POLICY & POLITICS
New high-speed rail plan keeps pushing toward Merced, Bakersfield for interim operations
Fresno Bee
With construction under way on 119 miles of its route through the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, the California High-Speed Rail Authority continued Wednesday to try to make the case for completing development of an electrified bullet-train line between Merced and Bakersfield as an interim step toward connecting the Valley to San Jose.
See also:
California bullet train cost rises by another $1 billion Porterville Recorder
Cost of high-speed rail rises, but trains to SF, LA still in works San Francisco Chronicle
California bullet train adds another $1.3 billion to projected price tag Los Angeles Times
California Bullet Train Cost Rises by Another $1 Billion GV Wire
$56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships
Deadline Fast Approaching! (Feb. 28)
The Maddy Institute
Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.
North SJ Valley:
Cleaning Atwater’s contaminated water is city’s highest priority, says council
Merced Sun-Star
For months, locals have attended council meetings asking for updates on plans to rectify the water issue, after a cancer-causing chemical was found in several wells.
Have thoughts about groundwater cuts in Merced County? The state wants to hear from you
Merced Sun-Star
Do you have something to say about the state-mandated sustainability plan that will limit individual and agricultural groundwater consumption in Merced County? Now is the time to say it.
Students can pay for college with public service. Stanislaus State, UC Merced take part
Modesto Bee
Some students will be able to help pay for college through public service, thanks to a pilot program the state launched Monday. Three universities in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are among the eight involved statewide.
Stanislaus sheriff navigates tricky California sanctuary law in meetings with residents
Modesto Bee
Dirkse’s approach to this tricky issue cuts a path somewhere in the middle. It might be described as limited cooperation with ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement — neither ignoring the sanctuary state law initially known as Senate Bill 54, nor fully embracing it.
Chowchilla appoints new city administrator
Business Journal
Despite having had 29 candidates interview for the job, the Chowchilla City Council didn’t have to look far to fill the post, naming Rod Clifton Pruett, who had been serving as interim city administrator.
Magnitude 4.0 earthquake strikes near Hollister, USGS says
Sacramento Bee
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake rattled residents near Hollister on Wednesday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey. No damage or injuries have been reported.
See also:
Central SJ Valley:
President Donald Trump will make San Joaquin Valley visit next week
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump will make a stop in the San Joaquin Valley next week, but details about the trip remain unconfirmed, the Fresno County Republican Party said Wednesday.
See also:
President Trump to stop in San Joaquin Valley next week Visalia Times Delta
Trump to visit San Joaquin Valley next week Bakersfield Californian
Can Devin Nunes sue California publisher in Virginia? Judge wants to know more from McClatchy
Fresno Bee
Sacramento-based newspaper publisher McClatchy must provide information about business dealings it might have in Virginia before a judge there will issue a decision on whether California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes can pursue a defamation lawsuit against the media company there.
'She is tired of waiting her turn': Costa stares down liberal challenger
Politico
Fresno City Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria is mounting a spirited challenge to Costa, one of the most moderate California Democrats, powered by a groundswell of local activists and the support of organized labor. And Costa is taking the threat seriously, running negative, personal television ads against Soria.
GOP dairyman’s family farm held responsible for California farmworker’s amputation
Sacramento Bee
Former Rep. David Valadao’s family dairy is asking a California appeals court to reconsider part of a recent jury verdict that held the farm mostly responsible for a 2016 accident that severed an employee’s hand.
Town Hall with Central Valley Congressman TJ Cox & CA Sec.of State Alex Padilla
EventBrite
Join Congressman TJ Cox and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla for a town hall to discuss the Voter's Choice Act and the 2020 Census. The town hall will be held on Tuesday, February 18th at 6:00pm at the Selma Arts Center (1935 High Street, Selma, CA 93662).
Fresno ranks as one of the worst cities in America to raise kids, according to study
Fresno Bee
Fresno is considered one of the worst places in the United States to raise a child, according to a new study from Brandeis University. In fact, Fresno ranked as the second-worst metro area in America to raise children based on the Child Opportunity Index (COI).
