POLICY & POLITICS
$56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships
Deadline TOMORROW! (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:
Applications being accepted for San Joaquin County boards, commissions and committees
Stockton Record
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is seeking members to serve on several boards, commissions and committees.
California wants to kill every one of these swamp rats by 2025. Congress is ready to help
Merced Sun-Star
A California Democrat trying to eradicate invasive swamp rats from his state highly recommends using an animal carcass to get action in a typically deadlocked Congress.
Central SJ Valley:
California lawmakers order audit of Fresno sheriff, others over spending and jail conditions
Sacramento Bee
Citing a series of jail deaths in Fresno County and faltering local oversight across the state, lawmakers have directed the California auditor’s office to review how sheriffs manage their county jails.
About 2,000 Fresno County ballots have been rejected for the March primary. Here’s why
Fresno Bee
Some 2,000 ballots — roughly .42% of registered voters — have been rejected so far in Fresno County because of a disparity in signatures, the County Clerk’s Office confirmed Wednesday.
Calwa Park fire forces voting center move. Here’s where to cast your ballot Tuesday
Fresno Bee
A fire that burned part of the recreation center at Calwa Park on Saturday is forcing Tuesday’s voting center to be moved, according to the County of Fresno Administrative Office. An alternate voting center will open Tuesday at Cedar Courts, 4430 E. Hamilton Ave. in Fresno.
Why the 2020 census is so important to Fresno schools — and its students
Fresno Bee
During the last census, almost 1 million children under 5 were not counted including about 210,000 Californians, according to a report by the U.S Census Bureau. School officials say undercounting in the census plays a role in overcrowding classrooms.
FUSD offers teacher academy for aspiring teachers
abc30
A Fresno Unified program is providing a pathway for students right back to the classroom. For over 20 years, Teacher Academy has introduced students to careers in education.
EDITORIAL: Congressman Jim Costa is at ‘the top of his game.’ Voters should give him a new term
Fresno Bee
Democrats hold a nearly 20-percentage point advantage over Republicans in party registration in California’s 16th Congressional District. It has been solidly under Jim Costa’s control since it was formed in 2012.
Group asks Congress to investigate how Devin Nunes is paying for his lawsuits
Fresno Bee
A nonpartisan watchdog group filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Devin Nunes Wednesday, calling for a congressional investigation into how the California Republican is paying for his lawsuits against media companies and critics.
See also:
South SJ Valley:
Top Kern County election official out with Election Day less than a week away
Bakersfield Californian
The woman described as the “operational chief” of the Kern County Elections Division is no longer working for the county. The news became public less than a week before Election Day, although few details were available Wednesday.
County vows new oil review after court defeat
Bakersfield Californian
Instead of backing down, Kern County government plans to take another run at the oil-and-gas environmental review struck down on appeal Tuesday in a major setback for local petroleum production.
See also:
Court strikes down Kern County’s industry-friendly system for approving oil drilling Los Angeles Times
Proposal would allow oil companies keep injecting wastewater into Kern County aquifers
Desert Sun
California regulators are negotiating an agreement with two major oil companies that would allow them to keep injecting millions of gallons of wastewater into potential drinking water and irrigation supplies in the Central Valley for three years.
Kern County begins using homeless individuals for highway cleanup
Bakersfield Californian
A program in which homeless individuals will clean up state highways in rural Kern County kicked off Wednesday.
State:
Governor: Coronavirus changing “by the hour” in California
CalMatters
In a state with more patients and more in quarantine than any other, many questions remain unanswered as coronavirus develops in California.
Homelessness tops Gavin Newsom’s agenda. So why is his housing department understaffed?
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans to build houses and reduce homelessness in California depend on a state department that is understaffed, lacking permanent leaders and struggling to adjust to change, according to documents and interviews.
See also:
Californians Are Grappling with Homelessness Public Policy Institute of California
Newsom is promising a database to track homeless people statewide. It won’t be that easy
Los Angeles Times
“Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his State of the State address last week that California “will establish a unified homelessness data system to capture accurate, local information.”
