October 5, 2018

05Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Valley:

 

“The Federal Court Crisis and What You Can Do About It with Chief Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill”

The Maddy Institute

Today The Maddy Institute will be hosting Chief Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill at a Maddy Associates luncheon. Business and Community leaders have been invited to attend this private event in Fresno, CA. To become a Maddy Associate please contact us HERE.

 

Fresno County Democratic Party pulls endorsement of auditor-controller

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Democratic Party on Thursday withdrew its endorsement of Oscar J. Garcia for county auditor-controller.

 

Joe McCarthy, Karl Marx, Alexander The Great ... and Devin Nunes. Just another propagandist

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes’ latest propaganda stunt comes straight from the Trump playbook. The Fresno Bee tells truths Nunes wants kept quiet, so he attacks us with loud lies.

 

Howze, eyeing 2020 race, gets big bucks from Denham after opposing him in June primary

Modesto Bee

Democrats smell a rat when incumbent Jeff Denham and Stanislaus GOP party give Ted Howze, Denham’s primary Republican contender, $35,000.

 

Challenger Tatiana Matta has hill to climb to mount a serious challenge to Kevin McCarthy

Bakersfield Californian

Veteran GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield is gearing up for yet another election season as the local congressman faces a new challenger in the upcoming general election Nov. 6.

 

Madera County elected official fined $3,500 for campaign filing violations

Sierra Star

California’s political watchdog has fined Madera County District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler, his committee and committee treasurer Nancy Price $3,500 for two violations in connection with his pre-election statements leading up to the June primary.

 

Two local businessmen say they funded an attack ad targeting David Couch by mistake

Bakersfield Californian

Two local businessmen are complaining that contributions they made to a local political action committee funded an attack ad against Kern County District 4 Supervisor David Couch without their knowledge.

 

Former Stockton Mayor Faces New Embezzlement Charges

Capital Public Radio

Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva and Sharon Shimas, who was his executive assistant while he held office from 2013 to 2016, were charged with embezzlement, money-laundering and conflict-of-interest last week by San Joaquin County prosecutors.

 

Town Hall Lecture Series Kicks Off With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

VPR

With the onset of fall comes announcements for music and entertainment. This week, we talk with and organizer from one of the Valley’s oldest public lecture series on the upcoming season for the San Joaquin Valley Town Hall.

 

Bakersfield Forum: Sonia Nazario To Discuss Journalism, Immigration And Fake News

VPR

It's hard to go through a news day without hearing something about, say, border control or that term, fake news. Well, next week, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario will address both topics at a Bakersfield College forum.

 

State:

 

California Democrats ‘well-positioned’ in most swing House districts, poll shows

Fresno Bee

A new poll shows that Democrats have a good shot at unseating Republicans in several GOP-held California congressional districts in the November midterm elections. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, has a solid lead.

See also:

     Biden pushes Democratic House to ‘take this president on’ Sacramento Bee

     Republicans face big risks in contested California races as Democrats fight for control of the House Los Angeles Times

     Joe Biden to rally California Democrats at campus event in Orange County Los Angeles Times

     Biden slams GOP's 'cultish devotion' to Trump as he stumps for California Democrats Los Angeles Times

 

To show up at the polls, young voters need more choices

Fresno Bee

No matter how easy we make the voting process, or how many times we tell them it’s their civic duty, why would young voters show up if they don’t perceive voting to be meaningful?

 

To encourage voting, have some hard talks – and really listen

Fresno Bee

In 2016, nearly 6 million young people, ages 18 to 29, were registered but did not vote in the national election. Face-to-face conversations can help change that.

 

Gov. Jerry Brown got better with calming age and invaluable experience — and so did his signing and veto messages

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown may have had more fun and been more entertaining while acting on bills than any California governor in history. He almost certainly has decided the fates of more measures than any governor — 19,680, according to his office. He signed 17,851 and vetoed 1,829, or 9.3%

Gas-tax repeal made California ballot because of GOP. Then GOP walked away

San Francisco Chronicle

Republican leaders who pumped more than $1 million into the effort to get a gas tax repeal measure on the November ballot have closed their wallets, leaving the Proposition 6 campaign underfunded and falling behind in the polls.