Jerry Dyer is running for Fresno mayor. As police chief, he’s long been a political force
Fresno Bee
Maybe Jerry Dyer has always been a politician. In nearly 20 years as Fresno’s police chief, he was front-and-center giving crime updates and doing public safety ads. There’s a Jerry Dyer bobblehead and a statue honoring him at The Big Fresno Fair.
Andrew Janz avoids political labels. How will that look if he’s Fresno’s mayor?
Fresno Bee
What is the political identity of Andrew Janz? Supporters and those who have known him since before he was a Fresno County prosecutor say he’s a man of integrity who works hard and wants to serve his community.
Fresno councilmember blasts plan for a tax to help parks. He says he has a better idea
Fresno Bee
Amid efforts to establish a groundswell of support for a tax to help Fresno parks and public safety, Councilmember Garry Bredefeld on Wednesday announced a proposal he says would make the tax unnecessary — while also opening up green spaces citywide.
Meet the candidates: Tulare County election video series
Visalia Times Delta
Still trying to decide who to vote for? The Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register candidate video series may be able to help.
Bill designed to allow families to save, not lose assistance
Porterville Recorder
U.S. Representative T.J. Cox-D has introduced a bill designed to help low income families to continue to be able to save money while not losing eligibility for public assistance programs.
South SJ Valley:
McFarland to hold second meeting on expanding immigrant detention capabilities
Bakersfield Californian
The McFarland Planning Commission will once again be in the spotlight next week when it holds the second and final public hearing on a private prison company’s request to expand immigrant detention capabilities in the city.
Kern County to use homeless individuals for highway cleanup
Bakersfield Californian
A jobs program that employs homeless individuals received a boost by the Kern County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Price: Take this tour of the county's new homeless shelter
Bakersfield Californian
There's a mini-city under construction on M Street at 29th, and it looks like a promising blueprint for the care, feeding and management of a population that, increasingly, has been on our collective minds: The homeless.
Grand jury praises KEDC but calls for changes
Bakersfield Californian
The nonprofit responsible for improving the local business climate deserves greater recognition and taxpayer investment, but it also needs to end a governance practice that appears to violate state rules, the Kern County grand jury concluded in a report released Wednesday.
EDITORIAL: Endorsements: Re-elect Karen Goh as Bakersfield mayor
Bakersfield Californian
When Bakersfield voters head to the polls on Super Tuesday, March 3, they will be choosing their city’s voice for the next four years. That voice should be that of incumbent Mayor Karen Goh. She has represented the city with honor and distinction since 2017.
State:
Legislative analyst criticizes California’s homeless plan
AP News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal likely won’t have a meaningful impact on the nation’s largest homeless population, according to a new analysis from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.
See also:
Newsom offers vacant land for homeless shelters, but local officials worry: Who will pay? CalMatters
Walters: Wakeup call: California Housing construction drops Visalia Times Delta
Opinion: Sweeping solutions, not half measures, needed to fix California’s housing crisis Sacramento Bee
The AB5 backlash: Singers, actors, dancers, theaters sound off on freelance law
Los Angeles Times
AB5, California’s new gig economy law, has left the state’s performing artist community in a state of fear and confusion.
Sutton Hague Law Corporation
On October 13, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 51—a bill which essentially makes it unlawful for a California employer to require job applicants or employees to sign an arbitration agreement as a condition of employment.
Who’s looking at your DNA data? Calif lawmaker introduces genetic privacy bill
Sacramento Bee
A proposed California law would prohibit DNA testing companies like Ancestry and 23andMe from sharing customer DNA information with outside parties without their consent.
Texas sues California over state travel ban, dismissing LGBT protection law as ‘political’
Sacramento Bee
Texas sued California Monday in the U.S. Supreme Court over California’s ban on taxpayer-funded travel to Texas. Texas is one of 11 states to which California has banned travel so far.
California Democrat proposes ban on taxpayer-funded stays at Trump hotels
Sacramento Bee
A proposed law from Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, would prohibit state agencies from spending money at any hotels owned by a president of the United States, present or past.
