POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Parks tax offers Fresno a choice: a better, more livable city or politics as usual
Fresno Bee
The “P” in Measure P stands for Parks, obviously. It also stands for Playgrounds, Programs, Public spaces, Positive change and Pride in your city. All part of the social media messaging employed by backers of the November ballot measure.
Merced has picked a city attorney. She was named in a claim earlier this year
Modesto Bee
The city of Merced hired its first permanent city attorney since 2016, who comes to town after a rocky year in Turlock.
City council, candidates clash over hiring new Tulare city manager
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare City Council and three candidates clashed over the decision to restart the search for a new city manager.
Visalia City Council considering corporate jet hangar
The Business Journal
The Visalia City Council could vote tonight on a lease agreement that would allow for the construction of a new corporate jet hangar at the city’s municipal airport.
Mendes, Salas vie for 32nd Assembly District seat
Bakersfield Californian
A question often arises in Central Valley politics: How can a legislator effectively represent the interests of a rural area when Sacramento continues to be dominated by big-city politicians?
Nicita challenges incumbent Fong for 34th Assembly District seat
Bakersfield Californian
One seeks to cut taxes on consumers and overhaul state regulations. The other wants to raise taxes on wealthy corporations and make sure Kern County gets its fair share of the revenues.
What’s loud, heated and far from over in Turlock?
Modesto Bee
All four candidates for Turlock mayor came to The Bee last week. Our ed board expected an interesting, lively debate. Even so, we got more than we bargained for.
Modesto councilwoman feeling good after first round of cancer treatment
Modesto Bee
Modesto City Councilwoman Jenny Kenoyer, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, said her first round of chemo treatment went well and she expects to continue carrying out the duties of her elected office.
EDITORIAL: Fresno City Council needs fresh direction, and Nelson Esparza will help bring that about
Fresno Bee
Only 11 votes separated Brian Whelan and Nelson Esparza after the June primary in the race to represent District 7 on the Fresno City Council. As they head to the runoff in the November general election, The Bee recommends that voters support Esparza, who promises to bring a fresh approach to city governance.
EDITORIAL: Trump’s weight crushing Denham. The Bee is recommending Harder
Modesto Bee
There’s an elephant in the race for California’s 10th Congressional District, and Jeff Denham is carrying him on his back. That orange elephant’s name is Donald, and there’s nothing Denham can do to make him disappear.
State:
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government - Public Policy Institute of California
PPIC
Key findings from the current survey.
From Net Neutrality To #MeToo, Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bills Into Law For Final Time
Capital Public Radio
Jerry Brown has cleared his desk for the final time as governor of California. And he saved some sweeping pieces of legislation until the end.
See Also:
● Feds sue over California’s new, tougher net neutrality law Stockton Record
● New net neutrality law sends California, Trump to court once again Modesto Bee
● California’s net neutrality rules face legal test San Francisco Chronicle
● EDITORIAL: California law a net gain for the public San Francisco Chronicle
● EDITORIAL: The Justice Department sues California over its new net neutrality law. What a surprise Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Jerry Brown has rejected a bill that would have given survivors of childhood sexual assault in California more time to file suits against those who could have stopped their abuse.
CALmatters
Jerry Brown’s first exposure to the complexity of judicial appointments came when the 27-year-old lived in the Governor’s Mansion and studied for the bar in 1965.
See also:
● Will Supreme Court heed Jerry Brown’s request? CALmatters
Lieutenant governor hopefuls have big plans
San Francisco Chronicle
The lackluster portfolio of California’s lieutenant governor job makes the position easy to overlook. Even some who have held the post have complained that with almost no duties, it’s a bore.
See Also:
● EDITORIAL: To solve two of California’s worst problems, vote Eleni Kounalakis for lieutenant governorSacramento Bee
16th SD seat pits political heavyweight Grove against newcomer Musser-Lopez
Bakersfield Californian
Former state Assemblywoman Shannon Grove is the heavy favorite in the race for the state's 16th Senate District seat.
‘Hell hath no fury like a woman wronged.’ Will California voters send a message this year?
Fresno Bee
Election Day is just five weeks away, and California voters are angry. Some are frightened. Others are excited. But the question – and the emotion – that will determine the outcome of these critical midterm elections and possibly control of Congress for the next two years is: which party’s voters are more motivated, Democrats or Republicans?
