What Will the Kids thinK?Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers started as teenagers.

or visit healthyklamath.org to learn about local quit classes

start noW:Be a role model for our youth and quit smoking today. Call 1-800-QUITNOW

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Medical pot a challenge for legal marijuana states

A year into the nation’s experi-ment with legal, taxed marijuana sales, Washington and Colorado struggle with competition from medical marijuana and black mar-ket sales. See page A4.

AirAsia searchers may have spotted tail of jet

U.S. Navy teams pulled several bodies from the Java Sea, and an Indonesian crew spotted what appeared to be the aircraft’s tail on the sea floor during the AirAsia crash investigation Friday. See page A4.

Vol. No. 23,820

On heraldandnews.com: For breaking news updates, go to www.heraldandnews.com

STANTON, Calif. (AP) — Mexican immigrant Jesus Moreno emerged smil-ing from a California Department of Motor Vehicles office on Friday with official permission to do something he’s been doing here for more than a decade: driving.

The 30-year-old vending-machine installer, who has forked over hundreds of dollars in traffic tickets and car-impound fees as an unlicensed driver, became one of the first to get a permit under a new program to give driver’s licenses to the nation’s largest population of immigrants in the country illegally.

“It’s not that I want to drive,” said Moreno, after leaving a packed DMV office in Orange County. “It’s a necessity.”

Thousands of people crammed into DMV offices and waited in hours-long lines to apply for a license as California became one of 10 states to authorize immigrants in the country illegally to drive.

immigrants seek California driver licensesThousands of people waited in hour-long lines to apply

See LICENSES, page A4

See WATER, page A3

By LACEY JARRELLH&N Staff Reporter

Drought conditions in the Klamath Basin are improving, but residents aren’t out of the woods just yet.

The Palmer Drought Severity Index, from the National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration, showed that as of Dec. 27, Klamath County conditions were “extremely moist.”

As of Dec. 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Drought Monitor still clas-sified most of Klamath County as being in extreme drought, however.

Sven Nelaimischkies, a meteorolo-gist for the National Weather Service in Medford, said in December Cra-ter Lake-Klamath Regional Airport received 3.24 inches of precipitation. The amount was 1.79 inches higher than normal. The greatest amount recorded last month in a 24-hour peri-od, .79 inches, fell on Dec. 10 and 11, he said.

rains bring drought reliefHigh temps expected to slow snowpack

By SAMANTHA TIPLERH&N Staff Reporter

In 2014, Beccy Peterson hiked about 400 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2015, she plans to spend three weeks backpacking a portion of the trail that runs from Mexico to Canada.

“When I turned 52 I never consid-ered going out on a long day hike, much less having spent some nights out there by myself,” Beccy said. She just turned 53 on Dec. 20.

What changed? She helped her son, Alex Peterson, walk 1,300 miles on the PCT. Beccy made nine food and supply drops for her son. Each time she would walk a few miles down the trail to meet him. Over time, she racked up the miles. When Alex fin-ished his hike in July, Beccy found she wasn’t done.

She went for a two-day hike with another PCT thru-hiker, Jocelyn “Patches” Songer. Patches hiked the entire 2,650 miles of the PCT solo from April to September 2014.

Then Beccy went on a weekend backpacking trip through the Moun-

tain Lakes Wilderness in August, and finally a 43-mile trek on the PCT from Castle Crags State Park, Calif., to Mount Eddy, Calif. On that three-day trip, Beccy spent the second two days hiking solo.

Tips for women hikersThough Jocelyn “Patches” Songer

hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2014 and the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail in 2013 solo, she did it with years of experience hiking and backpacking, a black belt in Shaolin Kempo karate and having been certified as an EMT.

Though she said all women don’t have to be as super-prepared as she was, they should be prepared.

“It’s good to have some awareness if you’re planning on doing a lot of solo outdoor adventuring,” she said.

Beginners should start slow, thinking safety first. Start with something they feel comfortable with.

“But don’t let fear get in the way of exploring and enjoying hiking,” she said.

In addition to backpacking skills and first aid skills, Patches recommended a SPOT locator, an emergency GPS device that can be activated on the trail. At the same time, don’t rely on a device like this too much. Still make safe deci-sions.

“And shoes,” Patches said. “Shoes are very important. Having the right shoes makes all the difference in the world.”

Alone in wilderness

Solo hiking can be uplifting, empowering

Photo courtesy of Jocelyn “Patches” Songer

Beccy Peterson began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after helping her son, Alex, hike 1,300 miles of it in 2014. In 2015, Beccy plans to spend three weeks on the PCT.

See WILDERNESS, page A3

The thing that draws me to the trail is the balance. I need to get away from the material world and the stuff ... I realized I had spent three days with 24 pounds on my back, and I didn’t miss anything. Not a thing.’

— Beccy Peterson, 53, talks about her new love of backpacking

It’s a boy!New Year’s

baby born at Sky LakesSee page A2

National title in

reach for Oregon

Ducks

See page A6