Today's Headlines

Farm leaders are anxious

Ag Alert. Farm leaders call attention to rising economic pressures.
Synopsis:  CA Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass was among those testifying before the CA State Board of Food & Ag, saying that as costs and fees go up more farmers are being squeezed out. Worse, there is less incentive for young people to become farmers. She fears that will make it easier for huge, out-of-state corporations to buy up prime ag land. The Board heard from growers of winegrapes, cattle, dairy and nuts. Among those testifying was Neill Callis, a partner in Turlock Fruit Co., who said “not a lot of crops are making money right now.” TFC is one of the last 3 asparagus shippers left in CA, but the break-even price point for CA stalks is $2 a pound; for Mexican stalks it’s $1.79. Jeff Bitter of Allied Grape Growers and Geoff Vanden Heuvel of the Milk Producers Council also testified.

Water results vs. hot air

Merced Sun Star. Central Valley farmers like Donald Trump on water; on CA’s Kamala Harris less so.
Synopsis:  Reporter Gillian Brassil talks to a few Valley farmers, including Tom Barcellos of Lower Tule River ID. He says all he ever gets from Democrats is lip service on water. He did not mention what he gets from Republicans. But Westlands GM Allison Febbo seemed a little more circumspect: “Water security and affordability affect all Californians and are issues that should transcend political divides.”
MAD Take: Amen, Allison. But since reporter Brassil couldn’t be bothered, we should set the record straight about offering water vs. “lip service.” A Democrat president created the CVP, and a different Democrat was in the White House when the Friant-Kern Canal AND Shasta Dam were completed. Yet another Democrat built San Luis Reservoir. New Melones was completed under a guy named Carter. And a Democrat named Biden just fixed the Friant-Kern Canal, which is sinking because farmers pumped too much from under it. A Democrat governor named Pat Brown built the SWP and Democrat governors – including Pat’s son Jerry -- have been trying to build the tunnel that South Valley farmers so desperately want. As for Republicans, George HW Bush signed the CVPIA, which allocated more water for wildlife protection and mitigation flows taken from farmers’ previous allocations. The most recent Republican president was really, really good at criticizing environmentalists. What else? Well? Waiting.

Expert calls lawsuit baseless

GV Wire. Nonprofits’ lawsuit against Community Health System misstates Medi-Cal funding rules. 
Synopsis:  The president of Private Essential Access Community Hospitals (not a lawyer) explains that Medi-Cal payments are reimbursement for care already provided. So Medi-Cal and Medicare rules do not restrict how funds can be used, leaving it up to hospitals use them in the most effective way. The expert said that Medi-Cal reimbursements don’t cover the cost of patient care anywhere, which is why so many rural hospitals are on the verge of bankruptcy. Example? Madera Community. Two community groups sued CHS saying CA law requires “Medi-Cal revenue (be used) to improve access to quality care for medically underserved populations…”

Politics in Ceres

Ceres Courier. As two seek to unseat him, Mayor Lopez faces growing criticism.
Synopsis:  Columnist Jeff Benziger says there is growing dissatisfaction with Mayor Javier Lopez, who dismissed RJ Jammu from the Planning Commission so Gary M. Condit could have a seat. Now Condit is running against Lopez. Writes Jeff: “Condit, who left high school five years ago, is as green as broccoli.” Later, Jeff admits to being momentarily confused about who was running for the 13^th Congressional District.

Bright lights calling in Merced

Merced Focus / KVPR. In agricultural Merced, arts students follow their dreams ‘one step at a time.’ 
Synopsis:  Reporter Rachel Livinal kicks off her interesting series “Landing a Dream” by looking at Golden Valley High’s theater program where kids are learning set construction, costuming, animation and more. Of the three “career technical” pathways offered by Merced high schools, media and entertainment is ranked No. 2 behind ag and has 3,408 students enrolled. Many of the kids involved are children of immigrants, and their big dreams often conflict with their close ties to family.

Follow the flashing lights

Modesto Bee. Blaze displaces 16 children, 10 adults; second fire in Modesto neighborhood.
Synopsis:  Sunrise Village Mobile Home Park on South Seventh suffered a second fire, this time consuming three trailers and damaging a fourth. Some 50 firefighters responded. The Red Cross helped displaced residents. One firefighter was hurt, but not enough to require hospitalization.

GV Wire. Huge fentanyl seizures ‘tip of the iceberg’ of what’s coming: Sheriff Zanoni.
Synopsis:  The sheriff’s office made two big seizures on Interstate 5 recently, both being driven up from Sinaloa. On Aug. 7, they got 33 pounds of fentanyl; on July 23, they confiscated 240,000 pills and 2.2 pounds of cocaine. K-9 Officer Willow, a spaniel, helped find the drugs both times.

Merced Daily. 1 killed, 1 injured in Merced shooting.
Synopsis:  The shooting happened around 7 Tuesday night at W. Twelfth and G streets. The wounded man was found at Mercy Medical; he was arrested after treatment.

Fox26. K9 credited with finding missing person in Pacheco Pass area.
Synopsis:  The jet-black German Shepherd Cooper helped track down a driver who left his car beside the road. He was found disoriented and dehydrated at the bottom of a steep ravine.

Latest news on nuts

Ag Alert. Walnut market recovery may come slowly.
Synopsis:  As CA growers attempt to balance a huge global supply of nuts with lower demand, they’re repurposing some orchards. Rabobank’s research arm says the trees are not falling fast enough. But, “Thanks to exceptional quality, prices have started to rebound,” says often-quoted David Magana. From a peak of 400,000 acres, walnuts now grow on 382,000 CA acres. One of our biggest markets is India, which still has a 100% tariff – though much lower “than the Trump-era retaliatory tariffs.” Among those quoted is Josh Barton of Escalon, who is experimenting with new varieties – Ivanhoe and Wolfskill.

Ag Alert. First finding of red leaf blotch in CA almonds.
Synopsis:  The red leaf blotch was discovered by a UC crop adviser in May in an orchard “on the Merced-Madera county line.” Once symptoms are visible it’s too late to treat, so precautions must be taken in the spring. It has now been found in Madera, Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Ouch.

Warehouse opens in Chowchilla

ABC30. New AutoZone warehouse now open in Chowchilla.
Synopsis:  The big box building is between Hwy 99 and the airport. The company claims it has created 280 jobs, though doesn’t say that all of them are at the warehouse itself. The story does not question how the company arrived at that number, but most big warehouses have from 1 to 1.3 employees per 3,000 square feet. That would mean roughly 250 workers.

Saintly finger points the way

Turlock Journal. Thousands flock to relic at Ceres church for healing, hope.
Synopsis:  A bone fragment purported to be from the body of Jude Thaddeus is housed in a reliquary made of either wood or silver -- it’s hard to tell after 359 years. Shaped like a hand, the finger points to the sky. Parishioners from St. Jude’s Church got 10 seconds to pray before it. The relic has been on tour since 2023.

Coach Kaepernick? Maybe

Sacramento Bee. Jim Harbaugh offered Colin Kaepernick spot on Chargers staff.
Synopsis:  The former Pitman High and 49er star is considering the offer. But Harbaugh said it was made “early, early in the year” and Harbaugh hasn’t heard back. Kaepernick is 36, a bit past his prime. But, “he’d be a tremendous coach, if that’s the path he chooses,” said Harbaugh.