California governor seeks overhaul of child care programs
Hanford Sentinel
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to consolidate the state's confusing array of child care programs that are run by multiple state agencies to make getting the services easier for for low-income parents of young kids.
California’s new labor law is a work in progress. Here’s how lawmakers could change it
Sacramento Bee
The California Legislature is considering nearly three dozen bills to clean up or repeal the landmark gig economy law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom just months ago.
Los Angeles Times
Physical education in California schools could use an overhaul. Despite the requirement that students engage in regular physical activity during each school week, the fitness of the state’s students isn’t improving.
Federal:
Trump urges calm even as US reports worrisome new virus case
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that a widespread U.S. outbreak of the new respiratory virus sweeping the globe isn't inevitable even as top health authorities at his side warned Americans that more infections are coming.
See also:
Trump Appoints Pence To Lead Government's Coronavirus Response Capital Public Radio
Trump, seeking to tamp down fears of coronavirus, names Pence to lead response Los Angeles Times
Trump names Pence to lead US response to coronavirus threat San Francisco Chronicle
White House announces coronavirus 'coordinator' to lead response under Pence Politico
Trump open to higher price tag for emergency coronavirus funds Roll Call
Opinion: Trump Has a Problem as the Coronavirus Threatens the U.S.: His Credibility New York Times
Trump Campaign Sues New York Times Over Opinion Piece
Wall Street Journal
President Trump’s campaign filed a libel lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing it of knowingly publishing false and defamatory statements in an opinion piece on the 2016 election and Russia.
Elections 2020:
Fresno-area schools are asking voters for a lot of money. Here’s what you need to know
Fresno Bee
Six different Fresno-area school districts are asking voters to approve local bond funding, and there’s a statewide school bond on the ballot, too. Want to know how much you could pay, if voters support a bond in Fresno, Clovis and Central district schools? Ed Lab has you covered.
See also:
Opinion: California’s Proposition 13 could spur innovative public schools and save lives CalMatters
Opinion: Proposition 13 school bond not justified Visalia Times Delta
Goodbye Polling Place, Hello Vote Center. More California Counties Moving To Voter's Choice Model.
Capital Public Radio
More counties in California are moving away from neighborhood polling precincts during the March 3 primary in favor of vote centers, an expanding election model designed to boost voter participation.
See also:
Demystifying California's Upcoming March 3 Primary
Capital Public Radio
As California’s March 3 primary approaches, there is confusion about two things: in some counties, polling places are moving to new voting centers and people registered as “no party preference” will have to re-register with a party to vote.
After embarrassing losses in 2018, GOP is targeting these California House seats in November
Los Angeles Times
Republicans are mounting an aggressive campaign to win back some of the seven California congressional seats they lost in 2018, a repudiation that turned the GOP into an endangered species in the state.
See also:
California Primary Election 2020: Where Do Candidates Stand On The Issues?
KPBS
We asked state, county and citywide candidates running for public office this year where they stand on some of the most contentious issues ranging from immigration to student debt and universal healthcare.
Just what is it about Bernie Sanders that young voters love?
Los Angeles Times
For younger voters, their formative years have primed them to embrace more radical politics. Sanders may come across as angry. But young voters consider the problems at hand and figure, why shouldn’t he be?
See also:
Could a Bernie Sanders ticket help – not hurt – some down-ballot Democrats in California? Sacramento Bee
A viral Post criticizes Bernie Sanders' ‘math’ on health care, taxes---It's wrong. PolitiFact
Bernie Sanders’ complicated record on guns PolitiFact
Rivals rip ‘socialist’ Bernie Sanders. Do Democrats share their fear? San Francisco Chronicle
Skelton: Freaked out about a Bernie Sanders nomination? Keep your eyes on South Carolina Los Angeles Times
‘He Hasn’t Been Here’: Why Joe Biden Lags in Super Tuesday States
New York Times
Joseph R. Biden Jr. is counting on a victory in South Carolina to revive his candidacy. But a daunting challenge awaits next week in states where he has limited resources.
