Valley Headlines

Celebrating MLK Jr. Day

Merced Sun Star. Merced community gathers to celebrate and honor legacy of Dr. King.
Synopsis: Several hundred marched through Merced to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. There were marching bands playing “We Shall Overcome,” horses, cool cars and more. Among those quoted were UC Merced student Anthony Heard and parade chairperson Tamara Cobb.

ABC30. Community honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in Merced.
Synopsis: Video looks at gathering to celebrate MLK Day. Among those quoted were Virginia Riley, police chief Steven Stanfield and Rev. Ella Luna Garza.  

ABC30. Hundreds attend 41^st annual MLK march and commemoration in Fresno.
Synopsis: Among those marching were members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and councilmember Annalisa Perea.

Modesto Bee. Law enforcement, health professionals pick up tools to renovate children’s rooms.
Synopsis: In honor of MLK Day, aka “Day of Service,” some 80 volunteers from Modesto Police, Kaiser Permanente, HandsOn Central CA and Healthy Room Project renovated rooms that house 17 children. Fresh paint, new beds, dressers and bedding were installed. Through the years, the project has helped 250 kids and drawn 2,500 volunteers. In one home, two new bunkbeds were installed in a bedroom so that two of the four kids who sleep there could get off the floor.

Let the water wars begin …

Valley Sun. Trump’s first day flurry features rallying cry: ‘Put people over fish.’
Synopsis: Reporter Reid Stone writes that Donald Trump wasted no time in “restarting California’s water wars.” Trump signed a memo to the secretary of Interior and the US Fish & Wildlife Service to start working immediately “to restart the work from my first administration to route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state.”

CA Water Blog. CA water under Trump Administration, Part 2 of 2. 
Synopsis: UC Davis law professor Karrigan Bork provides the background for Trump’s order. He explains how the Central Valley and State Water projects are connected and why. He also explains the biological opinion that guides their operation, and how one issued in 2019 was superseded by the Biden Administration. Bork opines that “environmental flows” left in the Delta aren’t for fish, but to guard the Delta from saltwater incursion. If the Delta gets too salty, soils are ruined and municipal water systems impacted. Bork concludes that CA water policy is “unlikely to go through seismic shifts over the next four years … but big changes cannot be ruled out.”
MAD Take: This blog is interesting mainly as background. But Bork tips his hand by writing “We are in the midst of a Salmon Crisis” (capitalization his). For proof, Bork notes that the commercial and recreational salmon seasons have been closed the last two years, and he adds that “resisting” Trump’s polices will “not be enough to prevent extinctions.” Really? While salmon returns have been disappointing on the Sacramento River, they have been steady to spectacular in other CA streams – Mokelumne, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Eel, Redwood Creek, etc. Meanwhile, commercial salmon poaching continues.

Manteca Bulletin. Trump wades into Delta water war.
Synopsis: Dennis Wyatt writes about President Trump’s almost immediate efforts to move more water south from the Delta and the impact that will have on San Joaquin County. He draws no conclusions but offers some of the “highlights” from Trump’s orders.

… And the immigration wars

Cal Matters. Trump wants to deport immigrants accused of crimes; CA sheriffs could make it easy.
Synopsis: As some counties passed laws forbidding cooperation with federal immigration authorities, others have said they will do all they can to remove undocumented immigrants. Others are charting a middle course, anxious to get rid of criminals but dedicated to keeping otherwise innocent farmworkers on the job. Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni says ICE – and anyone else interested -- can see who has been booked into his jail. And their fingerprints are already being added to the national database. Of the 27 sheriffs who responded to CalMatters queries, most said they would follow state law.  Among those quoted, would-be Congressman Mike Boudreaux of Tulare, Matt Kendall of Mendocino and Sgt. Roberto Morales of Alameda.

KCRA. Stockton PD: ‘We take pride in our approach to not enforcing immigration laws.’
Synopsis: That quote comes from a statement released by the Stockton PD. To arrest people on immigration status alone would “undermine the trust and safety we have worked hard to build within our community.”

