Valley Headlines

How to cut utility bills now!

Sacramento Bee. How CA lawmakers can address sky-high electricity bills right now. 
Synopsis: Kyle Meng, an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, writes about the six rate increases PG&E customers have endured in the past 18 months leaving customers with the highest electricity rates in America. The professor says a law passed in 2006 could provide the rate relief that 80% of the state’s voters are demanding. The state raises $10 billion a year through cap-and-trade policies. Instead of putting that money into various pet projects, it could be rebated to customers. Already ratepayers get about 15% of the money through a rebate each year. But people living in the state’s hottest regions – i.e., the Central Valley – should be getting a lot more help. The professor’s modeling shows the state could cut rates by up to 44% without sacrificing any environmental goals.

CA sues to stop masked raids

LA Times. CA, 17 other states challenge ‘suspicionless’ stops by masked ICE agents in LA.
Synopsis: Looking like Star Wars storm troopers, ICE agents have descended on flea markets and city parks to sweep up anyone who look undocumented to them. Now 18 states are asking that these indiscriminate sweeps be halted because the raids are based on ethnicity and not suspicion of criminal activity. On Monday, ICE staged a “stunning show of force” in LA’s MacArthur Park. The state says these actions have “turned once bustling neighborhoods into ghost towns.” By allowing agents to be masked, ICE has “created a culture of fear (and) has also needlessly impeded local law enforcement.” Among the states joining CA were Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, New York, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.
MAD Note: According to Politico, Monday’s invasion of MacArthur Park – with tank-like military vehicles, uniformed National Guard and Blackhawk helicopters – was staged so that Kristi Noem could appear in a Tik-Tok video wearing her ICE battle gear and aviator sunglasses. 

LA Times. Trump priorities clear: Derail medical, scientific research; invade MacArthur Park. 
Synopsis: Columnist Steve Lopez writes that the Trump administration has fired scientists and doctors even as extreme weather events and disease are becoming more common. Now we have measles outbreaks and catastrophic floods that strike without warning. The money once used to warn us of weather and prepare us for disease has been diverted to immigration enforcement. Trump insists that immigrants are a bigger threat to our health and security than disease and flood. They’re not. The libertarian Cato Institute found that 9 out of 10 of those arrested by ICE have never been convicted of a violent or property crime.

Padilla: No more masks

Merced Sun Star. CA Sen. Alex Padilla’s bill seeks to unmask ICE agents, require visible ID. 
Synopsis: Alex Padilla and Cory Booker want to make it illegal for ICE agents to obscure their faces and hide their names. Allowing them to go incognito “escalates tensions and spreads fear while shielding federal agents from basic accountability.” As an example, they pointed to the federal agent who parked his unmarked car in the middle of a road, got out and pointed a pistol at a group of pedestrians. Their federal bill is similar to a CA bill introduced that will make it illegal for federal or state agents to mask their identity. Padilla was thrown to the floor and handcuffed by federal agents working for Kristi Noem on June 12. The bill makes exceptions for covert actions. 

‘No amnesty’ for farmworkers

GV Wire. US farm secretary says ‘No amnesty’ for farmworkers from deportation. 
Synopsis: Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that the Trump administration will make no allowances for farmworkers who have entered the country without authorization to pick crops. Instead of undocumented workers, she said people receiving government medical aid could replace immigrants in the fields. “When you think about, there are 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program. There are plenty of workers in America.”

Even CA gets a tax cut

Sacramento Bee. Californians get larger state, local tax deductions under Trump’s big bill.
Synopsis: Under Donald Trump’s original tax reform in 2017, Californians were barred from deducting most of their state and local taxes (SALT). Now, in 2025, that has been at least partially corrected. Taxpayers in CA, NY and other high-tax states will be able to deduct up to $40,000 (by 2029). Since only the top 20% of property owners in CA actually pay more than $10,000 in property taxes, Democrats point out that most of the deductions will accrue to the state’s wealthiest residents.

Restoration at Hidden Valley

Business Wire. EdgeConneX and River Partners collaborate to help restore 350 acres in SJ Valley.
Synopsis: EdgeConneX builds large data centers, using vast quantities of water. To mitigate that use, the company is helping transform 350 acres of the Hidden Valley Ranch on the San Joaquin River into restored ecosystems and floodplain. The company will pay for 80,000 native plants and trees to be planted on the Stanislaus County farm over the next 3 years, expanding habitat for wildlife and salmon in an area adjacent to Dos Rios State Park.

