Valley Headlines

Gray answers every question

Turlock Journal. Congressman Gray talks Trump, tariffs and immigration. 
Synopsis: Reporter Joe Cortez met with Rep. Adam Gray at Alison’s Café in Turlock last week to talk about, well, a lot of things. They were overheard by a couple sitting nearby, Jim & Toni Lamb, who “liked what we were hearing.” Gray later joined them at their table, though they live just outside his district. Most of the story is a Q&A between the reporter and the representative, discussing everything from Congressional baseball to broken politics to the failure of collaboration even on aligned goals. Gray said he would prefer congressional districts not be redrawn – in California or Texas. But he gets it when one side decides not to play by the rules. Gray talked about the bill he authored to reclaim congressional power over food tariffs, which is similar to a Senate bill authored by Republican Rand Paul. He told Cortez “we have to stop politicizing non-political things. Facts and information are not political,” or shouldn’t be. As for the Epstein files, what was a serious matter involving young women is now “a bit of a circus.” Gray noted that Republicans started the conspiracy theories around the Epstein files when they believed only Democrats would be named. Now, “we find ourselves in August with everyone sent home early because they’re worried that one of them is in there.” Gray said everyone in the files – Republican and Democrat – should be held accountable.

Good year for tomatoes … so far

Western Farm Press. So far, so good for CA processing tomatoes. 
Synopsis: The mild summer has been extremely good for tomatoes. Farmers are reporting less wilt (fusarium or spotted) and southern blight than they feared. Fruit is sizing well and yields are higher than expected. Morning Star’s Aaron Giampietro said “nearly perfect” weather is making everything better. Growers in Fresno County are reporting yields “a little better” than the state’s 48-ton average. The top five tomato counties: Fresno, Yolo, Merced, Kings and San Joaquin. Processors are paying $109 per ton with premiums for “late-arriving” fruit. In May, processors reported signing contracts for 10.3 million tons, about 7% less than in 2024.

Bad year for ag exports … so far

Farms.com. Ag trade deficit hits record high in first half of 2025. 
Synopsis: The US trade deficit in the agriculture sector hit a record high so far this year, meaning the US was importing more food than it is exporting – an unexpected result of the Trump trade wars. Foreign growers sold $4.1 billion more goods in the US than American farmers sold abroad since January – a gap 14% wider than last year at this time. Overall, the ag-trade deficit is $28.6 billion for the first six months of 2025. “This widening deficit marks a historic reversal for the US agricultural sector, which for the past five decades has consistently run major trade surpluses,” said the two researchers who documented the findings. They said the shift began in the first Trump trade war in 2019, slowed under Biden but has resumed now. Excluding ag, the US trade deficit narrowed in June by 16% so it appears farmers are bearing the brunt of the trade war’s ill impacts.

Shakira a first for Fresno?

Fresno Bee. Shakira’s sold-out stadium concert proves Latin music’s drawing power in Fresno.
Synopsis: Thursday’s sold-out show at the Fresno State football stadium was one of the largest concerts ever in Fresno. Normally, musical acts perform at the Save Mart Center, with around 15,000 seats, or Selland Arena, which seats 10,000. But the stadium has 40,000 seats for football and 30,000 for a concert. The show benefited from a late surge in discounted tickets.

Battle is on for state treasurer

SF Chronicle. Former Oakland mayor Schaaf ends bid for state treasurer after Kounalakis gets in.
Synopsis: When Eleni Kounalakis dropped out of the race for governor she entered the race for state treasurer, pushing out Schaaf. Both were represented by Bearstar Strategies. That leaves only Merced state senator Anna Caballero and Kounalakis, a Sacramento native, in the race though others can join.

Valley Sun. Caballero slams Kounalakis for trying to ‘buy’ Treasurer post after aborted Governor bid.
Synopsis: The Senator from Merced “launched an opening salvo” against Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, though she didn’t name her specifically. “I wasn’t born into wealth,” said Caballoro, a former Salinas mayor. “I come from a family of copper miners and started my career as a farmworkers’ attorney,” she said in a text.

Frustration in Planada

Merced Sun Star. Planada flooded 2 years ago; for some, repairs, mold abatement has been slow. 
Synopsis: Up to 155 of the community’s 843 homes were damaged and 83% of its families suffered economic losses in 2023 when Miles Creek flooded, according to a UC Merced study. Habitat for Humanity got $3 million to help make repairs, but work did not begin until late last year. Another $8 million was allocated to homeowners and contractors in February 2024, and most of that work has been completed. Some residents remained in their homes despite mold, and say medical treatment was later required. Habitat says it is working on 40 houses at a time and as of June, 70 homes have been repaired. Habitat’s Anita Hellam said her agency hasn’t been perfect, but she’s proud of the work that’s been completed. “We’ve been at the table since Day One, and we’re going to continue to be at the table” even though the contract ended on July 31. Many residents report being “tired of all the meetings.” Meanwhile, the court case against the CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife, which a group of farmers says blocked debris removal from Miles Creek, has been set for January.

