World-Famous Micronation to Announce Five-Acre Expansion, Unveil Two New States During November 14 Jubilee The Republic of Slowjamastan is celebrating its fifth anniversary of independence with a historic announcement: the nation is expanding its territory by nearly 50 percent. On Saturday, November 14, from 1–3 PM, Slowjamastan will host its 5th Anniversary of Independence Jubilee, featuring the official announcement and ribbon-cutting ceremony for five newly acquired acres of land, one for each year of independence. The five additional acres, contiguous with the nation's existing 11-acre territory, bring Slowjamastan's total footprint to 16 acres. The public is invited to participate in the festivities, which include: • Historic ribbon-cutting celebrating Slowjamastan's territorial expansion. • Two new states officially commemorated within the nation. • Visa-free entry for the first 10,000 visitors. Crocs remain strictly prohibited. • Free Cactus Cooler while supplies last. • Meet and greet with The Sultan and the Chief of the Porder Batrol. "Five years. Five acres. Sixteen acres of freedom, questionable legislation, and absolutely no Crocs," said The Sultan. "Most countries celebrate anniversaries with cake. We bought more country." Founded in 2021, the Republic of Slowjamastan has attracted worldwide media attention for its unconventional approach to nation-building, complete with its own government, passports, border checkpoints, and national traditions. EVENT DETAILS What: Slowjamastan's 5th Anniversary of Independence Jubilee When: Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 1–3 PM Where: Republic of Slowjamastan, Imperial County, California. See slowjamastan.org/location Admission: Free Learn more about Slowjamastan: www.slowjamastan.org MEDIA CONTACT Robert Dobalina bob@slowjamastan.org

Food, friends, entertainment and community spirit come together Friday, November 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center (CRC) in The Mall. The Borrego Springs Community Resource Center is opening its doors for its annual Friend-Raiser Open House, inviting residents, visitors and newcomers to stop by, meet some friendly faces and learn more about the organization. The CRC is an important part of the Borrego Springs community, providing food assistance, educational opportunities and programs that bring people together. From its food bank to citizenship classes, Spanish lessons, computer literacy, exercise and Ballet Folklórico, the center offers resources and activities for people of all ages. The Friend-Raiser is an opportunity to see what the CRC is all about, meet the people behind its programs and connect with neighbors in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Guests can enjoy food, wine and presentations featuring Las Flores del Desierto Ballet Folklórico , along with local dogs training for American Kennel Club (AKC) Rally Obedience titles. Whether you're a longtime supporter, new to Borrego Springs or simply curious about what the CRC offers, everyone is welcome to come by. Stop in, say hello, meet some friendly faces and celebrate the community connections that make Borrego Springs special! Event Details Friend-Raiser Open House Friday, November 13, 2026 5–8 p.m.  Community Resource Center (CRC) Located in The Mall, Borrego Springs All are welcome!

Join the artist ARhAyas PSonn AllureA for ARTTALK on Saturday, November 21 at 3pm at The Gallery at The Palms to converse about his assemblage collages relating to the erasure of Goddess wisdom and its metamorphosis to time present. Refreshments will be served for your enjoyment. The Gallery at The Palms is located at 2220 Hoberg Road, Borrego Springs, Ca. 92004

This is more than a bike ride. The OpiCure Ascent to Freedom Ride in Borrego Springs takes place Saturday, November 21, and brings together riders, friends, families, and the recovery community for a full day of connection and celebration, in association with Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Join the ride through the desert, jump into the pickleball tournament (all skill levels welcome), and enjoy meals provided for the riders as we come together to mark sobriety, share stories, and support one another. Whether you’re riding, playing, volunteering, or simply showing up, you’re part of this. Come be part of something bigger than any single activity — come be part of the Ascent to Freedom. “We wanted this to be a fun day that everyone can enjoy. Come meet the Opicure Community and grow with us,” says OpiCure Foundation President Cullen Easter. In the heart of the Anza-Borrego Desert, this inaugural OpiCure event brings together people in recovery, their families, and the cycling community to celebrate sobriety, share stories of strength, and raise awareness about the opioid crisis. "By turning the simple act of riding into a collective ascent toward freedom, it shows that recovery is possible, community heals, and every pedal stroke can move us closer to a life beyond addiction," says Cullen. "The OpiCure Ascent to Freedom is about community, movement, and celebrating recovery in every form." OpiCure Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Foundation focused on addressing opioid-related addiction and deaths. More information on the event is available at opicureride.com .

Henry the Truck is back. Denny DuVall's 1950 Ford panel truck and his pioneer Borrego family are rejoining the Borrego Sun. Here is the story of Henry and the DuValls.

Phil Mickelson called her with food poisoning two days before Torrey Pines. Meet Renate Nishio, who helped make Borrego Springs a place people come to heal.

From the old grocery on Christmas Circle to The Mall, The Center and a food bank that fed a quarter of the town, how Jim and Anne Wermers took care of Borrego.

The Borrego Springs Civic Foundation opened Old Borego for History Preservation Day, with vintage Borrego Sun front pages, Denny DuVall and student essays.

Dinner is back, with Thursday pasta nights and a Thanksgiving buffet on the calendar.

By: Brice Weaver www.briceweaverphotography What happens when a photograph becomes your only memory of something you experienced? I recently came across an Instagram video of a woman looking through photographs with her husband, who had apparently suffered a brain injury affecting his memory. The photographs captured their first dance together. As they looked through them, she gently asked whether he remembered certain moments. I found myself thinking about that video long after watching it. For her, those photographs were connected to experiences she could still remember. For him, they offered a visual record of moments he could no longer recall. We take photographs assuming we’ll remember the moments surrounding them. But what happens when we don’t? What happens when a photograph becomes our only connection to an experience, a person, or a particular time in our lives? And what happens when that photograph has been altered so extensively that it no longer represents what actually occurred? We’re living in a time when artificial intelligence can generate convincing images of events that never happened. Digital editing allows us to remove people, replace backgrounds, alter expressions, and reconstruct scenes until they bear little resemblance to the original moment. Much of the debate surrounding AI-generated imagery focuses on creativity, copyright, and whether these images should even be considered photography. But I think there’s another question we aren’t discussing nearly enough. What happens when the photographs we create today become the memories someone depends on tomorrow? Now Imagine looking through your own photographs decades later, unable to distinguish which details were genuine and which had been added, removed, or generated. Human memory is already imperfect. We forget, reconstruct, and sometimes unintentionally change our recollections. Photographs have traditionally provided an external reference, even if that reference was never entirely objective. If we begin treating every photograph as something to be perfected rather than preserved, what happens to that relationship? That short video brought the issue into a much more human perspective for me. The couple wasn’t discussing photography, artificial intelligence, or photographic ethics. They were simply looking at pictures, trying to reconnect with moments from their lives. You don’t need photographs to show a better version of your life. You need them to show the life you actually lived. We spend so much time asking how to make photographs look better. Perhaps we should spend more time asking what we need them to remember. As AI and digital manipulation become increasingly sophisticated, where do you draw the line between improving a photograph and changing the history it represents? 

Live music, daily happy hour, and a job opportunity in Borrego Springs.

St. Richard Catholic Church in Borrego Springs has served the desert for more than 70 years. Now the parish and Christ the King Mission need help to stay open.

What do you love about life in Borrego—and what would make it better for you and your neighbors?

Borrego Springs customers report card problems, account changes, and online banking difficulties following the scheduled conversion.

Film crew seeks firsthand accounts of UFO sightings, hauntings and other unexplained.