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Welcome!
“As you know, I’ve always put the Valley first. For me, that means knowing what is happening in our Valley. I don’t go a day without reading this news roundup. I hope it is as helpful to you as it has been for me.” — ADAM GRAY.
About the author: Mike Dunbar, aka MAD, is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker who worked for McClatchy Newspapers in the Valley. Mike also worked for the State Assembly. Reach him at [email protected]
The 10-foot by 17-foot bronze Bobcat sits on stilts 15 feet above the campus.
Bobcats get a big mascot
Merced Focus. UC Merced unveils ‘Big Rufus’ bronze statue to celebrate bobcat mascot.
Synopsis: Officials unwrapped a 10-by-17 bronze homage to UC Merced’s Golden Bobcats sports teams. Big bob was created by Dan Medina; he dedicated it to his mother, Hope, who died recently. Art Kamangar helped pay for it. Founding professor Kevin Mitchell reminded the crowd that a bobcat is better than a fairy shrimp, which was the other contender for a mascot all those years ago.
MAD Note: To add visuals to Prof. Mitchell’s suggestion, AI has created the Fightin’ Fairies. You’re welcome.
AI envisioned what the Fightin’ Fairy Shrimp would look like.
CA 13’s ‘Debate at the State’
Merced Focus. Gray vs. Duarte: Upcoming ‘Debate at the State’ spotlights closely watched race.
Synopsis: Adam Gray’s efforts to unseat John Duarte for CA 13 is one of the most important races in the nation, writes the folks at Merced Focus. Duarte is a member in good standing of the “Do Nothing Congress.” They will square off at The State Theater on Oct. 25 at 7 pm. It is being hosted by the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative with help from the Center for Analysis and Political Engagement at UC Merced.
Festival season is upon us
The Modesto Bee took this image in Riverbank a few years ago.
Modesto Bee. Changes coming to long-held Modesto region fall festival; see what’s different.
Synopsis: It’s Festival Month in the region, with The Bee highlighting the 47th Riverbank Cheese & Wine Festival, Oct. 12. You’ll find tastings, music, a parade, etc., in downtown Riverbank. Expect a more “family friendly” vibe this year than in the past, say organizers. Other festivals coming up in October include Tastes of the Valley, Oct. 3 (Turlock), International Heritage Festival, Oct. 5 (Modesto), Calaveras Grape Stomp, Oct. 5 (Murphys), Pumpkin Fair, Oct. 5-6 (Manteca), Dia de Los Muertos, Oct. 19 (Modesto), Tamale Festival, Oct. 20 (Turlock) and All Hallows Faire, Oct. 26-27 (Angels Camp).
HSR still lacks clear titles
High-speed train will someday connect Madera to Bakersfield.
Fresno Bee / Merced Sun Star. More CA high-speed rail land purchases needed.
Synopsis: Eleven years after the project first started, and with overpasses and viaducts already in place along the 120-mile stretch from Madera to Bakersfield, there are still 50 pieces of property the state needs but doesn’t yet own. Officials say that even with willing sellers, it takes a year to close a deal. When eminent domain is needed, it takes a lot longer. Some of the property belongs to other railroads, which makes the process even more complicated.
MAD Note: For context, the state needed to buy 1,330 parcels to complete the line; so, 50 parcels is just 3% of the whole.
What’s all that in the duffel?
GV Wire. Fresno County bust yields $1.6 million in cocaine from Canadian suspect.
Synopsis: CHP seized 44 pounds of powder during a stop on I-5. Ga Hyung Choi was carrying most of the dope in two tote bags, barely hidden. It was almost too easy for the K9 officer to find it. Even the small amount tucked into quarter-panels was discovered. Turns out the driver had multiple warrants.
No good deed goes …
KPBS (San Diego). Why Sierra Club is suing to change a deal aimed at protecting the Colorado River.
Synopsis: After drought threatened to deprive residents of Las Vegas and Phoenix of drinking water, Imperial Irrigation District agreed to forego irrigation on thousands of acres and free up 750,000-acre feet of water over the next three years. But the Sierra Club is suing to halt that effort. Why? The club says the irrigation cutbacks will reduce runoff into the Salton Sea, which could lead to drying up more of the lakebed and possible release of harmful particles from old pesticide and fertilizer sitting in the mud.
It’s official: Farm bill expires
Successful Farming. Farmers struggle with ‘bleak’ situation as Congress waffles on farm bill.
Synopsis: Congress has yet to pass a new iteration of the farm bill, which expires on Sept. 30. Now it appears too late for this year. “The slow action on the legislation isn’t unusual, but as farm income continues to slide, producers are struggling to make ends meet,” said one Missouri researcher, who noted it costs more to grow a bushel of corn than you can sell if for. A study from University of Missouri predicts a 35% drop in Midwest farm income. Meanwhile, the current farm bill – which has been languishing two years in the 118th Do Nothing Congress – “is insufficient to meet the needs of the disaster that is occurring” on Midwestern farms. The problem: Republicans insist on cuts of $30 billion to nutrition programs that feed children and poor families, ending the grand bargain struck in the 1930s to subsidize farmers while feeding the poor. Democrats say no way. As one official put it, this fight is all about, “How hard are we going to make it for hungry people in need to get food?”
Tilling the soil can sometimes fill it with particles.
Valley air: Wheezing or sneezing
GV Wire. From ocean breeze to Valley wheeze: Newcomer’s guide to Fresno air.
Synopsis: Dean Kirkland opines about his move from Dana Point to Fresno. “Talk about a change of scenery – and breathing!” In Fresno, when the Air Quality Index hits 57, that’s a not-so-bad day. In Dana Point, residents don’t realize the Index has any numbers above 20. Kirkland notes that nationwide, Fresno is among the worst ranking cities in Ozone (No. 4), annual particle counts (No. 2) and short-term particle pollution (No. 1). His only solution: “Try not to make it worse.”