September 20, 2018

20Sep

POLICY & POLITICS


Valley:


Nunes calls out Janz for campaigning during work hours. Smittcamp defends Janz

Fresno Bee

Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said her office had no knowledge of prosecutor and congressional challenger Andrew Janz campaigning against Rep. Devin Nunes during work, as recent Nunes ads claim.


Candidates campaign for Congress, Assembly and State Senate

Hanford Sentinel

The Nov. 6 general election is just under seven weeks away and along with local elections, several state positions will be on the ballot for voting.


Tulare City Council votes to support Measure H, TRMC

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare City Council will back Measure H, the effort to turn the city's hospital over to Adventist Health.​​ 


Council nixes staff attempt to replace garbage collectors

Stockton Record

Two companies that have been collecting garbage and waste in Stockton for the past 15 years were shocked to learn last week that the city is considering employing the services of another provider in the future.


"Year Of The Woman" Hits Central Valley, With Female Candidates In State, Congressional Races

VPR

People are calling 2018, “the year of the woman.” More women have filed to run for office than ever before, and are advancing to the election in November.


EDITORIAL: For Fresno’s District 5 council race, Luis Chavez is right choice for a new term

Fresno Bee

For Fresno, CA’s District 5 city council seat, Luis Chavez is the best choice. He has achieved notable success in his 18 months on the job, and deserves a new term to get more of his goals accomplished.


EDITORIAL: Want to know where Denham, Harder stand? They’ll tell us on Thursday

Modesto Bee

Jeff Denham is doing all he can to keep his job as Representative for California’s 10th Congressional District.


State:


California Launches New Effort To Fight Election Disinformation

Capital Public Radio

A new effort from the California secretary of state’s office seeks to crack down on false or misleading information intended to drive down voter turnout. But it comes with thorny legal and political questions.


Party Crasher: Moderate Tom Campbell aims to launch new political party in California

CALmatters

California state politics only comes in only two successful flavors: Democrat or Republican. And the conventional wisdom is that that isn’t changing anytime soon. We know because we asked.


Want a state job? Get close to Jerry Brown

CALMatters

The appointment Brown canceled was of a young Latina and community college trustee from the Fresno area, Isabel Barreras.


EDITORIAL: Chronicle Recommends: No on Prop. 7

San Francisco Chronicle

Perhaps the vain human desire to travel through time fuels governments’ endless efforts to adjust the clocks by fiat. Now California voters have a chance to weigh in on the timely topic.


Federal:


GOP senators to Ford: Show up Monday or we vote on Kavanaugh

ABC30

The overarching message from Republicans Wednesday to Christine Blasey Ford: Show up or we're heading to a vote.

See Also:


Feinstein critic Kevin de León failed his own #MeToo test, activists say

San Francisco Chronicle

State Sen.​​ Kevin de León was quick to criticize Sen. Dianne Feinstein​​ for her handling of an attempted-rape allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying his fellow Democrat and election opponent showed a “failure of leadership” by staying quiet for weeks.


'I don't have an attorney general,' Trump says about Sessions

ABC30

President Trump on Tuesday launched a fresh attack at​​ Jeff Sessions, his beleaguered attorney general, saying in an interview that he "doesn't have an attorney general."

See Also:


FBI and Justice Department said to plan redactions despite Trump's document order

Los Angeles Times

President Trump has demanded the “immediate declassification” of sensitive materials about the Russia investigation, but the agencies responsible are expected to propose redactions that would keep some information secret, according to three people familiar with the matter.


Poll: Dems have 4-point lead on generic congressional ballot​​ 

TheHill

Democrats hold a 4-point lead over Republicans in a new congressional poll as candidates enter the homestretch leading up to November's midterm elections.

See also:


Trump Calls Spending Plan ‘Ridiculous’

Roll Call

President’s tweet raises doubts he’ll sign bill that would avert shutdown at end of month


EDITORIAL: In the midterms, weigh the candidates — and what it means to have Congress in Trump’s pocket

Los Angeles Times

In less than two months, Americans will go to the polls for one of the most important elections in modern times. The United States may not be choosing a new president on Nov. 6, but control of the U.S. Congress is at stake.


