch Family’s Index-Tribune, Benziger Winery, the Mulases,... Continue
While social media and communications technology like ZOOM have mushroomed, the government's attitude towards public comment and participation has worsened. Government repeatedly sends this message: the public is a nuisance. In all fairness, opinion and commentary in the age of social media have become degraded.... Continue
When I was a child, my father, a Brooklyn boy with absolutely no mastery of German, would nonetheless say this to me in the morning, i.e.: “Did you have a good sleep?” “Ya, gut!” I would dutifully answer, and we would laugh. Many people have... Continue
The Sonoma Valley Regional Library, in conjunction with the Friends of the Sonoma Valley Library, is hosting an exhibition of elegant oil paintings by Laura Griffith from January 1 - 31. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Friday, January... Continue
Perhaps the most remarkable fact about the Universe is simply that it, and everything in it, exists. But what’s the reason why? Continue
In the City of Sonoma, minimum wages increase on January 1, 2026, to $18.47/hour for large employers (26+ employees) and $17.38/hour for small employers (25 or fewer employees), exceeding California's $16.90 state wage, as part of the city's annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. These rates apply to... Continue