Valley Solutions

Driving small farms under

LA Times. CA’s push to limit groundwater pumping could leave small farmers in the dust. 
Synopsis: Reporter Ian James comes to Merced to talk to farmer Rosie Lee, who has been growing vegetables on her 19-acre farm for sale in local farmers markets. New pumping fees – over $15,000 a year -- will bankrupt her. So this year she fallowed half her farm because she knew she couldn’t “make enough to pay for the water.” She is angry that the state’s landmark groundwater law, 2014’s SGMA, is penalizing small farmers while corporate farms are getting off relatively easy. That’s the conclusion reached by the UC Small Farms Network and the non-profit group Community Alliance with Family Farmers. Their recent study recommended that small farmers be granted a minimal water allocations ahead of larger farms and that fees be tiered to protect them. “Big farmers, they are millionaires. Small farms, they are just enough to survive, to raise a family,” said Lee, a former teacher. The story also looks at operations in Tulare, Madera, Yolo and Fresno counties.

NY Times. Sales are so low, CA wineries are burning their vineyards. 
Synopsis: This story focuses on the coastal areas from Paso Robles up to Soledad. Winemaker Jason Smith is pulling his pinot vines and selling the business his family has run for 51 years. “There’s literally no way for me to make money,” he said. Alcohol consumption of all kinds is down across the world, which is bad news for the state that produces 80% of the nation’s wines. Steve Lohr, of J Lohr Vineyards, said this is the largest upheaval the industry has ever faced.

It’s drier and getting hotter

Modesto Bee. Parts of CA are ‘abnormally dry’; which area face drought conditions?
Synopsis: The US Drought Monitor lists nearly two-thirds of California as “abnormally dry” as the state braces for an extreme heat wave. About 65% of the state is dry, with 6.5% in “moderate drought” and 0.7% in “severe drought.” The are designated as “abnormally dry” comes right up to the eastern edge of Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties but does not include any of them. The eastern portions of Fresno and Madera counties are “abnormally dry.” Del Norte and Siskiyou counties are experiencing moderate drought to severe drought. Sounds worse than it is. The Monitor offers only six designations, starting with “none,” progressing to “abnormally dry,” then “severe drought” and up to “”exceptional drought.” Meanwhile, CA’s largest reservoirs -- Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville -- are at 100% of normal for this time of year.
MAD Note: In case you’re wondering, New Melones is at 112% of normal and San Luis 129%. Don Pedro doesn’t have a percentage, but it is holding 1.5 million acre feet and McClure his holding 661,300.

Fresno Bee. It’s hot: Here are 5 new places to cool down with ice cream in Fresno, Clovis.
Synopsis: With the heat dome scheduled to bring 108-degree temps to town, here are some places to consider hanging out. 1) Jay’s Speciality Ice Cream, which started life as a truck but moved indoors on Shaw Avenue. 2) The Ice Cream Shop in SE Fresno is an Instagram and TikTok favorite with pink, purple and blue cones. 3) Sweet Frog in Clovis offers fro-yo. 4) Crème Paris offers ice cream and drinks. 5) CREAM – short for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me – can be found in the Pavilion West shopping center.

CA will get less from the river

NY Times. US raises threat of steep water cuts in lower Colorado River Basin. 
Synopsis: Call it the “worst-case-scenario” for California, Arizona and Nevada. The federal government’s draft Final Environmental Impact Statement designates a “preferred course of action” that will force California, Nevada and Arizona to reduce diversions from the Colorado River by at least 20%. Meanwhile, cuts will be far less drastic in the upper basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. “The proposal could ignite a complex legal battle that could play out for years,” says the story, which notes that California holds the most senior rights on the river established in 1922. The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people, and Interior Sec. Doug Burgum said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure it “remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it.” But 22 million of those live in California, with another 3 million clustered in Phoenix and Las Vegas, and all 25 million will have to make do with less water after a decade of negotiations failed to produce a new agreement. CA, Nevada and Arizona offered significant cuts, but this plan will require even greater cuts.
MAD Take: Why does this matter in the Central Valley? Because LA and San Diego will not be allowed to go thirsty. If the Colorado is unavailable, the state will tap the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the rivers that supply it – including the Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Sacramento. 

Half our power is from solar

LA Times. CA produces over half its May electricity from solar, a world record. 
Synopsis: The Golden State produced more than half of its electricity through solar panels during the month of May. It’s the first time a large-scale power system is known to have surpassed 50% of demand for an entire month. It also means that in the first five months of 2026, CA had made more electricity from solar panels than from natural gas. Increased battery storage has “transformed the system.” And it’s not just sunshine. The massive SunZia wind project in New Mexico came online in April and has been sending 3,000 megawatts to CA. Natural gas remains an integral part of the power mix, with demand spiking on July 12 and expected to spike again in reaction to the heat wave.

