Valley Headlines

Go with God, il Papa

KCRA. ‘He championed human dignity’: CA Gov. Newsom pays tribute to Pope Francis.
Synopsis: Gov. Gavin Newsom released a statement on the passing of Pope Francis, whose “moral courage” and “profound respect for all creation” served as an example for all mankind. Said Newsom, Francis showed us “(the) transformative power of love to heal and unite.” Newsom grew up attending Catholic school and traveled to the Vatican last year. KCRA also spoke to Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento: “The Holy Father, by his passing, now leads us once again into the silence of prayer.”
MAD Note: Interestingly, Sunday’s headlines had been “Viva il Papa! Pope Francisco appears on Easter Sunday” describing the joy felt by thousands upon seeing the pontiff outside his home. Does it surprise anyone that he refused to leave his flock until the day after Easter.

Sacramento Bee. A good man died in Rome today, and I will miss him.
Synopsis: Columnist Melinda Henneberger writes of Francis’s “deep humanity and fatherly care.” He urged us to never become “used to the suffering of others,” saying if anyone is suffering, it our duty as Christians to act. His “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home” was a plea to care for the planet and each other. She writes: “I will always remember Francis stopping his car as he was leaving the airport in Philadelphia so he could kiss a child in a wheelchair.” And washing the feet of prisoners in Rome. Inviting homeless people to use the amenities of St. Peter’s Square. She concludes: “I will miss the good man who died in Rome today, and will always be grateful for his life.”
MAD Take: Amen.

Great Valley places to retire

Fresno Bee. Where are best cities to move to in CA? 2 Fresno-area spots made the list.
Synopsis: Consumer Affairs came up with this list of 75 places for retirees to live based affordability, safety, jobs, culture, etc. Two San Joaquin Valley cities made the cut -- Visalia (No. 2) and Clovis (No. 3). Visalia’s state-best median home price of $340,632 helped it overcome other issues.  
MAD Take: Because this story was written from a Fresno-centric perspective, it ignored Modesto’s No. 6 ranking. The top 10: Roseville, Visalia, Clovis, Elk Grove, Murrieta, Modesto, Corona, Temecula, Rancho Cucamonga and Moreno Valley. From the bottom: Oakland, Berkeley, Lancaster, El Monte and LA.

Leaky, old, worn out water system

Modesto Bee. Community-led water system in historic Stanislaus town struggles to supply locals.
Synopsis: The plumbing that serves Knights Ferry leaks, breaks and sometimes runs out of water. The system has 67 connections serving 168 people. Of those connections, one is Knights Ferry Elementary. Self-Help Enterprises is trying to help. Oakdale Irrigation District provides water for 8 months; during the other 4, the community pumps directly from the river. The ancient pipes that serve the town “pop two, three, four times a year,” according to one resident. “If they fix one (leak), it springs another.” Not only are the pipes old and buried too close to the surface, the treatment plant is 10 years past its life expectancy. A 30,000-gallon storage tank is leaking so badly it can’t be used.
MAD Note: Interesting story.

Levee improvements in Delta

Stocktonia. $2 billion levee project breaks ground in Stockton. 
Synopsis: A project to reinforce or rebuild levees to protect homes in Stockton, Lathrop and Manteca from flooding kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony Friday. The first phase is to make improvements on a mile of Tenmile Slough, which abuts the backyards of homes in the Brookside area. Improvements include a concrete cutoff wall beneath the levee to confront seepage. When completed in 2039, the project will have upgraded 24 miles of levees, including creating highly effective setback levees./

More salmon on the Eel

Cal Trout. Strong salmon run and restoration funding flow into Eel River.
Synopsis: Cal Trout is reporting dramatic increases of salmon and steelhead returning to the Eel River to spawn. This “promises a brighter future ahead for these iconic native fish.” Not only were there more spawners on the Eel, there were more salmon found on all the tributaries – South Fork, Middle Fork and the Van Duzen rivers. It was the “strongest coho salmon run in 20 years” said one researcher and validates the “significant restoration work” done on the river.  
MAD Take: There is no doubt that salmon numbers are falling on the Sacramento River. But this story is further proof that the problem is on the Sacramento, not every California river. And while halting commercial fishing for an unprecedented third season is reasonable, it is not reasonable to take additional flow measures on other rivers where salmon are showing up in some of the highest numbers we’ve seen this century. What we’re doing on those rivers – floodplain restoration, redd rebuilding, hatchery improvements and, yes, strategic cold-water releases – is working. So is nature. Salmon are showing up in rivers in which they haven’t been seen for generations.