‘Turnout will be key.’ What California leaders think will happen in congressional races
Modesto Bee
California Influencers this week answered this question: Given the importance of the competitive California House races in the battle for control of Congress, what are the most important things to watch for in the closing weeks of those campaigns? Here are their answers.
Vandals dress Democrat as a Nazi and deface Republican’s signs in California House race
Sacramento Bee
Both the Republican and Democrat running in California’s 1st District House race have taken to social media to decry the recent theft and vandalism of their campaign signs.
Sacramento Bee
A ballot measure advocating for more humane animal treatment is receiving opposition from an unlikely source.
Woman who accused Democratic House candidate of harassment says it was a 'misunderstanding'
Los Angeles Times
A woman recanted her allegation of sexual harassment against a Democratic House candidate on Monday, blunting a major line of attack that a conservative super PAC had been using against Gil Cisneros in a key California race.
A union un-endorses a Democrat
CALmatters
An ad opposing California’s new gasoline tax has cost Orange County Democrat Katie Porter the endorsement of the laborers’ union—potentially a hit for the UC Irvine law school professor challenging Republican Congresswoman Mimi Walters in one of the nation’s most hotly contested races.
EDITORIAL: Xavier Becerra for attorney general
Los Angeles Times
Becerra has set a good direction, and voters would be wise to give him a full four-year term. Bailey is the wrong person for the job.
Federal:
GOP calls for investigation of Feinstein over Ford letter. But there’s a big problem.
Fresno Bee
Republicans have repeatedly called for investigations into who leaked Christine Blasey Ford’s letter that accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, focusing particularly on Sen. Dianne Feinstein. But there’s a problem with that.
'Trying to destroy a great man:' Trump doubles down on defense of Kavanaugh
ABC30
The White House may have eased up limitations of the FBI's investigation into Brett Kavanaugh, but President Trump on Monday dug in on his defense of embattled Supreme Court nominee and accused Democrats of "trying to destroy a very fine man."
See Also:
● Flake says FBI believed Kavanaugh investigation would be done in a week ABC30
● How a Supreme Court justice makes it onto the court ABC30
● Tim Scott says his ‘heart breaks for Dr. Ford,’ but he will vote for Brett Kavanaugh Modesto Bee
● FBI Investigation Of Brett Kavanaugh Capital Public Radio
● These three undecided Republicans will decide if Kavanaugh gets on the Supreme Court Los Angeles Times
● Trump says Republican senators are calling the shots on Kavanaugh FBI investigation Los Angeles Times
● Yale classmate recalls Kavanaugh as frequent, heavy drinker as FBI interviews accusers Los Angeles Times
● What would a Kavanaugh confirmation mean for the midterm elections? It's all about trade-offs Los Angeles Times
● Kavanaugh was questioned about anonymous letter alleging he and a friend attacked Oceanside woman San Diego Union-Tribune
● How Much Politics in a Supreme Court Justice? WSJ
● How Will Kavanaugh Shape the Midterms? Roll Call
● Not everyone belongs on the Supreme Court Washington Post
● EDITORIAL: I’ve become used to left-side attacks on moral behavior. It has to stop Sierra Star
New Supreme Court term begins amid Kavanaugh confirmation battle
ABC30
The Supreme court convenes Monday with only eight justices, with President Donald Trump's pick languishing in the Senate amid allegations of sexual assault.
See Also:
● Supreme Court opens its new term on a quiet note, amid the loud, partisan dispute over its future Los Angeles Times
Trump hails new trade deal with Mexico and Canada
ABC30
After 14 months of talks between the United States and its closest allies, President Donald Trump celebrated the United States Mexico Canada Agreement.
See Also:
● Trump calls revamped NAFTA a new model for U.S. trade relations, but others see it as just an update Los Angeles Times
● Early rally over Canada trade deal fades, leaving U.S. stocks mixed Los Angeles Times
● Trump says USMCA trade deal with Mexico and Canada proves tough talk and tariffs work Washington Post
● United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Text United States Trade Representative
● A New Nafta Relief WSJ
● Trump Makes a Deal WSJ
● Trump’s Instincts Triumph on Trade WSJ
● What’s in the New Nafta WSJ
● Remaking Nafta WSJ
● White House Celebrates Trade Pact, Prepares to Sell Congress Roll Call
● U.S. Pivots to China, With Nafta Deal in Hand WSJ
Republicans widen the gender gap, to Democrats’ benefit
Washington Post
Now not all voters who oppose Kavanaugh will vote in the midterms, nor will they necessarily vote for Democrats, but given the GOP’s growing problem with women and independent voters, these numbers cannot be reassuring.
