Valley Headlines

Halting EBT card fraud

Cal Matters. More secure EBT cards are coming to CA.
Synopsis: The EBT cards that impoverished residents use to access state support so they can pay rent, buy groceries and cover monthly bills were supposed to be protected against fraud by chip security. But they haven’t been. That has led to $350 million in theft since 2021 which, in turn, caused incredible difficulty for aid recipients – accounts drained of money, inability to pay rent, late fees, etc. Now the state says the new security chips will arrive “early next year,” giving recipients the same level of fraud protection that banks have provided on debit cards since 2015. The state says federal rules prevented an earlier rollout. While the benefits are paid in federal dollars, CA taxpayers must reimburse theft victims.
MAD Take: According to FRED, the federal reserve reporting website, there were 71,670 SNAP recipients in Stanislaus County in December 2023. In Merced, it was 53,339; in Madera 28,619, in Fresno 209,413 and in San Joaquin 100,707. That’s 463,748 Valley residents – nearly 20% of the total population -- who rely on these cards for day-to-day survival. This is an important story to our Valley.

Report: How a food worker died

Sacramento / Fresno Bee. How did Mary’s Chicken poultry worker drown in waste pit?
Synopsis: Jesus Salazar Castillo was working at Pitman Family Farms in Hanford, which is known for its high-end Mary’s brands of “humanely raised” poultry. The Fresno Bee spent 9 months looking into working conditions at the company. As Salazar Castillo knelt near a 17-foot deep waste pit, he was likely rendered unconscious by hydrogen sulfide gas, which collects above such pits if there is not continuous water flow. The pit’s pumps had been turned off for the cleaning. Following Salazar Castillo’s death, the company made upgrades to the pit area. A state report says that if a hinged floor-cover had been in place, Salazar Castillo would still be alive. The company was cited for safety-protocol violations. The family is in grief and furious. Salazar was the second person to die at the factory within a year.

$80 million river restoration

Turlock Journal. Restoring the Tuolumne.
Synopsis: Reporter Joe Cortez looks at efforts by Turlock Irrigation District, Modesto ID and San Francisco PUC to spend $80 million over the next 8 years to improve spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and trout. There will be downstream gravel augmentation, floodplain expansion and streambed improvements below the La Grange Dam. River Partners will lead the project.
MAD Note: Combine this project at the area just below the dam with the River Partners’ Dos Rios project where the river joins the San Joaquin, and we will see massive end-to-end improvements on the San Joaquin’s largest tributary. This is an enormously significant project with potential to transform the health of this river. Now, if we can do something about the bass.

In praise of water releases

CA Fisheries Blog. Comments on Fall X2.
Synopsis: Tom Cannon writes in support of the so-called Fall X2 releases, not so much because the releases will do anything for the Delta smelt (which haven’t been seen in eastern Delta for 7 years), but because of salinity numbers in the western Delta. To keep Suisun Marsh and Montezuma Slough fresh enough, he says that there must be at least 10,000 CFS flow in the Sacramento River during the fall. Too much salt, and it will ruin the habitat for smelt.
MAD Take: This was written, I suspect, because so many people have recently been decrying the continued use of “X2” flows when there is no proof that they ever worked to increase the number of Delta smelt or that there is any reason remaining for using them now. That’s not to say there shouldn’t be continuous freshwater flows to fight salinity encroachment in the Delta. But the longfin and Delta smelt that have been in recent years are significantly farther west in the Delta, living in even saltier, more brackish water that is subject to tidal flows. Cannon’s own charts show it.

Bird flu infects a few more cows

Successful Farming. Bird flu spreads among CA dairy herds.
Synopsis: Chuck Abbott picks up on the story first reported by Bob Rodriguez of the Fresno Bee last week, writing that cows in another five Valley herds have tested positive for avian flu infections. It means that CA has 8 of the 203 herds with confirmed cases across 14 states. “These findings are not unexpected,” says the CDFA, which says its “surveillance strategies” are working. The state is recommending that dairy workers wear masks, goggles and gloves. Unreported by Chuck is that all of the newly infected cows had some sort of contact with the original three herds where infection was found.

The disappearing dairy farm

Modesto Bee. America’s dairy farms disappearing amid rising costs, pricing issues.
Synopsis: Prof. Elizabeth Eckelkamp at the University of Tennessee wrote an excellent explanation of what is happening in the dairy business nationwide. While she concentrates on the Appalachian region, her explanation of the impact of marketing orders to set prices and limit how much milk can be produced is excellent. Those orders made sense in 1937, but in the past 20 years, the number of dairies nationwide has plummeted as the price of milk failed to keep pace with the cost of production. Only the nation’s most efficient farms and most innovative farmers can make a profit.
MAD Take: This story doesn’t even mention California but is a good read.

