Valley Solution

Ag groups sound an alarm

Ag Alert. Agricultural groups sound alarm about farmers’ future. 
Synopsis: Some 56 ag organizations signed a letter to Congress describing an “existential threat” to farmers. The letter cites “an alarming number of farmers” who are “financially under water.” Farm bankruptcies have continued to climb, and lenders are making it more difficult and costly to borrow operating funds. Rising input costs and “historically low crop and specialty crop prices” are predicted to cost farmers $100 billion. Among those signing the letter were organizations representing cotton, mushroom, pistachio, sugar beet, citrus, fresh fruit, table grape, tomato, watermelon, blueberry, organic, winegrape and apple growers.

UC Merced impact: $1.2 billion

Modesto Bee. UC Merced has billion-dollar impact on Central Valley economy, study says.
Synopsis: A Beacon Economics study commissioned by UC Merced says the school’s economic impact is around $1.2 billion a year. The school has 7,737 fulltime staff, generating $490 million in labor income alone. Further, the school is responsible for having created about 1 in 15 jobs across the county. The 67-page report is available on the UC website and notes 99% of UCM’s undergrads are from CA. Student spending alone comes to $69.3 million per year in Merced. Overall, the school generates $33 million in tax revenues.

You need strong stomach for this

Merced Focus. ‘Sweeps’ targeting unlicensed food vendors underway in Merced County. 
Synopsis: Merced County code-enforcement staff described some chilling, or nauseating, scenes from unlicensed food trucks. “As you can see, the meat that the vendors are serving is probably multiple days old, rancid, putrid – pretty gross,” said Amanda Duran as she showed a photo to the board of supervisors. Unlicensed vendors ignore rules on sanitation and refrigeration. That’s why the county has conducted 13 sweeps since October and has scheduled 27 more through July. The county and local city authorities have impounded 2,184 pounds of meat – most of which was “not fit for human consumption.” Another photo showed a maggot in a container of cheese. Vendors have been fined $52,000 since October, but much of it has gone uncollected.  

They got richer, did you?

GV Wire. US billionaires get $1.5 trillion richer in one year under Trump. 
Synopsis: The total wealth of America’s billionaires jumped 22% in the last 12 months, from $6.7 trillion to $8.2 trillion, according to a report from Americans for Tax Fairness. They based the report on data collected by Forbes. The richest is Elon Musk at $700 billion. The number of billionaires in the US has risen from 814 to 935. A “gaping loophole” created by the GOP’s Big Beautiful Budget Bill means none of this wealth growth will ever be taxed. “The members of Billionaires Row at Donald Trump’s inauguration were right to celebrate his swearing-in since it meant a $1.5 trillion increase in their collective fortunes,” said ATF executive director David Kass. Because the Big Beautiful Bill eliminated premium tax credits to fund tax breaks for billionaires, the cost of healthcare for many American families has skyrocketed and many are now going without insurance. Influence Watch says Americans for Tax Fairness is a center-left group that promotes government spending on infrastructure, education and healthcare.

$18K to ride this train

Sacramento Bee. How CA’s income disparity is showing in our passenger trains.
Synopsis: Columnist Tom Philp writes about the new luxury train service hooked onto the back of an Amtrak train that runs from Chicago to Oakland. For $18,500, you get one of six passenger slots in 2 cars, a sleeper, domed lounge and one of 10 dining options with a personal chef. It rolls right through our Valley, which Tom calls “California’s Appalachia.” Meanwhile, the Valley’s “Gold Runner” train closed its dining car for its 6-hour daily run from Bakersfield to Oakland.

Suing for pollution permission

EdSource. Trump administration sues CA to allow oil wells closer to schools.
Synopsis: A state law passed in 2024 blocks oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of schools, homes, nursing homes and hospitals. About 8% of Californians live within 3,200 feet of an existing oil or gas well, according to reporting by KQED. It means a third of all existing wells – which emit benzene, methane and carcinogenic VOCs -- on federal lands could be forced to stop pumping. The US Dept of Justice says the ban hampers the federal government’s ability to grant drilling and mining leases.

Back on job after Kirk bash

Fresno Bee. Fresno State lecturer on leave for comments on Charlie Kirk is back in classroom.
Synopsis: Barri Brennan, who teaches public communication, is back in the classroom for the first time since Sept. 11 when she was suspended for remarks made to a student following the death of Charlie Kirk. According to the president of the faculty association, Brennan later received death threats, and someone tried to break into her home.