The high-stakes trade-offs for US cybersecurity policy
AEI
While some have critiqued the new Trump administration's cybersecurity strategy, it has also received respectful attention. The debate over how to deal with foreign cyberattacks is crucial, and the result will have important diplomatic and cybersecurity implications.
Other:
Valley Public Radio Announces Alice Daniel As News Director
Valley Public Radio
Valley Public Radio has announced the hire of Alice Daniel as the station’s news director. A longtime correspondent for KQED’s The California Report, Daniel will supervise the station’s growing local news department.
How confident are Americans their votes are secure?
AEI
Last week’s New York Times Magazine ran a story, “The Crisis of Election Security,” describing America’s electronic voting systems as “more vulnerable than ever.”
The Comeback of the Mid-Sized American City
CityLab
A major urban migration is underway. Since 2000, more than 5.5 million Americans have left just our three largest cities for smaller cities like my own Oklahoma City. Many metros like mine have grown significantly faster than our nation’s top 10 metros.
Broadband subscriptions are up, but too many households remain disconnected
Brookings
Inconsistent broadband adoption is leaving many U.S. households in the digital dark—disconnected from the social and economic opportunities that high-speed internet can provide. Adie Tomer and Lara Fishbane shed light on America’s broadband gaps and call on local leaders to prioritize the issue in their communities.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Program will help dairies make money while cutting down on methane gas
ABC30
Dairy Operators face state requirements to do their part to clean the air and one program with incentives calls for capturing the natural gas in a big holding pond.
Blood, drugs, theft and tacos: inside the lawsuit threatening Casa Ramos’ future
Sacramento Bee
Casa Ramos’ corporate office faces a state Department of Justice investigation after the family of the restaurant chain’s founder filed a lawsuit accusing the chain’s new owners of embezzlement. That charge is thrown back in the accusers’ faces in a cross-complaint.
Supreme Court rejects mandatory labor contract case
Los Angeles Times
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition by a California fruit grower to weigh the constitutionality of a state law that allows a mediator to impose an agricultural labor contract on deadlocked parties.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
New commitment from feds has helped tackle gangs, drugs and guns in Fresno, elsewhere
Fresno Bee
One year ago, President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions made Project Safe Neighborhoods the centerpiece of a nationwide strategy to fight gangs, drugs and gun-toting criminals.
See Also:
● Local law enforcement credits Federal program with helping offset state sentencing laws ABC30
● Putting a stop to crime 'virus' in the Central Valley Visalia TImes-Delta
Jerry Brown limits prosecution of minors to ‘work toward a more just system’
Sacramento Bee
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 30, 2018, signed a pair of bills limiting the ability to charge minors younger than 12 in juvenile court and preventing the ability to transfer teens under age 16 to adult court.
Old marijuana convictions eased under new California law
Modesto Bee
A bill aiming to make it easier for people to erase their old marijuana convictions was signed into law Sunday night by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Hundreds serving time for murder could get sprung under new California law
Modesto Bee
California could give a second chance to hundreds of individuals serving prison time for murders they did not commit. Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday signed without comment Senate Bill 1437, which scales back prosecutors’ ability to use the “felony murder rule” tocharge accomplices to a homicide.
See also:
● California sets new limits on who can be charged with felony murder Los Angeles Times
State grant to Manteca PD targets alcohol-related crime
Stockton Record
Police soon will be focusing special attention on alcohol-related crimes, thanks to a state grant of nearly $50,000 awarded to the Manteca Police Department.
Public Safety:
When Valley law enforcement used force in 2017, deaths were more frequent than statewide
Fresno Bee
About one out of every four civilians against whom law enforcement used force in California last year were killed. But in Valley counties, civilian deaths in such encounters were almost double the statewide rate.
See Also:
● A glance at officer-involved shootings in the Fresno area and across California Fresno Bee
You’re going to get a Presidential Alert Wednesday, but it’s not from the president
Fresno Bee
As part of a test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System, a “presidential alert” will be sent to all mobile phone users in the country on October 3, 2018 in case of a major national crisis.