After Bee investigation, Gavin Newsom ends long-distance commuting deals for state executives
Sacramento Bee
California government stopped paying for officials to commute across the state last year after The Sacramento Bee reported on a department director’s regular travel between Sacramento and San Diego, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office told The Bee this week.
Los Angeles Times
By the time the shortest month of the year is up, a man with one of the longest track records in Sacramento government is walking out of the Capitol building, retiring, and taking giga-knowledge of institutional memory with him.
Federal:
White House quietly trims dozens of national security experts
Los Angeles Times
President Trump’s national security advisor Robert O’Brien has cut about one-third of the National Security Council staff – about 70 people in all – since he took the job in September.
Ratification of ERA runs into opposition — from Trump, sure, but Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
Los Angeles Times
Opponents have argued that ratification by the required 38 states has come too late — decades past the 1982 deadline set by Congress — and amid legal questions that would likely tie up the amendment in courts and erode its legitimacy.
See also:
House Votes to Eliminate Deadline on Adding ERA to Constitution Los Angeles Times
U.S. House removes ERA ratification deadline, one obstacle to enactment Washington Post
Sex bias ban: California lawmaker’s bill could put women’s rights in Constitution San Francisco Chronicle
EDITORIAL: Trump’s budget is simultaneously austere and reckless
San Francisco Chronicle
The plan would impose huge cuts to programs and services without improving the government’s fiscal condition.
Elections 2020:
Here's how unaffiliated CA voters could influence outcome of primary
abc30
Did you know voters who aren't registered with any political party won't be able to vote in the California presidential primary unless they request a ballot to do so or re-register with a party ahead of time?
See also:
Why California’s Vote Might Matter (No, Really Folks) Calbuzz
Your guide to the 2020 California Primary CalMatters
There’s A Lot Of Misinformation About California’s March Primary Election. Here Are The Facts. PolitiFact
How to Vote for U.S. President California Secretary of State
What candidates are saying about California issues
Visalia Times Delta
Summary of positions on key issues.
Bernie Sanders goes after PG&E in new California campaign video
San Francisco Chronicle
The Sanders campaign is distributing a nearly 3-minute online video assailing PG&E for its role in recent wildfires.
See also:
EDITORIAL: The Sanders Plurality Wall Street Journal
Can Amy Klobuchar compete in California? Other Dems have big head start
San Francisco Chronicle
The best way for candidates to reach voters in the nation’s most populous state is still through TV and digital advertising. But there’s a big change this year that reflects California’s sudden importance in choosing the Democratic nominee: Candidates are spending big money to employ staffers to boost support leading up to the March 3 primary.
Opinion: Racist stop-and-frisk tape makes it clear: Californians must reject Michael Bloomberg
Fresno Bee
Michael Bloomberg says California is crucial to his presidential campaign. As a result, the level of support he receives in the state’s primary will serve as a referendum on Californians’ views toward the racist policing tactics he enforced as mayor of New York City.
Buttigieg adviser warns Democrats: Sanders' 'divisive politics' can't beat Trump
abc30
Lis Smith, senior communications adviser for presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, said frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders represents "divisive politics."
See also:
Pete Buttigieg endorsed by California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis San Francisco Chronicle
College is expensive. What will key 2020 candidates do about it?
Sacramento Bee
Californians owe the plurality of the nation’s student debt, with 3.8 million borrowers owing $135 billion, according to data from the Department of Education’s Office for Federal Student Aid — more than three-fifth of the state’s annual budget.
Democrats seek path through diverse states after Iowa and NH
Fresno Bee
Democratic presidential candidates plotted their paths Wednesday into state primaries now expanding to include voters of color, while the party's establishment braced for a long and increasingly uncertain nomination fight ahead.
See also:
Steyer ready to ‘shock the world’ in Nevada’s wide-open race Fresno Bee
After New Hampshire surge, Klobuchar turns to Nevada, beyond Fresno Bee
Will black voters save Joe Biden? Los Angeles Times
How Sanders won New Hampshire and why the race isn’t over yet Los Angeles Times
Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren? Campaigns make their case to liberal California voters Sacramento Bee
Deval Patrick suspends presidential bid Washington Post
EDITORIAL: Endorsement: Yes on California Prop 13 for school upgrades
Los Angeles Times
Public school districts’ budgets in California are too lean to finance the inevitable demand for new facilities and major repairs to aging buildings. That’s why the state periodically asks the voters to approve bond measures to raise the large additional sums needed to fund that work, to be repaid with income tax revenue over time.
