Valley Headlines

CA-13 still too tight to call

ABC30. Tight race for Congressional District.
Synopsis: “Very tight indeed,” reports Brianna Willis. She calls CA-13 the tightest congressional race in the nation, and she is correct. Willis talks to Registrar Mel Levey, who explains why the count is taking so long. Both candidates say this was expected. There are 3,182 ballots left to be counted in Merced and another 1,276 to be cured (or confirmed). “We want to make sure every vote is counted,” said Adam Gray. “Whether or not you voted for me, I’m a believer in democracy.”

Valley Sun. Soria wins re-election to Assembly as Garcia Rose concedes.
Synopsis: Esmeralda Soria got 53.8% of the vote compared to 46% for Joanna Garcia Rose. Interestingly, the district had a surprisingly low voter turnout.

TID power will still be a bargain  

Modesto Bee. Turlock district could hike home power rates 17.6% over 3 years. 
Synopsis: The increases will up the average monthly power bill from $145 to $170, impacting Turlock Irrigation District’s 240,000 customers. The first increase will be 5.6% next year, followed by 5.6% in 2026 and 5.5% in 2027. Adding it all together, the rate in 2027 rises to 18.9 cents per kilowatt hour – still far, far lower than today’s lowest PG&E rates of 39 cents.
MAD Note: TID gets about 37% of its power from renewable sources – but that doesn’t include hydro, which the state disqualifies as “renewable” under a political deal to help those selling solar. It was an outrage 8 years ago when Kevin DeLeon crafted that deal and remains an outrage today.

Cost of the feast is falling

Ag Daily. Thanksgiving dinner cost drops, still above pre-pandemic levels.
Synopsis: The Farm Bureau’s 39^th turkey-dinner cost survey says a feast for 10 will cost $58. That’s down 5% from 2023, and down roughly 10% from 2022. But if you go back to the pandemic year of 2019, the cost is 19% higher. Turkey costs 6% less than last year, accounting for most of the drop. The meal also includes stuffing, sweet potatoes, milk, bread, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. BTW, those cranberries are 12% more expensive this year. The cheapest place to eat is in the South ($56.81) and most expensive the West ($67.81). And if you throw in a ham, the cost goes up to $94.09 in the West.

More salmon if you don’t kill them

San Jose Mercury News. Go fish: Chinook salmon rebounding on the Mokelumne River.
Synopsis: For the second year in a row, spawning salmon have broken every record on the books – including last year’s record return. More than 30,000 salmon have come back up the river that runs 65 miles through San Joaquin into Calaveras County -- and the spawning season is not over. The reporter notes that low salmon numbers on the Sacramento River have “forced” state officials to ban both recreational and commercial salmon fishing.
MAD Take: Some people (ahem) have long posited that if salmon are in danger of extinction, you should stop killing them. It’s undoubtedly true that riverbed and floodplain restoration have contributed to these wonderful salmon numbers on the Moke, along with good hatchery management. But this is irrefutable proof that if fish are allowed to swim back to their natal rivers and spawn rather than be scooped up and slaughtered, numbers will improve. BTW, salmon are the most commonly consumed fish in the world. So, while they are imperiled in the warming southern-most portions of their range, they are not endangered as a species.

Another film award for Downey

Modesto Bee. Modesto students win award for best animated high school film at NYC festival.
Synopsis: Downey High’s renowned animated arts program came out on top in a national competition. Students Ian Wohlstadter and Fernando Veraztigue will split a $45,000 scholarship for “The Legend of Wild Wes.” The program will get some new tech gear. Instructor Heath Grant has 24 students, and all contributed to the animation, lighting, texturing, etc. They were competing against students from Florida, Texas, Colorado, Montana and CA. Last year, two of Grant’s students also won the award.
MAD Take: Not mentioned in the story, Downey is where a guy named George Lucas went to school. And he started something called Pixar. Must be something in the water.

Bitwise workers to split $20M

Fresno Bee. Bankruptcy judge OKs $20M settlement for Bitwise workers’ unpaid-wage claims.
Synopsis: Judge Mary Walrath finalized a deal that means Bitwise’s 750 employees will get up to $15,000 each. A lawyer says 98% will get less than the maximum no matter how much they are owed. Bitwise operated a facility in Merced.

Bulldogs oust controversial foe

Valley Sun. Fresno State defeats San Jose State amid transgender controversy.
Synopsis: The Spartans’ transgender player has sparked protests and forfeits throughout the season. Fresno State set all that aside and beat San Jose State in five sets. The transgender player led San Jose State with 21 kills, which wasn’t enough to offset 20 by Addison Haluska, 15 by Ella Rud and 11 by Jenna Legault. It keeps Fresno State’s hopes alive for the Mountain West title.

Ceres to get big truck stop

Ceres Courier. Maverik project OK’d by commission.
Synopsis: The planning commission says the 5,950-square-foot convenience store and mega-gas station can go ahead at Hwy 99 and Mitchell Road. One competitor is considering appealing to the city council. Maverik will have 24 pumps and be part of Sam Bella Plaza, which was originally approved in 2021. It is expected to generate nearly $700K in taxes and fees. Maverik operates 800 gas stations in 20 states.

Iconic music business damaged

Modesto Bee. Two Modesto businesses damaged in fire: ‘Don’t know what we’re going to do.’
Synopsis: Gottschalk Music and the Annex Hair Studio were damaged when a fire started in a vacant unit between the businesses. The call came in early Monday morning, with eight engines and two trucks responding. Gottschalk’s owner, Jan Leer, was on scene and was able to save many of her instruments. But 95% of the store’s printed music is gone. The hair studio employs 9 people, who will be out of work until another location can be found and readied.

Good dog, bad dogs, worse dogs

Fresno Bee. Madera K-9 shot in line of duty, suspect in custody.
Synopsis: Officer Obie was wounded, not killed, in the attack and is expected to survive. Convicted felon Allen Scott Williams apparently hit several vehicles on Hwy 49 near Oakhurst then took off. He didn’t realize deputies had set up a perimeter, so he drove his vehicle down a steep embankment where it crashed. He took off on foot with Obie in pursuit. Williams shot Obie with a shotgun, which when Obie’s partner returned fire. Obie and Williams will recover, but Obie will carry several pellets forever. Sheriff Pogue says Obie’s actions “may very well have saved a deputy’s life, and we are profoundly grateful for his courage.”

Fox26. Fresno woman hurt after vicious attack by loose dogs during morning walk.
Synopsis: A woman in southwest Fresno was attacked by two dogs. After they brought her down and chewed up her legs, they abruptly ran off. In the past few weeks, humans and various house pets have been attacked by loose dogs in the area. Animal control says it will respond but hasn’t yet caught the bad dogs.  

SF Chronicle. New ‘Diamond’ wolf pack discovered roaming 50 miles from Lake Tahoe.
Synopsis: There is a wolf couple – enough to be considered a pack by scientists – roaming Plumas County. It is the ninth pack identified in CA and third new pack confirmed this year. The wolf uptick comes 13 years after the first lone wolf appeared in California and represents a “steady southerly advance” of the species. There is also a pack having pups around 10 miles from Reno. Deep in the story we learn that the two Diamond wolves recently killed a cow.
MAD Take: So, a couple of wolves make a pack. Does the same word then apply to married humans? So, what’s the difference between a couple and a pack?