Other:


The Man Behind Trump’s ‘Invisible Wall’

POLITICO

This summer, as anger over the separation of migrant families at the border boiled over, and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement became a rallying cry for left-leaning Democrats, a number of less scrutinized, more arcane reforms were quietly working their way into the most foundational laws governing U.S. immigration.


How to fix Congress in one step

Politico

The boring House Rules Committee holds the key.


Inside Facebook’s Election ‘War Room’

New York Times

Sandwiched between Building 20 and Building 21 in the heart of Facebook’s campus, an approximately 25-foot-by-35-foot conference room is under construction.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD


‘Beware of political grandstanders.’ Councilmembers clash over Fresno cannabis policy

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Councilman Clint Olivier, a longtime cannabis advocate on the council, warned people attending a public forum earlier this week not to believe everything they may hear about the city’s draft cannabis regulations.


Killing predators might not be best way for farmers to protect livestock, study finds

Fresno Bee

While lethal predator control is a common tool of farmers and ranchers, a new study says there’s little evidence to support its effectiveness compared to nonlethal methods. Carnivores such as wolves, mountain lions and bears are declining.


Merced’s vegan population finding its place in a community that depends on farming

Modesto Bee

Living in a region steeped in the​​ dairy industry​​ may sound like an unnatural fit for a tight-knit group of Merced County vegans.


Consumer Reports investigation finds banned drugs in meat

ABC30

It sounds alarming: Banned drugs-everything from antibiotics to antidepressants-have been found in beef, poultry, and pork. A new Consumer Reports investigation raises serious questions about how the drugs got there and why federal agencies are not doing more about it.


Oakhurst just lost its only feed store. But you might not have to wait long for a new one

Sierra Star

Oakhurst lost its only feed store just last week but the community won’t be without one for long. The owners of Steve’s Pet Shop already have plans in for a new store in the works and expect the new business - dubbed Corner Feed - to be open in the next two months.


Casa Ramos restaurants closed across Northern California after raid by state officials

Modesto Bee

Mexican restaurant chain Casa Ramos closed several locations after state Department of Justice search warrants were issued Wednesday at all 14 locations across Northern California.


OID board blesses controversial payments to fallowing farmers

Modesto Bee

On a split vote, irrigation leaders on Tuesday ratified nearly $1 million in payments to farmers who volunteered to fallow land two years ago, even though the program fell apart in the face of a lawsuit.


California's Farmers Are Struggling To Find Workers. Can Machines Help?

Capital Public Radio

The California Farm Bureau Federation conducted an industry survey last year and found that a majority of the farmers said they were experiencing labor shortages.​​ 

See Also:


California moves on cannabis industry equity

CALmatters

California would spend $10 million to help diversify the cannabis business to include more minorities—including people convicted of past drug crimes—under legislation pending before Gov. Jerry Brown.

See also:


Tulare Farms Report Highest Central Valley Crop Values For ’17

The Business Journal

Tulare County has once again emerged as the top ag county — at least in the Central Valley.


Monsanto Asks Judge To Throw Out $289m Award In Cancer Suit

The Business Journal

Agribusiness company Monsanto has asked a San Francisco judge to throw out a jury’s $289 million award to a former school groundskeeper who said the company’s Roundup weed killer left him dying of cancer.


California Farmers Are Trade-War Casualties

WSJ

China imposes retaliatory tariffs on pistachios, almonds and wine, while Canada is taxing ketchup.


CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:


Following Horrific Shooting, District Attorney Reflects On Domestic Violence In Kern County

VPR

In the last 10 days, Bakersfield has been the site of two high-profile attacks: In one, a man and a woman were stabbed in a Starbucks; a few days later, another man gunned down his ex-wife and four other people in east Bakersfield before turning the gun on himself.​​ 


Public Safety:


These sex offenders are begging to be deported. Why does California pay millions to keep them?

Fresno Bee

Despite his pleas to be deported to his home country, where relatives have offered their organs for transplant, the state of California pays thousands of dollars for an inmate to receive dialysis three times a week at​​ Coalinga State Hospital.


Fire:​​ 


Mendocino Complex Fire, Biggest Wildfire On Record In California, Is Fully Contained

Capital Public Radio

The U.S. Forest Service says the Mendocino Complex Fire — the largest wildfire on record in California — is 100 percent contained.