 

A disrupter from day one: How Kevin de León became the Democrat trying to topple Dianne Feinstein

CALmatters

One morning at the end of August, with the capstone of his political career in the balance, state Sen. Kevin de León retreated to his Capitol office and turned on the TV. On the screen, colleagues who had known the Los Angeles Democrat for years debated hislandmark bill to eliminate fossil fuels from California’s electrical system. The bill was big, attracting national attention. But it wasn’t going to pass, at least not on this vote, and no smart politician sets himself up for a public loss.

 

Feinstein’s campaign debate dodge may be about to end

San Francisco Chronicle

The last time Sen. Dianne Feinstein debated an opponent in a Senate election was in 2000. That means no voter under age 35 has had the privilege of deciding whom to send to Washington after seeing California’s senior senator match wits with a campaign foe.

 

My turn: What I’ll tell Congress about CA’s new privacy law

CALmatters

As a nation, we haven’t begun to scratch the surface of understanding what information corporations such as Google and Facebook are collecting, mining, buying, selling and sharing about us and our families.

 

EDITORIAL: Our recommendations for the California Supreme Court and Second District Court of Appeal elections: Just say 'yes'
Los Angeles Times

As the nation grapples with the drama surrounding the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, California is preparing to quietly confirm not one but two state Supreme Court justices and dozens of justices of the Court of Appeal.

 

Federal:

 

Senate votes 51 to 49 to advance Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court

Washington Post

The Senate advanced Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination in a key procedural vote Friday morning, putting him one step closer to confirmation and ending a deeply partisan and rancorous fight.

See also:

      Senate votes to end debate on Kavanaugh, advancing nomination to final floor vote PBS

     Nominee defends himself in op-ed, says 'I might have been too emotional' ABC30

     ‘I was screaming at the TV’: Anti-Kavanaugh activists frustrated with Feinstein Fresno Bee

     Kavanaugh battle takes to the air, fueled by political cash ABC30

     'I'm truly undecided': What key senators are saying ahead of Brett Kavanaugh vote ABC30

     Passion, chaos as Kavanaugh confirmation vote nears Bakersfield Californian

     Senators, staff to have access to FBI report on allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Hanford Sentinel

     Initial Senate vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination set for Friday Hanford Sentinel

     Retired Supreme Court Justice: Brett Kavanaugh does not belong on high court Stockton Record

     Police arrest Brett Kavanaugh protesters at Senate building  Stockton Record

     Senate Dems say FBI’s Brett Kavanaugh report ‘very limited’ Stockton Record

     Key senators undecided as Senate poised to vote on Kavanaugh Sacramento Bee

     Kavanaugh bump? GOP fights for new energy as vote nears Sacramento Bee

     Protesters gather in DC to rally against Kavanaugh Sacramento Bee

     What the last undecided Republican senator is thinking about Kavanaugh Sacramento Bee

     White House confident on Kavanaugh confirmation as Flake and Collins praise the FBI report Los Angeles Times

     Police arrest Kavanaugh's Senate protesters Los Angeles Times

     Kavanaugh says he 'might have been too emotional' at hearing Los Angeles Times

     Police arrest Kavanaugh protesters staging sit-in in Senate building Los Angeles Times

     As FBI check of Kavanaugh nears its end, probe appears to have been highly curtailed Los Angeles Times

     Kavanaugh could face pressure to recuse from cases on the Supreme Court San Francisco Chronicle

     Brett Kavanaugh doesn't belong on the Supreme Court Los Angeles Times

      Kavanaugh hurting GOP among women in CA House races, poll indicates San Francisco Chronicle

     Kavanaugh Battle Revs Up GOP Base WSJ

     Retired Justice Stevens, Once a Kavanaugh Admirer, Says Nominee's Impartiality Is in Doubt WSJ

     Secrecy Shrouds Senators as They View Kavanaugh Report WSJ

     How Will the Kavanaugh Fight Shape Future Politics? WSJ

     Brett Kavanaugh and the Limits of Social-Class Privilege for Conservatives National Review

      The War That Never Ends Cook Political

     GOP Confidence in Kavanaugh Confirmation Grows WSJ

     ‘We Don’t All Hate Each Other’: Senate’s Bipartisanship Obscured by Kavanaugh Fight WSJ

     Kavanaugh and the Senate’s Honor WSJ

     I Am an Independent, Impartial Judge WSJ

     How It Feels To Be Falsely Accused WSJ

     Kavanaugh: An Easy Vote WSJ

     High Noon for Judge Kavanaugh WSJ

      Retired Justice John Paul Stevens Says Kavanaugh Is Not Fit for Supreme Court New York Times

