Author: Nicole Brydson
SIFPD Names New Volunteer EMT Trainee, Faces Questions Over Recruitment Practices
The Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD) has confirmed that Daniel Leseberg has been hired as a volunteer firefighter/EMT and will attend Unitek’s “boot camp” EMT training in Arizona this September, a program funded by district resources at a cost of approximately $8,500 per student. The decision, confirmed in correspondence from Chief Bill Lutze, follows…
SIFPD Fire Station Plans Spark Progress — and Debate — as County Awaits Key Details
The Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD) has taken a significant step toward building long-awaited fire stations in Tecopa and Charleston View, but key details remain unfinished before the project can move from concept to construction bids — and the process of finalizing them has been anything but straightforward. A draft document prepared by local…
Three Decades Later, Unofficial Water Test Used in Official County Process
A water quality report from 1995 is being used by Inyo County officials in 2025 as supporting documentation in their search for a new operator for Tecopa Hot Springs County Park — even though the report was never commissioned by the county. The decades-old analysis was conducted by J. Edward Guilmette, an environmental consultant who…
Newsom Eyes Special Election to Redraw Maps as Kiley Pushes Nationwide Mid-Decade Redistricting Ban
A political standoff over redistricting is quickly evolving into a national tug-of-war over the future of American representation—one that spans from Austin to Sacramento and has now reached Capitol Hill. At the center of the escalating conflict is a proposed federal ban on mid-decade redistricting, introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), who represents…
Past Agreements, Future Stakes: Inside the Contracts Shaping Tecopa Hot Springs Park
As Inyo County prepares to select the next operator for Tecopa Hot Springs Park, prospective applicants would do well to study the evolution of the concessionaire agreements that have governed the site over the past two decades. Two contracts in particular—the 2004 agreement with California Land Management (CLM) and the 2021 renegotiated contract with Tecopa…
Upgrades and Earthquakes Shake Up Death Valley National Park
In the blazing heart of Death Valley’s off‑season, the desert is alive with motion. This is the time of year when the thermometer climbs to 115 and 120 °F, when even the air feels like it shimmers. Yet this summer, the quiet has been broken: a massive earthquake half a world away sent waves sloshing through…
Heard Around Town: Water, Wildflowers, and Willpower
SIFPD Declines Water Tank Offer, Focuses on New Fire Stations and 2026 Tax Measure At the most recent meeting of the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD), the board turned down a proposal from local landowner Jon Zellhoefer, who had offered the district use of a water tank located on his property—currently listed for sale…
Inyo County Opens Door for Bold Proposals at Tecopa Hot Springs Bidder’s Conference
The path forward for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools came into sharper focus this week as Inyo County officials fielded questions from prospective operators during a Bidder’s Conference held at the Tecopa Community Center. Many questions were answered, offering new insights into what bidders can and should include in their proposals — and…
New Records Reveal Tecopa Hot Springs’ Books
Prospective operators eyeing the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools are poring over Inyo County’s request for proposals, searching for clues and benchmarks that might help them craft realistic financial projections for this iconic but demanding desert site. Newly released financial records spanning three years offer a revealing look at the fragile economics behind one…
Big Fix, Big Risk: Inyo County Lays Out Hurdles for Tecopa Hot Springs Revival
The future of the historic Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools continues to be the biggest news in Tecopa as Inyo County seeks proposals for a new concessionaire to operate, maintain, and—ideally—revitalize this aging desert oasis. TecopaCabana submitted twenty detailed questions to the County, which recently released partial answers to about half of them, below,…
New Bid, Old Problems: Inyo County Opens Search for Tecopa Hot Springs Campground Operator
Inyo County released a new request for proposals on Monday, seeking a qualified concessionaire to take over management of the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools — a move that, on paper, promises a fresh start for one of Southeast Inyo’s most cherished public amenities. But behind the hopeful vision of revitalization lingers a hard…
Final Notice: County Letter Reveals Why Tecopa Hot Springs Operator Walked Away
In Southeast Inyo County, the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools — a longtime draw for tourists and a vital amenity for local residents — is once again changing hands. The private concessionaire that has operated the site for a decade has opted to vacate its lease after receiving a formal 30-day cure notice from…