Fresno to go it alone on tax

Fresno Bee. Fresno council approves half-cent sales tax for Nov ballot; three other measures rejected. 
Synopsis: Last week, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors ordered a study that killed the extension of the county’s half-cent transportation sales tax. So the Fresno city council voted 6-1 to take the matter into their own hands, putting a half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. If the county enacts a similar measure in the future, Fresno’s sales tax would end. Without the measure, road work in the community could come to a halt. In the same meeting, the council tabled a measure that would have allowed mayors to serve three consecutive terms.

Smith kicks off his campaign

Merced County Times. Merced councilman Shane Smith launches reelection campaign.
Synopsis: District 4 councilmember Shane Smith launched his bid for reelection Tuesday at the home of Kenra and Don Bragonier. He pledged support for police, fire and other emergency services. With a week left in the filing period, Smith’s only known opponent is Lee Robert Boese Jr.

Activist was trespassing

SF Chronicle. Leader of CA chicken raid loses appeal of trespassing conviction.
Synopsis: Direct Action Everywhere founder Wayne Hsiung’s conviction for trespassing on a chicken ranch in Sonoma County was upheld by the CA Supreme Court on Thursday. The court also left intact lower-court rulings that protect the security of animal operations. Hsiung had argued that he was entitled to enter private property to “rescue” animals he believed were suffering – the so-called “necessity defense.” Presiding Justice Teri Jackson wrote that entering private property is legal only “in an emergency situation threatening imminent harm.” And no such emergency existed.
MAD Take: As often documented by The Modesto Bee, members of Hsiung’s group are frequent visitors to Stanislaus and Merced counties. A story appeared in both the Bee and Merced Sun-Star on Thursday describing their actions with no mention of the Supreme Court decision.

A tawdry hot-tub tale in Fresno

Fresno Bee. A stripper, a hot tube and a night of drinking in North Fresno leads to felony charges.
Synopsis: Reporter Robert Rodriguez chronicles the tale of 20-year-old Adam Daniel Delacruz, who was arrested in January on a host of charges that could net him 27 years in prison. Delacruz drove into the gated Copper Ridge Estates neighborhood to drop off an exotic dancer (aka, stripper) for a private party involving three couples. The six people watched the performance from their hot tub, then invited the dancer to join them in the tub. When one of the men got aggressive, the dancer called Delacruz to come get her. Seeing the dancer in tears, he grabbed his gun and went into the home where he proceeded to steal various items at gunpoint. The homeowner reported the crimes to police but left out the part about the dancer. Delacruz’s lawyer calls the case “ridiculous. This was a group of privileged people who ordered a stripper, and it sounds like liberties were taken that shouldn’t have been.”

This murder suspect can’t hide

Stocktonia. Police arrest 7-foot tall man in connection with double homicide in north Stockton.
Synopsis: Detectives identified Nathan Thomas Miller as a suspect in the murder of a man and woman in the city’s Lakeview District. Police responded last Friday to gunfire in an alley, where police found the victims. Miller was arrested a short time later without incident. He is described as 6-foot-11 weighing 160 pounds. No other details were provided.

Low-riders told to shut it down

ABC10. Modesto lowrider fans want answers after police shut down weekend meetup.
Synopsis: Low-rider owners have frequently congregated in the parking lot between Sno-White Burgers and Carl’s Jr. in Modesto. This week the police were waiting when they arrived and asked them to move along. They were not allowed to unload their specialized cars from their trailers. Police told the group they needed a city permit for the gathering and another to use an amplified speaker. The city requires permits for groups of 75 or to play amplified music. The organizer said normally 40 or 50 people attend the gatherings.

New station coming to El Nido

Merced Sun Star. Small Merced County community is getting a new fire station.
Synopsis: El Nido is getting a new fire station thanks to a $781,000 grant from the USDA’s Rural Development Department. The new station will have three apparatus bays, four bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, office space and a small fitness area. The existing station will remain operational until the new building is finished in fall 2027.

I’ll take Subsidence for $2,000, Ken

SJV Water. Is Ken Jennings trolling SJV?
Synopsis: Publisher/columnist Lois Henry writes: “You know groundwater has hit the big time when Jeopardy! has a subsidence question.
MAD Take: Too bad he doesn’t have the answer.