For a historic high court pick, Dems must think outside box
Porterville Recorder
Joe Biden is dangling a history-making promise shortly before South Carolina's presidential primary on Saturday, the first 2020 contest featuring a majority black electorate. Elect him president, Biden says, and he might nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court.
It’s Facebook vs. the Bloomberg Campaign vs. the Internet
New York Times
The Bloomberg campaign is putting out more memes on private Instagram accounts — and running faster than Facebook can keep up.
Texas looms large as Super Tuesday bonanza for Democrats
Fresno Bee
Bernie Sanders packed a rodeo arena in Dallas. Mike Bloomberg has spent more than $13.5 million on television ads around Houston alone. And neither Joe Biden nor Elizabeth Warren can afford big losses. For a change, Texas matters in picking a presidential nominee.
The Markup
For political causes and candidates, who get a significant amount of their donations through email, having their messages diverted into less-visible tabs or spam can have profound effects.
Six ways the demand for government reform will shape the 2020 election
Brookings
Unless Democrats offer a credible government reform agenda to match their inventory of new programs, the rebuilders may conclude that Trump is the safer choice. This is the rebuilder’s dilemma in 2020.
Other:
With An Election On The Horizon, Older Adults Get Help Spotting Fake News
NPR
A recent study suggests these classes could be increasingly important. Researchers at Princeton and New York universities found that Facebook users 65 and over posted seven times as many articles from fake news websites, compared with adults under 29.
Want a job in journalism? The Fresno Bee and Fresnoland Lab are now hiring
Fresno Bee
McClatchy is building a team of journalists to uncover important stories and solutions at the intersection of housing, development, land use and water in the central San Joaquin Valley. We believe that what neighborhood or community you live in has a dramatic effect on your quality of life -- and that past, present, and future policies matter greatly.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California Latinos: An Economic Analysis - Guests: Mindy Romero, Director of California Civic Engagement Project, Price School of Public Policy at USC. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Poverty and the Economic Situation of California Latinos? - Guests: Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of California and Mindy Romero, Director of USC Price School of Public School. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 1, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Immigration: Opportunities for New Businesses in the Valley - Guests: Dora Westerlund, CEO - The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation; Yeru Olivares, CFO - The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, Yolanda Garcia, Owner - YO'MAMMAS!; Robert Zapata, Opportunity Fund. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
abc30
What happens when you combine a tractor with a Tesla? As the automobile industry is turning its head to climate conscience consumers, the Agriculture industry is beginning to do the same.
FDA, CDC link Jimmy John’s sprouts to sixth E. coli outbreak
Fresno Bee
After five being tied to five foodborne illness outbreaks, four of them E. coli, in the last seven years, the FDA upbraided Jimmy John’s for a track record of receiving and selling “adulterated fresh produce, specifically clover sprouts and cucumbers.”
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
'It's About Time': House Approves Historic Bill Making Lynching A Federal Crime
Capital Public Radio
The Emmett Till Antilynching Act was overwhelmingly approved on a bipartisan vote. "It's never too late to repudiate evil," Rep. Bobby Rush said.
‘Up to no good’: Modesto police looking for boys who emptied city fire extinguishers
Modesto Bee
Modesto Police are looking for at least seven juveniles who were captured on surveillance cameras emptying fire extinguishers at Modesto Centre Plaza.
Public Safety:
Dating violence is common. Turlock teens teach legislators, peers about prevention
Modesto Bee
“HARRT is designed to be a youth-led adolescent relationship abuse prevention program,” said Holly Grace Currie, the youth services manager at Haven Women’s Center. Seven area high schools have HARRT programs, and about 250 students participated in 2018.
How many mass shootings might have been prevented by stronger gun laws?
Los Angeles Times
After each mass shooting in America, lawmakers debate a familiar menu of gun control polices. Yet no major reforms have passed Congress since 1994 — and the killings continue. On Wednesday, for instance, multiple people were shot dead at the Molson Coors corporate complex in Milwaukee.
CalMatters
An audit of Lanterman-Petris-Short is due out later this spring, and could suggest a possible path forward for the state.
Fire:
‘A Huge Legacy’: Firefighter Figueroa remembered on Tuesday
Porterville Recorder
It was a day for grief and sorrow on Tuesday as Porterville Fire Captain Ramon “Ray” Figueroa was laid to rest at the North Kern Cemetery in Delano.
US forest chief: 'Tough choices' to fund wildfire prevention
Porterville Recorder
The U.S. Forest Service has been working with states and other partners to treat more acres every year in hopes of reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfire, but Forest Chief Vicki Christiansen acknowledged that a budget proposal for the next fiscal year reflects “tough choices and trade-offs” that could mean no funding for some programs.
Prescribed Burns Resume in Miami Creek-Lone Sequoia Area
Sierra News
The Bass Lake Ranger District announced Wednesday that fire officials plan to resume burning today in the Miami Creek-Lone Sequoia prescribed treatment unit.
California wildfire victims fear coming last in PG&E payout
Stockton Record
A $13.5 billion settlement between victims of California’s catastrophic wildfires and the utility blamed for causing them was supposed to bring some peace and hope to people still reeling from the devastation.
FEMA wants billions for helping after California wildfires. Victims plead with judge to stop them
Sacramento Bee
PG&E Corp. and lawyers for wildfire victims Wednesday urged a bankruptcy judge Wednesday to reject FEMA’s demand for a $3.9 billion reimbursement from the troubled utility, saying the government’s claim could undermine a carefully crafted plan to compensate victims and exit bankruptcy.
See also:
FEMA: Poor power line maintenance means PG&E intentionally caused fires San Francisco Chronicle
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Yellen Says Coronavirus Could Throw U.S. Economy Into Recession
Bloomberg
Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said depending on how widely the coronavirus spreads, the economic impact could have a significant impact on Europe and veer the U.S. toward a recession.
See also:
Live updates: Fears grow of a coronavirus pandemic as markets stumble again; Japan shuts schools Washington Post
Markets continue bad week, sink into correction territory Washington Post
Recession risk increases as coronavirus spreads globally, economists say Los Angeles Times
Fresno bank branch focuses on loans to women
Business Journal
Grameen America focuses on providing low-income women microloans to help establish or expand their businesses.
Jobs:
Want a job in journalism? The Fresno Bee and Fresnoland Lab are now hiring
Fresno Bee
McClatchy is building a team of journalists to uncover important stories and solutions at the intersection of housing, development, land use and water in the central San Joaquin Valley. We believe that what neighborhood or community you live in has a dramatic effect on your quality of life -- and that past, present, and future policies matter greatly.
BC's Business and Entrepreneurial Career Expo set for April 22
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield College is hosting its annual Business and Entrepreneurial Career Expo where employers will share part-time and full-time job opportunities, internships and mentorships with students.
Labor unions flex their muscle in fight with California cannabis industry
Los Angeles Times
California’s largest marijuana association is in a bind after powerful labor unions accused the organization of distributing an anti-union document and asked Democratic politicians to “refrain from engaging with” the group in a display of organized labor’s immense political muscle at the state Capitol.
California’s new labor law is a work in progress. Here’s how lawmakers could change it
Sacramento Bee
The California Legislature is considering nearly three dozen bills to clean up or repeal the landmark gig economy law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom just months ago.
Best-Performing Cities 2020: Where America’s Jobs Are Created and Sustained
Milken Institute
The Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities series has tracked the economic performance of US metros for two decades using job, wage and salary, and high-tech gross domestic product (GDP) indicators.
Study: Employment Among LA County Residents Experiencing Homelessness
California Policy Lab at UCLA
The California Policy Lab found that a majority (74%) of people who enrolled to receive homeless services in Los Angeles between 2010 and 2018 had worked in California before enrolling for services.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Why the 2020 census is so important to Fresno schools — and its students
Fresno Bee
During the last census, almost 1 million children under 5 were not counted including about 210,000 Californians, according to a report by the U.S Census Bureau. School officials say undercounting in the census plays a role in overcrowding classrooms.
FUSD offers teacher academy for aspiring teachers
abc30
A Fresno Unified program is providing a pathway for students right back to the classroom. For over 20 years, Teacher Academy has introduced students to careers in education.
California governor seeks overhaul of child care programs
Hanford Sentinel
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to consolidate the state's confusing array of child care programs that are run by multiple state agencies to make getting the services easier for for low-income parents of young kids.
Los Angeles Times
Physical education in California schools could use an overhaul. Despite the requirement that students engage in regular physical activity during each school week, the fitness of the state’s students isn’t improving.
Higher Ed:
CSU Cited for Successful Efforts to Close California Degree Gap
CSU
In 2019, the CSU's 23 campuses conferred a record number of bachelor's degrees (107,319)—the second consecutive year with more than 100,000 baccalaureate degrees awarded.
CSUB to host free RecycleMainia event on Saturday
Bakersfield Now
Cal State Bakersfield and several local organizations will host RecycleMania on Saturday. The event invites anyone looking to shred any unwanted documents and recycle any old electronics for free.
With $5.49 billion haul, UCLA rivals private colleges in fundraising — it’s part of a trend
Los Angeles Times
UCLA has raised $5.49 billion in one of the nation’s most successful public university fundraising campaigns, as an “arms race” heats up throughout the country for private philanthropy to offset state funding shortfalls.
Lawsuit challenges OPT program, potentially impacting international students
Daily Bruin
A lawsuit threatens the future of a post-graduate work program for international students, potentially impacting those hoping to study in the United States.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
A trillion trees not enough to fix climate crisis, critics say
Merced Sun-Star
A trillion trees is a lot, but would be woefully inadequate to address the global warming crisis, according to Democrats and climate scientists who said Republican backers of a tree-planting plan are using it to distract attention from the need to phase out fossil fuel use.
Lawsuit in California targets plastics pollution from Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other companies
Los Angeles Times
Escalating a campaign to make corporations responsible for the waste they produce, an environmental group filed suit Wednesday against some of the world's biggest food, beverage and consumer goods companies in a California court, arguing they should be held responsible for plastic packaging that is fouling the state's oceans, rivers and streams.
Better Late Than Never? Big Companies Scramble To Make Lofty Climate Promises
NPR
More companies are disclosing their carbon emissions, and more of those companies have emissions reductions targets, according to the global nonprofit CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project).
Opinion: California’s a climate leader? These six proposals show how much more we have to do
Los Angeles Times
Since the 2013 onset of the cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state’s policies, greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas sources have actually increased — by 3.5%, according to a ProPublica investigation.
Opinion: California’s recycling collapse is about to hit home
CalMatters
As if the ongoing homelessness crisis isn’t enough, California is facing another emergency—a recycling crisis—and it’s about to get far worse if a department of state government has its way.
Energy:
Proposal would allow oil companies keep injecting wastewater into Kern County aquifers
Desert Sun
California regulators are negotiating an agreement with two major oil companies that would allow them to keep injecting millions of gallons of wastewater into potential drinking water and irrigation supplies in the Central Valley for three years.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
First U.S. coronavirus case of unknown origin confirmed in Northern California, CDC says
Fresno Bee
Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the nation’s first coronavirus case of unknown origin Wednesday in Northern California in the latest sign of the virus’ rapid spread.