     No op-ed can clean up the Kavanaugh mess The Washington Post

     EDITORIAL: The case against Brett Kavanaugh San Francisco Chronicle

 

Following Trump's money exposes the awful truth: Our president is a 'financial vampire'

Los Angeles Times

Americans were confronted Tuesday with a profound problem, one that challenges our commitment to accountable democratic government and justice. It is an awful truth that we must face now that the New York Times has published a richly documented, 14,000-word expose alleging decades of deeply corrupt Trump family finances.

 

AP FACT CHECK: Trump wrong on judges, 'plummeting' poverty

AP News

As the midterm elections draw near, President Donald Trump’s tendency to declare his campaign promises fulfilled when they aren’t has come into starker relief.

See also:

      AP FACT CHECK: Trump's undue credit for slowing health costs AP News

        AP FACT CHECK: Trump's falsehoods on health plan protections AP News

 

Donald Trump: GOP just passed veteran's Choice after 44-year wait. Actually, it's 4 years old

PolitiFact

President Donald Trump has been barnstorming for Republicans in the midterms. On Oct. 1 he landed in Johnson City, Tenn., to help U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, covering familiar ground about the improving economy.

 

Pence Accuses China of Trying to Upend ‘America’s Democracy’

Roll Call

The Trump administration struck a hard line on China Thursday, with Vice President Mike Pence alleging that Russia’s meddling in U.S. elections “pales in comparison” to China’s ongoing actions.

See also:

      Who was Mike Pence really addressing in his speech on China? Brookings

      Pence calls on Google to end censored search engine for China TheHill

 

Polls on the 2018 election, party ratings, and socialism and capitalism

AEI

In the October issue of AEI’s Political Report, we look at voters’ enthusiasm and what issues are most important to them and at which party Americans think can better handle various issues.

 

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

'Crazy Go Nuts' for this Fowler nut business

ABC30

The rich and fragrant aroma of buffalo wing sauce and spices are intoxicating inside this Fowler facility as workers make flavored buffalo walnuts.

 

Mulch and compost workshop for farmers/ag professionals

Hanford Sentinel

The second in a series of workshops designed to help farmers understand the ways compost and mulch application can promote soil health while increasing profit margins will be held this Thursday, Oct. 11, in Madera.

 

6.5 million pounds of beef recalled after 57 sickened from possible salmonella contamination

Visalia Times-Delta

An Arizona company is recalling 6.5 million pounds of various beef products because they may be contaminated with salmonella, the USDA announced Thursday. Investigators say at least 57 people in 16 states have reported getting sick.

 

Canada is about to legalize marijuana. How did that happen? Justin Trudeau, for starters

Los Angeles Times

Politicians herald it as transformative. Residents offer resounding support in the polls. Investors see billions of dollars on the horizon.

 

Food Banks Reap Unexpected Bounty From Trade Disputes

WSJ

Food banks across the U.S. are gearing up for an influx of pork, apples and cheese when trucks begin delivering $1.2 billion of agricultural products the government agreed to buy from farmers to ease the pain of tariffs.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

He’s on trial in a murder but didn’t pull the trigger. Could new California law avert a life term?

Sacramento Bee

With Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature, Senate Bill 1437 became law Sunday. Under California’s felony murder rule, a person who commits or attempts to commit a serious felony in which a death occurs is liable for murder.

 

Statewide pot raids target illegal grows in 39 counties — 52 people arrested

San Francisco Chronicle

Law enforcement officials raided illegal marijuana grow sites around the state, arresting 52 people in a months-long operation aimed at stemming California’s still-booming black market for pot, officials announced on Thursday.

Attorney Jay Powell's lasting impact on local legal community

Visalia Times Delta

Those who knew him best say Jay Warren Powell will be remembered for his advocacy for clients he represented, his influence in the local judicial community, and his wardrobe — especially his collection of hats.

 

Public Safety:

 

Merced Police invest in virtual technology to train officers

ABC30

Communication is such a valuable tool that one police department in the North Valley is making an investment with virtual technology. Every day in Merced the city's police department is out protecting the public, making sure each situation with each officer stays in control.