SF Gate. Trump administration mulls intervention in CA dam removal.
Synopsis: PG&E plans to remove the obsolete Scott Dam on the Eel River. But the Farm Bureaus of Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties believe removal would deprive downstream farmers of flows on the Russian River and homeowners around Lake Pillsbury want a lake, not a stream. Trump has ordered that any federal participation in the project be reviewed. The dam was built in 1922 and is in bad repair.

Local law firm takes a stand

Modesto Bee. Letters to the Editor: Modesto law firm speaks out.
Synopsis: Gianelli, Friedman, Jeffries & McKernan will “stand firmly behind the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession” and “our duty is the Constitution, not politics.” Good for Gianelli, et al.

Immigrants leading local schools

Merced Focus. ‘Education is transformational’: South Asian women lead 2 Merced school boards.
Synopsis: Brianna Vaccari provides a short profile Amalee Jayasinghe, president of the Merced Union High School District board, and Priya Lakireddy, who leads the Merced City Schools District board, then goes into a Q&A. Both women immigrated to the US. Jayasinghe came to the US to study at Ole Miss and came to Merced to work in food production. Lakireddy came to Merced to visit family, met Dr. Viram Lakireddy, and stayed. Most of their responses to Vaccari’s questions are what would be expected of women who value education, drive and persistence. But Lakireddy admits one of the “biggest challenges” in being on such a board is “navigating the complexities of working with different personalities.” She notes that leadership is “about people, relationships and finding common ground.”

High costs of tariffs

Ag Net West. Ocean freight rates tick up as tariff moves shake trade. 
Synopsis: Rental rates for 40-foot shipping containers hit $2,465 last week in West Coast ports, up about $220 from the week prior. It’s still a bargain compared to the East Coast ($3,647). While traffic between the US and Asia is falling, container traffic between Asian nations is increasing.
MAD Note: Not mentioned, but reported elsewhere over the weekend, is the increase in “blank sailing.” That means ships are skipping ports and turning around without taking on cargo bound for Asia. It has increased 40% over the past two months, impacting trucking and rail shipping. Bottom line: If you can find a ship to take your container to Asia, that container is going to cost you more.

Ag Net West. Impact of tariffs between the US and China ag markets.
Synopsis: USDA chief economist Seth Meyers (not the funny one) discusses the impacts of tariffs on grain, livestock, cotton and processed meats. The discussion underscores the complexities of global trade policies on agriculture markets.
Audio: https://agnetwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/04-21-25-Impact-of-Tariffs-Between-the-U.S.-and-China-on-Agriculture-Markets.mp3

Ag Net West. Fresh tomatoes from Mexico agreement terminated.
Synopsis: The USDA will kill the 2019 agreement that suspended an anti-dumping investigation on fresh tomatoes from Mexico in an effort to provide more protection for American growers.

Farms.com. High tariffs could halt US beef exports to China.
Synopsis: With tariffs of 125% set to resume in 80 days, many in the US beef industry are questioning if their sector can withstand the impacts. China is the largest beef-importing nation in the world and the No. 3 destination for American beef. With higher tariffs, it is estimated exports to China could drop 77%.

Most are ignorant of bird flu

Morning Ag Clips. Americans don’t think bird flu is a threat, study suggests.
Synopsis: Polling and interviews done by the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health finds that “public ignorance and apathy toward bird flu could pose a serious obstacle to containing the virus and preventing a larger-scale public health crisis.” Most respondents were unaware of even the most basic  food-safety practices to reduce the risk of HPAI infection, including the exhortation to drink only pasteurized milk. Some 27% are absolutely unwilling to modify their practices to reduce risk; 29% said they would not get vaccinated even if the CDC says they should. Among those most reticent to follow government advice are those living in rural areas.

Huge solar system in Fresno

GV Wire. Fresno ‘powers up’ nation’s largest combined solar and battery storage project. 
Synopsis: The city “flipped the switch” to turn on a 34-megawatt project at 2108 Cornelia Avenue, a couple of miles east of Hwy 99. The facility will generate power for the regional wastewater treatment plant and two other facilities. Federal tax credits and power-purchase agreements made it possible. City official Brock Buche says that the project is entirely separate from the state’s electrical grid.
https://youtu.be/50WZH9z1qXU

500 Easter eggs found

Patterson Irrigator. Rising Sun annual Easter event had egg-cellent turnout.
Synopsis: The Patterson Joint Unified School District’s Rising Sun Farm and Garden Easter Egg Hunt hosted 500 people for hunts divided by age groups at various locations around the farm. Farm tours were popular as FFA kids were on hand to explain the displays. Amy Thorpe was the driving force.