Valley Headlines

The importance of agriculture

Ag Net West. Newly elected Congressman Adam Gray highlights ag, water challenges.
Synopsis: Reporter Sabrina Halvorson talked to Adam Gray about his priorities and visions for addressing ag sustainability in California – which means having enough water to grow food. The Merced legislator, who worked in his family’s dairy-supply business, called water “the lifeblood of agriculture” and said we need to work together if we want to eat while also preserving the environment. He said passing an overdue farm bill will become a focus, as will improving health care in the Valley.

Merced County Times. Congressman Gray sets up shop in DC.
Synopsis: Realtor Andy Krotik submitted a photo of himself with Adam Gray and Jim Costa during festivities in Washington DC last week.

Another $125M to raise dam

Maven. San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority receives additional $125 million for Sisk Dam.
Synopsis: Funding from the federal government will be used to elevate the crest of the dam by 20 feet, increasing the storage capacity of the nation’s largest off-stream reservoir by 130,000-acre feet. SL&DMWA’s Federico Barajas called the funding “crucial for developing the water supply infrastructure needed to ensure reliable water delivery to our communities, farms and wildlife refuges.”
MAD Note: One of the most important aspects of the San Luis Reservoir expansion is that it perhaps the only major water project with no significant environmental opposition. Too bad we can’t increase storage by 230,000af instead of 130,000.

The cost of LA’s awful fires

LA Times. 10 dead, more than 9,000 structures damaged or destroyed; firefighters make progress.
Synopsis: There are actually six fires burning in the LA area, the largest being the Palisades Fire at 19,900 acres. It has forced the evacuations of thousands and is only 6% contained. The Eaton Fire has burned 14,000 acres and is only 3% contained. The Kenneth, Sunset, Hurst and Lidia fires are all under 1,000 acres. Meanwhile, fire knocked KABC TV and KLOS FM off the air. Doctors and nurses are feeling the strain, and one clinic has been destroyed. The Santa Ynez Reservoir, which serves the city of Pacific Palisades, had been emptied for repairs when fire struck.

Cal Matters. LA fires could drastically drive up insurance premiums and test CA’s new rules.
Synopsis: The Palisades Fire will cost insurers around $20 billion according to estimates. With the state’s new insurance rules, negotiated last summer, that will put enormous pressure on the “insurer of last resort,” i.e., the state. Uninsured homeowners with mortgages will be forced to turn to the state’s FAIR plan, which already has at least 450,000 polices – 125% more than it had in 2021. Says UC Berkeley professor Stephen Collier, “this massively complicates things. It couldn’t be at a worse possible time.” BTW, Pacific Palisades was on the state’s top 5 list of cities in danger of wildfire, even before the fire began.

The cost of Trump’s hot air

Sacramento Bee. Trump trolls Newsom about LA fires: Why do his lies work?
Synopsis: Columnist Tom Philp asks why anyone would believe that LA has run out of water when the region “has more water being held in reserve than at any time in nearly a century.” That Trump’s ridiculous statement gained any traction says more about our lack of water knowledge than reality. Says Tom: “Trump’s words transmit an ignorance about California water issues shared by too many Californians.”

Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: How Trump’s misinformation about water inflames the situation.
Synopsis: Peter Gleick, one of the most respected climate and water scientists in the water world, says it is crucial that policymakers understand what is happening in LA – mainly so they won’t be influenced by the BS being spewed by Donald Trump. He says fire and flood risks are changing and becoming more significant as the climate changes; we fail to grasp the connections at our own dire peril.

Speaking of hot air …

Associated Press. Earth records hottest year ever in 2024 and the jump breached a key threshold.
Synopsis: It was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) hotter in 2024 than in 2023, and that sort of jump has never been seen before. It was also the hottest year since record-keeping began in 1850. Scientists say it was actually the hottest year in the last 150,000 trips around the sun. This increased heat produced 27 climate-related disasters worldwide, the most on record. In 2015, at the Paris Climate Summit, such a one-year jump was identified as a signal of true peril. Among many other issues, it made all of the world’s oceans warmer, promising even more severe climate consequences.

The news from Patterson

Patterson Irrigator. The year 2024 in review.
Synopsis: Editor Jessica Wilkinson looks at the big topics: 1) New leadership, with city manager Fernando Ulloa, a new police chief (Casey Hill) and fire chief (Jeff Frye). 2) Election shakeup: Kendra Mora and Gabriela Hernandez stepped onto the council. On the congressional level, Adam Gray flipped District 13. 3) HOST (Helping Others Sleep Tonight) House closes its doors, meaning many homeless had nowhere to go. 4) Zacharias Ranch Master Plan was halted by the city council due to fears of unreimbursed costs to the city.