No one fast enough to get away

Modesto Bee. Driver badly hurt in crash while racing on Hwy 99 in north Modesto.
Synopsis: A Corvette landed upside down on Sisk Road after flying off Highway 99 and through a fence. Driver Tyler Azadozi, 26, wasn’t belted and suffered major injuries after being ejected. The Mustang he was racing stopped, but then sped off. It didn’t take the CHP long to find Raul Torress Jr. parked on a farm in Manteca. The cars had been going in excess of 100 mph when the Corvette went into the roadside gravel to avoid slower traffic. Azadozi was not wearing a seatbelt, but his passenger apparently was. She suffered minor injuries though the car flipped several times.

Fox26. CHP arrests speedster after a month of high-speed chases.
Synopsis: An “influencer” who enjoyed posting video of his high-speed escapes from police was once again taking video of his BMW M4 clocking speeds of 100+ mph. But on Sunday, the CHP was ready for him. When the blue lights came on, he took off, reaching speeds of 170 mph. Though he outran the patrol cars, he couldn’t outrun the helicopter. Soon enough, he was arrested and his $90,000 car seized in Alameda County.

Even ugly food tastes great

Merced Focus. ‘Food heals’: Merced’s Sweet Roots Kitchen brings leftover crops from farm to fork. 
Synopsis: The writer focuses on Angelica Estrada-Bugarin, who farms 14 acres southwest of Merced and works with other small farmers to get blemished and imperfect produce onto tables. Her Sweet Roots Kitchen sells to people who want to know “your farmer,” giving them confidence in how the food is grown. Working with the CA Association of Family Farmers, she packs 450 boxes a week mostly to be shipped to food banks. Unfortunately, the contract is up this month and is unlikely to be renewed since funding was cut in the Big Beautiful Bill. That rankles UC Merced professor Susana Ramirez, who says hunger in America reflects a “profound societal failure.” Sweet Roots will soon be looking for other customers.

UC Merced soccer steps up

ABC30. UC Merced soccer preparing for jump to Division II.
Synopsis: Coming off its eighth consecutive appearance in the NAIA national championship, the UC Merced men’s soccer team is moving up to NCAA Division II. This year’s team is dedicating its season to Isaias Ruiz, who was killed in a crash when his car collided with a semi near Coalinga in July. The Bobcats open the season Sept. 10 against Fresno Pacific.

Laser beam leads to arrest

KSEE / CBS47. Suspect shining laser at sheriff’s helicopter arrested in Merced.
Synopsis: Around 9:10 pm Saturday, someone flashed a powerful laser at a patrolling helicopter. The pilot pinpointed the source of the beam and guided ground units to the location. The person who aimed the laser at the helicopter was arrested and the device seized.

Ex-CEO back at Stan County

Merced Focus. Former Merced County CEO returns to previous job at Stanislaus County.
Synopsis: Raul Lomeli Mendez, who spent two years as the Merced County CEO before resigning earlier this year, has returned to Stanislaus County. He is working as assistant CEO, a job he last held in 2022 before becoming the Merced CEO.

Surprise spring salmon on the T

Modesto Bee. A different type of salmon turned up on the Tuolumne River; why it’s a good thing. 
Synopsis: Reporter John Holland provided more detail on a story that was first reported two weeks ago. Most of the 1,200 spring-run salmon that returned to the Tuolumne River were, well, lost. It is surmised that they were trying to return to the Fresno-area hatchery where they were spawned as part of the San Joaquin River Restoration program. The Tuolumne is the San Joaquin’s largest tributary, so the left turn made sense until they ran into LaGrange Dam. The water below the dam remains too warm for salmon to lay eggs, so the fish have been relocated by the Dept of Fish & Wildlife. Spring run salmon migrate well before they are ready to spawn, searching for suitable nests. The river has been home to roughly 1,000 spawning fall-run salmon over the past few years – about triple the number of spawners 15 years ago. Substantial steam-bed and floodplain restoration work has increased the runs. Meanwhile, another 448 salmon were counted on the San Joaquin in Merced County – the most on the river since restoration work began a decade ago.
MAD Note: It should be noted that the restoration work done at Dos Rios Ranch State Park (at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers) is considered the most significant factor in the arrival of more salmon. Restoration of floodplains at the former almond ranch, sold at cost to River Partners by Bill Lyons, was one of Rep. Adam Gray’s top priorities while in the Assembly.