See also:


Wildfires: Red flag warnings put state on high alert

San Francisco Chronicle

Northern California is on high alert as red flag warnings fanned out across the region Wednesday, raising fears that a new round of forest fires loom less than two months since the Mendocino Complex became the largest blaze in state history.


Could Wildfires Affect the 2020 Census?

PPIC

Wildfires in California have burned millions of acres and destroyed or threatened thousands of homes, displacing families around the state. Among their many devastating long-term effects, disasters may elevate the risk of undercounting some communities in the upcoming census.


ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:


California’s poverty count cut by 1.49 million in 5 years, largest drop in U.S.​​ 

Orange County Register

California’s poverty ranks were cut by 1.49 million people in five years — a 17 percent decline topped by only three states.

See also:


Trump doesn't talk as much about trade deficits anymore. Maybe because they're getting worse

Los Angeles Times

President Trump built his trade policy on an obsession with cutting fat U.S. deficits with China, Mexico, Europe and others.


Multiemployer pension hole keeps getting deeper

AEI

The first rule of holes, say the people who set such rules, is to stop digging. But when it comes to so-called “multiemployer pensions,” which face $600 billion in funding shortfalls,​​ 168 bipartisan members of Congress have shovel in hand, ready to gamble tens of billions of taxpayer money to keep these plans afloat.


Builders Looking To Get Ahead Of Next Recession

The Business Journal

For the past few years, staff at Fresno’s Development and Resource Management Department have gotten increasingly busier as the economy has improved and more plans and permit applications have been submitted.


Profit Repatriation Slows in the Second Quarter After Tax Overhaul​​ 

WSJ

The decline underscores a cautious approach to shifting huge sums across borders.


Liam Fox is plotting to scrap EU food standards to win a Brexit trade deal with Trump

Business Insider

Liam Fox is planning to use controversial "Henry VIII" powers to scrap European food standards in order to pave the way for a trade deal with the US after Brexit.


Jobs:


Gap hiring in October for seasonal warehouse jobs

Fresno Bee

Gap Inc.​​ is looking to fill more than 1,100 seasonal jobs in the Fresno area as it prepares for the coming holiday shopping season.​​ 


EDUCATION


K-12:


MUSD facing crucial vote

Madera Tribune

The electorate in the Nov. general election will decide two important issues for Madera Unified School District. The voters will determine whether the district will be able to build three new schools it says it desperately needs and whether it will be able to modernize old ones.


California still suspending black and Native American students way more than whites

Sacramento Bee

California has made strides to reduce student suspensions for minor classroom disruptions, but a new study concludes the state still has not gone far enough — and in some districts, pernicious disparities remain.


Jefferson Charter receives $40k in grants

Hanford Sentinel

Three teachers at Jefferson Academy Charter School applied for the Educator and Impact grants with the California Teachers Association: Institute For Teachers and will use the funding for various activities involving science, literature and language.


Operation Student Recovery Day: SUSD officials hit streets to boost attendance

Stockton Record

In an effort to identify chronically absent students in the Stockton Unified School District, officials took part of an operation earlier this month to visit homes across the city and get them the support they need to return to the classroom.


Davis High English immersion program lauded; will new board policy send it ‘backward’?

Modesto Bee

A program for immigrant high schoolers in Modesto City Schools has won awards for immersing the students in English, enabling them to complete graduation requirements and attend college.


Grading California’s Schools

Capital Public Radio

Researchers published a massive report on the state of California’s educational system, compiling the work of dozens of experts in 36 studies that analyze everything from charter school oversight to teacher pensions.


How much do rising test scores tell us about a school?

AEI

Reading and math scores have long been the currency of American schooling, and never more so than in the past two decades since the No Child Left Behind Act. Today, advocates will describe a teacher as “effective” when what they really mean is that the teacher’s students had big increases in reading and math scores.


Second Chance or Second Track? Credit Recovery Participation in US High Schools

AEI

Credit recovery programs have drawn both acclaim and criticism as high-school graduation rates have hit record highs five times in the past five years.​​ 


Higher Ed:


Supporting first-generation students at all levels of education

Hanford Sentinel

Dr. Laura Alamillo, interim dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at California State University, Fresno launched the First- Generation Matters mentorship program. This program connects first-generation students to first-generation faculty and staff mentors.