Sheriff announces twice-yearly random drug testing for Sheriff's Office personnel
Bakersfield Californian
Beginning next year, the Kern County Sheriff's Office will initiate twice-yearly random drug testing of its employees.
Gun laws get even tougher; Brown also blocks some bills
San Francisco Chronicle
California’s gun-control laws, already among the strictest in the nation, will get even tougher next year when the state bans rapid-fire “bump stocks” and sales of rifles and shotguns to people under 21.
I voted against an assault weapons ban. Here’s why I changed my mind.
Washington Post
I keep coming back to April 17, 2013. That was the day I voted for legislation that would finally require a criminal-background check for all firearm purchases.
EDITORIAL: Police misconduct can no longer be hidden in California
San Diego Union-Tribune
The police unions that oppose reforms on dubious officer-safety grounds need some deep introspection. Transparency is only rarely a bad thing — and it is crucial for accountability.
Fire:
Oak Fire fully contained, closures still remain
Sierra Star
The Oak Fire, burning just north of Oakhurst, was fully contained at 360 acres as of Saturday morning.
Firefighters stop fire in Caliente
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Fire Department put out a fire early Sunday morning that had engulfed a shop, motor home and several vehicles in Caliente and had spread to trees and grass.
Wildfires remain major threat despite new rainfall year
San Francisco Chronicle
The first hints of rain in the Bay Area are very much welcome after a five-month dry spell , especially by firefighters at the front lines of Northern California’s wildfires.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Fed Rethinks How to Define a Big Bank
WSJ
The Federal Reserve could broaden the number of banks receiving regulatory relief under an initiative that changes how it defines a big bank.
Jobs:
Women will be required on corporate boards in California, landmark law says
ABC30
More women will have a seat at corporate tables in California after a bill was signed into law Sunday by the governor.
See Also:
● California Is First State To Require Women On Corporate Boards Capital Public Radio
● Jerry Brown's parting gift to California women: A seat at the table of power Los Angeles Times
● Requiring women on boards may not hold up in court San Francisco Chronicle
● Should public companies be required to have women on their boards? California thinks so. San Diego Union-Tribune
● Diversify the Boardroom, Just Not Like California The New York Times
Looking for seasonal work? Kohl's, Target offer extras to sweeten the deal
Visalia Times-Delta
Amid a tight labor market and brightening retail prospects, Kohl’s Corporation is boosting its seasonal hiring target and touting perks to attract holiday workers.
California makes it easier for people with minor convictions to find jobs
San Francisco Chronicle
California will ease restrictions on people with minor criminal convictions to help them land jobs in automotive repair, construction, cosmetology and other careers under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
EDUCATION
K-12:
School bus delays, driver shortages are affecting Fresno students with special needs
Fresno Bee
A Fresno guardian said First Student, the transportation company that contracts with the Fresno County Office of Education and Fresno Unified to transport students with special needs, routinely picks up or drops off her special needs student late due to a shortage of bus drivers, echoing concerns about driver shortages nationwide.
Online quizzes are gaining popularity in classrooms. Some students are hacking them
Fresno Bee
As Kahoot has exploded in popularity in classrooms, some students have taken to programming bots to spam their class quizzes, with the aim of halting the quiz, flashing an inappropriate name onscreen or getting the answer key.
See Also:
● What is Kahoot? A video explainer Fresno Bee
Three looking to fill vacant Kern High School District Area 4 seat
Bakersfield Californian
he landscape of the race for the Kern High School District Trustee Area 4 seat has shifted significantly since August.
Water at Lodi school tainted with carcinogen
Stockton Record
Earlier this year, Henderson Middle School began getting unwanted attention when a failed test of the school’s water well revealed the unfortunate truth that the Lodi Unified campus’ water supply was tainted with an excessive level of a chemical deemed by California to be carcinogenic.
Stockton Unified takes its hefty agendas digital
Stockton Record
Gone are the days that Stockton Unified meeting agendas sometimes could rival the thickness of mighty Sequoia trees. Jokes aside, the district had been well aware of the process of printing hundreds of pages and packaging agendas by hand were inefficient and costly.
Coalition puts spotlight on economic argument for early childhood investment
CAFWD
Children aged 0 to 5 were the centerpiece when business leaders joined early childhood advocates in San Francisco last week for a meaningful conversation about a critical bottom line: ensuring that California’s youngest residents have the support and education they need to reach their full potential.
