Today's Headlines

Grapes top crop in Fresno

Fresno Bee. Grapes still rule; pistachios set new record in Fresno County.
Synopsis: For second year in a row, grapes – wine, juice, raisins and table varieties– were the most lucrative crop in Fresno County, worth $8.58 billion (up $493 million from 2022). In all, there are 73 commercial crops grown in Fresno County – the nation’s No. 1 agricultural county in terms. Following grapes: 2) Almonds $1.02 billion (down from $1.4 billion in 2021), 3) Pistachios $862 million, 4) Tomatoes $601 million, 5) Cattle $572 million. After that it was poultry, milk, peaches, garlic and nectarines. Mandarins (or tangerines) fell out of the top 10. Of the top 10, only milk and garlic produced less income in 2023 than they produced in 2022.

Le Grand gets 3-game suspension

Merced Sun Star. Le Grand football team facing 3-game suspension following brawl at scrimmage.
Synopsis: Le Grand scrimmaged at Tranquillity High last Friday, and up to 30 of the team’s 35 players were on the field  fighting at one point, says Sac-Joaquin Section official Will DeBoard. “The majority of the team was either involved in the fight or left the bench,” said DeBoard. Le Grand superintendent Donna Alley says the school will appeal. Coach Aaron Martinez says his players simply defending themselves and he won’t apologize. This could mean forfeits to Livingston, Ripon Christian and Orestimba. Tranquillity is not being penalized.

UC Merced idea helps ag

ABC30.  CA redwoods preserve turns fire-damaged wood into boon for farmers.
Synopsis: Spreading charred chunks of redwood – aka, biochar -- into the soil helps plants develop better root systems, stores more carbon, protects against “over-watering.” All these things mean higher yields. Oh, and it’s organic. A lot of the chips are coming out of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the CZU fire did so much damage in 2020. Finally, something good out of the wildfires. Who came up with this great idea? UC Merced.

Partners in restoring groundwater

River Partners. Restoring CA’s depleted groundwater.
Synopsis: The depletion rate of the aquifers below CA are among the highest in the world, according to a study published this year. This “is a landscape-sized problem,” says Julie Rentner, in need of “a landscape-scale correction.” RP is working with Stanford, Stan State and Lawrence Livermore labs to find the find the most effective replenishment sites and best places for floodplain restoration. As floodwater spread out – as they did at Dos Rios State Park the past two years – more water percolates below ground. This is the approach being taken by RP for two decades, and now is being recognized as a “very smart approach,” accumulating “stacked benefits” and much better than “just using concrete.”  
MAD Note: Among those deeply involved in turning the 1,600 acres at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers into California’s newest state park was Adam Gray. The land was marginal for farming, but perfect for protecting the communities of Patterson and Newman from flooding, enhancing groundwater storage and providing wildlife habitat. Gray saw first-hand the amazing work being done by River Partners, who bought the land from longtime conservationist and cattleman Bill Lyons. Gray was able to help steer $40 million in state funding to similar floodplain-restoration projects being done up and down the Valley by River Partners.

Was shooting political?

KQED. Sikh activists see signs of assassination attempt in NorCal freeway shooting.
Synopsis: Satinder Pal Singh Raju was in Yolo County rallying its huge Sikh population to push for Khalistan independence when another car approached at high speed on a very rural stretch of highway. At least four shots were fired, striking the car. One person incurred a minor injury. It was after midnight. Raju and Sikhs for Justice want the Modi government held accountable. Raju was a “close associate” of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered in Canada last year by men that Canada says had ties to the government in New Delhi.
MAD Note: The Sikh community is large and important in the Central Valley. The nation’s first Gurdwara was founded in Stockton in 1912, drawing thousands to the region.  