California’s Tuition Policy for Higher Education: The Impact of Tuition Increases on Affordability, Access, and Quality

PPIC

California has a long tradition of very low tuition for students enrolled in public higher education. The state broke with that policy in the 2000s, when recessions resulted in significant cuts to state funding for public colleges and universities—the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California’s community colleges. In response, tuition increased, especially at UC and CSU.​​ 


The promise of free college and its potential pitfalls

Brookings

In a new study, Douglas Harris evaluates a Milwaukee program that promised up to $12,000 in college tuition to qualifying high school students and finds that it had no effect on whether they went directly on to college.


MBA applications fall at top US business schools

Financial Times

Harvard, NYU Stern, Fuqua and Berkeley Haas report falls in 2018 candidate numbers,


Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:


Injured sea lions found where? Merced County park?

Fresno Bee

A call recently came into the Mariposa County Sheriff’s about injured sea lions. You heard it. Sea lions.


Jerry Brown is right: California should build a 'damn satellite' to track climate change

Los Angeles Times

Many of us undoubtedly snickered last week when Gov. Jerry Brown announced — again — that he was going to build a state satellite. Yes, “a damn satellite.” Gov. Moonbeam was back.


Feel-Good Bans on Straws and Plastic Bags Don’t Help the Ocean

National Review

Politicians in Seattle and San Francisco are being cheered on by some voters for their recent bans on plastic straws, having already banned plastic bags years ago. California in 2016 became the first state to ban plastic bags, New York and New Jersey are mulling similar laws, and countries from Slovenia to New Zealand are planning on banning them in 2019.


Energy:


This is why the power went out Wednesday in Oakhurst

Sierra Star

A PG&E equipment failure in Oakhurst forced some businesses to close early Wednesday afternoon after approximately 2,000 customers were left without power.

PG&E raising transmission towers in Rosedale area

Bakersfield Californian

PG&E said it was raising transmission electric towers with a crane Wednesday morning in the Rosedale area. The towers were set to be raised near the corner of Renfro Road and Dobbs Avenue, according to PG&E.​​ 


31 Percent Of U.S. Households Have Trouble Paying Energy Bills

Capital Public Radio

A report released Wednesday by the Energy Information Administration announced that African Americans, Hispanics and people with children were most impacted.


HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:


Fresno County launches suicide prevention effort

ABC30

Fresno County's suicide prevention plan came as the result of the 2016 suicide's of three Clovis West High School students. Dawan Utecht, head of the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health says a decision was made to find solutions.


'Mobile Mamo' bus helping woman in rural areas fight breast cancer

ABC30

From it's bright pink color to its bold design, it's hard to miss. Adventist Health's "Mobile Mamo Unit" is giving women from Orosi all the way to Corcoran piece of mind when it comes to breast cancer screenings.


Doctor talks benefits of plant-based diet at CSUB event

Bakersfield Californian

CSU Bakersfield hosted Kaiser Permanente physician Dr. Benjamin Ha at the Walter Stiern Library on Wednesday for a presentation on what that kind of diet consists of and the health benefits it brings, particularly when it comes to preventable chronic illnesses.


Abortion: How do Americans vote on a divisive issue? | In 60 Seconds

AEI

Can Americans vote for a person who disagrees with them on abortion? Karlyn Bowman reviews the polling data to explain.


To Make Childbirth Safer, Look No Further Than Valley Hospitals

VPR

High-risk childbirths for celebrity mothers like tennis star Serena Williams and performer Beyonce are shining a light on a health story that’s historically flown under the radar: Childbirth is risky for women, particularly women of color.


Human Services:


Tulare City Council votes to support Measure H, TRMC

Visalia Times-Delta

Tulare City Council will back Measure H, the effort to turn the city's hospital over to Adventist Health. Next, voters in November will be asked to approve the lease agreement between the Tulare hospital board and Adventist Health.


Adventist Health cuts 13 to 15 jobs in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

Adventist Health Bakersfield said Wednesday it plans to eliminate more than a dozen hospital jobs as part of a restructuring move.


Despite red flags at some California surgery centers, watchdogs issued gold seals

Los Angeles Times

At his surgery center near San Diego, Rodney Davis wore scrubs, was referred to as “Dr. Rod” and carried the title of director of surgery. But he was a physician assistant, not a doctor, who anesthetized patients and performed liposuction with little input from his supervising doctor, court records show.