Strong principals retain effective teachers—and don’t retain ineffective ones
Brookings
A new study by Brendan Bartanen and Jason Grissom of Vanderbilt University shows why the capacity of school principals matters in evaluating and reshaping the teacher workforce.
Higher Ed:
Two seats up for grabs in Kern Community College District race
Bakersfield Californian
The makeup of the Kern Community College District board of trustees could be significantly different come November.
Former U.C. Berkeley scientist awarded Nobel Prize in medicine
ABC30
A former U.C. Berkeley scientist is one of two people awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
See Also:
● Discoveries that revolutionized cancer care win Nobel Prize Stockton Record
At Elite Colleges, Racial Diversity Requires Affirmative Action
The New York Times
Getting more low-income students into elite colleges like Harvard and Stanford is an important goal. But it can’t replace race-based affirmative action.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Learn the difference between hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons
ABC30
If you've ever wondered what separates hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons from one another, the only difference is that they happen in different geographical locations.
Will early fall showers mean a wet winter for the Valley?
Visalia Times-Delta
It's officially been Autumn for a week and Tulare County residents have started inching closer to sweater weather.
A New Cost-Benefit Regulation Test
WSJ
The Obama Environmental Protection Agency forced dozens of coal plants into premature retirement with its mercury rule that was belatedly struck down by the Supreme Court. While those plants can’t be restored, the Trump EPA is at long last reinstating more rigorous cost-benefit analysis to its rule-making.
Small Town vs. Big Pollution: Black Residents Allege Environmental Racism
PEW Trusts
Residents say pollution is allowed to continue because they are black, poor and uneducated.
EDITORIAL: CEQA relief shouldn't just be for stadiums. It should cover housing as well.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Unfortunately, because labor unions and environmentalists are key factions in the Democratic coalition, most state lawmakers only offer relief from CEQA to major projects put forward by powerful, well-connected individuals who promise to provide union-level wages during construction.
Energy:
Dinuba Energy hoping to make a deal you can’t refuse
The Business Journal
Three years ago, having a conversation inside the six-story Dinuba Energy electrical plant would have been near impossible.
California Today: An Additional Fund for Solar Power
The New York Times
With a measure signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the state has made a new commitment of $800 million for clean-energy technologies including home storage. The goal is to capture electricity generated by solar panels during daylight hours to help keep the lights on after the sun goes down.
U.S. Crude Soars to Fresh Multiyear High as Rally Continues
WSJ
U.S. crude prices rose to their first multiyear high in more than three months on Monday, the latest sign that bullish optimism is spreading throughout the oil market as investors anticipate supply shortages.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Kern Public Health to offer low-cost, free flu shots
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Public Health Services Department is encouraging residents to get their annual flu vaccine.
Human Services:
Resident says SJ County leaders need to take aggressive approach on trash
Stockton Record
A resident in an unincorporated part of San Joaquin County is asking leaders to take a more aggressive approach to cleaning debris around Stockton.
Fixing our broken child welfare system
AEI
Child maltreatment continues to be a serious issue in the US. The long-term decline of stable two-parent families and the current spike in opioid addiction have put many more children at risk of abuse and neglect than there should be.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
In this article, we examine the factors explaining differences in public and private sector health insurance premiums for enrollees with single coverage.
IMMIGRATION
ICE arrests at Fresno courthouse may stop behind new sanctuary law policies
Fresno Bee
In the wake of recent arrests of undocumented immigrants at courthouses in Fresno and other locations, State Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued clarified details how law enforcement and other local agencies are expected to interact with federal immigration officials.
This visa program for Canadian professionals was on Trump’s hit list. Not anymore.
Fresno Bee
The Trump administration agreed to allow tens of thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of Canadian engineers, doctors and nurses working in the United States to keep their visas as part of a new trade pact, a revision of NAFTA.
Court hands win to undocumented teens jailed in sweeps
San Francisco Chronicle
The Trump administration must allow hearings for undocumented teenagers who were living with relatives or friends in the United States, with government approval, when they were arrested in gang sweeps last year and sent to lockups in distant states, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled Monday.
