Valley Headlines

Dos Palos fire station saved?

Valley Solutions. Dos Palos voters tax themselves to keep fire station open. 
Synopsis: Facing the prospect of losing one of its two fire stations (and the only one downtown), officials in Dos Palos asked voters to approve a 0.5% sales tax called Measure S. Proceeds will hire enough staffing to meet the state’s minimum requirements to keep the station open. Voting was Wednesday, and early results show the measure ahead – 374-112. That’s 78.9% of the vote, well above the two-thirds threshold needed. The Dos Palos sales tax would rise to 8.25%.
MAD Note: This little election attracted the attention of Politico, which drew the conclusion that voters “in a tiny Valley town” were swayed in favor of fire-protection by the recent LA fires. I disagree. Valley voters have a history of taking care of their own. They have to.

CA needs both parties

Sacramento Bee. CA Republicans are getting under Democrats’ skin; that’s good for democracy.
Synopsis: Columnist Tom Philp says our system of governance depends on give-and-take, with good solutions and accountability created by the friction between parties. His example is Republican Roger Niello’s effort to strip regulators of the power to make new rules without legislative approval. Writes Philp: “Niello has a real point. It’s easy for the ruling party to make changes in the regulatory shadows.” Niello knows his law won’t pass, but it could raise a few eyebrows. Writes Philp: “There is actually a political center (in Sacramento) … but this hidden common ground is rarely revealed because Democrats wrongly prefer to play solely in their own increasingly dysfunctional playground and basically never try the bipartisan route.”
MAD Take: Won’t put words in his mouth, but Adam Gray has been saying similar things for, well, a decade. He was even penalized by his own party for trying to make better laws and insisting on accountability from unelected regulators. It’s why he invited Republicans and Independents to join with him to form the Problem Solvers Caucus.  

Water officials on same page

Western Farm Press. DWR’s Nemeth signals détente with feds on water. 
Synopsis: Despite all the political posturing and errant releases of water, DWR director Karla insists officials of the State Water Project are in sync with those running the federal Central Valley Project. Speaking to pistachio growers in Monterey, she said “In a lot of ways we’re aligned, regardless of what you see in the press.” She added that state water managers are “ready to roll up our sleeves and work with the federal government.” She also bemoaned the lack of trust in California water politics. The only way to build it is to talk about it, she said.
MAD Take: Nemeth’s words are no doubt comforting to those who know nothing about California water. There’s a long-standing good-cop/bad-cop component of CA’s water bureaucracy. If DWR is playing nice with farmers, the Water Board staff is carrying the ball for Big Green. And if DWR is failing to accurately measure and allocate CA’s water, don’t expect the water board to notice.

Good dog catches bad guy

Merced Sun Star. Cocaine worth $720K seized in traffic stop on I-5 in Merced County.
Synopsis: The CHP, with K-9 Shei showing the way, found 20 pounds of powder tucked into a rooftop compartment on an F-150 on I-5 near Hwy 165. The driver was James Churn, 66, of Portland.

A lot of fallowing this year

Western Farm Press. Planting decisions suggest significant fallowing.
Synopsis: Todd Fitchette says he spoke with two Valley farmers and each has decided not to plant 1,000 acres over water concerns. They’re holding back on cotton and tomatoes. Their decisions were made despite the state making an early commitment to provide 35% of promised water. Farmers covered by the exchange contract – mainly those in Central CA Irrigation District – will get 100% of their water, just like farmers in the Sacramento Valley.

Bird flu symptom: Confusion

Merced Focus. Avian flu cases continue to rise across SJ Valley, along with egg prices.
Synopsis: Longtime McClatchy reporter Tim Sheehan makes his debut with the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative by providing a bird flu recap. Valley poultry ranches have killed nearly 20 million chickens, turkeys and ducks due to this outbreak and it doesn’t appear to be getting better. Nationwide, 30 million birds have been culled in the first two months of 2025. Merced and Kern counties are the hardest hit. The USDA has promised to spend $1 billion to fight the flu, including $100 million for a vaccine.

Politico. Bird flu spread is ‘slowing down,’ CA officials say.
Synopsis: Dr. Erica Pan of the CA Dept of Health told a state senate committee that the outbreak is losing steam. Last summer and fall, 753 of the state’s 1,200 dairy herds found infected animals, but now the pace of new reports has slowed. Meanwhile, poultry farms are coming off quarantine and flocks are being restored. The state said the flu hit “in three distinct waves,” with the worst of it coming last December when Gov. Newsom declared an emergency.

