Valley Solutions

Valley Solutions offers a daily look at the top headlines appearing on media websites affecting the San Joaquin Valley. It is compiled by Mike Dunbar, who worked in Stockton, Modesto, Merced and Los Banos media for 40 years and later served as Adam Gray’s press secretary when he was in the Assembly. Valley Solutions is brought to readers by Rep. Adam Gray.

Valley searching for doctors

Cal Matters. CA’s San Joaquin Valley needs more doctors; new medical schools are years away. 
Synopsis: Former Modesto Bee reporter Adam Echelman begins this story by writing, “California’s San Joaquin Valley needs more doctors.” He details how numerous schools and officials are working to increase the medical pipeline, with the most commonly accepted solution being the creation of a med school at UC Merced. That’s still a decade out, despite the opening of the new medical arts building this year – the largest single building project in the UC’s history. In 2023, the UC started an eight-year program to enroll pre-med undergraduates at UC Merced, then help them through UCSF with residency at the Fresno campus. But there are other efforts underway, including a plan by Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains to get a med school built in Bakersfield, a plan vetoed Monday by Gov. Newsom. Interestingly, UOP’s recently hatched plan to open a med school in Stockton got a $2 million grant and might even beat UC Merced to the punch with an opening date of 2030. Meanwhile, a plan by Assemblymember Juan Alanis to establish an ER in Patterson was vetoed because all ERs must be housed within a hospital, and Patterson doesn’t have one.
MAD Note: This is a thorough, well-done story. But it leaves out some important background. For instance, the lawmaker who pushed through the funding for that massive medical arts building at UC Merced was Adam Gray when he was in the Assembly. When he came to Merced to announce the funding, Gov. Newsom quipped that the building should be named after Gray because he had been so insistent. Two years earlier, Gray ordered the state to study the status of healthcare in the Valley. That report found the Valley had 157 doctors for every 100,000 residents compared to 450 doctors per 100,000 in LA or the Bay Area. Gray also convened the SJ Valley Coalition for Medical Education, which got more residencies for the Valley. He wrote legislation providing $1.8 million per year for the SJV PRIME program to train more doctors. As for an ER in Patterson, Alanis should take a cue from Gray – who also represents the 60,000 people who live in communities from Gustine to Grayson – and not give up. The luckiest residents of the area are 27 minutes from the nearest ER – by helicopter. By ambulance It’s 45 minutes. Keep pushing.

Problems in Patterson detailed

Modesto Bee. Investigation into Patterson mayor finds violations of city policies. 
Synopsis: A month after Mayor Michael Clauzel was censured by the city council, allegations against him came to light. The city’s Rules Committee released the details in a report prepared by the law firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore. While no charges were recommended, the report said Clauzel engaged in “bullying and abusive conduct toward city employees and city councilmembers.” He also became “directly involved in city operations,” bypassing the “city’s organizational structure.” The council voted 3-0 with 1 abstention to accept the draft censure. Among those voting in favor was Gabriela Hernandez, who is running against Clauzel. The mayor was described as “passive aggressive” and sometimes disguised his intent by telling employees he was reaching out “as Mike, not as the mayor.”

Problems in Stockton, too

Stocktonia. Stockton council to consider removing committee member after robbery arrest.
Synopsis: Police arrested Natasha Brown on Saturday in connection with a robbery on Hammer Lane. Police say Brown was one of two people who assaulted a woman who was walking to her car. Brown represents District 6 on Stockton’s Strong Communities Advisory Committee.

Stocktonia. City council weighs response to grand jury after missing state deadline. 
Synopsis: Governmental agencies reviewed by civil grand juries have 90 days to respond under state statute. The Stockton city council blew through that deadline a week ago, but will present its formal response tonight. The grand jury found problems with council conduct, ethics, social media and campaign finance. The response at least partially agrees with all nine findings while disputing conclusions about councilmember conduct. It disputes the finding that councilmembers have had improper interactions with city employees. UOP Prof. Keith Smith said state codes do not specify a penalty for having missed deadlines nor do they identify who would enforce such a penalty “even if one existed.”

35 Days: Dueling rallies

Politico. CA Playbook: A Bernie Sanders rally in Valadao’s backyard.
Synopsis: Randy Villegas, who is running against David Valadao in CA-22, will host Bernie Sanders on Sunday in an effort to energize voters just as ballots start to arrive in the mail. It’s doubling down on Villegas’ decision to concentrate on pushing more liberal voters to the polls rather than convince centrists to vote. “The decision is also a rejection of conventional wisdom about the Central Valley,” says the story. So why try it? “Democrats have repeatedly failed to oust Valadao when they’ve run to the right of national party standard-bearers.”
MAD Take: Actually, Valadao did lose to TJ Cox in 2018. That was the year Trump tried to kill the Affordable Care Act and promised to gut Medicare and Medicaid – a promise he’s still making. Sometimes it’s not the politics but the policies that drive people to vote.

GV Wire. Valadao will host House Speaker Johnson Wednesday in Bakersfield. 
Synopsis: Rep. David Valadao is bringing House Speaker Mike Johnson to Bakersfield in an effort to energize Republican voters. But they’re keeping the location secret. To find out where it will be, residents must submit an email request for an invitation. The Cook Political Report rates the race a “tossup,” but Sabato’s Crystal Ball says it is now leaning Democratic.