Other:
McClatchy files bankruptcy to shed costs of print legacy and speed shift to digital
Fresno Bee
McClatchy Co. filed for bankruptcy Thursday, a move that will end family control of America’s second largest local news company and hand it to creditors who have expressed support for independent journalism.
See also:
McClatchy Co., owner of the Fresno Bee, files for bankruptcy abc30
Drowning in Debt, McClatchy Files for Bankruptcy Sierra News
McClatchy — parent company of the Fresno Bee — files for bankruptcy protection Business Journal
League of Women Voters and AAUW to host event in tribute to Kern's Suffragettes
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County League of Women Voters and the Bakersfield Branch of the American Association of University Women will host a special program with local historian Ken Hooper on Feb. 20.
Watchdog Warns Census Faces Cybersecurity, Hiring Risks Before National Rollout
Capital Public Radio
Weeks before the census is fully underway, the Government Accountability Office finds the Census Bureau is behind on recruiting workers and resolving risks with the first primarily online U.S. count.
See also:
Video: Countdown to Census 2020 Public Policy Institute of California
CCEP Research Fact Sheets California Civic Engagement Project
Los Angeles Times
The DMV has always suffered from an incurable disease. Simple procedures take on epic complications. Computers crash. New directors stride in confidently and leave in shame, stricken by the curse.
Opinion: The Democratic divide is not just between moderates and progressives
Roll Call
There are already calls from some in the Democratic establishment, such as it is, for consolidation of the moderates to fight a Bernie Sanders surge that would presumably cast the party into the electoral wilderness in 2020.
See also:
Opinion: Democrats, don’t destroy each other. Trump, not Obama or Clinton, is the enemy. Washington Post
Opinion: Political interference? Republicans say there’s a judge for that
Roll Call
Senate Republicans left it to a federal judge Wednesday to sweep away questions of improper political influence by the White House in the criminal case against Roger Stone — even as President Donald Trump tried to cast doubt on fairness ahead of his longtime adviser’s sentencing.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 16, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Policing the Police - Guests: Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, Ron Lawrence with California Police Chiefs Association, and Alice Hoffman with California Chapter, NCAAP. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 16, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Police Use of Deadly Force: Valley Perspectives - Guests: Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming and Sandra Celedon, President & CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 16, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Fighting Fire with Fire: Rethinking Forest Management - Guests: Little Hoover Commission Representative, Julissa Delgado. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
A Brave New World: Latest in agriculture at Expo
Porterville Recorder
There are more than 266 acres of fascinating new agricultural equipment, such as huge feed mixers, farm trucks, with huge pavilions full of exhibitors throughout the show.
See also:
World Ag Expo Day 2: Trade issues due to the Coronavirus abc30
The World Ag Expo is high on hemp Visalia Times Delta
Two Buck Chuck, beloved wine made near Modesto, returns to its famous price. Here’s why
Sacramento Bee
Back in 2002, Trader Joe’s started selling Charles Shaw wines at $1.99 per bottle. These products, made south of Ceres by Bronco Wine Co., soon were nicknamed Two Buck Chuck
See also:
See How Your Citrus Gets Harvested
abc30
Citrus is a common fruit in American households, but not everyone knows how much work is required to get it there. Farmers in Central California work long hours, sometimes overnight in the cold, to bring fresh citrus to your table.
After a rough 2019, California’s cannabis industry will bloom in 2020
Leafly
Data from Leafly’s 2020 Cannabis Jobs Count indicates that legal cannabis sales in California contracted 18% year-over-year to $2.03 billion in 2019.
