September 27, 2019

27Sep

POLICY & POLITICS


North SJ Valley:


Modesto’s new courthouse to have a far different look than its predecessors

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus County Courthouse that’s set to start rising next year will follow two others with notable places in architecture history. The annual Modesto Architecture & Design Week kicked off with a Saturday evening program at the State Theatre that showcased all three buildings.


Assemblyman Gray honors local veteran at Castle Air Museum

Merced Sun-Star

Assemblyman Adam Gray honored local veteran Peter “Scotty” Burns on Thursday at the Veterans Advisory Committee Meeting at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater. It was fitting that the meeting was held under the wing of a B-52.


Central SJ Valley:


California congressional candidate’s family farm walked out on $325,000 owed to workers

Fresno Bee

Former Rep. David Valadao’s family farm has not paid a $325,000 settlement it agreed to with workers who accused the farm of denying them minimum wage and overtime pay.


Devin Nunes says House Democrats are seeking ‘nude pictures of Trump’

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes at a congressional hearing Thursday berated Democrats for pursuing impeachment of President Donald Trump in a “public spectacle” and alleged that some of them have sought out nude pictures of Trump. 

See also:


Mayor’s ‘Keep Fresno Beautiful’ cleanup moving forward. Some say plan ‘lacks clarity’

Fresno Bee

Some members of the Fresno City Council voiced skepticism on Thursday over Mayor Lee Brand’s plan to get residents to invest time in the “Keep Fresno Beautiful” cleanup effort.


How the Central Valley became the ‘Appalachia of the West.’ Now, new threats loom for economy

Sacramento Bee

Pockmarked with drab storefronts, modest skyscrapers and vacant lots, the downtown core of the San Joaquin Valley’s largest city offers little to inspire confidence in its future. Except​​ for the stylish brick-and-glass headquarters of​​ Bitwise Industries,​​ where a block-long mural advertises Bitwise as the “mothership of technological education, collaboration and innovation in Fresno.”


South SJ Valley:


KEDC focuses on dues shortfalls, economic progress

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County's primary business recruitment and retention arm examined its own performance Thursday and concluded it must do more to engage with the community if it is going to be able to continue carrying out its mission.


Kern County un-Fair? Special needs children feel deprived of livestock competition's top prize

Bakersfield Californian

Parents of competitors with special needs say their kids are not getting the opportunity to share in that spirit.


Wonderful Co. gives Caltech $750 million to research environmental sustainability

Bakersfield Californian

Kern agricultural powerhouse The Wonderful Co. on Thursday announced the second-largest gift ever to a U.S. academic institution: three-quarters of a billion dollars to fund cutting-edge research on environmental sustainability.

See also:


State:


Darrel Issa Wants To Return To Congress, Seeks To Beat Fellow Republican

Capital Public Radio

The former representative from California retired last year. Now he is seeking a seat in a neighboring district currently held by GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is facing federal corruption charges.

See also:


Trump is on track for a level of defeat in California not seen since the Civil War

Los Angeles Times

Donald Trump lost badly in California in 2016; 2020 could be even worse for him, the latest Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll finds.


EPA blasts California, attempting to link SF/LA homelessness and pollution

San Francisco Chronicle

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent a sternly worded letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, demanding he take immediate steps to address problems with dirty water in the state, many of which it claimed were associated with homelessness in San Francisco.

See Also:


Brown vetoed but they’re persisting: Take Two of MeToo hits Newsom’s desk

CALmatters

As the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment washed across the country last year, it hit especially hard in the California Capitol. Three lawmakers resigned amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct. The Legislature spent months crafting a new procedure for handling complaints from its employees.


Income Inequality Significantly Increased for Californians in 2018, And Millions of People Can’t Afford Their Basic Needs

California Budget & Policy Center

New Census figures released today show rising income inequality across the state and millions of California residents who are struggling to get by on extremely low incomes, while higher-income households experienced more income growth. 


Federal:


Whistleblower accuses White House of Ukraine call cover-up

Fresno Bee

White House officials took extraordinary steps to "lock down" information about President Donald Trump's summertime phone call with the president of Ukraine, even moving the transcript to a secret computer system, a whistleblower alleges in a politically explosive complaint that accuses the administration of a wide-ranging cover-up.

