Valley Headlines

That’s so polite of you to say

Fresno Bee. Fresno No. 1 city for chivalry in CA; what makes it top spot for manners?
Synopsis: Everybody loves a list. DatingNews.com put out this one, identifying the nation’s “best-behaved men.” Manners are an old-fashioned concept, but “it comes into play in the dating world,” according to the DatingNews.com editor Amber Brooks. What constitutes chivalry? Meaningful conversations, planning and creativity in dating, offering “genuine” compliments, patience and saying thank you. A survey of 3,000 singles said Surprise, Az., had the nation’s politest men.
MAD Note: Surprise skews older than most cities, with the median age being 42 and a third of the population over 50. Modesto’s median age is 35; Merced’s is 29. Guess folks in Surprise have had longer to learn manners.

High-speed rail costs rising

Fox26. High-speed rail costs revised for Bakersfield-to-Merced line, potential $3.2B increase. 
Synopsis: The Project Update Report showed the first phase of high-speed rail will cost $35.3 billion and could cost up to $38.5 billion. Part of that is inflation and part of it is higher contingency funding. Prices for material and work have increased 14.8% in under 3 years. For instance, copper prices are up 250%, concrete 41%. Meanwhile, the stations at Merced and Bakersfield have been scaled back to cut costs.

Biggest farm stressor? Money

Ag Alert. On the record: Debra Kawahara talks mental health in agriculture. 
Synopsis: Debra Kawahara, the president of the American Psychological Association, was raised on a farm and works with her husband raising berries on 160 acres in San Diego County. The professor sat for a Q&A to talk about the stressors felt by most farmers: “First and foremost, it’s finances. Whether it’s the market, trade, tariffs, interest rates, minimum wage increases – all of these are things farmers have to contend with.” She also addressed the “documented gaps in health care services in rural areas” compared to urban areas, saying “A lot of rural mental health clinics are closing because they don’t’ have the finances to stay open, so the distance people in rural communities have to travel to access care can be an obstacle.” Kawahara also mentions some mental health benefits in working on a farm – close-knit community, heritage and values. 

Why set these fires?

Fox26. Weekend fire in Winton under investigation as arson.
Synopsis: Sheriff’s investigators are looking into a fire that broke out at a problem property where junk and litter has been accumulating for the past six years. One neighbor had video of someone lighting something and throwing it into a truck parked outside the home then riding away on a bicycle. That fire expanded, but slowly enough to allow responders to keep it under control.

Fresno Bee. Woman arrested for allegedly igniting grass fire in Fresno.
Synopsis: An unidentified 35-year-old woman set a fire that burned 15 acres at Armstrong Avenue and Hwy 180 before firefighters were able to put it out. There were no injuries, but a lot of homes nearby were threatened. The woman was arrested.

Soria: Let buses pollute longer

Merced Sun Star. CA bill to delay EV school bus mandate would help Merced, rural districts.
Synopsis: Reporter Andrew Kuhn reports on Esmeralda Soria’s plan (AB 1111) to extend the deadline for adopting zero-emission school buses until 2045. Merced Union High School District has 46 buses, none of which meet emissions requirements. Nor, says the district, does it have the means of charging and maintaining electric buses. So, pushing the deadline out 20 years allows the district, along with other rural districts, to concentrate on other priorities.
MAD Take: The word “help” in the headline bears a little scrutiny. No doubt, school districts do not want to spend ever-limited resources on efforts to clear the air. But it should be mentioned that school buses spew 0.86 pounds of CO2 for every mile they travel. And CO2 is a big reason our Valley has some of the highest-in-the-nation childhood asthma rates in the nation. Efforts to “help” districts cope with the transition to zero-emissions comes at a cost that thousands of children will pay.

Is CA’s water plan outdated?