New Law Makes Doctors On Probation For Misconduct Tell Patients

Capital Public Radio

The categories of misconduct subject to the new law include sexual misconduct with a patient, a criminal conviction involving harm to a patient, and drug abuse that could affect a patient.​​ See Also:


California Senior Population Growing​​ 

California State Association of Counties

Seniors will make up more than a quarter of California’s population by the year 2060, up from 11.5 percent in 2010, according to​​ projections prepared by the state. Combined with​​ reports showing that​​ more of California’s seniors are living in poverty, the trends will have important implications for counties to consider.


Health Care Is the Sleeper Issue of 2018

WSJ

Republicans must counter Democratic attacks on pre-existing conditions.


IMMIGRATION

Immigrants contribute $1B+ in taxes, $3B+ investments into Fresno’s economy, study says

Fresno Bee

The immigrant community in Fresno is paying about $1 billion in annual taxes and contributing more than $3 billion annually to the local economy.


Undocumented felons asking for deportation trapped in Coalinga State Hospital

Fresno Bee

Despite serving their time and being at the top of the list for deportation, about 30 men with sex crime records remain in custody.


U.S. sheriffs crowdfunding for border wall. ‘We will not sit idly by,’ one in NC says​​ 

Modesto Bee

Sheriffs from across the country launched a crowdfunding site to help raise money for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. They say they are concerned about illegal drugs crossing the border and human trafficking.

See also:

 

Federal agency says it lost track of 1,488 migrant children

Los Angeles Times

Twice in less than a year, the federal government has lost track of nearly 1,500 migrant children after placing them in the homes of sponsors across the country, federal officials have acknowledged.


Asylum Seekers, Violence Survivors And ICE Agents: The Local Effects of Recent Immigration Policies

Valley Public Radio

Ever since President Trump came into office, we at Valley Public Radio have been reporting on his administration’s changes to federal immigration policy and their consequences on San Joaquin Valley residents and businesses.

See also:


Trump's immigrant roundups increasingly net noncriminals

AP News

“Unshackling ICE has really allowed it to go after more individuals,” said Sarah Pierce, a policy analyst with the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute who calls the apprehension of noncriminal immigrants, in particular, “a defining characteristic of this administration’s approach to immigration.”


EDITORIAL: Slamming the door on the world's most vulnerable people is contrary to everything America stands for

Los Angeles Times

With the announcement Monday that the U.S. would accept​​ no more than​​ 30,000 refugees for resettlement in the coming year, the Trump administration has slammed the door on some of the world’s most vulnerable people — those displaced from their countries, primarily by war or civil unrest — who had hoped to rebuild their lives here free of violence or persecution.

See also:


LAND USE/HOUSING


Land Use:


Developer releases first renderings of Tioga building remodel in Merced

ABC30

One of Merced's most historic buildings is undergoing renovations, and on Tuesday, the first renderings were released.


Enchanted Playhouse isn't ready to give up its home at Main Street Theatre

Visalia Times-Delta

Enchanted Playhouse Theatre Company is still hopeful they will be able to stay at the Main Street Theatre. Despite losing a bid to purchase the theater from a local developer, pending legal action and being served an eviction notice, the company's board of directors said they are willing to continue talks with the city.


Ceremony canceled as Modesto dog park opening unclear due to homeless campgrounds

Modesto Bee

Officials have a canceled next week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly constructed dog park at Modesto’s Beard Brook Park, which has been designated a campground for homeless people while the city works to provide more shelter beds.


How Connected Is Your Community to Everywhere Else in America?

New York Times

America is often described as a place of great divides — between red and blue, big cities and rural towns, the coasts and the heartland. But our social lives are shaped by a much stronger force that ignores many of these lines: distance.


Housing:


Fresno real estate developers putting on their hard hats and getting to work

ABC30

More houses and apartments are being built in Fresno as more people look for a "Home, Sweet Home."


Brown signs bill allowing new affordable housing to be built on Stockton Boulevard

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Tuesday a bill that paves the way for redevelopment of a lot that’s sat vacant for two decades on Stockton Boulevard in the Fruitridge Manor neighborhood of south Sacramento.