 

Study looks at San Francisco quake vulnerability

Sacramento Bee

A new earthquake study recommends re-inspecting dozens of San Francisco skyscrapers to see if they were damaged by the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

See also:

       Booming San Francisco takes unprecedented step to target earthquake-vulnerable high-rise towers  Los Angeles Times

 

Fire:

 

Vacant building fires becoming a problem for Fresno Fire

ABC30

It's a growing problem for Fresno firefighters. The department is dealing with an increase in vacant home fires and it's causing a stress on resources.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Who are those Bay Area transplants in the Central Valley? Meet the barista next door.

Fresno Bee

A new study by economists in the Bay Area in California shows that nearly half of the people fleeing the Bay Area for Sacramento, Modesto and the rest of the Central Valley earn less than $50,000 a year.

 

150% interest on a loan? Consumer advocates hope the threat of a ballot measure will get lenders to ease up

Los Angeles Times

When LendMark started offering subprime loans to California residents a few years ago, it noticed something odd: a vast and growing number of big loans offered by rival firms at interest rates of 100% or higher, and relatively few smaller, cheaper loans.

 

The Bond Market’s Signal

WSJ

Recall the hyperventilation about an inverted yield curve? So much for that. The sound you hear is the bond market popping as stronger economic growth sends long bond rates to new highs.

 

Jobs:

 

Kings County JTO graduates new truck drivers

Hanford Sentinel

After they pass their driving test, three people will be set to start their new careers as commercial truck drivers. At the Irwin Street Inn, the Kings County Job Training Office (JTO) held a small graduation for its commercial truck driving certification program.

 

5 Things to Watch in the September Jobs Report

WSJ

The Labor Department releases its broadest look at the U.S. job market for September on Friday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expect employers added 180,000 jobs during the month and see the unemployment rate ticking down to 3.8%.

 

The US labor market data are great. What does it mean for this year’s midterms?

AEI

Tomorrow, the American public will get a fresh glimpse at the state of the US labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) release of the September employment report, which​​ will be the next-to-last before the upcoming election, will provide voters new insight on job growth and unemployment rates.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

After being called the N-word at school, this 12-year-old is taking a stand

Fresno Bee

Tarrick Walker was playing basketball with friends when he heard a racial slur. The word rose up from a huddle of seventh-graders on a basketball court at Kings River-Hardwick School in Hanford.

 

Outside educators get a look at what makes Modesto High students AVID

Modesto Bee

About 30 educators from around California visit Modesto High School to see its acclaimed AVID program in action.

 

KHSD breaks ground on new pool

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern High School District broke ground Thursday on an Olympic-size, 27-lane pool facility just north of Independence High School. This will be KHSD’s first pool facility in recent history. Bakersfield High School built a pool in 1919 but it was removed in 1938 to make room for a gym.

 

Are states providing adequate financial literacy education?

Brookings

Despite the complicated and uncertain financial futures today’s young people face, too many high school students enter adulthood and the workforce with no basic financial skills. A new interactive analysis provides a snapshot of what states are doing to improve financial literacy and where they are falling short. 

 

Are states providing adequate financial literacy education?

Brookings

Despite the complicated and uncertain financial futures today’s young people face, too many high school students enter adulthood and the workforce with no basic financial skills. A new interactive analysis provides a snapshot of what states are doing to improve financial literacy and where they are falling short.

 

Why spatial reasoning matters for education policy

AEI

In schools today, tests and curricula are suited to students who excel in mathematics and verbal reasoning. The missing factor in testing and education policy is the measurement, selection, and talent development of students with strengths in spatial reasoning, which is linked to positive educational outcomes in STEM.

 

DeVos guidelines clarify student loan forgiveness rules

AEI

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has issued new guidelines on federal student-loan forgiveness in an attempt to more sensibly balance the rights of borrowers and taxpayers.

 

OUR VIEW: We recommend: Elect Pitcher, Williams and Batey to KHSD board

The Bakersfield Californian

Ideally, school boards that oversee districts with demographically diverse student populations are themselves diverse.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Cal Poly SLO among worst schools in CA for black students

Fresno Bee

Cal Poly scored among the worst public schools in California when it comes to serving black students, according to a new report from USC’s Race and Equity Center.

 

California lieutenant governor candidates pledge to work to lower college costs

EdSource

Both candidates vying to be the next lieutenant governor of California agree that the state and its universities must do more to help students afford college, but are proposing different strategies to reduce the cost of higher education.