Ag Net West. CA needs new water plan.
A video from Jennifer Pierre of the State Water Contractors Assn talks about how conditions have changed since the State Water Project was completed 60 years ago. Our droughts are more severe and prolonged, our rainfall has increased via atmospheric rivers and our snowpack is greatly diminished and it melts faster. “This is our new normal and it’s putting our water supply and economy at risk,” she says.

Shasta Dam being debated

KRCR (Redding). Shasta Dam heightening debate reignites amid funding discussions.
The House Committee on Natural Resources is hearing proposals that would provide $2 billion to expand storage capacity at Lake Shasta. Environmental groups say it would deprive the river of much needed fresh water; proponents say that the only water cold enough to help salmon during drought is the water stored behind dams, so it would help salmon survive increasingly hot summers. Elevating the dam is supported by the Trump administration, but also some Democrats.

Beyer gets $8.5M renovation

Modesto Bee. Beyer High’s $8.5 million science renovation set to begin, backed by Measure L.
The new science building will convert 14,500 square feet into new labs, adaptable restrooms designed to support STEM-focused education. The project was designed by CA Design West and will be built by Boyer Construction. Reporter Julietta Bisharyan quotes outgoing superintendent Sara Noguchi on the importance of science-based education and the district’s gratitude to the community for supporting bond measures.
MAD Take: The story says the Measure L bonds will cost $29 per $100,000 of assessed property value. EdSource wrote a story recently saying a record number of school bond issues were approved by voters statewide last November, also noting the “cost per $100,000” to taxpayers in 20 districts. The lowest was $13 per $100,000 in San Francisco; the highest was $60 in San Jose. Of the 20 districts listed, property owners in 9 districts are paying less than in Modesto.

Home prices keep getting higher

Modesto Bee. CA home prices hit all-time high.
Synopsis: The CA Assn of Realtors reported the median price for a CA home was $910,160 in April, or 2.9% more than it was in March and 0.7% more than it was in April 2024. There are some glimmers around this cloud. While prices are up, sales are falling (by 3.4%). As sales fall, so do prices (presumably). There are bargains, if you’re willing to move to Siskiyou County (median price $290,000), Lassen ($305,000), Glenn ($307K) or Tehama ($360K). Tuolumne County is the 9^th most-affordable county at $380,000. 

More winery woes

SF Chronicle. Francis Ford Coppola Winery owner shutters facility in latest Wine Country closure.
Synopsis: Manteca-based Delicato Family Wines purchased the Francis Ford Coppola Winery production facility in Geyserville in 2021. Delicato’s VP said there is production capacity at a facility closer to the Napa winery, so it’s being moved and the facility shuttered. DFW says its Coppola Diamond brand, which sells for under $20, sold 1.2 million cases last year – about a 16^th of DFW’s total production.

LB’s Spring Fair success

Westside Express. That’s a wrap! Spring Fair sees strong attendance. 
Synopsis: Fair manager Cinnamon Howell says the final numbers aren’t yet in, but attendance was “strong” and quite possibly up from last year. “The weather was definitely on our side this year.” Even without dairy heifers, there were 720 animals auctioned, raising $1.1 million for FFA and 4H exhibitors. There were also 60+ vendors. The demo derby and rodeo sold out and there were record entries from those seeking ribbons. An estimated 10,000 kids went through the Little Hands exhibit and 2,500 books were given to children. 

Smash-and-grabbers busted

Modesto Bee. Modesto PD arrests 4 suspected of ramming store with car, stealing jewelry. 
Synopsis: Early Sunday evening in Modesto, four men in a stolen car rammed Sai Jewelers on Standiford and Sisk, breaking down the door and allowing thieves to dash in then dash out with loot. They took off in different vehicles leaving the stolen wreck behind. Ahh, but they hadn’t counted on the city’s plate-spotter cameras, which soon identified the cars. The four men – two from Oakland, one from El Cerrito and one from Valley Springs (huh?) -- are suspected in similar robberies in Alameda and Beverly Hills.
MAD Take: Don’t bring that big-city crime to Modesto.