Want real rent control? Make landlords live alongside their tenants​​ 

Los Angeles Times

Order your extra recycling bin now: Proposition 10 season is upon us. Expect pounds of pro- and anti- fliers and pamphlets to litter your mailbox and front door between now and election day because it speaks to one of California’s great existential problems: ever-escalating rents.


Housing prices are resegregating the Bay Area, UC Berkeley study finds

San Francisco Chronicle

The Bay Area’s soaring housing costs are pushing poor people into neighborhoods where poverty and racial segregation are on the rise, a UC Berkeley study published Wednesday found.


California's housing crisis, defined

CALmatters

Housing supply is significantly increasing, but still not enough to make up the shortfall driving California’s soaring housing costs, the California Department of Finance reports.


Gimme Shelter podcast: The rent control war

CALmatters

One housing issue will overshadow all others this election: Rent control. Matt and Liam discuss why renewed negotiations to remove a controversial rent control initiative from the ballot went nowhere, and what the campaigns will look like this fall.​​ 

See also:


EDITORIAL: Proposition 5 would make California’s housing and inequality problems worse

San Francisco Chronicle

For all of its wonderful qualities, California is also one of the most economically unequal states in the nation.​​ Proposition 5​​ would take that inequality and compound it for generations to come.


PUBLIC FINANCES


CalPERS needs to come clean about its CEO's educational background

Los Angeles Times

When the CalPERS Board of Administration comes together for its regular three-day monthly meeting starting Sept. 24, the agenda will include the annual performance review for the pension fund’s chief executive, Marcie Frost. This won’t be any ordinary review.


TRANSPORTATION


Brown exempts adults from wearing helmets on scooters

Fresno Bee

On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2989, which exempts adults from wearing helmets on California streets while riding scooters.​​ 

See Also:


California bullet train picks its path between Burbank and Palmdale

Los Angeles Times

The California bullet train would cut through Sun Valley, San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Agua Dulce, the state rail authority proposed Wednesday as it laid out its plans for the complicated route from Burbank to Palmdale — one of its most controversial and costly segments.

See Also:


U.S. can't deny passport to person who refused to pick a gender, judge says

Los Angeles Times

State Department officials cannot deny a passport application from an intersex Colorado resident based solely on a refusal to select male or female for gender, a federal judge said Wednesday.


Fresno, Stockton Airports Awarded Grants For Improvements

Capital Public Radio

Stockton Airport Deputy Director Ronald Elliott says the money will be used to extend the taxiway and expand the airport terminal apron in hopes of attracting more commercial passenger service.


Proposition 6: Should Californians Eliminate Recently Enacted Funding for Road Repairs and Transportation Infrastructure?

California Budget and 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.


WATER


Recent testing shows improvement in toxic algae levels at Isabella Lake

Bakersfield Californian

Recent water tests at Isabella Lake suggests toxicity from blue-green algae poses much less of a public health threat than it did in early summer. But for local residents and business owners, the issue remains a point of contention.


“Xtra”


The sudz are back in the city. Fresno’s original beer fest gets a revival this weekend

Fresno Bee

Sudz in the City returns to Fresno, CA, Sept. 22, 2018 at the Cultural Arts Park on Fulton Street. The long-running beer festival went on hiatus in 2015 and is being revived by One Putt Broadcasting.


Camp Taylor along the San Joaquin River becomes a reality

Modesto Bee

More than 40,000 children are born with heart defects in America each year, making heart disease the nation’s leading birth defect.​​ 


Art entry deadline fast approaching for calendar contest

Hanford Sentinel

The Valley Air District is accepting entries for our 2019 Healthy Air Living Kids’ Calendar contest. Any school aged child from kindergarten through 12th grade is encouraged to enter.


Campout Against Cancer 2019 launch event to be held next week

Bakersfield Californian

Campout Against Cancer isn't until April but those wanting to get involved should plan to check out the 2019 launch event next week.​​ 


NOR to open new skatepark in Oildale on Saturday

Bakersfield Californian

Summer might be over but the weather is finally right for some outdoor fun, just in time for the opening of a new skatepark in Oildale.​​ 


Free admission to local museums on Museum Day

Bakersfield Californian

It can be hard for other local spots to compete when the Kern County Fair is going on but one thing the three museums have that the fair does not: free admission on Saturday.​​ 

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