 

WORTH NOTING: Journalist, author on tap for BC's Distinguished Speaker Series next week

The Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College will continue its Distinguished Speaker Series with several events next week.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Mattress recycling, net neutrality, school bonds

CALmatters

A major dispute and lack of state oversight are undermining a high-minded program intended to recycle old mattresses, divert then from dumps and persuade people from abandoning them on sidewalks.

 

Huh? Carbon Dioxide Emissions Raise Risk of Satellite Collisions

Scientific American

In February 2009, two space satellites orbiting at speeds of almost 17,000 mph collided at a height of 482 miles over Siberia.

 

Energy:

 

If you have PG&E, plan on getting a refund this month

ABC30

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) delivered some good news into the email inboxes of millions of California households this morning. This month, your utility bill will include a credit identified as the "California Climate Credit."

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Preventing Flu Infections

Capital Public Radio

UC Davis Health Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Dr. Dean Blumberg discusses the 2018-2019 season and prevention with the flu shot.

 

Human Services:

 

Fresno Barrios Unidos helping young mother be the best moms they can be

ABC30

For three years now, the Culture Cures Families program at Fresno Barrios Unidos has helped guide young women through motherhood.

 

Tulare hospital board accept Dr. Kumar, Dr. Gupta resignation

Visalia Times-Delta

The Tulare hospital board on Wednesday accepted the resignation of hospital privileges from ousted board member Dr. Parmod Kumar.

 

UC Davis inks deal with Health Net to continue serving Sacramento’s Medi-Cal enrollees

Sacramento Bee

Following UnitedHealthcare’s decision to discontinue coverage of Sacramento County’s Medi-Cal enrollees, UC Davis Health announces it has signed a deal with Health Net to continue providing primary care to some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

 

BCSD holds first-ever Father Engagement Expo

Bakersfield Californian

At around 6 p.m. on Thursday, the auditorium at the Bakersfield City School District was nearly filled with people for its first-ever Father Engagement Expo.

 

Trump Administration to Step Up Oversight of Hospital Watchdogs

WSJ

The Trump administration on Thursday announced increased oversight of organizations that accredit and inspect most U.S. hospitals, following a report last year in The Wall Street Journal focusing on problem-plagued facilities that kept their accreditation status.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

US moves ahead with plan to give Mexico $20M that it doesn't want to deport migrants

ABC30

The Trump administration is moving ahead with a plan to pay Mexico $20 million to deport migrants from that country and prevent them from reaching the U.S.

 

Federal judge blocks Trump from deporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants under TPS

Visalia Times-Delta

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt its plan to end a special federal immigration program that has allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrants to legally live and work in the U.S. for decades.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Enchanted Playhouse to open 'Pandora's Box' despite city's eviction notice

Visalia Times-Delta

The Enchanted Playhouse's fall production "Once Upon a Pandora's Box" could be the acting company's last show at the Main Street Theatre — its 20-year home — after a high-profile dispute with the city over the building's lease and ownership.

 

Who are those Bay Area transplants in the Central Valley? Meet the barista next door.

Modesto Bee

If you live in the Central Valley, the Bay Area transplant who moves in next door won’t likely be a Silicon Valley executive driving a Tesla.

 

Housing:

 

Two measures would raise $6B for affordable housing

San Francisco Chronicle

Two years after voters approved billions of dollars to fund low-income homes around California, affordable-housing advocates are upping the ante big-time — with two statewide bond measures on the Nov. 6 ballot to raise a record-breaking $6 billion for housing for struggling families, veterans and severely mentally ill people.

 

Prop. 2 in under one minute

CALmatters

Give the state permission to borrow $2 billion to fund supportive housing (affordable housing with on-site social and medical services) for those suffering with mental illness. That debt would be repaid with money previously set aside for county-run mental health services.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Shakeup at CalPERS board: Cop unseats pension fund’s president

Fresno Bee

Corona police officer Jason Perez defeated CalPERS President Priya Mathur in a California local government election on Oct. 4, 2018.

See also:

     CalPERS board president is ousted in election, losing to Corona police officer Los Angeles Times

      CalPERS president loses board seat to policeman Calpensions

 

Worried about CalPERS? Three new laws could protect workers, governments.

