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.

Vaccines keep Valley strong

Merced Focus. Amid federal moves to cut vaccine uptake, kindergarten immunization rates remain high. 
Synopsis: Back on Aug. 10, Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding the CDC change its recommending for childhood immunizations. But in CA, 95% of all kids enrolled in kindergarten for the first time had all 10 state-mandated vaccines. “Are we following CDC guidelines?” asked Dr. Elaine Soriano of Golden Valley Health Center rhetorically. “No, we’re not.” She said science proves that “vaccines are highly effective, so why settle for less?” In the Valley, people trust their providers. And those relationships lead to better health outcomes. In the past, said one pediatrician, anyone who spoke against vaccines exhibited “a lack of education. Now it’s miseducation.”
MAD Take. It would be nice to believe California is defying the CDC and better protecting its children. But the 10 vaccinations required by CA are extremely similar to the list currently recommended by the CDC under RFK’s guidelines. The biggest difference is Hepatitis B and flu. CA requires both. Many CA parents also choose to have children vaccinated for RSV, COVID-19 and meningococcal disease which RFK Jr. had removed from the CDC list.

28 Days to election …

Valley Citizen. Time to end Janice Keating’s fake grievance tour at MID. 
Synopsis: Publisher Eric Caine calls Mike Moradian a common-sense candidate campaigning to bring common-sense decision making back to Modesto Irrigation District. That stands in stark contrast to Division 1 incumbent Janice Keating, who is running for re-election. As Moradian put it: “Janice Keating ran on promises to control expenses. Instead, she’s become a cost.” He’s referring to the cost of lawsuits and the money spent to investigate “Keating’s fake grievances.” Worse is Keating’s decision to protect Larry Byrd from the consequences of moving district water to land he farms outside the district. Her vote ended the district’s investigation, though it was later taken up by the District Attorney.  

Stocktonia. Your 2026 Voter Guide: What to know about local, state races. 
Synopsis: Ballots are being mailed, but how you return them is important. Trump’s post office originally refused to deliver ballots in CA, but the Supreme Court reversed that decision. Still, many county registrars of voters recommend voters fill out ballots early and put them in drop boxes. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 19. The story provides a look at races in San Joaquin County, including the three congressional districts that touch Stockton. Escalon, the county’s second-smallest city, is in a different district – meaning San Joaquin has four different representatives in Congress.

GV Wire. Fury erupts in CA after Trump suggests Iran ‘take out’ LA or San Diego.
Synopsis: CA leaders condemned Donald Trump’s weird, scary suggestion that Iran “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego. His comments drew laughs from a crowd in Nebraska as Trump tried to justify his attack on Iran. Trump said the attack was needed to forestall development of Iran’s nuclear weapons – an assertion even his own administration does not confirm. No one in CA is laughing. Gavin Newsom called Trump “deranged and dangerous.” The mayor of San Diego told Trump, “Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.” Xavier Becerra said the lives of Californians are not an appropriate “punchline.” Alex Padilla wondered how Trump got Nebraskans to “cheer for an attack on our own country.”

Mayor reprimanded, not censured

Modesto Bee. Patterson mayor avoids censure, alleges policy violations by other council members. 
Synopsis: The Patterson city council voted 3-1 to reprimand – but not censure – Mayor Michael Clauzel last week. The mayor, who is a San Francisco Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, accused his opponents on the council of disseminating “exaggerated statements, misinformation, or politically motivated efforts to damage my reputation.” Censure required a 4-0 vote, but the motion failed 2-2 when Chinyere Jack and Gabriela Hernandez voted no. But one councilmember took issue with Clauzel’s contention that other councilmembers also violate city rules. Councilmember Kendra Mora said, “We as a council are not under investigation here, Mayor Clauzel is.” Hernandez, who is running against Clauzel, added: “This investigation was not created because of an election. It arose from employee complaints dating back to the year 2024 to currently 2026.”

Gas prices still going up

Merced Sun Star. How gas prices have changed in Merced in the last week. 
Synopsis: The price of gas is $6.31 a gallon in Merced, according to AAA. That’s a little below the CA average of $6.38, but up 9 cents from a week ago and $1.80 from a year ago. It’s also approaching the highest price ever -- $6.44 in 2022. Diesel is selling for $8.27 a gallon, up a penny from last week and $3.06 from 2025. Gas and diesel prices have nearly doubled since January when Donald Trump began bombing Iran which retaliated by choking off oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Farmers feeling gloomy

Ag Economy Barometer. Farmer sentiment drops as concerns about input cost increase. 
Synopsis: The Purdue-CME Ag Economy Barometer index dropped 8 points (or 6%) in August as the cost of farming materials increased. A record 52% of farmers chose “higher input costs” as the reason behind their lowered expectations. Only 22% of farmers feel their operation will be better off next year than this year, with 35% saying they will be worse off a year from now. When asked if “things in the US are generally headed in the right direction” a higher number chose “wrong track” than “right track” for the first time in the past two years. In January, 75% of farmers said the nation was on the right track; now 44% say it is on the right track and 48% say it is on the wrong track. Most of those participating in the monthly poll are in the Midwest.

