As retired California fish-and-game biologist Jim Maddox best remembers, it all began in the very early 1970s.

Central Coast Water authorities approved waste discharge permits for Diablo Canyon nuclear plant Thursday, making it nearly certain it will remain running through 2030, and potentially through 2045.

A Sierra Nevada red fox, one of the rarest carnivores, was detected near Lake Tahoe for the first time in decades, offering hope for the Threatened species.