EDITORIAL: Don’t have a cow: California’s attempts to control vegan language are a waste of time
Sacramento Bee
State officials apparently think Californians aren’t smart enough to know the difference between real dairy products and plant-based substitutes. Come on. Nobody buys almond, oat or soy milk by accident.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Sick of porch pirates? This California bill adds prison time if they get caught
Sacramento Bee
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill aimed at cracking down on so-called “porch pirates” by making repeat offenses punishable by more prison time.
Public Safety:
Valley police agencies make strong push to recruit new officers
abc30
In recent years, the Tulare-Kings Counties Police Academy has seen its class sizes dwindle. The job of a peace officer has inherent risks, and local law enforcement officials say animosity against officers nationwide is another deterrent for those thinking of joining the ranks.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter returning to Fresno
abc30
MADD's mission is the same it has always been -- to end drunk driving. A state grant is allowing Mothers Against Drunk Driving to relaunch in Fresno after the local chapter fell by the wayside in recent years.
BPD seeks new citizen volunteers
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield Police Department is inviting the community to apply for its Citizen Volunteer Unit. Appointment to the unit requires those interested to attend an academy, which meets one night a week from 6 to 9 p.m. starting April 7.
Magnitude 4.0 earthquake strikes near Hollister, USGS says
Sacramento Bee
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake rattled residents near Hollister on Wednesday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey. No damage or injuries have been reported.
See also:
CalMatters
California is the first state in the nation to ban the practice of charging parents for the cost of their children’s time in the juvenile justice system. But its new law, enacted in 2018, doesn’t require counties to forgive fees that parents were charged before 2018.
Opinion: How well-intentioned privacy laws can contribute to wrongful convictions
Brookings
In 2019, an innocent man was jailed in New York City after the complaining witness showed police screenshots of harassing text messages and recordings of threatening voicemails that the man allegedly sent in violation of a protective order.
Fire:
Report: Death toll in Camp Fire likely includes 50 more people
abc30
Doctors and other experts say at least 50 more people, many of them elderly or ill, likely died as a result of the 2018 wildfire that devastated the town of Paradise, California, but were not counted in the official death toll, an investigation by the Chico Enterprise-Record found.
See also:
Families mourn indirect, ‘forgotten’ deaths from Camp Fire Enterprise-Record
Deadly fires turn Australians into climate change converts, similar to California
Los Angeles Times
Compared to Australia, California has long recognized the threats posed by a warming planet, but it wasn’t until the middle of the last decade that the term “new normal” became a talking point for the state’s governors and firefighters. A similar transition is happening on the other side of the globe.
PG&E wants more money to ‘harden’ California against wildfire. Your bill could go up
Sacramento Bee
PG&E Corp. is asking for more rate hikes as it continues to wrestle with the fallout from California’s devastating wildfires and the risks of new fires.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Ordering DoorDash? Proposed California law would share your information with restaurants
Sacramento Bee
Food delivery platforms like DoorDash would be required to share customer information with the restaurants they order from under a new California bill.
Many low-income Californians don’t use credit cards. Should stores be required to accept cash?
CalMatters
One state lawmaker says cash-free stores are discriminating against low-income customers, who often don't have bank accounts.
Sprint, T-Mobile deal wins judicial approval, ushering in new era of telecom behemoths
Washington Post
A federal judge has ruled in favor of Sprint and T-Mobile’s $26 billion merger, dismissing anti-competition concerns and clearing the way for a deal that would create the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier.
See also:
U.N. warns that runaway inequality is destabilizing the world’s democracies
Washington Post
Runaway inequality is eroding trust in democratic societies and paving the way for authoritarian and nativist regimes to take root, according to a dire new report from the United Nations.
CalMatters
In 2019, California lost more residents to other states than it gained from foreign and domestic immigration combined. This continues a worrisome trend of California losing residents to domestic migration for each of the last 19 years.
Jobs:
Kern County to use homeless individuals for highway cleanup
Bakersfield Californian
A jobs program that employs homeless individuals received a boost by the Kern County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
When is volunteering mandatory in California state offices?
Sacramento Bee
For some state workers, the emails are familiar. They might be blasted out from a department head or be filtered down with a nudge from a mid-level manager. The subject line might read, “seeking volunteers.”