40 miles of mayhem

Merced Sun Star. Man fleeing Yosemite in stolen car goes on wild ride before crash in mountains.
Synopsis: Eventually, the CHP reeled in a 40-year-old man near Tenaya Lodge – but not before he engaged in 40 miles of mayhem. He stole a Kia Soul in the Valley, crashed it near Fish Camp then stole a bicycle. Perhaps tired of pedaling, he next stole a Kia Optima and took off toward Oakhurst. He was driving slowly on the shoulder when a Tesla tried to go around him. Angry, he drove the Optima into the Tesla. Then he chased the Tesla down the hill and all the way through Oakhurst, rear-ending the Tesla at every opportunity. When a Mariposa deputy caught up to them, he was still hitting the Tesla’s rear end.

Interesting election news

Merced County Times. Garcia Rose seeking more balance in Sacramento.
Synopsis: The former Congressional candidate (2014), Joanna Garcia Rose is a former DMV employee who now works for the Dept of Corrections. She feels there are too few Republicans in the legislature, though she feels she is more of a libertarian. Mentioned in the story is that John Duarte has endorsed her.
MAD Take: Interestingly, Garcia Rose told the Times, “You can’t just bulldoze an area and wipe out the wildlife.” But that’s exactly what John Duarte did in Tehama County, bulldozing roughly 20 acres of wetlands. The federal government fined him $6 million, though he settled for a $1.2 million and restoring the wetlands. That was before he sold some 650,000 defective pistachio clones to farmers.  

Westside Express. Races set for control of LB city council.
Synopsis: Reporter Mike Dunbar writes that all four city council districts are on the ballot this year – an unprecedented situation arising from the recall of Brett Jones and Doug Begonia Jr. Also, Deborah Lewis faces a neighbor of mayor Paul Llanez in D3 and Ken Lambert faces a retired bus driver in D1. Mayor Paul Llanez faces two challengers – six-term former mayor Mike Amabile and former councilmember Refugio Llamas. The obvious electoral anger is due to the council majority’s rehiring of Josh Pinheiro as city manager then giving him a $1.8 million payment despite advice from the insurance company not to. Pinheiro had been fired after the council received complaints from at least two female employees.  
MAD Note: Full disclosure, Mike Dunbar is also “MAD.”

Westside Express. City manager turns away candidates from Salute to Seniors except for his political ally, Mayor Llanez.
Synopsis: In the previous 49 editions of the city’s Salute to Seniors, the police chief has acted as master of ceremonies. Not this year. Instead, city manager has decided to turn over those duties to Mayor Paul Llanez. Also, in past even-year Salutes, city council candidates have been allowed to have tables or booths to promote their candidacies. Not this year.

Meat-packing jobs saved … for now

Fresno Bee. 700 laid-off meat-processing workers thrown life-line in settlement.
Synopsis: The old Cargill Meat Solution plant – now owned by Central Valley Meat -- says it will remain open at least a year longer than originally anticipated. The settlement came after the company near Fresno improperly announced the first 178 layoffs, and the attorney general stepped in. Central Valley Meat has three other companies – Harris Ranch Beef, Harris Ranch Feeding and CLW Foods. CEO Brian Coelho says he’s happy with the outcome.

If you’re looking for tri-tip

Fresno Bee. Tri-tip hot spot still smoking after 20 years; why customers shrug off noise, parking.
Synopsis: Bethany Clough writes about The Dog House Grill, which goes through 400 cuts of tri-tip a day, 700 on weekend days. It’s been in business for 20 years. Most customers order the tri-tip sandwich. One patron says whenever someone is visiting from out of town, it’s the first stop. The Billingsley family owns it and several other eateries – Firestone Grills in SLO and Bakersfield and the Main Street Grill in Cambria.

Merced welcomed refugees

Merced County Times. A time when we worked together to welcome, help out refugees.
Synopsis: Former County CEO Greg Wellman recalls a time in the early 1980s when the US brought in Southeast Asian refugees from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, saving many from certain death. This area welcomed them, though there were a few bumps in the road. He remains proud of the Merced community’s reaction, though recognizing “things are not perfect and never will be here in mortality.”