… And the trade wars

Successful Farming. Trump says Canada, Mexico may get 25% tariff by Feb. 1.
Synopsis: “Farmdoc” Ryan Hanrahan writes about President Trump’s plans to impose duties on products arriving from our two closest and largest trading partners – Canada and Mexico. Trump repeated the threat on Monday, but Canada didn’t blink. It said it has plans to impose tariffs on US goods.
MAD Note: For anyone interested, it should be noted that $2.7 billion worth of goods cross the border with Canada EACH DAY. If this trade ware commences, virtually all of those products will cost someone 25% more. Oh, CDFA data shows that California farmers and food processors exported half of their products in 2022-23, and the No. 1 destinations were Mexico and Canada. Our top exports? Almonds, dairy, pistachios, wine and walnuts.

Justice for fentanyl victims?

Modesto Bee. Some want to see stronger action against fentanyl dealers in Stanislaus County. 
Synopsis: There was a 13% decline in opioid overdose deaths last year in Stanislaus County, but the pain felt by families is not lessened in any way. Larry Hatfield of Waterford lost a daughter last year, and he wants to see more strident enforcement and prosecutions. He points out that there have been 541 deaths attributed to opioid overdose in Stanislaus County since 2018, but very few dealers going to jail. Also quoted were Steve and Kim Roland of Ripon, who lost a son, and Matt Capelouto, who lost a daughter. Of roughly 120 overdose deaths last year, 92 have been confirmed being due to opioids – a statistical improvement over 2023 when there were 138. DA Jeff Laugero says when he has the evidence, he will file murder charges against fentanyl sellers.

Table tennis champ at 80

Modesto Bee. Sonora residents wins US Open table tennis title at 80.
Synopsis: Mike Sturtevant won the 80-and-over men’s singles title and was part of the doubles winning team in Las Vegas. He entered the tourney seeded No. 7 of 11. In the title match he faced No. 1 seed Bill Ukapatayasakul. Sturtevant was playing with a sprained wrist. Sturtevant once owned radio stations KLOC and KTDO and was one of the founding members of the High School Principals Spanish Lip Sync Contest, which helped raise $700,000 in its 20-year run. He trains at the Hughson Table Tennis Club.

Sex trafficking in the Valley

Westside Express. Sex trafficking is going on here in Los Banos.
Synopsis: An anonymous investigator with the Los Banos PD says there are 100 cases of sex trafficking at any given time in the city, and that “just the tip of the iceberg.” Madera investigator Dan Foss calls it a “river” of cases confronting officers in the region. Most of the transactions occur online.

Moving from Stan State to city

Turlock Journal. Borrego named new deputy city manager.
Synopsis: Sue Borrego, who came to Turlock to be the interim president of Stanislaus State, has shifted careers and is now a deputy city manager. She says her work in Flint, Mich., prepared her to for seeking solutions for significant urban problems. She says Turlock feels a lot like the Midwest to her.

Serving on too many boards

Westside Connect. Gustine Unified to begin search for new trustee following Bloom’s resignation.
Synopsis: Gustine’s Andrew Bloom has resigned his GUSD position just a few weeks after being elected because he also serves on the CCID, Farmer Power Team and Gustine High FFA boards. He says some people complained that his multiple roles would result in a conflict of interest.  

Sutter to ban stinking loser?

Sacramento Bee. It may lose money and stink, but hemp farmers object to Sutter County’s ban.
Synopsis: In Sutter County, six farmers are licensed to grow industrial hemp in open fields instead of the locked greenhouses required for the drug. Those growers say they’ve lost money, and with a ban they’ll lose even more. Supervisors say the county has spent $400,000 to track weed and can’t afford more losses, besides neighbors complain about the stench. Resident Steve Roach said that when the plants bloom “our high school smelled like dope, our neighborhood smelled like dope, our clothing smelled like it, even our dogs and cats smelled like it. It’s not acceptable.” One farmer pointed out that “I’m not a marijuana farmer or hemp farmer, I’m just a farmer trying to make a living.” He says he’s lost money, but this year expected to turn the corner. One supervisor said he’s been hearing that for 4 years and has had enough.