Whistleblower at California tax agency settles retaliation lawsuit over his dismissal
Sacramento Bee
A California state worker who alleged he lost his job because he cooperated with various investigations into a tax agency has settled a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit he filed over his termination.
The AB5 backlash: Singers, actors, dancers, theaters sound off on freelance law
Los Angeles Times
AB5, California’s new gig economy law, has left the state’s performing artist community in a state of fear and confusion.
Sutton Hague Law Corporation
On October 13, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 51—a bill which essentially makes it unlawful for a California employer to require job applicants or employees to sign an arbitration agreement as a condition of employment.
CalMatters
A leading marijuana trade association crossed organized labor, prompting California’s top labor leader on Wednesday to call on the Democrats in the Legislature to stop dealing with it.
California Budget & Policy Center
California allows parents less time receiving welfare-to-work cash support than 37 states and D.C. In most states, parents’ lifetime time limit is 60 months, the maximum allowed for federally-funded TANF support.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Education Lab: Are Fresno schools providing breastfeeding rooms for high school moms?
Sacramento Bee
Over the years, laws have passed to ensure young moms can finish their education. California in 2016 passed a law requiring schools to provide lactation accommodations for teen moms (and teacher moms) on campus.
Selma Unified suggests laying off staff members during emergency budget cut meeting
Fox
The Selma Unified School District has to cut its budget by more than 3 millions dollars, and to do that, its thinking of cutting roughly a dozen jobs.
Why two-thirds of California students didn’t meet science standards
Los Angeles Times
Today, California students are supposed to learn about science in a whole new way. This approach is aimed at leading students, ideally, to the right answer, with the teacher as a guide.
Court affirms right of transgender students to use restrooms of choice
San Francisco Chronicle
A federal appeals court Wednesday upheld schools’ authority to let transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity, rejecting claims that the policy violated privacy and religious freedom.
2 Big Teachers Unions Call For Rethinking Student Involvement In Lockdown Drills
VPR
In a white paper out Tuesday, the groups say they do not recommend active shooter training for students. And if schools do choose to do these drills with students, they shouldn't be unnecessarily realistic and schools should give plenty of warning.
Trump’s words, bullied kids, scared schools
Washington Post
Since Trump’s rise to the nation’s highest office, his inflammatory language — often condemned as racist and xenophobic — has seeped into schools across America.
Declining Enrollment in California Schools: Fiscal Challenges and Opportunities in the Coming Decade
Public Policy Institute of California
Demographic projections from the California Department of Finance (DOF) suggest that California’s public K–12 school system is entering a long period of declining enrollment.
Newsom wants more dyslexia screenings, services for California students
EdSource
Anew plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who struggled with dyslexia as a child, would pay for more screenings and services for the thousands of California students with dyslexia — a condition that advocates say has not received enough attention in schools.
Higher Ed:
Design Unveiled for New Oakhurst College Campus Main Building
Sierra News
At a public forum held Tuesday night in Oakhurst, Oakhurst Community College officials offered a preview of the new $25 million campus to be built off Highway 49.
Students can pay for college with public service. Stanislaus State, UC Merced take part
Modesto Bee
Some students will be able to help pay for college through public service, thanks to a pilot program the state launched Monday. Three universities in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are among the eight involved statewide.
Apprenticeships:
Walters: Vocational ed makes a comeback
CalMatters
Somewhere along the way, California’s public schools became enamored with the notion that all students will — or at least should — acquire degrees from four-year colleges.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
California is dry with no rain in sight. Should we start worrying about drought and wildfire?
Sacramento Bee
California’s alarmingly dry winter continues, with no meaningful snow or rain in sight. Although it’s far too soon to predict a drought, experts said wildfire risks could worsen this summer as a result of the shortage of precipitation.
Preparations underway as mosquito season nears in Fresno
abc30
They're the unwanted visitors that come out as temperatures warm up and rain comes down. That's why area mosquito abatement districts are getting ready.
