At full capacity, the California State Water Project serves over 20 million people and irrigates about 750,000 acres farmland. But this year water district across state will have to depend on more of their own groundwater or buy water from elsewhere. Department of Water Resource’s Director Mark Cowin says it will take a lot of rainfall soon to reverse the decision. 

 

Considering that we are now two-thirds through the white season, the state would have to experience heavy rainfall and snowfall every other day through May in order to just get us back to average precipitation levels.

 

California Governor Jerry Brown officially declared the drought in the state last month. Sam Sanders, NPR News.

 

The victims of a fire that broke out at a senior residence in Quebec last weekend where memorial lies today. Dan Karpenchuk reports.

 

Among the 900 people who filed into the Saint-Jean-Baptiste peace church Saturday to honor the victims of the deadly fire were friends and families of those who dead along with several political leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

 

We are all here to really express all our condolences and our sympathy to the victims, to their families and to the entire community.

 

Photos of the 32 victims were on display during the mass, outside the church, an empty rocking chair, a symbol of those who dead in the nursing home fire. Meanwhile recovering efforts continue, 24 bodies have been found, eight others are uncounted for and presumed dead. For NPR News, I am Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

 

Thousands of Australians are continuing to protest a controversial shark culling policy. The plan to catching and killing shark off popular beaches was approved last month, following six fatal attacks over two years. Veteran filmmaker and conservationist Valerie Taylor says the authority should be protecting and not killing the great white shark. 

 

What makes them so powerful and so important that they can, with a few words take out a very special, incredible ancient marine animal from our oceans, an animal that is protected. This is what I would like to say the Western Australian government, you are stupid.

 

The State government of Western Australian has started placing baited hooks on drum lines.

 

Residences in Hong Kong running the Chinese New Year Saturday with the extravagant fireworks display over Victoria Harbor. 2014 is the year of horse. The holiday is celebrated that the turn of the Chinese lunar calendar. 

 

This is NPR.

 

Two former boy scouts leader who films themselves toppling in the ancient rock formation in Utah now face felony criminal charges. NPR’s Howard Berkes says the pair claimed the boulder was a threat to hikers. 

 

The felony criminal mischief of charges could result in 5,000 dollars fine and five years in jail upon conviction. But Emery County Attorney David Blackwell told the Associated Press he is working on a plea agreement for Glenn Taylor and David Hall. In October, the pair posted a Youtube video, showing them cheering as Taylor pushed over a rock formation known as Goblin in the state park set up to protect unusual formations. Prosecutors and park officials spent months, trying to value the damage, settling on more than 15,000 dollars. Utah lawmakers are considering a bill that would more easily punish to structure of natural features. Howard Berkes, NPR News, Salt Lake City.

 

The world’s most famous groundhog will make its annual weather prediction tomorrow. Close 20,000 people are expected to gather in Gobblers Knob in western Pennsylvania to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. Groundhog Club President Bill Deeley.

 

We are all aware of earlier spring. I do not like utility bill. I do not like getting up the sub-zero weather every morning. I do not like shovel every morning. So I will welcome in earlier spring.

 

Legend has it that if the groundhog sees his shadow winter will last for six more weeks.

 

The Associate Press has named Denver Broncos’s quarterback Peyton Manning most valuable player in offensive player of the year. Manning broke the NFL’s single season passing records this year with 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns.