January 29, 2020

30Jan

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Deadline February 28 for Two $56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships

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. 

 

San Joaquin Valley communities seeing unhealthy levels of toxins in water

abc30

Turning on the tap may seem harmless, but communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley are seeing unhealthy levels of toxins turn up in the water.

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Stockton Named The Most Racially Diverse City In America

Capital Public Radio

A new study by U.S. News and World Report lists California as home to 7 out of 10 of the most diverse cities.

 

Primary election preview: Coarsegold man joins McClintock challengers; Raymond-Knowles school bond

Sierra Star

Vote-by-mail balloting in Madera County for the March 3 primary begins next week. Besides the presidential primaries, Mountain Area voters have a congressional race to consider. Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, the area’s Assemblyman, is unopposed.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Clovis Community College #1 in California for transfer students

abc30

One Valley school is setting a new standard for transfer students across California. Clovis Community College students are setting goals from day one.

 

Fresno-area schools are asking voters for more than $1 billion. What will they do with it?

Fresno Bee

Over the years, school districts across the San Joaquin Valley have leveraged bonds to invest and renovate facilities in their districts. In March, a dozen of school districts in the region will ask voters to approve more bond money, including six in the Fresno-metro area.

See also:

 

Database reveals which Fresno-area school district has the highest average teacher pay

Fresno Bee

Average teacher pay in California public schools rose to $82,746 last school year, an increase of 2.6 percent from the prior year, new state data show.

 

Some of Fresno County’s most powerful women will share stage at empowering event

Fresno Bee

Some of the most well-know and powerful women in Fresno will join forces for an upcoming Girls Scouts event to convey one common message: “Woman can Lead the Way!”

 

‘Dogs like this…are God’s creation.’ Deal for Fresno animal shelter land announced

Fresno Bee

The announcement comes as Fresno’s contract with the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals nears its end.

 

Fresno County is rolling out new ways to vote. Here’s what you need to know

Fresno Bee

Voting in California and Fresno County in 2020 will look different than it has for many years. The state’s presidential primary election, which previously took place in the summer, has been moved to the first Tuesday in March. This year, it’s March 3.

 

Here are Fresno City Council District 4 candidates. They talk police, housing and homeless

Fresno Bee

The only Fresno City Council race this year is for the District 4 seat representing central and eastern parts of the town.

 

Warszawski: Why Jerry Dyer should attend Fresno mayoral forum. It’s not about disproving critics

Fresno Bee

It’s pretty easy to criticize Jerry Dyer for stiff-arming a mayoral candidate forum hosted by faith and social justice organizations whose efforts are centered in Fresno’s southern, poorer half.

 

Tulare Board of Supervisors deliver State of the County

Visalia Times Delta

Homelessness, public safety, infrastructure, sustainable growth. The State of the County address hit on a smorgasbord of Tulare County issues Tuesday.

 

Valadao kickstarts 2020 with $1 million in the bank

Hanford Sentinel

David Valadao is kicking off the 2020 election season with more than $1 million in the bank before one of the hottest Congressional contests. A press release from Valadao’s campaign said in the final quarter of 2019, the candidate raised more than $630,000.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

CSUB receives largest gift in its history to establish Grimm Family Center for Agricultural Business

Bakersfield Californian

The California State University Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Grimm Family Center for Agricultural Business, made possible by an endowment created by Barbara Grimm-Marshall and Kari Grimm Anderson.

See​​ also:

 

Taft College receives $156,000 gift from Chevron to expand Allied Health and Sciences Lab

Bakersfield Californian

Chevron will present a $156,000 check to Taft College to help fund the development of the Allied Health and Sciences Lab, specifically by providing medical equipment for expansion of its anatomy and physiology curriculum.

 

Kern County supervisors vote to dissolve Board of Trade

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to dissolve the Board of Trade, an advisory board that was more than 100 years old, and whose efforts were recently tied to increasing tourism.

 

Price: A raise for the City Council? 63 years since last one, it could be on the table

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield won't select a police chief to replace Lyle Martin until the newly hired city manager, Christian Clegg, finishes up his business in Stockton, makes his way south and settles in a little.

 

Opinion: Bakersfield needs to up its game to compete on the state level

Bakersfield Californian

For a city to maintain its identity, its people must know and respect their history, but recognizing a city's very recent past might be more important. In Bakersfield's case, that story is one of remarkable growth: The city has effectively doubled in population and area in less than 20 years.

 

City looking to purchase rescue mission site

Porterville Recorder

The Porterville City Council has called a special meeting to consider the authorization of purchasing properties located at 19 S A Street and 30 S. A Street. These properties, collectively, are known as the New Porterville Rescue Mission (NPRM).

 

State:

 

Income Inequality in California

PPIC
The gap between rich and poor is especially wide in California. While California’s economy outperforms the nation’s, its level of income inequality exceeds that of all but five states. Families at the top of the income distribution in California have 12.3 times the income of families at the bottom ($262,000 versus $21,000, for the 90th and 10th percentiles, respectively, in 2018), measured before taxes and safety net programs.

See also:

 

Offenders under 20 would be automatically tried as juveniles under new California bill

Stockton Record

California lawmakers will consider expanding the reach of the state’s juvenile justice system so that those under age 20 are automatically tried as minors — an idea backed by some state probation officers, who say teenagers aren’t mature enough to be held responsible in the same way as older offenders.

See also:

 

California Senate passes bill to make PG&E pay for blackouts

San Francisco Chronicle

State Sen. Scott Wiener’s legislative effort to place new restrictions on utility fire-prevention blackouts cleared the Senate floor on Monday. Senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of advancing the bill carried by Wiener, D-San Francisco, which would create a way to make Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and other large investor-owned electric companies in California pay customers for losses they incur during power shut-offs. The bill, SB378, now heads to the Assembly for consideration.

 

Federal:

 

Feinstein on impeachment: ‘I was going to vote against it.’ Now she’s unsure

San Francisco Chronicle

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday she still hasn’t decided if she will vote to convict President Trump, but she’s closer than she was before the Senate’s impeachment trial began.

See also:

 

Majority of House members support bill to set new rules for horse racing nationwide

Fresno Bee

The federal government would be firmly in charge of horse racing in the United States under legislation that now has the support of a majority of House of Representatives members as​​ lawmakers and racing advocates warned Congress urgent action is needed to boost the sport’s sagging image.

 

Trump’s approval in California hasn’t shifted: It’s still low

Los Angeles Times

The stability of President Trump’s standing with voters is one of the hallmarks of his presidency: No matter the headlines, his approval ratings change very little. That may be especially true in California — a mostly liberal state with a significant conservative minority — where Trump’s deep unpopularity shows no sign of abating.

 

Elections 2020:

 

Some California voters receive ballots days before Iowa presidential kickoff

Politico

Days before Iowa voters are set to caucus in what’s traditionally billed as the first 2020 presidential contest, some voters in California have already started receiving their Super Tuesday ballots.

 

Shenanigans? Under California’s primary rules, some campaigns boggle the mind

CalMatters

A Central Valley state Senate race is the latest oddball illustration of how California's "top two" primary can distort the field, confuse voters and raise suspicions.

 

Bernie Sanders grabs lead in California presidential primary poll

Los Angeles Times

Sen. Bernie Sanders, consolidating support from voters on the left, has taken a clear lead in the race for California’s huge trove of Democratic convention delegates as the presidential campaign moves toward a critical month of primary contests.

See also:

 

Joe Biden vs. Bernie Sanders: Iowa caucuses may be just the beginning of long battle

Fresno Bee

Joe Biden is ahead of the relentless Sen. Bernie Sanders by some six points nationally, a margin that could evaporate without wins. However, this isn’t a national race yet.

See also:

 

Bloomberg creates a parallel presidential race. Can he win?

Porterville Recorder

When the leading Democratic presidential candidates marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day by linking arms and marching through South Carolina's capital, Michael Bloomberg was nowhere near the early primary state.

See​​ also:

 

Fact-checking Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar

PolitiFact

The top two women running for president also happen to be senators. What does that mean? Weekend events in Iowa, as the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump goes on in Washington during the week.

 

One year inside Trump's monumental Facebook campaign

The Guardian

As the Democratic candidates for president spent 2019 battling each other in early voting states, Donald Trump’s re-election campaign built a sophisticated social media machine to communicate with conservative voters, grow its email list and fine-tune its messaging.

 

The 2020 Endorsement Race Is Getting Interesting
FiveThirtyEight

If you’ve been following endorsements of the 2020 Democratic primary field, the biggest thing that stands out is the lack of them, as my colleague Geoffrey Skelley wrote recently. Joe Biden has far more endorsement points1than any other candidate, per FiveThirtyEight’s endorsement tracker, but the majority of major figures in the Democratic Party haven’t gotten behind anyone.

 

House GOP leaders warn of fundraising crisis ahead of 2020

Politico

House Republican leaders privately conceded in a closed meeting Tuesday morning that they are in the midst of a full-blown fundraising crisis, which would imperil any chance they have at regaining their majority in 2020.

 

Commentary: The future of US agricultural and rural development policy: Where do the 2020 presidential candidates stand?

AEI

Most of the presidential candidates, including President Donald Trump, support using taxpayer funds to provide direct subsidies to farmers through price support, federal crop insurance, and other farm income safety-net programs.

 

Opinion: Want to fix the presidential primaries? Revive the fairness and equal time doctrines.

Washington Post

I will spare you the full joke, but the punch line is, “If you can’t govern, you had better entertain!” There are many important reforms to our presidential selection process that should be adopted — curbing the corrupting influence of money, ending the electoral college, making voting a constitutional right. But none are so urgently needed as a restoration of the doctrines of equal time and fairness to media coverage of our electoral contests.

 

Other:

 

Here’s how Facebook plans to make final decisions about controversial content it’s taken down

Vox

For years, Facebook has had a content moderation problem. It’s struggled to make unpopular decisions about content — like whether it should take down a viral doctored video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that made it appear like she was slurring her words (it didn’t) or if it should ban prominent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (it did).

See​​ also:

 

PSA: You can now clear your Facebook history, disconnecting apps and websites

9to5Mac

After a delay caused by a court case last year, you’ll now be able to clear your Facebook history – or, more precisely, force Facebook to forget everything it knows about your off-Facebook activity thanks to connections with apps and websites…

 

Commentary: The many polarizations of America

AEI

This month has brought a surfeit of interesting new books about American politics, most of them attempts to explain exactly how we reached our current era of gridlock and demagogy, in which disliked establishments and disreputable populists clash by night.

 

Commentary:  Mr. Smith and the Quest for a Perfect Candidate

Real Clear Politics

The Democrats’ presidential front-runner is out-of-date, indebted to special interests, and too closely associated with the endless wars launched by his predecessors. Who wants a tired old former vice president anyway? What the party needs -- and what the country wants -- is not a political lifer. It’s a fresh-faced citizen politician who is independent-minded, untarnished by foreign policy blunders, and unbeholden to the special interests that dominate Washington.

 

Commentary: Regional divergence is more than an economic dilemma - it’s a civil rights issue

Brookings

Brookings’ new report on the nation’s rampant, tech-driven regional divides has reanimated many high-level questions about the country’s economic efficiency and competitiveness. Can the United States truly prosper when 90% of its R&D- and STEM-intensive “innovation sector” employment growth takes place in just five “superstar” tech hubs? More voices are beginning to doubt it.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, February 2, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: State Auditor: Medi-Cal in Rural Areas - Guest: Elaine Howle, California State Auditor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, February 2, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Problems Surrounding California’s Medi-Cal Program - Guests: Elaine Howle, California State Auditor; Monica Davalos, Aureo Mesquita and Adriana Ramos-Vamamoto from the California Budget and Policy Center, Matt Levin with CALmatters and Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, February 2, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

The ‘Super Bowl carrots’ on your snack tray might be from this Fresno County farm

Fresno Bee

Don Cameron of Terranova Ranch, Inc. in Helm is growing 400 acres of winter carrots, which are made into baby carrots and sold mainly around Super Bowl time to be put out on snack trays.

 

Corcoran dairy farmers concerned about future amid Curtimade Dairy case

abc30

An ongoing legal battle between the city of Corcoran against the long time Curtimade Dairy has several dairy farmers concerned about their future.

 

Every California marijuana shop might have to display this code to prove it’s legal

Sacramento Bee

California could soon require cannabis retailers to display proof of their license in their storefront window. What began as a campaign to get marijuana retailers to voluntarily display a Quick Response code, or QR code, last month has turned into a proposal for an emergency regulation requiring that display.

 

One of the biggest names in cannabis is falling behind in paying vendors

CNN
Cannabis dispensary operator MedMen Enterprises (MMNFF)had aspirations to be the biggest, most premium player in the emerging industry. It opened locations in Beverly Hills and on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue and grew its name to the extent that it was even parodied on "South Park."

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Offenders under 20 would be automatically tried as juveniles under new California bill

Stockton Record

California lawmakers will consider expanding the reach of the state’s juvenile justice system so that those under age 20 are automatically tried as minors — an idea backed by some state probation officers, who say teenagers aren’t mature enough to be held responsible in the same way as older offenders.

See also:

 

Public Safety:

 

Court rules in favor of CHP officer who says homophobic discrimination drove him out

Fresno Bee

A state appellate court ruled Tuesday in favor of a veteran California Highway Patrol officer who claimed he was forced out of his dream job after his co-workers and supervisors​​ discovered he was gay, and subjected him to merciless ridicule and endangered him by refusing to provide backup on calls.

See also:

 

Fire:

 

Plan could force California utilities to reimburse customers for power shut-offs

Los Angeles Times

California utilities could be banned from charging for electricity during power shut-offs and required to reimburse their customers for spoiled food or other financial losses under legislation that cleared the state Senate on Monday.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

U.S. budget deficit is likely to top $1 trillion despite a strong economy

Los Angeles Times

An annual congressional report says the U.S. budget deficit is likely to burst through the symbolic $1-trillion barrier this year despite a healthy economy.

See​​ also:

 

Commentary: Regional divergence is more than an economic dilemma - it’s a civil rights issue

Brookings

Brookings’ new report on the nation’s rampant, tech-driven regional divides has reanimated many high-level questions about the country’s economic efficiency and competitiveness. Can the United States truly prosper when 90% of its R&D- and STEM-intensive “innovation sector” employment growth takes place in just five “superstar” tech hubs? More voices are beginning to doubt it.

 

Jobs:

 

Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates

Capital Public Radio

The experiment underway at three airports comes in reaction to a recent state law that makes it harder to classify people as contract workers rather than as employees.

 

Court rules in favor of CHP officer who says homophobic discrimination drove him out

Sacramento Bee

A state appellate court ruled Tuesday in favor of a veteran California Highway Patrol officer who claimed he was forced out of his dream job after his co-workers and supervisors​​ discovered he was gay, and subjected him to merciless ridicule and endangered him by refusing to provide backup on calls.

 

How many paid holidays do California state workers get? — State worker inbox

Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee State Worker Inbox finds answers for common questions about public employment in California. Have a question? Email reporter Wes Venteicher at wventeicher@sacbee.com. How many paid holidays do state workers get in 2020? Most California state workers get 11 paid holidays, one more than their counterparts in federal government.

 

A West Coast union faces bankruptcy. Here’s why unions nationwide are unnerved

Los Angeles Times

The union that handles every shipping container that crosses West Coast docks is bracing for bankruptcy. It’s a rare prospect for a bargaining group, and it’s rattling organized labor nationally.

 

California private jet company moving headquarters to Florida

San Francisco Chronicle

California private charter jet company Xojet is moving its headquarters to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in another local corporate departure.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Fresno-area schools are asking voters for more than $1 billion. What will they do with it?

Fresno Bee

Over the years, school districts across the San Joaquin Valley have leveraged bonds to invest and renovate facilities in their districts. In March, a dozen of school districts in the region will ask voters to approve more bond money, including six in the Fresno-metro area.

See also:

 

Database reveals which Fresno-area school district has the highest average teacher pay

Fresno Bee

Average teacher pay in California public schools rose to $82,746 last school year, an increase of 2.6 percent from the prior year, new state data show.

 

Modesto’s ‘radical’ school could finally have its own campus. Public input is sought.

Modesto Bee

The Fremont Open Plan, known for its experience-based learning and whole child education, could switch places with a small neighborhood school in Modesto.

 

March to take place prior to KHSD community forum

Bakersfield Californian

Though the Kern High School District has seen improvements in student expulsion and suspension rates the past few years, local activists say not enough is being done.

See​​ also:

 

Making Progress on Connecting Student Data across California

PPIC

California students may fall through cracks in the state’s public education system because K–12 data and college data are not connected. For example, the state and its public universities are currently unaware of students who do not apply to UC or CSU despite being eligible, making it impossible to encourage these students to apply.

 

Commentary: We should be focusing on absenteeism among teachers, not just students

Brookings

Measures of chronic student absence are now taking on important policy roles across the country. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) required the adoption of non-test-based performance measures in revamped school accountability systems, with chronic absenteeism emerging as a common preferred measure.

 

Higher Ed:

 

CSUB receives largest gift in its history to establish Grimm Family Center for Agricultural Business

Bakersfield Californian

The California State University Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Grimm Family Center for Agricultural Business, made possible by an endowment created by Barbara Grimm-Marshall and Kari Grimm Anderson.

See​​ also:

 

Clovis Community College #1 in California for transfer students

abc30

One Valley school is setting a new standard for transfer students across California. Clovis Community College students are setting goals from day one.

 

Taft College receives $156,000 gift from Chevron to expand Allied Health and Sciences Lab

Bakersfield Californian

Chevron will present a $156,000 check to Taft College to help fund the development of the Allied Health and Sciences Lab, specifically by providing medical equipment for expansion of its anatomy and physiology curriculum.

 

Opinion: Her life story is tied to Merced College. Now she asks voters to back the school

Merced Sun-Star

We cannot use state money to build new buildings. We need bond money to do that. Without the infrastructure funds Measure J would secure, we fall behind. With them, we charge forward.

 

Students worry as California’s online community college confronts offline woes

CalMatters

California’s first-in-the-nation online community college now has 450 students — with  no full-time faculty,  no CEO and no political champion. What will Calbright's future be?

 

Walters Commentary: Community college report ignores reality

CalMatters

The Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises state lawmakers on budgetary matters, prides itself on taking an independent, nonpartisan and even nonpolitical approach to important policy issues. That well-established tradition continues in a new LAO report on a pilot program that allows a few community college districts to offer four-year degrees in a few obscure subjects

 

UC ends long-running labor dispute, reaches tentative deal with 19,000 health care workers

Sacramento Bee

The bargaining team for roughly 17,000 patient care technical workers reached a tentative contract agreement with the University of California, ending one of the institution’s longest-running contract disputes, according to a news release issued Tuesday by Local 3299 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

 

Recognizing Fluctuations in Food Security Among College Students

EdNote

Graduating a higher percentage of students may depend on how colleges address fundamental student needs — such as secure housing; reliable access to nutritious food; and affordable, flexible transportation that can swiftly ferry students between school, work and home. This seems like a tall order — and it is.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Atmospheric rivers that hit California getting a boost from melting Arctic ice

San Francisco Chronicle

The fast-melting ice in the Arctic may be the primary cause of extreme weather across the globe, including some of the most violent, damaging storms to hit the Bay Area and California, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography study has found.

 

Energy:

 

Opinion: The case to ban natural gas from new construction

San Francisco Chronicle

Why avoid natural gas in new construction? It’s one of the fastest and most effective ways we can combat climate change.

 

Commentary: Markets Will Lead CA to the New Energy Future, Panelists Say

Fox & Hounds

The 13th annual Verde Exchange, designed by its founder, L.A. civic leader and businessman, David Abel to understand and advance the New Energy Economy, kicked off​​ in downtown Los Angeles yesterday with panels that questioned whether development of the green energy economy was best driven by government or the markets.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Coronavirus: Five burning questions scientists want to answer about the outbreak

Los Angeles Times

How much do scientists know about the coronavirus spreading through China and around the world? What are they trying to learn as the outbreak expands? To make decisions about how best to protect the public’s health from the threat of a never-before-seen virus, experts need some answers to a few key questions.

See​​ also:

 

California Considers Permitting Students Excused Mental Health Days

KQED

Parents, educators and clinicians are seeing an alarming increase in mental health problems among young people. Various national surveys show the rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide on the rise, but what to do about it is less clear.

See​​ also:

 

Mental health care: From the snake pit to the streets

Capitol Weekly

The modern history of mental-health care in California begins more than half a century ago with passage of the landmark 1967 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, an ambitious — but ultimately disastrous —  overhaul of a draconian “system” of hoary old mental hospitals throughout California.

 

The Surprising Reasons Vaping Bans Draw Pushback

PEW
Geoffrey Gibson, owner of Capital Vape Supply, watched his thriving, 7-year-old business wither last summer when vaping-related deaths started making headlines. It picked up again after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in December that the lung illness that has killed at least 60 people and injured more than 2,600 was primarily caused by cartridges containing THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), not nicotine.

 

Human Services:

 

Treatment for opioid addiction is increasing, except in the young

abc30

Individuals aged 15 to 24 years have experienced a decline in treatment from a lifesaving medication.

 

Screen reading can wreck your attention. Here’s how to save it.

Washington Post

For Maryanne Wolf, it began “innocently enough.” As her work became more and more digital, emails shortened. She dropped magazine subscriptions. She started leaning on Google searches and weekly summaries for her reading — plenty of time to read more deeply over the weekend.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Stanislaus sheriff explains how his department cooperates with immigration officials

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse reached out to the west Modesto community Monday to explain the parameters of his department’s cooperation with immigration authorities.

 

ACLU claims McFarland failed to follow state law during contentious meeting on immigrant detention centers

Bakersfield Californian

A McFarland Planning Commission meeting held last week to discuss expanding immigrant detention capabilities in the city has come under fire from the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

‘Dogs like this…are God’s creation.’ Deal for Fresno animal shelter land announced

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced a $1 deal Tuesday with Gap Inc. for land that will be used for a new animal shelter. San Francisco-based Gap agreed to sell 4.8 acres to the city near Airways Boulevard and Gap Drive — land the city sold to the corporation back in 1997.

See​​ also:

 

New construction plan in Clovis to help businesses rise

abc30

Construction workers are taking advantage of the good weather to hammer out a 10,000 square foot office building.

 

Housing:

 

Unhealthy and offensive: 25-page complaint filed against Fresno mobile home park

abc30

Unhealthy and offensive: these are just two of the ways a 25-page complaint describes the conditions at Shady Lakes mobile home park.

 

Fresno Housing Authority Breaks Ground on New Solivita Development in Clovis

Clovis RoundUp

The Fresno Housing Authority, Clovis Mayor Drew Bessinger and other community leaders broke ground on the Authority’s new affordable housing development Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. The new development, known as Solivita Commons, is located at 725 West Alluvial Avenue.

 

Time Is Ticking on Controversial SB 50 Bill to Boost New Housing in California

KQED
One of the most watched bills aimed at tackling California's affordable housing shortage is nearing a major vote this week at the state Legislature that will decide whether it lives or dies.

 

Costs mount for California’s improper diversion of foreclosure aid

San Francisco Chronicle

California paid more than $1.4 million to cover the legal costs of community groups that sued the state for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars meant to help homeowners hit by foreclosures during the last recession, documents obtained by The Chronicle show.

 

SSI/SSP Grants Are No Match for California’s Housing Costs

California Budget & Policy Center

Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) grants are a critical source of income for well over 1 million California seniors and people with disabilities who have low incomes and need help paying for basic necessities, such as housing.

 

EDITORIAL: Forcing homeless people into mental health treatment isn’t the way to solve homelessness

Los Angeles Times

Many mental health practitioners who have spent lifetimes studying these issues say forced treatment for substance abuse or mental illness is not effective.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

These tax credits could put thousands of dollars in Californians’ pockets

Sacramento Bee

This Tax Season, Millions Of Californians Have The Opportunity To Put More Money In Their Pocket Through The California Earned Income Tax Credit. What Is The California Earned Income Tax Credit?

 

No, Californians aren’t being asked to repeal Prop. 13’s residential property tax limits

PolitiFact

Supporters of a California ballot measure that would remove some of Proposition 13’s tax protections say claims shared thousands of times on Facebook and other social media platforms have distorted their initiative.

 

How many paid holidays do California state workers get? — State worker inbox

Sacramento Bee

How many paid holidays do state workers get in 2020? Most California state workers get 11 paid holidays, one more than their counterparts in federal government.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

California Bike Fatalities Hit 25-Year High

California Healthline

Alongside the surging popularity of bike shares and fitness cycling in California comes a sobering statistic: From 2016 through 2018, more cyclists died in traffic accidents across the state than during any three-year period in the past 25 years.

 

The Electric-Vehicle Road Test

Wall Street Journal

Dozens of new electric-vehicle models are expected to arrive at dealerships in the next few years. We followed eight Wall Street Journal reporters in four countries to see if they, and the world, are ready to make the switch.

 

WATER

 

Did Fresno County water officials splurge on slot machines, appliances?

Fresno Bee

The preliminary hearing involving three officials with the Panoche Water District, accused of embezzling more than $100,000, continued Monday with defense attorney’s trying to dismantle the state Attorney General’s case against their clients.

See also:

 

San Joaquin Valley communities seeing unhealthy levels of toxins in water

abc30

Turning on the tap may seem harmless, but communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley are seeing unhealthy levels of toxins turn up in the water.

 

Melting Arctic ice helping trigger 'atmospheric rivers' that hit California

San Francisco Chronicle

The fast-melting ice in the Arctic may be the primary cause of extreme weather across the globe, including some of the most violent, damaging storms to hit the Bay Area and California, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography study has found.

 

Why desalination can help quench California’s water needs

CalMatters

If you’ve ever created a personal budget, you know that assigning your money to different investment strategies is a crucial component to meet your financial goals. When you stop dipping into your savings account each month, savings can begin to build. 

 

Opinion: California’s water department must face the reality of climate change and diverse needs

Fresno Bee

It is time for California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) to implement water policy for the state that shores up our precious waterways and diversifies water supplies in the face of these imminent threats.

 

“Xtra”

 

Up against a wall: Outdoor mural requires permission from property manager

Bakersfield Californian

Some people say it's easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. But Jana'e Hulsey, owner of The Apricot Door, may not be so sure after this week. An art mural Hulsey commissioned to have painted on a cinder block wall outside her new salon — without first obtaining permission from the company that manages the rental property on Rosedale Highway — put her a bit sideways with the owner of the company that oversees the property.

 

Stockton Chinese New Year Celebration will go on as scheduled March 1

Stockton Record

Organizers of the 2020 Stockton Chinese New Year Celebration plan to hold their event as scheduled in March in downtown Stockton.

 

Winter circus? Just one of many entertainment options coming up in Modesto region

Modesto Bee

Cirque Flip Fabrique’s “Blizzard” program takes a journey on stage through the dead of winter. The group is a circus company based in Québec. The troupe crafts contemporary circus shows to create visual poetry for the audience.

 

Manteca’s Great Wolf Lodge water park opening date set; pre-booking discounts offered

Modesto Bee

Great Wolf Lodge has announced the grand opening date for its new water park resort in Manteca. The massive new hotel, family entertainment center and water attraction will debut Aug. 1, the culmination of about a decade of negotiating and planning and some two years of construction.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

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