Valley Solutions

Don’t expect quick results

LA Times. Count for CA governor, LA mayor could be painfully slow; don’t expect instant gratification.
Synopsis: Reporter Grace Toohey begins her story by saying it took “three weeks to call a particularly competitive 2022 House race in CA’s Central Valley, the outcome coming down to a couple of hundred votes.” She uses this example to help California officials explain why counting votes in California takes so long. “We allow people lots of different avenues to vote, and as a result it takes longer to count all the votes,” said a Loyola Marymount professor. “It’s an argument in favor of making sure the process runs correctly – not quickly.” Said one official: “People have to be patient. Instant gratification doesn’t have to run your life.”
MAD Take: The race referenced at the top of this story would be CA 13, and it took four weeks, not three, to determine the winner in 2022. It wasn’t a “couple” of hundred votes, but 564. It was even closer in 2024, when 29 days after the election Adam Gray was declared the winner by 187 votes. He became the last member of Congress to be seated. As for “instant gratification,” elections are not reality shows, their impacts are often profound. So, informing the public whom they have chosen would seem to require more urgency than we see in California. If you want to encourage more people to vote, then tell them the results of their voting more quickly.

Kalshi picks its own winner

Cal Matters. Prediction marketplace Kalshi gives Becerra high odds of winning; they also bet on him.
Synopsis: Online “prediction marketplace” company Kalshi wrote a check for $39,200, sending it to the Xavier Becerra campaign. Kalshi must consider the donation a safe bet, pointing out that he has a 74% chance of becoming governor. The contribution raises an interesting conflict-of-interest question. By donating to a candidate in a race where the company is booking bets, is that putting its thumb on the scale? The CA Clean Money Campaign thinks this practice is wrong.

Merced gets a Mexican market

Merced Sun Star. Latino grocery store ready to open in Merced. 
Synopsis: Vallarta Supermarkets will open its first store in Merced County on June 10, offering entertainment, donations, free samples and more. The store at 851 West Olive will give the first 300 customers a bag filled with groceries, said Allie Garcia. “Each new store represents more than just a place to shop. It’s a place where families can find fresh, high-quality ingredients that celebrate their culture and traditions.” There are 50 of the stores in CA, including two in Modesto. Vallarta employs 175 people, including artist Patricia Pratt, who did the murals.

Bullet-train tracks by June ’27

Fresno Bee. CA High-Speed Rail OKs $3.5B contract that puts laying first tracks on new timeline. 
Synopsis: After more than a decade of building overpasses and platforms, the CA High-Speed Rail Authority is ready to lay its first tracks. The Authority signed a contract with Kiewit, Stacy Witbeck & Herzog to lay the first 22 miles of track from Shafter to the Tulare-Kern line. Work should begin by Nov. 30 and be completed by next summer. Phase 2 will be the 119 miles from Shafter to Madera County. The full, 171-mile route from Merced to Bakersfield is expected to be completed by 2033.

Chickz, Tea, Licky on tap

Merced Sun-Star. 12 new restaurants, stores are coming to Merced. 
Synopsis: Hot drinks from Dunkin Donuts, Bae Tea Coffeehouse and the Joy Tea Bar will soon be on tap for Merced residents. Dunkin is from Boston, but the others feature brews from Yemen and Vietnam. Hope you’re hungry for chicken. Angry Chickz will bring spicy wings and drumsticks to Merced, and Pollo Campero is going to open downtown offering chicken and yucca fries. Raising Cane’s is expected to eventually open at the Marketplace. Don’t forget the new Poki Bowl. Dokidoki will offer Japanese yakitori and ramen. For dessert, you’ve got Licky’s Ice Cream and Menchie’s froyo.

Diablo Grande water details

SJV Water. Kern agency releases details of deal to keep taps flowing to homes near Patterson. 
Synopsis: The deal to keep the water flowing to 600 homes in Diablo Grande west of Patterson also erased a $14 million debt the Kern County Water Agency claimed it was owed. Under the deal, KCWA will make 1,500-acre feet available to Diablo Grande each year. If it’s not all used, the Western Hills Water Agency will get a credit. By erasing the debt, KCWA will gain control of 4,800-acre feet of water being banked in Kern County. Diablo Grande residents are paying around $600 a month for water, which is eventually expected to drop to $400 a month.

Stopping vapers in Turlock

Modesto Bee. More than 40 vape devices confiscated at Turlock Junior High this school year. 
Synopsis: Dozens of vaping devices and cartridges were confiscated during the past school year at Turlock JHS. The message is clear: “Parents and guardians: Check your kids.” There were additional confiscations after the photo was taken, said Turlock PD spokesperson Dominique Roton. Vape applicators are, in effect, drug delivery devices for nicotine, THC and other controlled substances.