A dysfunctional House

Successful Farming. Political polarization makes farm bill extension more likely, says analyst.
Synopsis: Chuck Abbott writes about the fracturing of the old farm bill coalition – ag state representatives helping farmers and urban reps signing on to help feed poor kids. They once worked together to push through farm bills without drama or even much debate. Now, ideological zealots in red states are trying to get those safety-net food programs out of the farm bill. That has cost them any chance at gaining the support from urban representatives needed to succeed. Until that dynamic changes, expect more extensions of the 2018 law without meaningful improvements for CA farmers.
MAD Take: Among the factors working against the farm bill are attached bills like the EATS Act. At the behest of American and Chinese pork producers, California’s John Duarte co-authored legislation that would negate California’s Prop 12 and deprive California voters of any say in setting standards for how their food is produced. Including that bill as part of the Farm Bill makes it impossible for most CA representatives to get on board. It was like planting a landmine then stomping on it.

LA Times / Modesto Bee. The GOP House won’t govern; send it to the backbenches in November.
Synopsis: Columnist Jackie Calmes writes about the favorite tactic of the Republican House majority – attach a “pet right-wing priority” that most people won’t support to a spending bill, then sit back and pretend you’re serious about working with both sides. That’s why, in 14 days, the government is poised for another shutdown.
MAD Take: Calmes didn’t mention it, but Duarte’s EATS Act provides a perfect example.  

Cool stuff going on in Valley

GV Wire. Double Joy Video: Fresno Zoo welcomes two adorable baby elephants.
Synopsis: Zoo staff knew both elephants were pregnant but weren’t sure of due dates. So it was surprising when both gave birth within 10 days. The calves required a special “mini-stage” to be able to nurse. The community is now invited to get to know them via this video.  

Modesto Bee. It’s making a return to Turlock after many decades.
Synopsis: The Melon Festival – the forerunner to the Stanislaus County Fair – will be Sept. 20-21 at Main and Center streets. The Turlock Historical Society is behind the return of a festival that began in 1911. Back then, there were melon rolling contests, parades, exhibits, dancing and, of course, a melon queen. It hosted both the State Irrigation Convention and a Ferris Wheel. It became the Stanislaus District Fair in 1941. Lori Smith is the driving force.  

Westside Express. Dolly O’Banion is the Cotton Festival’s grand marshal.
Synopsis: The Dos Palos Lions selected their grand marshal, educator and philanthropist Dolly O’Banion – former supervisor Jerry’s widow. Frank Lemos and Bill Van Worth applaud the choice.

Turlock Journal. Turlock butcher to compete in $25,000 meat-cutting challenge.
Synopsis: Jonathan Aldaba is among 28 butchers competing to be crowned the top Texas Roadhouse butcher. He’s been “practicing, practicing, practicing” his skills. Texas Roadhouse butchers about $1 million worth of meat each year. The first round is Sept. 24 in Peoria, Az.

Westside Express. Salinas selected as Pacheco High interim principal.
Synopsis: Rebecca Salinas replaces Dan Sutton, who is now assistant superintendent of secondary ed. The 20-year PE teacher served as principal of the summer school program.

Westside Express. McDonald chosen as Farmer of the year for 2024.
Synopsis: The Los Banos Downtown Association honored Robert McDonald, a Dust Bowl-era arrival to CA. He started with 10 acres and now farms 2,000 with a dozen full-time employees.

Bad stuff going on in Valley

Westside Connect. FBI’s discovery of child exploitation images sold online leads to ID of abuse victim.
Synopsis: Internet images of a young girl being sexually abused led authorities to the victim in Newman and the arrest of a man in Modesto.

Modesto Bee. Death at Modesto Reservoir adds to record year for drownings in Stanislaus.
Synopsis: The death of a Long Beach man at Modesto Reservoir was the county’s 10^th this year, breaking the record of 8.

Westside Connect. Social media posts threatening school shooting cause waves of panic in Westside.
Synopsis: Newman police arrested one juvenile after a TikTok posted Friday threatened a school shooting. There appears to be little substance to the juvenile’s post.  

Turlock Journal. Councilmember apologizes for disclosing confidential information.
Synopsis: Councilmember Kevin Bixel said he has learned a “painful, miserable lesson” after disclosing information he shouldn’t have after a meeting that included supervisors Vito Chiesa and Terry Withrow in July.