Nut festival off … for now

Merced Sun Star. Huge October festival canceled this year; what’s still set across Merced region.
Synopsis: The Merced Nut Festival has been canceled for this year, though organizers say they hope it will return in 2027. No worries. There are a lot of festivals coming this month, including the Calaveras Grape Stomp & Gold Rush Street Faire, Oct. 3, in Murphys; the 50th Sonora Bach Festival, Oct. 4-25 in and around Sonora; the Harvest Festival, Oct. 10, in downtown Merced; Castle Airfest and Bombs Away Car Show, Oct. 17, at Castle Air Museum. They story lists festivals Livingston, Angels Camp, Los Banos and Gustine later in the month.

Who will run Modesto shelter?

Modesto Focus. ‘Beef’ with Salvation Army prompts Modesto, County to seek another shelter operator.
Synopsis: The Salvation Army has operated the Berberian Center shelter at Ninth and D streets since 2020, but that could be coming to an end. The relationship between the city, Stanislaus County and the Salvation Army has soured over finances. The city and county are studying the possibility of buying the shelter’s property, and they are requesting bids from others interested in operating the shelter. Major Darren Stratton said his organization is focused on running the 182-bed shelter and that negotiations are continuing. Councilmember Eric Alvarez said the Army is welcome to join the bidding process, but they have declined. The city council last week approved $591,000 to maintain shelter operations through the end of the year.

Hamburger isn’t any cheaper

Ag Net West. More beef imports have not lowered ground beef prices.
Synopsis: Trump’s plan to cut the price of ground beef by 25% hasn’t yielded the results he promised. He ended tariffs and fast-tracked the importation of 661 million pounds of beef from Argentina and Brazil, which started arriving two weeks ago. In that time, the price of beef has been unchanged at the majority of stores where it has been sold, according to a Farm Bureau study.
MAD Take: It should not be forgotten that Trump hatched his plan to import beef on Aug. 21, a day after he met with Joesley Batista in the White House. Batista owns JBS Foods, the world’s largest meatpacker. Batista earlier gave $5 million to Trump’s inaugural committee.

Export ban won’t cut diesel price

Politico. Why a diesel export ban could send CA gas prices soaring.
Synopsis: With Trump considering a ban on diesel exports, energy experts say that will have the opposite impact. As diesel topped $6.45 nationally for the first time, it hit $8.39 a gallon in California. While an export ban might temporarily lower prices, it would also force refiners to shift away from diesel production. That would eventually drive up the price.
MAD Note: Successful Farming reported the cost of running a combine is up $12.58 per acre over last year. Meanwhile, this year’s corn and bean harvest is lagging – perhaps as farmers hope for a ban on diesel exports.

Modesto Bee. Newsom moves to lower gas prices as CA sees record costs at the pump.
Synopsis: Gov. Gavin Newsom ended the requirement that gas sold in California meet the “summer blend” formulation two weeks early. The summer blend is slightly more expensive to make, and switching to the winter blend could lower the cost by up to 30 cents per gallon. Californians are paying the highest price for gas in the nation at $6.37 per gallon, or $1.89 more than the national average.
MAD Note: Story doesn’t mention it, but the summer blend is made to resist evaporation from heat.

New mobile command post

KSEE / CBS47. ‘We needed this’: Madera police unveil new mobile command center.
Synopsis: The Madera police have a new mobile command unit that is bigger, more sophisticated and effective than the old trailer that had to be hauled to crime scenes. The old unit had no air conditioning and needed propane generators to power equipment. “It took 30 to 45 minutes minimum” to set up or break down, said Chief Giachino Chiaramonte. The new unit is driven directly to crime scenes. It has seating for two dispatchers, separate space for questioning and staging and is equipped to monitor live feeds from drones and remote cameras. It was funded through a state grant secured by Sen. Anna Caballero.

UOP among nation’s top schools

Stocktonia. University of the Pacific makes huge gain in US News College rankings. 
Synopsis: UOP has moved into the top 30% of colleges nationwide on the most closely watched college rankings in the nation. The school rose 18 places, to No. 122 among 422 schools rated. It did even better in specific categories, such as “Best Value,” where UOP was ranked No. 3 behind only Stanford and Caltech. UOP has 3,100 undergraduates on its Stockton campus and a total enrollment of 6,852 including its dental, pharmacy and law schools. The faculty-to-student ratio is excellent, at 1-to-12.

Setting fires in the cemetery

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). Fire reported at Merced Cemetery; second incident in weeks.
Synopsis: A fire was reported Tuesday at the cemetery at B Street and East Childs in Merced. It was the second fire at the location in recent weeks. No details were available, but the previous fire damaged a structure on the property.

Nice kitty

Modesto Bee. Oakdale police report mountain lion in neighborhood near river.
Synopsis: A mountain lion has been spotted in Oakdale near Maag Avenue and D Street, which is roughly a half-mile from the Stanislaus River. Police notified the Dept of Fish & Wildlife. The lion did not exhibit aggressive behavior, so police did not attempt to capture it, saying it was doing what big cats do. They did, however, urge caution and recommended pets and children be kept indoors. Pet food, too.