Taking aim at ag monopolies

Morning Ag Clips. Op-Ed: Farm Bill, progress or more of the same?
Synopsis: Bill Bullard, CEO of the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, is a fierce critic of America’s livestock industry. He has been pointing out for several years now that the industry is now dominated by four companies – aka, The Big Four – who have driven all of the smaller slaughterhouses and many ranches out of business. It started in the 1980s when a deregulated industry allowed complete vertical integration of the business, from pasture to packaging. Every 5 years Congress rewrites its Farm Bill to “supposedly ensure America’s farmers and ranchers can continue producing an abundant and affordable supply of wholesome food.” Since 1981, those Farm Bills have laid the foundation for monopolistic control under the guise of “deregulation.” The 2026 Farm Bill could be different, but “it won’t be easy. Those influential forces will fight vehemently to prevent needed market transparency.” He wants country-of-origin labeling and “procurement” reforms to reinstate competition. He also wants incentives to enlarge America’s herds. “Now is the time to call your US senators. Tell them to be bold.”

Successful Farming / Farmdoc. Concentration & Monopoly Pricing: What economics tells us. 
Synopsis: A host of media outlets have written stories about what economists call “monopoly pricing,” or the ability of a few firms to control what consumers pay. The best examples are found in the price of fertilizer, consolidation in the meatpacking industry, and price-fixing for farm inputs. All of these harmful activities depend on three things: 1) barriers to market entry, not the number of firms; 2) governmental barriers such as tariffs or high regulatory fees; 3) lost production when monopolies are challenged. Monopolies always result in a “disproportionate impact on the poor.”

Candidate caught in resume lie

GV Wire. ABC30 exposes Alvarado’s lies about work history ahead of FCOE election.
Synopsis: Dr. Johnny Alvarado was placed on paid leave from Parlier Unified and didn’t simply retire from the district, as he has stated. ABC30’s Gabe Ferris made the initial report and confronted Alvarado, who is running to become Fresno County’s superintendent of schools. Alvarado said his response to Ferri wasn’t entirely truthful. His opponents were quick to point out that Alvarado lacked transparency.

Seeking justice in Modesto

Modesto Bee. Modesto triple-murder suspect pleads not guilty as grieving family packs courtroom. 
Synopsis: Joaquin Escoto, 28, pleaded not guilty before Judge Robert Westbrook in the murders of Maria Siliva Villalobos, Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez and 2-week-old Mateo Gonzalez. Some 30 people were in the courtroom for a hearing lasting only a few minutes. Judge Dawna Reeves will conduct the trial, which could become a death-penalty case. Meanwhile, surviving family members appeared in court and also conducted taco sales to help pay for the burial of their loved ones. “I just hope that God gives us strength to keep going,” said the sister and aunt of the victims.

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County mother will stand trial for murder in DUI crash death of daughter. 
Synopsis: Judge Valli Israels found sufficient evidence to continue the trial of Juliette Acosta on eight counts, ranging from driving while intoxicated to child endangerment to second-degree murder. She drove her car into a canal near Hickman after drinking, resulting in the death of her 4-year-old daughter, whom she left strapped in a car seat. Her attorney called it a tragic mistake, not murder.

Fresno cracks down on gangs

Fresno Bee. 69 gang members arrested, 73 guns seized after two-month Central CA operation.
Synopsis: Fresno Sheriff John Zanoni said his office targeted 44 people in a two-month investigation, getting 42 of them. There were another 27 bonus arrests as law enforcement also scooped up 73 firearms, 55 pounds of meth, 3 pounds of cocaine and 10 grams of fentanyl. Zanoni said the investigation found a “concerning level of involvement by juvenile Sureno gang members in violent crimes and firearms trafficking.” The youngest arrested was 14.

No shame for diaper dandies

Modesto Bee. Stop body-shaming Donald Trump; he’s in perfect health. 
Synopsis: Columnist Stephanie Finucane takes aim at all those folks making fun of our president for his underclothing. Yes, he’s borderline obese and no one else’s hand turns purple from shaking, but otherwise he seems healthy … enough. All that bulk in his clothing isn’t fat, but bulletproof adult diapers. But diapers are nothing more than hygiene products worn by a lot of adults and no cause for ridicule. “To sum up, nearly everything about Trump’s presidency stinks – except for his (alleged) diapers.”