Sacramento Bee

Nearly 200 Southern California retirees who lost a share of their pensions last year didn’t know their retirement income was at risk until it was too late.

 

If politicians want to fix our roads, they will even if Prop 6 passes

Modesto Bee

A question of priorities; pass Proposition 6 A few thoughts.

 

A tax credit encourages work. But what is that worth?

AEI

Economists share a strong and striking consensus that earned income tax credit expansions have led to significant increases in employment rates among targeted populations. But just how important is work, and how many resources should be committed to supporting it?

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Gas tax repeal proves why California needs this election reform

Sacramento Bee

If Proposition 6 passes, you can say goodbye to those “paid for by SB 1” signs along California’s highways, roadways and local streets as construction projects grind to a halt. So, yes, road repairs would take a hit.

See also:

     California Gas Tax Repeal May Squeeze State in Next Recession Bloomberg

 

California DMV faces hurdle: Millions still lack Real IDs

Sacramento Bee

mid withering criticism from the Legislature and the driving public, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has spent the last couple months aggressively working to reduce lengthy wait times at field offices.

 

Trains vs. planes: What's the real cost of travel?

DW.com

Flights often seem to be the fastest and cheapest travel options. That's not so, as DW's data visualizations show. Factoring in transit time and environmental damage, here's how to assess the true costs of travel.

 

Trump Delays More Federal Transit Funds

StreetsBlog USA

The White House has now failed to allocate $1.8 billion for already approved transit construction projects — up from the $932 million that was allocated by Congress for the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, but was not delivered, according to a new report byTransportation for America.

 

Trump administration pushing to ease roll-out of driverless vehicles — including trucks

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration on Thursday wrapped trucks into its updated driverless vehicle policy, saying it will "no longer assume" that a commercial motor vehicle driver has to be a human or that a trucker — or anyone else — necessarily needs to be in the cab.

 

WATER

 

California water woes: Ballot measure aims at solutions, but at a steep cost

San Francisco Chronicle

The biggest ticket item on California’s November ballot, tucked between the governor’s race and local elections, is an $8.9 billion bond to help modernize California’s sprawling waterworks.

 

What Would You Do About Water If You Were California’s Next Governor?

Water Education Foundation

There’s going to be a new governor in California next year – and a host of challenges both old and new involving the state’s most vital natural resource, water. So what should be the next governor’s water priorities? Participants at the Water Education Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit in Sacramento offered up a wide-ranging potential to-do list, including increasing flood protection and drought resiliency, improving dam safety and access to clean and affordable water for economically pressed communities.

 

In Water-stressed California And The Southwest, An Acre-foot Of Water Goes A Lot Further Than It Used To

Water Education Foundation

People in California and the Southwest are getting stingier with water, a story that’s told by the acre-foot.

 

Flooding near Coalinga

Fresno Bee

Following rain that hit the central San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday, some towns, like Coalinga, had to deal with flooding.

See also:

     Mountain area drying off after rainy Wednesday Sierra Star

     Autumn’s first storm blows erratically across Modesto area. What’s ahead for weekend? Modesto Bee

     Storm dropped more than an inch of rain on Stockton  Stockton Record

     After wet and stormy week, Sacramento likely to be dry and windy by weekend Sacramento Bee

 

Experts address water safety issues at Arsenic Symposium

Fresno State News

The California Water Institute at Fresno State is bringing together water safety experts and professionals from throughout the state to discuss a research study released in June reporting that overpumping groundwater can release harmful arsenic into the drinking water supply.

 

“Xtra”

 

Fresno native to appear on trivia game show ‘Jeopardy!’

Fresno Bee

The trivia skills of Fresno native Adam Francois Watkins will be on national display Friday night during a showing of the longtime game show “Jeopardy!”

 

Horse racing 101 makes it easy to place a bet at the Big Fresno Fair

Fresno Bee

Doug Gooby shows how easy it is to place a bet at the Big Fresno Fair's 9-day horse racing series.

See also:

     First day of horse racing at the Big Fresno Fair ABC30

 

Memorials by the mile: Half marathon to honor fallen officers returns to Modesto on Sunday

Modesto Bee

Go ahead, try to outrun the cops. Or just keep up with them. It’s encouraged at the Peace Officer Memorial Run, which returns to downtown Modesto on Sunday morning.

 

Take me home! Dogs available for adoption

The Bakersfield Californian

These three dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?