How two California Republicans handle Trump's hard line on immigration could define their futures
Los Angeles Times
At a recent backyard meet-and-greet, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher pivoted from a campaign pledge that was eliciting silence — “new-generation nuclear energy” — to one sure to rile the Huntington Beach crowd.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Downtown restaurant moving north, seeking nighttime streets that are ‘safe, well-lit’
Fresno Bee
Tree of Life, a Kern Street restaurant that’s been an advocate for downtown revitalization, is moving north.
Housing:
National Housing Market Indicators release for Q2 2018
AEI
The NHMI are published quarterly with a minimal time lag — Monday’s briefing covered sales transactions through the second quarter of 2018.
EDITORIAL: When it comes to rental costs, Prop 10 is not the answer. It deserves a no vote
Fresno Bee
Economists agree that rent control, as prescribed under Proposition 10, is a bad idea. It drives landlords out of the business and rents creep up anyway.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Parks tax offers Fresno a choice: a better, more livable city or politics as usual
Fresno Bee
Measure P would direct much-needed dollars to Fresno’s parks and arts programs. Opponents want it defeated, so they’ll get first dibs on taxpayer money.
California Budget & Policy Center
Proposition 6, which will appear on the November 6, 2018 statewide ballot, would eliminate taxes and fees that California enacted in 2017 to fund transportation infrastructure and also would amend the state Constitution to require voter approval of any future fuel and vehicle-related tax and fee increases.
See also:
● Will California soon have the highest gas tax in the nation? PolitiFact
Tax Cuts Provide Limited Boost to Workers’ Wages
WSJ
U.S. companies are putting savings from the corporate tax cut to use, but only a fraction of it is flowing to employees’ wallets, new data show.
TRANSPORTATION
California Inc.: SoCal gas prices are once again nearing $4 a gallon
Los Angeles Times
Heads up, drivers: SoCal gas prices are climbing toward $4 a gallon, boosted in large part by a rise in worldwide crude oil prices.
7 Ways Congress Might Make Your Next Airline Flight a Little Less Terrible
Roll Call
The Senate is getting ready to send to President Donald Trump a bipartisan reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration that might make the commercial flying experience just a little less awful.
Bike Roundabout Drone Footage
YouTube
Video 10x Timelapse UC Davis Silo 2018-26-09
WATER
California Marks Another Dry Water Year
Capital Public Radio
The Department of Water Resources said the Oct.1-Sept. 30 water year that ended Sunday was marked by hot and dry conditions, except for sporadic significant precipitation.
See also:
● Below Average Precipitation for Water Year 2018 California Department of Water Resources
● Report: Water year 2018 closes with a whimper The Business Journal
Prop. 3: Vote yes to pay for watershed, water projects
San Francisco Chronicle
Flint, Mich., isn’t the only place where tap water is poisonous. Shockingly, more than 1 million California residents are exposed to unsafe tap water each year in our homes, schools and public buildings. Latino and low-income communities are suffering the most.
Groundwater and the Colorado River
PPIC
Like so many rivers, the Colorado is closely linked to groundwater. A US Geological Survey study found that more than half of the streamflow in the upper Colorado Basin originates as groundwater.
“Xtra”
10 breathtaking National Park Service experiences to add to your bucket list
ABC30
Here are 10 breathtaking National Parks experiences you're going to want to add to your bucket list.
Hobb's Grove in Sanger kicked off this weekend
ABC30
Tis the season for terror. The haunting at Hobb's Grove in Sanger has begun for another year. The Halloween fun kicked off Friday night and will continue through Halloween.
Dozens of Valley veterans take off for Washington D.C. on the 17th Central Valley Honor Flight
ABC30
68 Valley veterans got a heroes departure Monday morning, as they made their way through the Fresno Yosemite International Airport and onto the 17th Central Valley Honor Flight.
Cirque du Soleil's first-ever ice show is coming to Bakersfield in March
Bakersfield Californian
Always one to keep audience members on their toes — while its performers swing through the air — Cirque du Soleil has delivered a cool new twist: ice.
New, unique bars coming to downtown Modesto promising cocktails, haircuts, tequila
Modesto Bee
Modesto nightlife grows as three new bars set to open downtown. Lo-Fi, Blades & Bottles and Maestro’s Tequila Bar will debut in coming months.
Strike up the bands! Modesto invitational returns after five-year absence
The Modesto Bee
The competition began in 1975 and continued until last held in 2012. Now, after a five-year absence, it returns Saturday, hosted by the Enochs High School Music Boosters.