Safely getting rid of excess medicines is the responsibility of the manufacturer, not the consumer, says the US Supreme Court.

In a decision reaching from Washington to your medicine cabinet, the US Supreme Court has held that local governments can require pharmaceutical companies to take responsibility for the collection and disposal of their excess products.

We have more on this story on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Will automatically linking voter registration with driver’s license renewals boost election turnout? We may soon find out.

Voter turnout hit record lows in California last year. So new legislation in Sacramento aims to increase registration, as a first step toward greater electoral participation.

Find this and past stories archived on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Get a peek at what it’s like to train as an elite wildland fire fighter.

Fire season is coming fast upon us. Up and down the state firefighting agencies are busy preparing for a year that could be one of the worst - as drought continues to cripple the state. KRCB’s Danielle Venton recently spent a day with a group of elite wildland fire fighters to learn what goes into getting ready for fire season.

Learn more and see pictures on our website at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

How much water can installing a xeriscape save - and at what cost? Coming soon: a free app to answer such questions.

An easy-to-use computer modeling tool will soon allow homeowners and others to calculate water use and installation costs for building, landscaping or remodeling projects. It’s being developed and tested here in Sonoma County, but is meant to be applicable statewide.

Read more about this project on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Irrigation is critical for many North Bay vineyards, but there are ways to save water without compromising the grapes.

By using drip irrigation systems sparingly, vineyards can improve their crop while also saving water, a group of local growers were told yesterday. They were at a Vineyard Irrigation Efficiency workshop held at the Benzinger Winery in Glen Ellen yesterday, and so was KRCB’s Bruce Robinson.

Past North Bay reports are archived on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Rebecca Schweigert has been a California Mentor for six months now. And she’s loving it.

California Mentor is a Family Home Agency that pairs local households with adults with developmental disabilities in a family environment. Today the people in one such match tell us their story.

The search is on for additional mentor households in our area. Information on how to get involved is on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

The California Mentor program offers a personalized way to support adults with developmental disabilities.

A new model for integrating adults with developmental disabilities into their surrounding communities has them living with willing families and becoming part of the household. California Mentor is the program making that happen here in the North Bay.

Find out more about California Mentor on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Wearable technology … it’s a growing trend in health care, but is this game changing or just a fad?

Wearable technology - it’s a new and growing field. Will new gadgets worn on your body change you into a healthier person? From KRCB’s science desk, Danielle Venton reports on why many companies are betting yes, it will.

Find details on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Satellites are now able to watch and measure groundwater depletion.

California has turned to groundwater to survive through the current drought. A new collaboration between the state and researchers at NASA aims to use satellite monitoring and advanced technology to help the state manage this resource. KRCB science reporter Danielle Venton has more.

Visit our website to watch a video showing the Central Valley's subsidence with InSAR data ON the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Chemicals in the environment often have health effects. But studying them doesn’t drive policies to protect us.

Science has shown that the trigger for cancer and other serious illnesses is often exposure to something harmful in the world around us. But translating that knowledge into protective public policy remains difficult. Today we hear from someone deeply engaged in that struggle.

Dr. Devra Davis will be the featured speaker at the debut of the Kortum Legacy Lecture Series, presented by Sonoma County Conservation Action. She’ll appear at the Finely Community Center in Santa Rosa tomorrow at 11:30 am. Find details on the North Bay Report webpage at krcb.org/news. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. You can comment, share and like us there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.