See also:


‘Basically made up’: Tom McClintock dismisses whistleblower complaint, Trump impeachment 

Sacramento Bee

Republican Rep. Tom McClintock of Elk Grove has some choice words for House Democrats and their drive to impeach President Donald Trump.

See also:


Elections 2020:


Biden’s top 2020 Democratic rivals avoid rush to defend him

Fresno Bee

Democratic presidential candidates are united in condemning President Donald Trump for seeking a foreign country's help to trash a domestic political rival. But when it comes to defending the president's target, former Vice President Joe Biden, it's more complicated.

See Also:


Warren takes Democratic presidential nomination lead in California, new poll finds

Los Angeles Times

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has jumped to a significant lead in the Democratic presidential race in California, solidifying her position as a front-runner for the party’s nomination, according to the​​ latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, conducted for the Los Angeles Times.

See Also:


Trump is on track for a level of defeat in California not seen since the Civil War

Los Angeles Times

President Trump lost overwhelmingly in California in 2016, and 2020 could be even worse, putting him on track for the poorest showing by a Republican presidential candidate in the state since the Civil War, a new poll finds.


Video: 2020 Election Preview

Public Policy Institute of California

Now that California’s presidential primary has been moved from June to March, how might the state’s electorate influence the 2020 election, and how are the major parties engaging with voters?


Kamala Harris Touts Tough Image as Race Slips in Key States

Daily Beast

The mention of Attorney General Bill Barr as a point of contact for the Ukrainians should they start investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter was just one of the shocking details a memo of the July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President​​ Volodymyr Zelensky​​ revealed to the public on Wednesday. 

See Also:


OPINION: Yes Bernie Can!*

Wall Street Journal

“Billionaires should not exist,” says Sen. Bernie Sanders (Socialist, Vt.). This week he sketched out a tax plan to ensure they won’t, at least in the United States.


Other:


‘Land of plenty’: Why Kentucky women came to Sacramento by horse to raise awareness

Sacramento Bee

A woman raising awareness for childhood hunger while traveling thousands of miles by horse, a winding path from Kentucky to California, passed through Sacramento this week at the tail end of her 14-month journey.


AGRICULTURE/FOOD


Kings County growers ready for hemp harvest, what the public should know

Hanford Sentinel

With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, industrial hemp was taken off the federal list of controlled substances, making it easier for farmers to grow the crop. However, challenges, uncertainties and misconceptions still arise from the little-known about plant.


California farmers face ‘catastrophic’ water restrictions. Can they adapt to survive?

Sacramento Bee

In a region where agriculture is king — and the ability to extract the water beneath one’s soil has been practically a birthright — a difficult reckoning is coming. Farmers will have to start throttling back their pumps, dramatically altering how they cultivate one of the world’s most fertile valleys. Some land probably won’t survive as farms at all.


When Tenants Grow Pot, Sacramento Homeowners Face Six-Figure Fines And An Appeals Process Attorneys Call 'A Kangaroo Court'

Capital Public Radio

John Nguyen is the kind of success story you’d expect to see in a promotional brochure for UC Davis: The son of immigrant parents, he graduated from the university with a degree in civil engineering and now works as a network engineer at Facebook, making a comfortable salary of $135,000 a year in the Bay Area.


U.S. Farmers Get A Much-Needed Break Under Partial Trade Pact With Japan

VPR

The agreement calls for lower Japanese tariffs on U.S. farm exports such as beef and pork. It also locks in tariff-free digital commerce. But it does not address the president's threat to level punishing tariffs on imported cars from Japan.


Eyes in the Sky Help Farmers on the Ground

New York Times

The Central Valley of California doesn’t begin so much with a gradual change in the landscape as with an abrupt line. Suddenly, a barren plain that looks like an apt cue for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” theme song is interrupted by the first row of leafy, irrigated crops.

See Also:


CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY


Crime:


DoorDash data breach affects 4.9 million users

Washington Post

Food-delivery service DoorDash said Thursday that the personal data of 4.9 million customers, workers and merchants was compromised earlier this year through an unnamed third-party service provider.


Public Safety:


‘This could’ve been tragic’: 3 SJ deputies honored for saving lives

Stockton Record

Three San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies were honored on Thursday for their quick thinking and bravery in two separate incidents that saved lives over the summer.


BC's active shooter training teaches community how to be prepared for potential risk

Bakersfield Californian

It can happen anywhere. That message rang true as Bakersfield College students, staff and community members looked at powerpoint slides Thursday of past mass shooting instances in the United States.


No federal charges in fatal California police shooting

Bakersfield Californian

Federal authorities declined to pursue civil rights charges Thursday against Sacramento police officers who fatally shot an unarmed black man, a killing that sparked protests and spurred changes to a state law governing when authorities can use deadly force.

See also:


Fire: 


Hedge funds add another $1.5 billion for California wildfire victims in PG&E takeover war

Fresno Bee

The Wall Street hedge funds trying to take over PG&E Corp. have increased their proposed​​ payout for wildfire claims​​ as the investors seek to wrest control of the bankrupt California utility.


Firefighters are preparing for what could be a busy fire season

abc30

As the seasons change, and the temperatures fall, the risk of wildfires taking off in the Valley is still there. Fresno County CAL FIRE Batallion Chief Seth Brown says with cooler weather, people tend to let their guard down.


CAL FIRE to Fund $80M in Projects Focusing on Forest Health, Fire Prevention

Sierra News

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) announced on Wednesday (Sept. 25) the availability of over $80 million in funding for Forest Health and Fire Prevention projects.


Prescribed burn happening near Reservation

Porterville Recorder

Cal Fire is holding a prescribed burn on the border of the southwest boundary of the Tule River Indian Reservation today.


These Big Plans to Protect California Homes From Wildfire Fell Short in the Legislature

KQED
After 86 people in the town of Paradise lost their lives in a massive wildfire last year, California lawmakers vowed to prepare the state for future infernos. But while millions of dollars are going toward new firefighting crews and technology, some say the state is overlooking an area in dire need of help: making homes and buildings safer.


California regulators begin considering PG&E bankruptcy case
San Francisco Chronicle

California regulators took steps Thursday to begin examining Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s path out of bankruptcy, a crucial analysis they must complete in nine months in order for the utility to comply with a new state wildfire law.


ECONOMY / JOBS


Economy:


Census says US income inequality grew ‘significantly’ in 2018

Fresno Bee

Income inequality in America widened "significantly" last year, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report published Thursday.

See also:


Take Advantage of Free Business Counseling from the SBA

Sierra News

Valley Community SBDC offers no-cost, personalized, confidential, one-on-one consulting for start-ups, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and existing businesses.


Young’s Commercial Transfer recognized as 2019 Distinguished Family Business Award

Porterville Recorder

The 30th annual California Family Business Awards were hosted September 4th by the Fresno State Craig School of Business, Institute of Family Business to award nine businesses with the 2019 Outstanding Family Business Awards, and one as the Distinguished Family Business of the Year.


KEDC focuses on dues shortfalls, economic progress

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County's primary business recruitment and retention arm examined its own performance Thursday and concluded it must do more to engage with the community if it is going to be able to continue carrying out its mission.


How the Central Valley became the ‘Appalachia of the West.’ Now, new threats loom for economy

Sacramento Bee

Pockmarked with drab storefronts, modest skyscrapers and vacant lots, the downtown core of the San Joaquin Valley’s largest city offers little to inspire confidence in its future. Except for the stylish brick-and-glass headquarters of​​ Bitwise Industries,​​ where a block-long mural advertises Bitwise as the “mothership of technological education, collaboration and innovation in Fresno.”


U.S. Income Inequality Worsens, Widening To A New Gap

VPR

The gap between the richest and the poorest U.S. households is now the largest it's been in the past 50 years — despite the median U.S. income hitting a new record in 2018, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.


2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Registration has opened for the​​ 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by​​ California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.


Jobs:


After California Gig Economy Bill, Companies Reconsider Independent Contractors

Valley Public Radio

Uber says it will fight the state of California to preserve its independent contractor-based business model. Lawyers for labor and management alike say the bill and its legal challenges could have implications far beyond California.


Dynamex Retroactivity Question Sent to California State Court

Littler

On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit certified to the Supreme Court of California the question of whether that court’s landmark 2018 decision in Dynamex v. Superior Court should be applied retroactively. 


EDUCATION


K-12:


CUSD Elementary School Earns Spot on 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools List

Clovis RoundUp

The U.S. Department of Education has named Clovis Unified’s Liberty Elementary School, one of the 30 California schools to the 2019 Blue Ribbon Schools list. The elementary school is the only school in Fresno County to be recognized with the Exemplary High Performing School award.


AI is coming to schools, and if we’re not careful, so will its biases

Brookings

Artificial intelligence has transformed almost every aspect of our lives, from driverless cars to Siri, and soon, education will be no different. The automation of a school or university’s administrative tasks and customization of student curricula is not only possible, but imminent.


How to fix education’s racial inequities, one tweak at a time

Politico

Last fall, when introductory biology professors at Pasadena City College erased a rule banning late assignments or makeup exams, their colleagues joked that students would soon have imaginary grandmas perishing every weekend.


Higher Ed:


Dozens of Fresno State nursing students told their program was not accredited

abc30

Several dozen Fresno State nursing students who thought they were getting certificates from an accredited program have now been notified the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program was not accredited.


Wonderful Co. gives Caltech $750 million to research environmental sustainability

Bakersfield Californian

Kern agricultural powerhouse The Wonderful Co. on Thursday announced the second-largest gift ever to a U.S. academic institution: three-quarters of a billion dollars to fund cutting-edge research on environmental sustainability.

See also:


It’s AANAPISI week. Here’s how it helps low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander students

Sacramento Bee

“AANAPISI” stands for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving institutions, which are colleges with an enrollment of at least 10 percent Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander students, and at least 50 percent of the student body must be eligible for federal need-based financial aid.


Many Colleges That Got Money Tainted by Admissions Scandal Still Have It

Wall Street Journal

Six months after charges were brought in a​​ $25 million college-admissions scheme​​ led by William “Rick” Singer, the 10 selective universities identified as potential recipients of tainted money have diverged over the question: What to do about the money now?


ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY


Environment:


Wind gust warning from valley air pollution district

Fresno Bee

Blowing dust caused by winds in the region during the upcoming weekend prompted a caution Thursday from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

See also:


Trump Administration Escalates Battle Over Environmental Regulations With California

VPR

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent a letter Monday to the California Air Resources Board threatening to withdraw billions of dollars in federal highway money unless the state clears a backlog of air pollution control plans.

See Also:


How a Landmark Plastics Recycling Bill Fell Apart at the Last Moment

KQED
A major effort by environmental advocates and California legislators aimed at dramatically reducing single-use plastic pollution ended anticlimactically this month when the legislative session closed without lawmakers voting on the measure.


Resnick explains $750-million gift to Caltech for climate research. ‘The kids are concerned’

Los Angeles Times

It did not escape Stewart Resnick’s attention that, after some unusual winter weather in 2015, his pistachio crop took a 70% hit. He couldn’t miss it when, for several years, his heat-blasted oranges came in smaller and less prodigiously than in the past. California’s persistent drought could not be ignored, either, by the man reputed to be the biggest farmer in America.

See Also:

EPA blasts California, attempting to link SF/LA homelessness and pollution

San Francisco Chronicle

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent a sternly worded letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, demanding he take immediate steps to address problems with dirty water in the state, many of which it claimed were associated with homelessness in San Francisco.

See Also:


California’s Cross-Cutting Climate Strategy

Project Syndicate

The Trump administration’s decision to revoke California’s authority to set its own auto-emissions standards represents a devastating failure of leadership. But the state is resolute in its commitment to providing the tools, technology, and initiative needed to confront the climate crisis.


Energy:


A Peculiar Solar System Has Scientists Rethinking Theories Of How Planets Form

Capital Public Radio

A surprisingly large planet orbiting a small star defies the conventional wisdom about how planets are born. But a dark-horse idea from more than 20 years ago could explain it.


HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES


Health:


State agents seize thousands of vaping cartridges in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Agents from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control on Wednesday seized thousand of vaping cartridges from a smoke shop in Fresno’s Tower District. Alex Traverso, a bureau spokesman, confirmed that the raid took place at the shop in the 500 block of East Oliver Avenue.

See also:


Getting a flu vaccine this year is critical

abc30

With flu season around the corner, top​​ health​​ officials doubled down on the importance of getting a​​ flu vaccine.


Human Services:


This place ‘saved my mom.’ Clients rally to save Modesto drug treatment center

Modesto Bee

New Hope Recovery House on East Orangeburg Avenue is fighting for its own survival after a July 25 suspension order from the state that shut down most services at the 40-bed residential treatment center.


Lindsay Hospital District Board attempts to ‘clear the air’ with Council

Porterville Recorder

Tuesday night’s Lindsay City Council meeting stood as the perfect opportunity for the Lindsay Hospital District Board (LHDB) to address the Council on some things that were of pressing concern to the board.


‘It’s Better To Take Half Your Medicine Than None’ — Being A Doctor When Your Patients Are Homeless

Capital Public Radio

Trained health practitioners are increasingly sent to homeless encampments in effort to improve health outcomes for individuals who are homeless.


In California, a ‘Surprise’ Billing Law Is Protecting Patients and Angering Doctors

New York Times

Three years ago, California passed one of the strongest laws in the country to outlaw surprise medical billing. That legislation made sure that when patients went to a hospital covered by their insurance, doctors couldn’t later ambush them with unexpected bills.


IMMIGRATION


New Trump admin deal could send migrants back to dangerous Central American countries

abc30

As part of its latest attempt to deter migrants seeking refuge at the U.S. southern border, the Trump administration has a series of agreements with Central America.


Trump Administration Drastically Cuts Number Of Refugees Allowed To Enter The U.S.

Capital Public Radio

The limit of 18,000 represents the lowest number of refugees allowed into the country since the modern refugee program was established in 1980.


Emails show how private firms profit from ICE detention centers

Roll Call

On Feb. 6, 2019, Jill Grant, chief financial officer of Immigration Centers of America, emailed the town treasurer of Farmville, Virginia, where her company operates an immigrant detention center. “I’m feeling lucky today so I wanted to check on our funds. Has anything shown up?” she wrote.


LAND USE/HOUSING


Land Use:


Fresno said goodbye to a favorite restaurant patio. Now the building is being torn down

Fresno Bee

Fresno already said goodbye to one of the most unique restaurant patios in town when​​ Toledo’s Mexican Restaurant​​ closed its north Fresno location. Now the building is being torn down.


Who wants to leave California? Young voters can’t afford housing, and conservatives feel alienated

Los Angeles Times

Young voters were especially likely to cite unaffordable housing as a reason for leaving, according to the latest​​ latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll​​ conducted for the Los Angeles Times. But a different group, conservatives, also frequently suggested they wanted to leave — and for a very different reason: They feel alienated from the state’s political culture.

See also:


EDITORIAL: As fate of Diablo Grande course wavers, so too does one of Modesto’s public courses

Modesto Bee

The demise of Diablo Grande’s golf course, although perhaps temporary, is particularly sobering to local golfers who have watched Modesto’s three city courses roll toward the out-of-bounds stakes for many years, wondering if and when our beloved trio of money losers might finally shut as well.


Housing:


‘Damn embarrassing’ Fresno eyesore will be rehabbed for affordable housing

Fresno Bee

An old hospital is on its way to become hundreds of affordable housing units, following a Fresno County Board of Supervisors vote this week.


A new California city of 120,000 is rising 5 miles from Fresno. Would you live there?

Fresno Bee

Within five miles of the Highway 41 interchange at Friant Road, quickest freeway access to Fresno’s largest and most popular shopping and entertainment area, a future city planned for more than 100,000 people rises from the dirt.


California governor signs bills to speed homeless shelters

Bakersfield Californian

California is giving cities and counties more power to speed up the building of supportive housing and shelters amid a homelessness crisis.


Tenants could work with landlords to take in homeless people under new California law

Sacramento Bee

California tenants will have a new avenue to take in people at risk of homelessness with permission from their landlord under a new law taking effect next year. The measure is one of 13 bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Thursday aimed at alleviating the state’s homelessness crisis.


Homeless people could lose the right to sleep on sidewalks if Western cities have their way

Los Angeles Times

As California and other states in the West continue to wrestle with an explosion of homelessness, a growing number of local governments have set their sights on a court decision that has allowed people to legally bed down on sidewalks overnight.


Throwing people in jail on drug charges? That’s Bakersfield’s idea to fight homelessness

Los Angeles Times

In the face of an ever-growing homelessness crisis, cities across California have been searching for solutions, from adding shelters and affordable housing to improving mental health and substance abuse services.


EDITORIAL: You don’t have to banish homeless encampments on sidewalks to clean up the city

Los Angeles Times

If people can’t stand the sight of homeless squalor, the solution isn’t banishing encampments from sight. It’s enabling homeless people to escape that squalor, which ultimately means getting them into housing.


PUBLIC FINANCES


Did the Kern County Fair grossly mismanaged taxpayer funds for years?

Bakersfield Californian

A state audit says the organizers of a county fair grossly mismanaged public funds and violated state law multiple times, while a local television station claims those charges involve the Kern County Fair.


To be connected with a scammer, press 1. Police warn of bogus Social Security calls

The Modesto Bee

Within the past week, a Modesto woman received a call from a Social Security Administration investigator. (Except he wasn’t) Her Social Security number had been used to open 25 accounts of some type in Texas.


2020 may see tax battle royal

CALmatters

Although the state is enjoying multibillion-dollar budget surpluses, thanks largely to a vibrant economy, California voters may face a bewildering array of tax increase proposals next year.


A fixable mistake: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Brookings

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA, P.L. 115-97) was the largest tax overhaul since 1986. Rushed through Congress without adequate hearings and passed by a near-party-line vote, the law is a major legislative blunder badly in need of correction. 


Income inequality in America is the highest it’s been since census started tracking it, data shows

Washington Post

Last year, income inequality in the United States reached its highest level since the Census Bureau started tracking it in 1967, according to federal data released Thursday. In the midst of the longest economic expansion the United States has ever seen, with poverty and unemployment rates at historic lows, the separation between rich and poor from 2017 and 2018 was greater than it has ever been, federal data show.


TRANSPORTATION


Fresno to start pilot plan for electric scooters. Here’s where they are restricted

Fresno Bee

A year after sending a cease-and-desist letter to an electric scooter company, the city of Fresno has entered into a six-month pilot project to allow Lime scooters in most of the city. 


It’s fair to bag on California’s high-speed rail. But don’t forget how it benefits Fresno

Fresno Bee

Bagging on high-speed rail is a popular pastime around these parts, and not without good reason. We taxpayers have spent (and continue to spend) billions of dollars on an infrastructure project that will not connect Fresno to the Bay Area or Los Angeles anytime soon. Perhaps not in our lifetimes. Perhaps never.


Uber unveils new safety features amid scathing report

abc30

Uber​​ unveiled new safety features Thursday at an event inside their headquarters full of industry insiders and journalists. The announcement comes on the heels of a scathing report in the Washington Post, claiming the company's "Special Investigations Unit" or "SIU" is trained to put the company ahead of passenger safety.


'Lake to lake' is the vision, and most likely the reality, for Kern River Bike Path

Bakersfield Californian

Lake to lake.That's how Kern County Public Works Manager Yolanda Alcantar describes the latest vision of the Kern River Bike Path — a vision that appears to be on its way to becoming a reality.


Traffic delays in advance of McHenry bridge completion started Thursday

Modesto Bee

Traffic delays of up to 30 minutes started Thursday as the final work is done on the new McHenry Avenue bridge over the Stanislaus River. Officials had advised earlier this month that this would be needed at some point. The exact start date was announced Wednesday.


