Valley Headlines

Cow flu was imported

Ag Alert. Avian flu cases in Central Valley tied to cow movement.
Synopsis: Reporter Ching Lee writes that all of the sick cows found in California so far were brought into the state before showing any symptoms. Sec of Ag Karen Ross said her department had been preparing for the eventuality for over a year. All three dairies immediately isolated their sick cows and all are shipping milk. Western United praised the state’s rapid response once the disease was confirmed. Again, consumers should rest easy since the virus cannot survive the pasteurization process.

Watching debate in the Valley

KSEE / CBS47. UC Merced professor reacts to Trump-Harris debate.
Synopsis: Poli-sci professor Nate Monroe said it was an important moment, but probably didn’t change any minds. Monroe, who heads up the Center for Analytic Political Engagement, basically said Trump had the harder task, because he was trying to defend some unpopular positions like appointing judges to overturn Roe. Monroe’s analysis: There won’t be another round.

Sacramento / Modesto Bee. Kamala Harris made Trump look old, angry, incoherent in debate.
Synopsis: Columnist Tom Philp states the obvious from Tuesday night’s debate. While Harris pointed out Trump’s lies, so did the moderators. Bottom line, says Tom: “Trump’s campaign is on a collision course with political suicide.”

Politics in the Valley

GV Wire. What are Valley members of Congress doing to fix crumbling rural roads?
Synopsis: David Taub reports that David Valadao has rounded up support from Jim Costa and a few others for a bill that would focus on fixing rural roads in Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties. The bill has been written so funding goes only to counties with $1 billion in ag production, or $500,000 per square mile. That sort of leaves every county not in CA out in the cold, except Palm Beach County, Fla.

Merced Focus. Merced City Council candidates forum set for Saturday.
Synopsis: Candidates for mayor and in districts 3 and 5 will be at the Boys & Girls Club on West 15^th on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Lunch will be served between debates. Matt Serratto is facing English teacher Anthony Martinez for mayor. In D5, Sarah Boyle faces Felipes Rojas-Flores and Alex Carrillo. D3 has Cynthia Kelly, Sair Lara and Mike Harris trying to fill the seat of Bertha Perez.

Merced Focus. Election misinformation targeting Latinos discussed at Valley Forum.
Synopsis: Radio Bilingue and the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative will host “Fake News, Facts & Your Vote” on Sept. 17 at Madera Community College from 6-8 pm. The panelists will discuss the dangers of misinformation directed at the Latino community.

Turlock Journal. Chiesa brings local officials together for public forum.
Synopsis: Supervisor Vito Chiesa is expanding his annual Turlock Government Night to include local officials. It will be Sept. 19, at 5:30 at the Turlock Public Library. Among those involved will be TID candidate Michael Frantz, city councilmember Rebecka Monez, and TUSD board president Anthony Silva.
MAD Take: If he really wants to a crowd, Vito might want to invite Chad and his former boss.

Boone Fire growth slows

GV Wire. Firefighters are getting the upper hand on Fresno County’s Boone Fire.
Synopsis: GV Wire has been the most media outlet in covering this fire, but even it has taken a day off. The fire in the corner of Fresno, San Benito and Monterey counties started on Sept. 3 but is now growing more slowly, according to CalFire. It is 62% contained.  

In praise of radio ‘icon’

Merced Sun Star. ‘He’s an icon’: Merced radio personality going strong after 45 years on air.
Synopsis: Shawn Jansen writes about Dave Luna, who after 45 years in broadcasting is still working hard at age 66. You can hear him from 5:30 to 10 am on KABX (97.5), where he is also program director and remote coordinator.

Not just almonds anymore

Ag Alert. Almond farmers diversify for bottom line.
Synopsis: Reporter Christine Souza focuses on Merced County farmer Scott Hunter, who is growing pumpkins in a bid to attract consumers directly to his fields. His parents planted almonds, but he’s planting pistachios and other crops. Fresno farmer Matt Efird said he can no longer afford to stay on the road of monoculture, and has diversified is almonds with pistachios, walnuts, peaches and feed crops. Clarice Turner is quoted saying the almond supply is tight this year but the best news is that we’ve had a record 11 straight months of shipping 200 million pounds.

Regulators rethinking ‘X2’ releases

Maven / Milke Producers Council. Some potential positive news on the waterfront.
Synopsis: Geoff Vanden Heuvel updates the Milk Council with news that Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot has confirmed that his department is recalibrating how it approaches X2 release requirements. Crowfoot said there should be an alternative plan to announce in the next few days. X2 flows require higher river flows into the Delta during moderate rainfall years to help the endangered Delta Smelt. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any Delta smelt found in the past 7 years, so it’s not clear how much help such releases were in the past or would be in the future. If regulators adhere to X2 requirements this year, an additional 350,000 acre feet will be released.
MAD Note. I think the headline writer for the Council meant “water front.”

Tailgating rules annoy 49ers fans

Merced Sun Star. 49ers tailgaters bristle at Levi’s Stadium new parking rules: “A little annoying.”
Synopsis: Story starts by talking to Rusty Fachner, a renowned former school teacher from Escalon, about the rules that have made it harder for tailgating friends to locate near each other at 49ers games. “It sucks. It sucks! That’s the only way you can explain it,” said Fachner. The team says it’s just trying to keep everyone safe. Another fan compared the parking lot to Philadelphia, where things are more fun and fans are more polite to one another: “They don’t play around.”

Capitol rioter faces more prison

Fresno Bee. Madera man convicted in Jan. 6 Capitol breach is convicted again, for gun possession.
Synopsis: When the FBI searched the home of well-known ultra-right radical and hothead Benjamin Martin, they found eight guns and various other things that violated his court orders. Along with his insurrection conviction, he has also been found guilty of committing domestic violence and banned from having any weapons. From jail, he told his fiancé to lie to authorities, saying the guns belonged to her father. Now she’s in trouble, too. The subject of various restraining orders who can’t go within 100 yards of a Sprouts Market, Martin now faces 15 years in prison and more money in fines than he can afford.