Valley Solutions

Valley shines in MLB game

Turlock Journal. ‘We dreamed of this’: Cole Carrigg, Tyler Soderstrom cherish MLB opportunity. 
Synopsis: Cole Carrigg and Tyler Soderstrom first met when they were in seventh grade together. They became fast friends, sharing dreams and a talent for baseball that carried them all the way through Turlock High. “We dreamed of this for so long,” said Carrigg, after his Colorado Rockies flew into Las Vegas to play Soderstrom’s A’s last weekend. “I haven’t been on the same field with him since high school. I wouldn’t wish it any other way. It’s just been crazy and surreal to be here, living out these moments.” Said Soderstrom, who is in his second year in the majors and a starting outfielder for the Sacramento A’s, “Living in this moment is super special. We had this dream of playing in the big leagues, and I think we just willed it, manifested it and made it happen together.” They exchanged jerseys and posed for photos as a lot of folks from Turlock gathered around. The dreamscape got better as both players hit homers during the weekend.

Comparing Gray to challenger

North Valley Review (Facebook). Raising rainbows vs. raising rent.
Synopsis: This online outlet provided an in-depth look at California’s 13^th Congressional District, through the lens of Stockton. The race will be between former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln and incumbent Adam Gray. A big part of the story is Lincoln’s record and close affiliation, since soured, with the 209 Times website. His record on crime and other initiatives is spotty, at best. As the story points out, “Lincoln needed somewhere to run after already benefiting from significant support from the National Republican Congressional Committee.” While Lincoln’s stump speech focuses on his insistence that “I am not a DEI hire,” he has been backed by Laura Loomer and Trump. On the other hand, the story notes Gray’s “long record of support for civil rights and equality initiatives,” but says those issues are “not the centerpiece of his campaign.” Instead, he stresses economic issues, as he pointed out recently in the Washington Post op-ed. The story notes that House Speaker Mike Johnson, desperate for any chance to save his job, will likely spend millions to get Lincoln elected.
MAD Note: One question raised early in this story is Lincoln’s address. Does he live in the district, or not? The last address made public shows him living in North Stockton, in Josh Harder’s CA-9.

Water firm denies being hacked

SJV Water. Iranian-linked hacking group did not breach CalWater billing system, company says.
Synopsis: A day after it was reported that a group of Iranian hackers called Handala had breached the computer systems of three municipal water systems in the Central Valley, the company that handles billing for those cities says it never happened. Probably. California Water Service denied that the billing systems of Bakersfield, Visalia and Chico were breached but added that its investigations are ongoing. “There are no known operational disruptions to our water and wastewater systems, including the billing platform,” said a spokesperson for CWS. “We’re working around the clock to investigate,” said the spokesperson.
MAD Take: Still investigating? Round-the-clock? That denial sounds very, very carefully worded.

Progress for City Schools

Modesto Bee. Year in Review: Conversation with MCS superintendent Vanessa Buitrago. 
Synopsis: Superintendent of schools for a year, Vanessa Buitrago says she values the relationship her staff has developed with the Modesto Teachers Association, even when they’re at odds. While grades and scores are improving, students are not coming up in math quickly enough. Some groups are not advancing as quickly as others, and that troubles her too. She also talked about fiscal challenges confronting the district and the system’s new cellphone ban.

NorCal ticks could be deadly

LA Times. Californian is infected with rare tick-borne illness; what to know about deadly bacteria.
Synopsis: A person from Northern CA has become only the fourth person ever diagnosed with a newly recognized disease carried by ticks. The symptoms of Rickettsia Lanei are similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever – nausea, dehydration, extreme fever. Previous cases were found in CA in 2004 and 2023. The newly infected person became “seriously ill” but is recovering. A CDC report shows the infected person played golf on five different courses over a week. He fell ill and had to be hospitalized for 22 days after three days of deteriorating health. The state would not say where the person lives, where the ticks live or anything else. But scientists have found ticks carrying Rickettsia in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. The first cases of Rickettsia were detected in Sonoma County.

