Today's Headlines

Fresno farmers break a record

Western Farm Press. Water availability bolsters Fresno crop values.
Synopsis: Agriculture production topped $8.5 billion for the first time in 2023, thanks mostly to heavy rains in 2022-23 followed by average rainfall in 2023-24. As Todd Fritchette reports, “Hidden beneath Fresno County’s record crop value” is the fact that the total value of the 10 most valuable crops fell slightly. But 44,000 acres of cotton – half of the state’s total – helped bring production numbers up. Other “minor” crops doing well included cherries (2x last year’s crop), canning tomatoes (prices up 50%) and melons (acreage up 30%). Fresno Irrigation District’s Ryan Jacobsen noted that lettuce production is moving into Fresno County from Salinas, mainly because there was water to grow it.

Expert: X2 ‘formula for waste’

Maven / Water Blueprint. Water Blueprint for the SJ Valley and SoCal Water Coalition submit urgent request to Gov. Newsom to suspend action reducing water supplies for 2024.
Synopsis: In the world of water, the term “X2” is a big deal. It refers to the amount of water sent down the rivers, through the Delta and out into the Bay in a given year. X2 can have a huge impact on water users such as irrigation districts, wildlife refuges and Valley utilities. Blueprint Chair Eddie Ocampo says imposing maximum X2 requirements will result in the loss of up to 400,000 acre feet of water in a 2-month period. “Science over the last decade has demonstrated that this action … is not producing the intended benefits for species but has reduced water supply for impacted communities reliant on the water provided through the CVP and SWP.” In 2023, X2 releases to the ocean totaled 734,000 acre feet, valued at $557 million. The SoCal Water Coalition’s Charley Wilson said following X2 “simply does not make sense.”

AI sucks water, power

LA Times. How much more water and power does AI computing consume? Tech firms conceal facts.
Synopsis: To get a response to your question from OpenAI Chatbot requires 10x more power to process than a simple Bing search. It’s the same as running an LED lightbulb for an hour, or 7 Wh (watt hours), says Alex de Vries, the founder of Digiconomist. He says our daily AI requests require the energy it takes to power all of Ireland for a day. A professor at UC Riverside pointed out that AI chips run hot and require 1.6 ounces of water for cooling to form a single response. The critics want search engines to include an opt-out of AI. How does all this square with Google’s vow to be carbon neutral by 2030?

No charges for Merced’s Perez

Merced Focus. No charges filed against Merced council member accused of making threats.
Synopsis: Retiring councilmember Bertha Perez was accused of threatening a parent of one of the four children that her son, Marcos Perez, is accused of abusing. Merced police did not refer the accusation against Bertha Perez to the DA for action. It was the third time such a charge has been made against Bertha. Meanwhile, Claudia Corchado, of Cultiva Central Valley, has filed a complaint against Bertha. Corchado shared a threatening voice mail from Bertha in her complaint. Bertha says she is the one being harassed. The city is reviewing the complaint. Marcos Perez is in custody.

Fox fellow considers a run

Politico. California Dream: Ex-Fox News host is mulling run for Governor of Golden State.
Synopsis: Steve Hilton, an adviser to British prime minister David Cameron and Fox News host, is said to be serious about being governor in California. That’s the word from Jim Brulte, a GOP mover and tree-shaker. Among those who might be in support are hedge funders and Silicon Valley venture investors. Among those he might face are Eleni Kounalakis, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, Toni Atkins and possibly Xavier Becerra. Hilton has created something called Golden Together to gather, uh, input.

Sun-Star building up in flames

Merced Golden Wire. Fire breaks out in old Sun-Star building.
Synopsis: The former newsroom and press facility at G Street and Alexander was badly damaged as fire crews needed several hours to extinguish flames. Fire Chief Casey Wilson calls the cause of the fire “suspicious.” A person commenting on this Facebook post said a homeless guy has been starting fires on the property for the past two weeks, but the building’s new owners – the Merced PD – have not responded.

Purple rain? No, Purple River

Stockton Record. CA water officials to dye Stockton waterfront to study dangerous algae.
DWR and the Port of Stockton want to see how much blue-green algae there is in the channel, and the best way to do that is to put in a dye that makes the algae more visible. The water in Lake McLeod, fed by the San Joaquin River, could turn a purplish hue – if the dye moves that far upstream during incoming tides. The headline says the dyeing will be done along the “waterfront,” but the story says it will start at Weber Point and extend to I-5 – which starts a nautical mile downstream from the waterfront.

COVID vaccines arriving

SF Chronicle. New COVID vaccines are available; if you got sick this summer, should you get yours?
Synopsis: The anti-FLiRT vaccine is rolling into pharmacies even as COVID’s “summer surge” is gaining steam. “Lots of people have had it and they’re going to carry on getting it,” said a USC virology professor. “I don’t think we’ve peaked yet.” Water-treatment plants say COVID levels are “very high.” And if you’ve had COVID this summer, hold off getting the new vaccines for another 3 months. If you haven’t, get the vaccine before traveling.  And start masking up again.

Details on Yosemite rampage

SF Chronicle. Hardcore metal singer charged in violent rampage across Yosemite National Park.
Synopsis: A crazy guy first stole a car in Buck Meadows, then a bicycle somewhere in the park, then stripped to his underwear before stealing another car at Tenaya Lodge, which he used to repeatedly ram another moving car in the town of Mariposa. It was none other than Anthony Mehlhaff. Who? Anthony Mehlhaff, the “frontman of the band Cancer Christ.” Who could forget his hit song, “God Hates Cops”? Apparently, the cops aren’t too fond of Mehlhaff. “This man drove all around our county terrorizing our visitors and community members,” said Mariposa Sheriff Jeremy Briese. No word on which or how many books will be thrown at the man who calls himself “Saint Anthony.”

Heroic Fresno Bee editor passes

Fresno Bee. Geroge Gruner, ex-Fresno Bee editor who was jailed rather than reveal source, dies.
Synopsis: The venerable journalist follows Lloyd Carter into the great newsroom in the sky; both passed Sunday. The top reporting and writing awards in the Fresno region, administered by Fresno State, are named the Gruner Awards. There’s a reason. Gruner went to jail rather than reveal a source. He ran the newsroom as Fresno confronted police and political corruption, mistreatment of immigrants and pillaging of natural resources. Among those speaking highly of him were Jim Boren and Jim Costa.