It’s really happening: Council gives final OK to Highway 132 reroute west from Modesto

Modesto Bee

A Bay Area contractor got approval Tuesday night to reroute part of Highway 132 west from Modesto, an idea that dates to the 1950s. Bay Cities Paving & Grading Inc. of Concord will get $92.05 million to build 3.5 miles of new road between Dakota Road and Needham Avenue.


Road Funds as Political Football

Fox & Hound

Too much traffic, too many potholes–California road conditions stink. While some money is in place to deal with the roads both federal and state authorities weaponize taxpayer funds intended to fix the roads to try and bend other government entities to their will. The losers are taxpayers and suffering commuters.


New California Transportation Commissioners Sworn In

StreetsBlog CAL

New state transportation commissioners Tamika Butler and Hilary Norton were sworn in yesterday. Their first meeting as commissioners​​ could be in Modesto on October 9.


California High-Speed Rail Authority adopts Preferred Alternative routes for Northern California

Transportation Today

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors last week approved a list of staff recommended Preferred Alternatives for high-speed rail routes in Northern California, following years of analysis.

See Also:


WATER


High & Dry: How will restrictive water law change California’s Central Valley?

Fresno Bee

New restrictions on groundwater use in California mean hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland could be fallowed in the Central Valley. In a place that has struggled high unemployment and low-paying jobs, how will the new water rules affect communities like Fresno and Modesto?


7.5 million Californians potentially exposed to toxic chemicals in water

abc30

Chemicals used for carpets and anti-stain products have been found in water sources for 7.5 million people in California, detailing the extent of the problem as state regulators work to develop safety levels for the contaminants that have been linked to cancer.


Trump administration goes after California on pollution tied to homelessness

abc30

The Trump administration accused California state of "failing to protect Californians from degraded water," specifically citing concern about homelessness and pollution.

See also:


Tule River Spillway project document out for public review

Porterville Recorder

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District released the draft environmental assessment outlining the Tule River Spillway Enlargement Project at Success Lake.


California must embrace groundwater management, and expand it

CALmatters

We all walk on water. Not literally, but most Californians do walk over the water stored in the aquifers beneath our feet. This unseen resource is groundwater, which provides 40% of our water supply in normal years, and up to 60% of our supply in times of drought.


Often Short of Water, California's Southern Central Coast Builds Toward A Drought-Proof Supply

Water Education Foundation

The State Water Project (SWP) is responsible for bringing drinking water to 25 million people and provides irrigation for 750,000 acres of farmland. Without it California would never have become the economic powerhouse it is today.


Delta Stakeholder Engagement Committee: Deadline for Applications Extended, Frequently Asked Questions Posted

DCDCA

The Board of Directors of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority is seeking applications for a new Delta Stakeholder Engagement Committee. The deadline for applications has been extended by one week. The applications are now due by October 11.


“Xtra”


Giving blood for a good cause: Porterville Relay For Life hosts 11th annual Pints for Pies

Porterville Recorder

Cynthia Galvan the Chairperson for Relay for Life since 2008 said that over 200 people donated blood at last year’s Pints For Pies blood drive. Each person who gives blood during the drive is rewarded with a free pie supplied by Black Bear Diner, who has hosted the blood donation event for several years in their parking lot.


Can you be-leaf how much fall fun is to be had?

Bakersfield Californian

Fall is upon us and we in Bakersfield know it takes little effort to scare up something fun to do this time of year. Whether it's thrills or chilling out with loved ones, there are myriad activities to fill up your social calendar.


COMMUNITY VOICES: Gandhi visit to Kern County is grand finale of year-long celebrations

Bakersfield Californian

Mahatma Gandhi, was born Oct. 2, 1869, 150 years ago. In celebration of his 150th birthday, a yearlong celebration started in October 2018 throughout major cities of the world, including Bakersfield.


Visit Yosemite and other national parks for free Saturday

Los Angeles Times

America’s largest single-day volunteer effort to spruce up public lands brings out hundreds of thousands of people from coast to coast who work on trail maintenance, tree plantings, invasive plant removal and other much-needed projects.