Lassen County

A decade after prison crowding forced California to realign its criminal justice system, the population in what once was the nation’s largest state correctional system has shrunk to the point where officials announced Tuesday they will close one of two inmate firefighter training centers.

As Cal Fire battles a record fire season, it has lost a fight in state court and must now pay $15 million in sanctions for what a judge called a four-year-long campaign of “egregious” evidentiary violations in its probe of the 2007 Moonlight Fire, including allegations of lying, fraud and withholding of evidence.

As Cal Fire battles a record fire season, it has lost a fight in state court and must now pay $15 million in sanctions for what a judge called a four-year-long campaign of “egregious” evidentiary violations in its probe of the 2007 Moonlight Fire, including allegations of lying, fraud and withholding of evidence. Jaxon Van Derbeken reports.

A Northern California man shot more than 130 hawks and other legally protected birds of prey on his land, leaving the carcasses to pile up at the foot of trees and telephone poles, wildlife officials said Wednesday.

California wildlife officials say a female gray wolf and her mate have produced at least three pups this year in the wilds of Lassen County.

Officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed Wednesday the presence of two gray wolves in western Lassen County.

A former civilian U.S. Army employee has pleaded guilty to theft after being accused of stealing sophisticated military equipment from a Northern California depot and trading some of it for marijuana.