See also:
Merced, Tulare counties report residents have volunteered for coronavirus monitoring Fresno Bee
It’s time to prepare for a coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., CDC says. Here’s how Fresno Bee
Health officials urge Fresno Co. to take precautions during Coronavirus outbreak abc30
Merced health officials: Stay cautious of flu amid coronavirus concern abc30
Coronavirus: New case confirmed in Northern California, origin unknown abc30
Nine Tulare County residents placed on voluntary quarantine Visalia Times Delta
As U.S. Preps For Coronavirus, Health Workers Question Safety Measures Capital Public Radio
California coronavirus case could be first spread within U.S. community, CDC says Los Angeles Times
No plans to move Travis Air Force Base virus evacuees to Southern California, CDC says Sacramento Bee
What does 2020 census mean for Fresno school funding? Fresno Bee
Merced, Tulare counties report residents have volunteered for coronavirus monitoring Fresno Bee
1st U.S. coronavirus case of unknown origin being treated in Sacramento County, CDC says Sacramento Bee
Preparing At Home For A Potential Coronavirus Outbreak In The U.S. : Goats and Soda NPR
We Asked An Infectious Disease Doctor About Coronavirus. Here’s What She Said Now This News
Ugly battles erupt as residents fight housing coronavirus patients in their cities Los Angeles Times
About 40% of US adults are obese, government survey finds
Fresno Bee
About 4 in 10 American adults are obese, and nearly 1 in 10 is severely so, government researchers said Thursday.
Human Services:
The Golden State’s Mixed Record On Lung Cancer
California Healthline
California has the third-lowest rate of new lung cancer cases in U.S., but the state performs poorly in treating and screening for the disease, according to the American Lung Association's most recent "State of Lung Cancer" report.
IMMIGRATION
Court sides with Trump in ‘sanctuary cities’ grant fight
Fresno Bee
The Trump administration can withhold millions of dollars in law enforcement grants to force states to cooperate with U.S. immigration enforcement, a federal appeals court in New York ruled Wednesday in a decision that conflicted with three other federal appeals courts.
See also:
Interior official: Border wall helps environment, sacred sites
Merced Sun-Star
An Interior Department official defended the Trump administration's construction of the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico as an environmental good, arguing that erecting that barrier will help at-risk plants, animals and Native American cultural sites from damage even as lawsuits allege otherwise.
See also:
It’s illegal to destroy saguaro cactuses. So why are they being removed for Trump’s border wall? Los Angeles Times
Green card share for skilled Indian immigrants drops as application share rises, report says
San Jose Mercury
While a fierce debate rages over a U.S. Senate bill to scrap per-country green card limits — with opponents claiming it would give unfair advantage to Indian citizens — the share of green cards going to skilled Indian workers has dropped, according to a new report.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Valley Receives Historic Investment for New Community Parks & Improvements
Hanford Sentinel
On Feb. 27, Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) applauds the California State Parks award of over $13 million in new grants to create parks in the Central Valley.
See also:
Hampton Inn and Suites coming to Porterville in 2021
Porterville Recorder
Even though it will be in direct competition with the Holiday Inn, a Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton will be constructed at the 2.6-acre lot just to the east and of the Holiday Inn on Highway 190. The hotel will be the third one in that area as it will also join the Best Western Porterville Inn.
Planning Commission to Review Proposed New Cell Tower in Oakhurst
Sierra News
At its upcoming monthly meeting next week (March 3), the Madera County Planning Commission will review a request for a conditional use permit (CUP) that, if approved, will allow a local company to construct a new, 149-foot-tall “monopole” cell tower in Oakhurst.
Legacy of racist ‘redlining’ lingers in Sacramento neighborhoods. How this costs the city
Sacramento Bee
Although there has been a steady increase in minority home ownership and integration throughout the country, particularly in Sacramento, the effects of redlining nevertheless remain. Fifty years later, many black families are left behind when it comes to getting home loans across the country.
Housing:
New building in central Fresno to help low-income families
abc30
Old buildings are coming down, and dirt is turning at the corner of McKinley and Blackstone. Next year, a new development with 88 housing units will welcome families.
Homelessness tops Gavin Newsom’s agenda. So why is his housing department understaffed?
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans to build houses and reduce homelessness in California depend on a state department that is understaffed, lacking permanent leaders and struggling to adjust to change, according to documents and interviews.
See also:
Californians Are Grappling with Homelessness Public Policy Institute of California
Newsom is promising a database to track homeless people statewide. It won’t be that easy
Los Angeles Times
“Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his State of the State address last week that California “will establish a unified homelessness data system to capture accurate, local information.”