Energy:
How the next generation of nuclear reactors could be smaller, greener and safer
PBS NewsHour
A new type of nuclear power technology — small modular reactors that promise to produce carbon-neutral energy more safely and efficiently than traditional nuclear power plants — is becoming closer to a reality as a handful of companies push to overcome key regulatory hurdles.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Simple tips to avoid problems as allergy season nears
abc30
While many begin taking an over the counter antihistamine, Dr. Buddiga gives his patients allergy shots to desensitize them to what triggers their reaction.
Can Coronavirus Be Crushed By Warmer Weather?
Capital Public Radio
Many respiratory illnesses, such as colds and flus, peak in winter, then die down with warmer weather. Some experts wonder if COVID-19 will follow a similar pattern.
See also:
A coronavirus ward? How U.S. hospitals are preparing for this new threat Los Angeles Times
Second Miramar evacuee diagnosed with coronavirus. No sign of illness at Travis so far Sacramento Bee
Monsanto case pits federal label against Calif. law
San Francisco Chronicle
As Monsanto challenged a $78.5 million damage award to a Bay Area groundskeeper who was stricken with cancer after spraying the company’s herbicide, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra stepped into the case Wednesday, telling a state appeals court that the verdict was validly based on state laws requiring warning labels for cancer-causing chemicals.
Human Services:
Facing doctor shortage, will California give nurse practitioners more authority to treat patients?
CalMatters
As California faces a growing shortage of primary care physicians, the Legislature is considering what backers believe could be a partial solution: allowing nurse practitioners who get additional training and certification to work independently.
IMMIGRATION
Stanislaus sheriff navigates tricky California sanctuary law in meetings with residents
Modesto Bee
Dirkse’s approach to this tricky issue cuts a path somewhere in the middle. It might be described as limited cooperation with ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement — neither ignoring the sanctuary state law initially known as Senate Bill 54, nor fully embracing it.
McFarland to hold second meeting on expanding immigrant detention capabilities
Bakersfield Californian
The McFarland Planning Commission will once again be in the spotlight next week when it holds the second and final public hearing on a private prison company’s request to expand immigrant detention capabilities in the city.
Judge orders immigration detention hotline restored
Porterville Recorder
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore a free hotline that let detained immigrants report concerns about custody conditions until shortly after it was featured on the TV show “Orange Is the New Black.”
See also:
Judge restores immigrant-detention hotline featured in ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Los Angeles Times
ICE ordered to reinstate national immigration hotline for detainees San Francisco Chronicle
Young immigrants face fee increase for DACA renewal
CalMatters
A group of US senators says the fee hike is part of the Trump administration’s “unabashed and poorly-disguised anti-immigrant agenda.”
Kushner Seeks To Revive Trump's Overhaul For Immigration System
Capital Public Radio
President Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law has been meeting with business leaders, immigration hard-liners and other allies. The goal: revive a plan to overhaul immigration laws before November.
Opinion: Here’s what happens to the asylum seekers we turn away
Los Angeles Times
One year after the inception of MPP, we clearly see the dangers befalling asylum seekers forced to remain in Mexico. U.S. government officials know that these regions of the border are extremely dangerous.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Farmworkers sue Fresno County mobile home park over living conditions, rent hikes
Fresno Bee
A group of Fresno County residents is suing the Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park, claiming property managers unfairly hiked rent prices and harassed tenants.
Housing:
Price: Take this tour of the county's new homeless shelter
Bakersfield Californian
There's a mini-city under construction on M Street at 29th, and it looks like a promising blueprint for the care, feeding and management of a population that, increasingly, has been on our collective minds: The homeless.
Buy vs. rent: Where is it cheaper in the Valley?
abc30
A new study says in some parts of the Valley it's cheaper to buy a home than rent an apartment.
Legislative analyst criticizes California’s homeless plan
AP News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal likely won’t have a meaningful impact on the nation’s largest homeless population, according to a new analysis from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.
