Dr. Oli Bachie, director of the University of California Cooperative Extension program in the Imperial Valley, shows Rhodes grass productivity during a field day. Rhodes grass is an experimental crop introduced in the low desert by the Cooperative Extension, and it is showing itself to be a highly resilient crop for the dry desert conditions. Photo courtesy of the University of California Cooperative Extension

On a stretch of highway between El Centro and Holtville, nestled among green farm fields, is the home of the University of California Cooperative Extension, where research critical to ensuring Imperial Valley crops and livestock remain healthy is conducted daily.

For Dr. Oli Bachie, director of the Cooperative Extension, it is a non-stop challenge to apply research to such key issues as pest control, food safety and water management to address the unique needs of Imperial Valley agriculture.

There is a great deal at

Read More

Major Jessica Doria (right) of The Salvation Army, El Centro office, shares a moment with Maria Hernandez, 94, of El Centro, who has been a bell ringer for The Salvation Army for 10 years. Hernandez, who said her faith guides her service as a bell ringer, is stationed at the El Centro Vons Monday through Friday throughout the holiday season.

For Maria Hernandez, the holiday season is a special time for many reasons, but there is one tradition that makes this time of year even more meaningful for the 94-year-old El Centro resident.

Hernandez is a bell ringer for The Salvation Army—has been for the last ten years.

Every day, Monday through Friday, no matter how warm or cold, she takes her spot in front of her city’s Vons and begins the work that she believes brings hope to all those greeted with the sound of her bell

Read More

In this file photo from year’s past, provided by the the Brawley Chamber of Commerce, a Mariachi Band performs during the Mariachi Night community event in the Plaza along Main Street in Brawley. Mariachi Night is one of the events that is part of the Cattle Call Jamboree celebration. Organized by the Chamber, the Cattle Call Jamboree takes place over the week leading up to the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. This year, the Jamboree returns while following all safety requirements.

“The Cowboys Are Back in Town.”

That’s the theme for the Brawley Chamber of Commerce’s Cattle Call Jamboree 2021, a series of events aimed at celebrating family, community, and the Cattle Call Rodeo tradition, important not only to those who reside in Brawley, but all of Imperial County.

Largely sidelined last year due to COVID-19 restrictions (events were held virtually in 2020), the Chamber-led Cattle Call

Read More