PUBLIC FINANCES
Lansner: Are California property taxes too low?
San Jose Mercury
Are California property taxes too low? Voters are being peppered with that question this year. Ballots are filled with propositions seeking, in one way or another, to increase property tax collections.
TRANSPORTATION
New clean-air locomotives debut in the San Joaquin Valley
Fresno Bee
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the San Joaquin Valley Railroad unveiled clean-air locomotives designed to help reduce emissions in disadvantaged communities at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in Exeter.
See also:
These locomotives will dramatically cut emissions Visalia Times Delta
California gas prices might rise due to Carson oil refinery fire
Los Angeles Times
California motorists may see gasoline prices rise modestly as a result of the fire that erupted at the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Carson on Tuesday night.
Rancho Cordova is getting a new ‘iconic’ pedestrian and bike bridge over Highway 50
Sacramento Bee
Earlier this month, Rancho Cordova City Council approved a $3.1 million contract to hire a designer for a planned pedestrian and bike bridge crossing Highway 50. The new bridge along Zinfandel Drive is aimed at improving safety for workers crossing the major freeway that cuts through one of Sacramento County’s busiest employment cores.
WATER
Westlands receives 15% initial water allocation
Hanford Sentinel
The Bureau of Reclamation announced Wednesday the initial 2020 water supply allocation for Central Valley Project water service contractors, and the relatively dry year so far isn’t leaving much to work with.
See also:
Westlands Water District Statement on 2020 Initial Allocation Westlands Water District
Nearly 25% of California in ‘moderate drought’ status, federal monitor says
Sacramento Bee
Hours before California water officials measure the Sierra snowpack for the third time in 2020, the latest data released by a consortium of federal agencies says almost one-quarter of California’s land area is now in “moderate drought” status, including essentially all of Sacramento County.
Feds order reservoir drained, cite California earthquake risk
Visalia Times Delta
Amid the threat of another California drought, federal regulators have ordered that a large reservoir south of San Jose be drained because of concerns that its dam may collapse in an earthquake, leading to a massive release of water that could flood much of Silicon Valley.
See also:
Silicon Valley is roiled by feds ordering draining of reservoir to reduce quake risks Los Angeles Times
Dozens of high-risk Bay Area dams lack required emergency plans San Francisco Chronicle
Walters: Climate change and water supply
CalMatters
California, as everyone knows, receives virtually all of its precipitation during a few fall and winter months and in 2019, some early rain and snow storms promised a bountiful water year.
California has a new plan to deal with climate change, sea level rise
San Francisco Chronicle
A sweeping blueprint for how state agencies should handle ocean warming lays out plans to restore coastal wetlands, prepare for sea level rise, monitor algal blooms, remove microplastics, and protect whales and sea turtles.
“Xtra”
February ArtHop Celebrates Clovis' 108th Anniversary
Clovis Roundup
The free family-friendly event gave the community the chance to celebrate the 108 years since the City of Clovis was incorporated and learn about the city’s heritage.
Spring Into the Clovis Botanical Garden
Clovis Roundup
Located at 945 N. Clovis Avenue, between Alluvial and Nees, this three-acre water-wise garden is composed of plants and landscapes that are native to our region and thrive in our Mediterranean climate.
Fresno-Clovis Prayer Breakfast fills the Fresno Convention Center with over 2,700
Fresno Bee
Said by an organizer to be the largest prayer event of its kind outside of Washington D.C., over 2,700 gathered Wednesday at the Fresno Convention Center to pray for the city’s elected leaders and appointed officials.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo welcomes new giraffe to African exhibit
abc30
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has welcomed a new giraffe to their African Adventure exhibit. Fenny is a two-year-old Masai giraffe that came from The Wilds safari park in Ohio.
Stockdale Post Office to hold passport fair in April
Bakersfield Californian
The Stockdale Post Office will be holding a passport fair on April 26 to help Bakersfield residents and those in surrounding areas obtain a U.S. passport, according to a news release.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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