Education news on Westside

Westside Express. Los Banos HS begins 2-year remodeling project.
Synopsis: Los Banos High School opened in 1966 and has seen improvements over the years, but nothing as substantial as this project. Principal Jason Waltman – a 1989 graduate – said renovations will start in the gym, bleachers and locker rooms and include the student services center and several classrooms.

Westside Express. Duran picked as interim superintendent with Firebaugh School District.
Synopsis: RoseMary Duran will lead the district of 2,400 students, replacing Ray Mendiola, who was dismissed in June. Duran was superintendent of Merced City Schools for 12 years, until 2020. She also served as interim superintendent at Dos Palos-Oro Loma. Her husband, Ben, was president of Merced College for years. RoseMary said her role will be to keep things moving until a permanent superintendent can be hired.

Westside police activities

Fresno Bee. Deputy dragged by vehicle after Fresno County shooting; guns, drugs found.
Synopsis: Shots were fired between two moving cars on Sunday around 2 p.m. on West Merrill between Firebaugh and Dos Palos. A deputy pulled over a car and attempted to talk to occupants before it sped off, dragging him a short distance. A pursuit ensued. The deputy was treated, released and is expected to be OK.

Westside Connect. AFT, Gustine police seize flavored tobacco, gaming machines in sweep.
Synopsis: Several businesses were cited in inspections last week by Gustine PD and the CA Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Seven Stars Smoke Shop and Richard’s Market were both found in violation of several laws. Chief Ruben Chavez said it was important to note that two businesses – DG Market and Borelli’s Market – had no violations.

Optics crew caused gas leak

Westside Connect. Gustine fiber optic project behind gas leak.
Synopsis: The gas leak that required 10 blocks of Gustine to be evacuated last week was caused by a construction crew hired by unWired Broadband to dig trenches for fiber-optic cable. There was no fire and service was restored by 7:30 pm the night of June 27. unWired said it “deeply regrets” the impact it had on the community and promised to implement new protocols for future work in the area.

Tariffs driving up local prices

Modesto Bee. Tariffs driving up costs at Modesto specialty grocery stores, owners say.
Synopsis: Prices at several grocery stores serving the South Asian immigrant families are up. “The customers’ incomes are not rising, but the price of everything else is increasing,” said Lovepreet Singh, who runs the Indian Grocery and Chaat. “Because of tariffs there are some items that we can’t even import.” A bag of atta (flour for roti) was $12, now is over $20. The story is the same at Afghan International Market on McHenry. Iranian-grown pistachios have gone up $12 a pound. At the Asian Market on McHenry, goods from China are a third more expensive.

Successful Farming. Trump raises tariffs on South Korea and Japan to 25% starting Aug. 1. 
Synopsis: The new 25% tariffs are on top of those imposed in April. Trump promised sector-specific tariffs and then threatened the nations if they responded by raising tariffs on American goods. Last month, the administration insisted “many deals” would be completed by July 9, but now says it will be at least August. The Cato Institute is not impressed. Scott Lincicome said the news is especially bad for ag products. “It means at least another month of uncertainty … Barring a highly unlikely Congressional intervention here, Trump’s tariff wars are just getting started.”
MAD Note: Later Tuesday morning, Trump announced additional 50% tariffs on copper and 200% tariffs on some pharmaceuticals.

State of County: Improving

Modesto Bee. ‘State of the County’ speech focuses on teams assisting homeless, bridge projects.
Synopsis: Supervisor Buck Condit gave his State of the County speech last week, drawing a standing ovation from a full chamber at Tenth Street Place. He talked of the innovative mini-home Dignity Village in south Modesto and the “largest Farm Bureau” in the state, surpassing even Fresno County’s in membership. Condit said “this work is not always fast, it is not always easy. But it is always worth it.”

Westside Connect. Supervisors approve added habitat work for Hills Ferry Road Bridge project.
Synopsis: Stanislaus County supervisors approved an additional payment of $32,012 to River Partners for riverside restoration work being done in the area of the Hills Ferry Road Bridge. The riverbank is critical habitat for protected Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetles. During restoration work, elderberry trees were discovered and had to be protected.

Valley Solutions takes a break

Valley Solutions. A few vacation days
Synopsis: The editor of Valley Solutions will be taking a few days off. During that time, Valley Solutions will send around a few stories that might otherwise have fallen through the cracks. A fresh edition will arrive on Monday, July 14.