By Shelley Bennett Today was finally the first day of school! This is my 24th year teaching English at Lassen High School and the excitement and nerves are just the same as they were in 1998. I remember looking out into the classroom of seniors at...

By Shelley Bennett The Dixie Fire has been burning for almost six weeks. At first, it was a nuisance: our internet went out, then the power, the smoke came in, and ash rained on our cars and lawns. It grew to become life-threatening, destroying towns,...

By Shelley Bennett It might be tough to see the “good stuff” in the midst of a smoke-filled sky raining chunks of ash and debris, but the good citizens of Susanville and Lassen County always find a way to shine through. Currently we are the home...

Last week my husband and I experienced some of the greatest good stuff: sending our first born off to college. Our son Jacob recently signed a letter of intent to continue his education and play baseball at Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport. And while...

I haven’t watched a Miss Lassen County pageant from the audience in almost 30 years. In that time, I’ve never seen a complete talent, heard a finished impromptu answer, or watched the face of the winner as they announce her name. And I’m ok...

Tomorrow night under the midsummer night sky, ten of Lassen County’s finest young women will take the stage and compete for the title of Miss Lassen County 2021. The last five weeks have been a flurry of workshops and preparation as the contestants have...

Next week Miss Lassen County Autry Satica will pass on her crown to another deserving recipient who will spend the next year serving her community. That young lady, along with her court, will have big shoes to fill as Autry, with Ambassadress of Susanville...

Good morning! Hope your 4th of July was filled with all the good stuff. Mine certainly was. It started off with a quick trip to Chester where our Miss Lassen County (Autry, Julia, and Molly) and 2021 contestants (Katelyn, Jodi, Taylore, Jordan, Georgia, EmmaLee, Izzy,...

By Shelley Bennett Lassen County is the perfect place to be on the 4th of July. With temps in the high 90's this weekend, it’s easy to find a spot of shade and some water at any of our beautiful lakes or rivers and enjoy...

By Shelley Bennett Nine weeks… well, actually eight weeks now. Eight weeks of summer vacation stretch out in front of us like a sandy path to the ocean. As a child, I had little concept of what eight weeks meant. To me, summer was broken up...

By Shelley Bennett Excitement and anticipation filled the air as the Class of 2021 gathered in the small gym before their graduation ceremony. Pictures were taken, smiles shared, and the room buzzed with conversation. Soon, the strains of Pomp and Circumstance were heard, their teachers...