Vicious killer’s parole denied

Modesto Bee. Parole denied for Modesto man convicted in notorious 1979 Ranzo double murder.
Synopsis: Darren Lee was denied parole following a hearing in which Stanislaus Deputy DA Amy Neumann testified he was unsuitable and should not be released. Lee and three accomplices – all teen-agers -- targeted the Ranzo home, where they expected to find money. Phillip Ranzo was tortured before being stabbed to death. Kathryn was tied up then assaulted before being murdered with an ax. In January 2025, the Parole Board voted to grant Lee an elderly-offender parole, but it was reversed.

Violence over the weekend

Modesto Bee. Waterford victim ID’d in homicide investigation, Stanislaus SO says.
Synopsis: Kenneth Rivera-Cruz, 35, has been identified as the victim of a deadly shooting on Quicksilver Street in Waterford early Sunday morning. The Sheriff’s Office is seeking help in the case.

Merced Sun Star. Three arrested after teenager is stabbed at Merced County Fair, sheriff says.
Synopsis: Around 10:10 Sunday night, deputies working the fair were summoned to the carnival area where they found a teen critically injured with stab wounds. The SO arrested Nathaniel Yanez, 26, and two juveniles. Video of the alleged incident are circulating on social media.

Dangerous ‘T’ is fixed

Modesto Bee. How the tricky angle of a Modesto-area intersection has been fixed.
Synopsis: Drivers now have stoplights where Claus Road T’s into Hwy 108 on the edge of Riverbank. For the time being, they’re flashing red so that everyone stops. By Thursday engineers will add green and yellow lights to regulate traffic. The angle at which Claus enters 108 at the top of a hill and apex of a curve has made it especially dangerous.

Zamora takes golden title

Turlock Journal. Turlock’s Zamora claims national Golden Gloves title.
Synopsis: Orlando Zamora competed in the National Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament in Tulsa, going undefeated in 5 matches and winning the golden belt at 121 pounds. The 2024 Turlock High grad has spent the last years training with the US national team and competes now on the USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team. He hopes to turn pro in the coming months.

Fish-kill on newly opened Klamath

KRCR (Redding). Parasites, warm temperatures contributing to juvenile salmon die-off in Klamath River. 
Synopsis: Hundreds of dead and dying juvenile salmon are being found along sections of the Klamath River, as warm water temperatures and parasites have contributed to a fish-kill. Most of the fish are hatchery-raised Chinook. The river’s water is warmer since the removal of four dams on the Klamath. While salmon streamed back up the river to newly accessible spawning grounds, the loss of the dams created shallower conditions on the rivers and allowed the water to warm faster. Warm water is better for parasites, which have always been present but somewhat dormant due to cold water. Warmer water also makes it more difficult for salmon to fend off infections. The impacts are expected to take years to be fully felt.

More turmoil in Avenal

Fresno Bee. Avenal officials condemn threats and racist remarks after recall.
Synopsis: Three Avenal city councilmembers have refused to vacate their seats, insisting they are victims of racial slurs and an illegal recall election. Community members served councilmembers with a civil judicial order requiring them to recognize election results during a meeting Monday. Some members of the community also made comments about burritos and enchilada green sauce. City manager Antony Lopez said those slurs make it clear the recall was “built on hate, not accountability.” The council members say the recall was illegal because it was conducted by Kings County election officials, not the city clerk.

Isabella and her miracle

Westside Connect. New children’s book helps preserve Portuguese faith, culture, traditions for youth.
Synopsis: In her new book, author Angela Costa Simoes tells the story of Queen Isabella and the Miracle of the Roses. She says it is more than legend; it is part of her childhood and community. Simoes tells the “truly uplifting” story in both Portuguese and English.

Understanding the Valley

The Guardian. Welcome to California: Land of plunder and hypocrisy.
Synopsis: Fresno-born Mark Arax takes a close look at the Valley he calls home, talking to those who plunder the water and pollute the air while growing the food the world needs. In a long story, he ventures north over the Pacheco Pass to drop in on Silicon Valley and visit some much-reviled data centers. An excellent and bare-knuckled account of what it means to live and work in our Valley by the author of “The King of California” and “The Dreamt Land.”