See also:
Newsom offers vacant land for homeless shelters, but local officials worry: Who will pay? CalMatters
Walters: Wakeup call: California Housing construction drops Visalia Times Delta
Opinion: Sweeping solutions, not half measures, needed to fix California’s housing crisis Sacramento Bee
PUBLIC FINANCES
U.S. lawmaker calls for ouster of CalPERS CIO over China ties: letter
CalMatters
A U.S. Republican lawmaker on Wednesday urged California to fire the chief investment officer of its public pension fund, citing what he called the CIO’s “long and cozy” relationship with Beijing, and assailed the fund’s investments in Chinese companies.
White House to tap $3.8B Pentagon funds for border wall project
Roll Call
The Trump administration informed lawmakers Thursday that it plans to shift $3.8 billion in previously appropriated Pentagon funds to southern border wall construction, according to a document obtained by CQ Roll Call.
TRANSPORTATION
New high-speed rail plan keeps pushing toward Merced, Bakersfield for interim operations
Fresno Bee
With construction under way on 119 miles of its route through the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, the California High-Speed Rail Authority continued Wednesday to try to make the case for completing development of an electrified bullet-train line between Merced and Bakersfield as an interim step toward connecting the Valley to San Jose.
See also:
California bullet train cost rises by another $1 billion Porterville Recorder
Cost of high-speed rail rises, but trains to SF, LA still in works San Francisco Chronicle
California bullet train adds another $1.3 billion to projected price tag Los Angeles Times
California Bullet Train Cost Rises by Another $1 Billion GV Wire
How good are your car headlights? Here’s how technology is making them safer
Los Angeles Times
How good are your headlights? Probably not as good as you think. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on Thursday issued a list of the 23 safest 2020 passenger vehicles, based mainly on the institute’s crash worthiness tests.
Municipalities address increased traffic, pollution, taxi company bankruptcies and driver poverty
UCLA Anderson Review
They’re popular with riders for their convenience and lower fares, but they’re also blamed for increasing traffic congestion, inflicting unfair treatment on their own drivers and contributing to bankruptcies and suicides among taxi operators.
WATER
Cleaning Atwater’s contaminated water is city’s highest priority, says council
Merced Sun-Star
For months, locals have attended council meetings asking for updates on plans to rectify the water issue, after a cancer-causing chemical was found in several wells.
Clean water bill getting GOP opposition
Visalia Times Delta
A bill that could help disadvantaged Central Valley towns including ones in Tulare County provide safe and affordable drinking passed its first legislative hurdle despite facing opposition by Republican critics, including GOP representatives from California.
Have thoughts about groundwater cuts in Merced County? The state wants to hear from you
Merced Sun-Star
Do you have something to say about the state-mandated sustainability plan that will limit individual and agricultural groundwater consumption in Merced County? Now is the time to say it.
Lawmakers Open Groundwater Fight Against Bottled Water Companies
Pew Trusts
Washington state, land of sprawling rainforests and glacier-fed rivers, might soon become the first in the nation to ban water bottling companies from tapping spring-fed sources.
“Xtra”
List of Valentine's Day events, deals in the Valley
abc30
Love is in the air and Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year. There are several community events and deals to help you and your loved ones celebrate! Here's a list of Valentine's Day-themed events happening in the Central Valley.
The StoryCorps mobile tour wants to hear your Valley stories
Fresno Bee
The StoryCorps mobile tour is making a six-week stop in Fresno to listen to the stories of San Joaquin Valley residents in hopes of building connections and compassion between people in a format that can be archived forever.
Oakhurst Submits Entry in HGTV Hometown Makeover Contest
Sierra News
Not to be outdone by its sister community in North Fork, some Oakhurst residents joined together this past week to produce their own video entry for HGTV’s “Hometown Takeover” contest — which is offering to totally remake one small U.S. town.
Enjoy hearing music under the stars? How the sky will change for this Modesto show
Modesto Bee
There’s nothing new about a concert under the stars, listening to music outdoors under an evening sky. But a special event in Modesto this weekend puts a unique spin on that simple concept. Instead of being outdoors under the stars, patrons will be indoors under the stars.
Young Artists Spotlight 2020: Fresno State Soloists
VPR
This week on Young Artists Spotlight, we welcome music students from California State University, Fresno. Each of the three student musicians will perform with collaborative pianist Dr. Shing-Ming Liao.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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