Ironwood State Prison (ISP) Warden Debra Herndon has been temporarily reassigned to a position in Sacramento as of April 17. In her absence, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison's Chief Deputy Warden Gary Sandor has been asked to step in as the acting warden at ISP.

Herndon reported to Headquarter's Office of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on April 22. Sandor began as acting warden at ISP on the same day,

"I have always loved working here at ISP and I plan on keeping my residence in Blythe, as I love the camaraderie with city, its people and the town of Blythe," said Herndon, "It is a temporary assignment and I plan on coming back…"

Elizabeth O'Campo doesn't talk much about the day when she put her own life at risk to help rescue two fellow corrections officers.

O'Campo, an Ontario native, was working Oct. 6, 2006, with two male officers searching cells at Ironwood State Prison near Blythe when they discovered drugs and other contraband - which in prison is worth 10 times more than outside, she said.

"You could just feel the tension," O'Campo said. They were pounced on by a group of inmates - more than 20 people joined in on the attack, she said. In the midst of being punched and kicked by the inmates, O'Campo said she could see one of her colleagues down on the ground…

Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, Calif., and SunEdison on May 28 announced the activation of a new 1.18 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted photovoltaic solar power system.

The photovoltaic system was deployed through a public-private partnership between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and SunEdison, North America's largest solar energy services provider.

Under a solar power services agreement, SunEdison financed, constructed, and will operate the solar energy system. The department avoids all upfront capital costs and will purchase the solar energy at predictable prices equal to or less than current retail rates…