It’s not all about storage

Ag Net West. Dave Puglia: Water, automation could shape CA agriculture’s future. 
Synopsis: In Part 2 of their conversation with Western Growers CEO Dave Puglia, Ag Net West interviewers asked about automation and water storage. The state, as always, needs more places to put water, said Puglia. But water storage isn’t the whole story, he said. We also need to develop better ways to operate water systems so deliveries become more reliable. He also brought up Reservoir Farms, which is where Western Growers and others develop and test new technology for fields and orchards.

Vast mine proposed along river

Fresno Bee. Mining company wants to blast 600-foot hole near SJ River north of Fresno; locals worry.
Synopsis: Mexico-based CEMEX has applied to dig a 600-foot-deep gravel mine along the San Joaquin River on North Friant Road. The pit will require blasting through hard rock and moving massive amounts of soil. Critics say noise, air and water pollution will hurt the river. The company says it has submitted its plans for blasting, traffic, water management and other potential environmental impacts to the county for evaluation. Neil Thompson, with the San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust, offered a graphic showing the Golden Gate Bridge fitting entirely within the proposed pit.

Water exiting Lake Oroville

Active NorCal. Why CA’s second-largest reservoir is falling faster than usual this year.
Synopsis: Lake Oroville has dropped 145 feet in the last five months and sits at 47% of total capacity. In May it was at 99%. Much of the water has been used for environmental and irrigation purposes. Reservoir levels are falling roughly 18 inches a day since in preparation for this year’s expected El Niño rainfall.

Protecting SJ cities from flood

Comstock’s. The work beneath the waterline.
Synopsis: Say flood, and people think of raging rivers and rising water. Darren Suen knows better. More dangerous in the Valley are soggy holes, or boils, forming behind levees. They can undermine entire sections, allowing floods into cities and neighborhoods. But they are preventable. Suen’s SJ Area Flood Control Agency is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers on a $2 billion flood-protection effort to reduce risk in and around Stockton – considered the most flood-vulnerable area in the nation. The project involves a JPA between the Corps, Lathrop, Stockton, Manteca and SJ County. The project includes flood gates and dryland levees west of Manteca.

Memory Care facility closing down

Merced Focus. Los Banos memory care center to close within weeks, sends eviction notices to residents.
Synopsis: Valley Spring Memory Care, which has 20 residents and has been in operation since 2022, will be closed by month’s end. The CA Dept of Social Services issued an “intent-to-close” notice on Sept. 8 after documenting ongoing regulatory violations. In its first two years of operation, the facility got no citations. Starting in 2025, problems emerged and a staff member was put on administrative leave then fired. This year there have been six “Type A” violations – considered the most serious. It is the second-largest memory-care facility in Los Banos.

Tragedy on Valley roads

Modesto Bee. Motorcyclist using road shoulder near Waterford to speed past vehicles crashes, dies.
Synopsis: A motorcyclist who rode around slower traffic by passing on the shoulder of Yosemite Blvd near Waterford on Sunday night died after crashing his Harley-Davidson. His passenger was severely injured. The CHP found Kristopher Cooper, 48, dead at Hwy 132 and Geer Road. His passenger, Tara Goldman, was critically injured.

ABC30. Minivan collides with horse, rider in Merced County.
Synopsis: A blue minivan traveling on Santa Fe in the predawn darkness Monday hit a man on a horse who was attempting to cross the road. Another driver pulled over and stood in the middle of the road waving her cellphone to alert other drivers that the rider was in the middle of the road. Nearby, the horse was also down. The rider was taken to the hospital in critical condition; the horse was euthanized.

Halloween house destroyed

KCRA. Fire destroys Modesto home known for haunted house; displaces family of four. 
Synopsis: Fires destroyed a home on Phoenix Avenue, leaving the family homeless and heartbroken. Well known for its holiday decorations, this year the family planned to remember their mother, grandmother and aunt who passed last month. A family member said children living there were “having a barbecue that got out of control.” As firefighters arrived, the fire was spreading to houses on either side. In all, nine engines responded, said Chief Ruben Esparza.