Patterson Irrigator. Local history shared in wake of President Carter’s passing.
Synopsis: Former councilmember Dominic Farinha recalled his father, Domingo, creating floral arrangements when Jimmy Carter visited the home of Frank Damrell Sr. in Modesto. The biggest was a floating arrangement that perfectly depicted the presidential seal. At one point, every employee in the floral shop was working on that piece.

Patterson Irrigator. Deputies seize 9 firearms after man arrested on Ramey Warrant.
Synopsis: Patterson PD (and sheriff’s deputies) seized 9 semi-automatic weapons from Brian Sandoval, who was threatening to shoot his family and harm his girlfriend’s son. The 19-year-old made similar threats in the past, so that was enough to issue the warrant.

Patterson Irrigator. Patterson police seize 4 firearms in probation checks with K9 help.
Synopsis: Officer Hondo sniffed out 4 semi-automatic weapons held by people with prior felonies.

Patterson Irrigator. County supervisors approve law-enforcement agreement with city.
Synopsis: The new contract between the city and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office to provide police services is retroactive to July and extends through June 2029. In the past, the contracts lasted only 1 or 2 years. This agreement includes stipulations for office and vehicle expenses.

Choose food trucks carefully

Merced County Times. Unpermitted food vendors bring about health issues.
Synopsis: Editor Jon Whitaker writes about the large number of food trucks operating in Merced County, saying there are more than in the past and many lack permits or inspections. While most are fine, county officials are warning that “foodborne illness” reports arising from food consumed at the trucks are rising. Officials say customers should ask to see city permits and inspections.

Will alcohol label matter?

SF Chronicle. If CA wine came with a cancer warning, would people keep drinking it?
Synopsis: Wine writer Esther Mobley writes about the Surgeon General’s attempt to put warning labels on wine that would Identify 7 specific cancers alcohol fuels. Mobley notes that revised US Dietary Guidelines’ warnings have also had an impact with a lot of people already having abandoned alcohol consumption. Gallup shows 45% of Americans think ANY drinking is bad. That’s up from 27% in 2001. And 33% of Americans say drinking is “very harmful;” only nicotine rates are worse at 34%. The good news for wineries? In 2024, the number of Americans consuming alcohol dropped only a little, from 62% to 58% (or 6%).  Bottom line: Americans will treat alcohol like their other vices – sugar, weed and screen time; something you choose to use while balancing risks with pleasure.
MAD Take: Considering two of the world’s largest wineries and four of the top 10 are located in our region, this is important to a lot of people – not just wine-drinkers.

Atwater Chief settling in

Merced Sun Star. New Atwater police chief settles into job; where he stands on working with ICE.
Synopsis: Richard McEachin started Dec. 19 as Atwater chief, his highest rank in a 20-year career. He told the reporter his department will not cooperate with ICE if it plans random roundups of Atwater residents. “If people are here and they’re law-abiding residents, and they’re doing what they need to do to provide for their families and to make a better life for themselves, I’m not the one to get in the way of that.” The former Dos Palos chief is more concerned with the one-a-day traffic accidents in Atwater.

Impact of raids could be dire

Cal Matters. Surprising raid in Kern County foreshadows what awaits farmworkers and businesses.
Synopsis: Reporter Sergio Olmos writes that viral Facebook posts kept workers at home Wednesday and Thursday, which was bad for the growers who were counting on those workers to pick grapes and citrus. An El Centro BP officer said there will be raids in Sacramento and Fresno soon. CA Citrus Mutual says that’s bad because growers are in the midst of harvest. On Thursday, 75% of workers did not come into the groves. Casey Creamer said that ag workers were targeted. A CSU professor said this will mean “absolute economic devastation” for citrus growers and dairies. He said half of Kern’s ag workforce is undocumented, and not having them will drive up prices for food, gouging and more.  

Celebrating MLK’s birthday

Modesto Bee. Community will take to the streets to mark MLK holiday; how you can join.
Synopsis: Jan. 20 is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and there will be celebrations throughout the region. One of the biggest is at Christian Love Baptist Church in Modesto at 10 a.m. There is a parade in Merced, a mixer hosted by the NAACP on Jan. 16 at the King-Kennedy Center, the MLK Unity March (starting at 3 pm at Centre Plaza) and a presentation at the Modesto Peace/Life Center by former Santa Clara Judge and Palo Alto Mayor LaDoris Hazzard Cordell.