Valley Headlines

Adam Gray joins 119^th Congress

Valley Solutions: ‘The important work is going to take place in the district’
Synopsis: On Friday, Rep. Adam Gray took the oath of office and became a member of Congress, representing people living in the San Joaquin Valley. As dozens of well-wishers dropped into Gray’s new offices Friday, Gray was already on the House floor. While family members and others gathered at a reception, Gray remained on the House floor to cast a vote and was late to his own party. Saturday, he took a few moments to tour the Library of Congress, and told one former staffer “The important work is going to take place in the district.” On Sunday, he joined three other first-term representatives on Jake Tapper’s CNN program. 

Too soon to use ‘D’ word

Merced Sun Star. Nearly 60% of CA is ‘abnormally dry’ to start 2025; where are impacts worse?
Synopsis: The US Drought Monitor reports that it’s been a dry year in much of CA, saying there has been “moderate drought” in portions of Southern CA and up around the Oregon border. Meanwhile, the reporter notes that the state’s reservoirs were no longer full, with Shasta at 77%, Oroville 69% and San Luis 69%.
MAD Take: As this story goes on, it becomes clear that it was written by someone not from around here. The reporter was Kendrick Marshall of the Charlotte Observer – that’s Charlotte, North Carolina. What Kendrick fails to notice is that reservoir levels are not supposed to be at 100% at this time of year. In fact, all the major reservoirs mentioned – along with Don Pedro and Exchequer, which were not cited – are above 100% for this point in the season. Shasta is at 130% of normal. This headline and story are misleading.

Courthouse News Service. CA snowpack promising, but more storms needed.
Synopsis: The first snow-check showed the pack at 91% of normal and 37% of the usual peak (which is around April 1). The old standby of sticking a pole down into the snow was used to measure the snow, but so was data collected via satellite. DWR called it “a good start.”
MAD Take: Contrasted with the story printed by McClatchy in Merced, this is far more realistic. It is far, far, far too soon to start deploying the dreaded “D” word.

Valley lacks wastewater testing

LA Times. A lack of wastewater testing is blinding the Central Valley to its bird flu problem.
Synopsis: Reporters Melissa Gomez and Suzanne Rust talked to Sen. Melissa Hurtado, who says she’s frustrated with the lack of data for the Valley. For instance, there is no viral testing being done on wastewater in Tulare County or “anywhere south of Fresno.” So far, 37 people have contracted bird flu in CA; only one has had severe symptoms. As is, there are 6 Cal-SuWers Network testing sites in the SJ Valley – in Kern, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. The most recent sample from any of them came from Kern on Dec. 7 and was positive. Tulare officials say they made a conscious decision not to participate in any kind of testing, and they’re not worried about the 18 cases that have popped up in their county. Kings County says it intends to start testing soon. Meanwhile, the number of dairy herds now infected has reached 900 nationwide. A scientist with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority says he’s worried that “our government officials are not doing a thorough investigation” and that people have “minimized” the impacts. Hurtado agrees but blames it on the feds. She also believes her father and niece had it earlier this year.

Doctors angry with St. Agnes

Fresno Bee. Doctors sue Fresno hospital over staffing shakeup they say could ‘disrupt’ patient care.
Synopsis: The doctors’ bargaining coalition, Central CA Hospital Medicine Group, has sued Saint Agnes to keep it from encouraging a “corporate takeover” of staffing by a national firm. That move would force their group out of business, causing many to abandon Fresno and disrupt patient care. They also insist Saint Agnes has violated its own rules, and those of the state, in entering into the contract. The hospital says it will have a “seamless transition” to Vituity Company, which has been running the ER for several years. At least two “hospitalists” who are not members of the CCHMG also joined the lawsuit. The doctors say they could see this coming when Dr. Gurvinder Kaur was named president of the hospital in 2024.

Can’t keep good dog down

ABC30. K9 Obie to return to duty after being shot by suspect in Madera County.
Synopsis: Obie got in the way of a shotgun aimed at his partner, taking the pellets. It took 3 surgeries and treatment for infection for him to recover. But he’s back on the line.

Station 53 has paramedics 24/7

KSEE / CBS47. Here’s how Merced fire station 53 came to provide paramedic services.
Synopsis: Due to the inadequacy of ambulance response in the county, the Merced Fire Department has begun providing advanced life support (ALS) services by assigning paramedics to all shifts at Fire Station 53. Chief Casey Wilson says the department has studied this before and has been aware for the past 20 years that it might become necessary. He notes that there are 3,500 calls for service through the station. The service is possible through a FEMA grant.

More trains in Valley by ’26

Modesto Bee. Modesto has just 1 passenger train to Sacramento daily; new grant will take it to 11.
Synopsis: The state got $122 million to help expand rail service into the Central Valley, and part of that will be spent on the Altamont Corridor Express, says SJ rail exec Stacy Mortensen. Even more money will come from the state’s fuel taxes, paid by drivers of cars. The service will link with Amtrak, which runs 5 trips from Bakersfield to Oakland. ACE expects its first new train will arrive in Ceres next year. The state grant is arriving courtesy of Joe Biden.

A temp library in downtown

Fox40. Stanislaus County Library celebrates grand opening of Modesto Express Library.
Synopsis: With the main branch closed for extensive renovations, an “express library” has opened at 1002 Tenth Street where people can pick up books apply for cards, scan materials, etc. It is open Monday through Saturday.

Reopening hospital delayed again

Fresno Bee. Madera hospital reopening pushed back again; why is it taking so long?
Synopsis: After promising that portions of the hospital would reopen in 2024, American Advanced Management of Modesto says renovations have taken longer than expected. But now they are 90% complete and inspections for reopening could come as quickly as Feb. 10. The problem was the extent of repairs needed. In the meantime, the hospital has a list of 400 staff members ready to begin work. In the time since the hospital closed in December 2022, deaths in the county have gone up by nearly 30 percent, but that includes deaths from COVID.

Stop picking on UC Merced

Westside Express. What Sacramento still doesn’t get about UC Merced.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray responded to an opinion column by Dan Walters of CalMatters in which Walters criticized the decision made 25 years ago to build the campus “in the middle of nowhere.” Gray points out that the campus has become a shining center of learning and progress in ag, engineering and medicine, and the most powerful engine so upward mobility in the nation.

What’s wrong with hi-tech cars?

LA Times. LA man trapped in circling Waymo on way to airport: ‘Is somebody playing a joke?’
Synopsis: Tech investor Mike Johns posted a video showing his repeated calls to customer service reps, who couldn’t get the car to stop. “I can’t get out of the car. Has this thing been hacked? I feel like I’m in the movies. Is somebody playing a joke on me?”

GV Wire. Is your car spying on you? What it means that Tesla shared data in Vegas explosion.
Synopsis: Tesla collected a lot of data on the driver of the truck that exploded at the Las Vegas Trump Tower and turned it all over to the sheriff. Law enforcement was impressed, but privacy advocates are worried about what is being collected on all Tesla owners. For instance, the state of Texas sued GM this year for collecting data on drivers then selling it to insurance companies. Tesla got into trouble when its employees were sharing information in posts.
MAD Take: Putting these two stories together leaves one with a sense of danger if not dread. If someone who doesn’t like you gets hold of your dynamic travel data, it could charge you more for insurance or lock you in your car until you pay … or drive you off a cliff.