Flying out of Fresno

Valley Sun. Fresno Yosemite International records busiest year on record.
Synopsis: The Fresno airport served 2,752,392 passengers in 2025, an increase of nearly 3% from the previous year. The number of international trips rose 4%, to 433,636. The airport offers direct flights to Guadalajara. The airport also handled over 20 million pounds of cargo.  

Huh, what about our salmon?

Maven / CDF&W. State’s salmon strategy moves forward with $10 million for habitat projects. 
Synopsis: The CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife has selected 16 projects to receive part of $10 million in state funding in efforts to increase the salmon and steelhead trout populations. There were projects on the Klamath, Eel and Smith rivers, Elk Creek, two San Luis Obispo County watersheds, in Monterey County and funding for AmeriCorps and annual conservation events.
MAD Note: What’s missing from the list? Any funding for any project on any river, creek or ditch in the entire Northern San Joaquin Valley or San Joaquin River watershed. Some people get a hand from government; some people get the back of the hand.

Police report: Drugs and fugitives

Stocktonia. District attorney’s office charges two women in massive meth bust on I-5. 
Synopsis: Two women were pulled over at 3:30 am on Jan. 15 just south of Hwy 12. K-9 Hanks sniffed out 108 pounds of methamphetamine in their car -- “a massive quantity,” said the CHP. Bail was set at $150,000 each. DA Ron Freitas says he will use the “fullest extent” of the law to “stop these traffickers and keep this poison out of our communities.”

KSEE24 / CBS47. Felon evading police for nearly 7 years arrested in Porterville.
Synopsis: Mark Anthony Garza, 38, has been evading police since 2019 when when the felon was first found in possession of firearms. Last week, police caught up with him, searched his home and found 177 grams of meth, five guns (including 2 “ghost” guns) and 250 rounds packed into four high-capacity magazines. No mention of bail.

ABC10. Modesto school paraprofessional arrested on charges involving minors.
Synopsis: Lawrence Harris, 23, has been working as a paraprofessional at La Loma Junior High, where he was arrested on Tuesday and accused of sending harmful material to a minor with the intent to seduce. Actually, say investigators, it was 3 minors. He also volunteered as a coach for the Downey High football and baseball teams.

EBT theft reduced, says Gov

Cal Matters. Newsom touts gains against EBT theft as Trump presses blue states on benefits fraud. 
Synopsis: Two years after a wave of public benefits theft that left low-income Californians scrambling to pay rent and buy food, Gov. Newsom is touting a significant decline in the amount of EBT funding stolen – from $20 million a month to $4 million. While the federal government funds the payments, the state must make up any thefts. Trump last week tried to freeze payments to CA, claiming they were being stolen, but a judge halted that action since it was taken only against Democratic-led states. A lot of the theft has been done by using digital skimming devices on cash registers. Once numbers are stolen, the cards are duplicated and depleted at other stores. Nearly 300,000 families get benefits in CA. Chipped EBT cards have reduced theft while a new app allows families to track assets and freeze accounts. The president of the CA Welfare Fraud Investigators Assn says the state is still undercounting fraud and never should have dropped a requirement to report theft to police.

Churches: Tap to donate

Fresno Bee. Collection basket in Diocese of Fresno has gone high-tech: ‘People wanted to give more.’
Synopsis: As the plate arrives at Holy Spirit or Good Shepherd churches, parishioners can tap it with their phones to give either $20 or $40. Since card readers have been installed, donations have increased 11% overall and 18% year-over-year. It’s important, say church officials, because younger parishioners often go cashless. The churches are among 100 nationwide to adopt the new card readers. “It just makes it a lot easier to be able to just tap and be able to support my church,” said a 25-year-old man.

Sweet person saves Sweet Life

Turlock Journal. Turlock bakery owner helps Hilmar keep up ‘The Sweet Life.’ 
Synopsis: The Sweet Life bakery in Hilmar suffered a small electrical fire in a storeroom at 7840 Lander Ave. earlier this month, triggering the sprinkler system that ruined a lot of products. Owner Jasmin Flores was devastated and told customers via social media that her bakery would be “closed for the foreseeable future.” Terri Coonce, owner of Olde Tyme Pastries in Turlock, saw the post and decided to drive out to Hilmar to meet Flores and see if she could help. She could. For instance, Flores’ flour supplier requires a minimum order of $800. Flores couldn’t afford that much, so Coonce tacked a smaller order onto her order. Now, Sweet Life has reopened. “I saw that Jasmin was having trouble, and on top of that her car wasn’t working,” said Coonce. “Plus, she has a newborn. That’s a lot to deal with.” Yes, said Coonce, “technically, she’s a competitor. But if you can’t reach out and help a neighbor, then what kind of person are you?”