AgriView. Dairy farmers hit with double whammy.
Synopsis: Reporter John McCracken says falling production, bird flu and components of the CA Milk Marketing Order are pushing dairy farmers to the brink. The federal marketing order, which applies only tangentially in CA, allows more money to be withheld from farmers under the “make allowance.” Lynne McBride of the CA Dairy Campaign says even this small increase hurts. She said the cost of operating a dairy has doubled in the past 10 years and the state’s pricing formula has not kept up. The amount farmers receive has fallen 15%. Anja Raudabaugh of Western United talked about the impact of bird flu. When cows come out of production, farmers are unable to meet their contracted deliveries without buying expensive replacements.

Rural counties lose out again

Cal Matters. CA is spending billions on mental health housing; will it reach those most in need?
Synopsis: Voters approved $6.4 billion for mental health treatment and housing under Prop 1, which was passed to address a 10,000-bed shortage. The governor insisted on spending the money quickly, which was fine for urban counties prepared to write grant applications. A RAND study found that LA and Sacramento have adequate mental-health bed capacity but still got 75% of the money. Rural counties – even as large as Fresno – were left out. The area with the highest unmet needs? The San Joaquin Valley.

SF Chronicle. CA embracing psychiatric hospitals again; but a profit-driven system is destroying lives.
Synopsis: CA authorities now have the ability to lock up people deemed a threat to the public or themselves. Since there is little hospital capacity in most counties, private companies have stepped in. With extreme practices, they are now under greater scrutiny.

New school, new program

Merced Focus. New dual language program set to start at this Merced school next year.
Synopsis: Children educated in two languages at once do better on tests and have higher cognitive skills. So, 54 kinders at Don Stowell Elementary will be taught in English and Spanish next year. This is part of a trend toward “dual-language immersion” and there are already programs for older kids in Los Banos, Livingston and Delhi. Other schools have programs in Hmong and Punjabi.

Merced Sun Star. Merced City Schools is planning to build a new school.
Synopsis: Merced City Schools says its enrollment will grow by 600 in 5 years with 2,000 homes planned for north Merced. That will necessitate the 20^th school for the district. Since it takes 5 or 6 years to plan, permit and build a school, superintendent Julianna Stocking says now is the time to start. The new school will be at Paulson Road and Cormorant Drive.

Healthcare: This is going to hurt

Fresno Bee. Medicaid cuts could be ‘highly consequential’ for Valley healthcare, experts say.
Synopsis: If Congress approves the House budget “blueprint,” the impact will be felt by Medi-Cal patients awaiting surgery, getting therapy or showing up in ERs. Republicans haven’t said how they’ll find the $880 billion needed to fund tax cuts, but the only area of the budget with that much money is Medicaid – which 2.2 million Valley residents depend on. Cuts mean fewer benefits, fewer people covered and fewer providers. “It’s that simple,” said Kristof Stremikis of the CA Health Care Foundation. CEOs of Camarena Health and United Health Centers agree. The frustration and fears are so pronounced that David Valadao felt compelled to explain that his “yes” vote on the blueprint did not mean he will vote yes on the final bill.
MAD Take: We wouldn’t even be talking about this is Valadao had voted no in the first round.

4,000 CA campsites closed

GV Wire/NY Times. Cuts could close campsites and trails in CA, Forest Service memo says.
Synopsis: Nearly 4,000 campsites in CA national forests could be closed due to staff shortages and budget cuts. The cuts have “disrupted” basic services and increased the risks of wildfire, forcing the closures. Inyo National Forest, which includes Mt. Whitney, saw 75% of staff dismissed. Kennedy Meadows (not the one near Pinecrest), which has 37 campsites, will remain closed for the season. At Six Rivers National Forest, 80% of the administrative staff was fired, meaning the offices are closed most of the time.

KSEE / CBS47. Sequoia National Forest campsites at risk of closing amid budget freeze.
Synopsis: Story is rewriting the NY Times, saying that the 18 National Forests in CA could close for most or all of the upcoming season, making 4,000 campsites off limits. Among workers impacted are search-and-rescue teams, those who remove waste from toilets and trail maintenance. No official reason was given for the cuts, but they were all plotted after the terminations ordered by DOGE.

Westside Connect. Centralized kitchen for GUSD.
Synopsis: Gustine Unified has consolidated its kitchens into one and purchased a van to carry 2,000 meals -- breakfast and lunch -- to the schools. Board member, and reporter Zachery Ramos is “incredibly excited.” Among the entrees are carne asada, hamburgers, enchiladas and burritos.

Atwater girls keep on winning

Merced Sun Star. Atwater girls open NorCal playoffs with win, ready to play underdog role.
Synopsis: The Falcons were seeded 7^th among 8 teams in the Division II playoffs. Perhaps those doing the seeding hadn’t noticed that the Falcons won each of their four Section games by 25 or more points. “We love proving people wrong,” said Karissa Hukill. They beat Valley Christian of San Jose 58-39 in the first round Tuesday night. Now they face No. 2 seed Sierra Pacific of Hanford.