Valley Solutions

Sniffing out data center sites

Modesto Bee. Modesto contacted by data center developer; MID says it aims to protect ratepayers. 
Synopsis: Rumors and speculation have been running rampant about data centers locating in the Valley. With good reason. Modesto councilmember Chris Ricci divulged on social media that a company called NorthPoint Development has been reaching out to councilmembers to gauge interest. He asked readers to provide their thoughts and had 319 comments within five hours. Mayor Sue Zwahlen said she agreed to meet with the company, but tasked city staff with developing a review of data-center impacts before the meeting. Councilmember Dave Wright said if a data center brought 200 permanent jobs, he might be interested but would be less so if the number was lower. MID, the region’s electricity provider, said it has been contacted. Reporter Ken Carlson notes that the city of Patterson has invoked a 45-day moratorium on considering data centers.
MAD Note: Data centers need water and cheap power – something they figure they can find in Modesto. But they are not big job generators. A Bing search shows the typical data center employs 5 to 20 people, with the largest employing no more than 50. Meanwhile, they consumed 4% of electrical generation in the entire US last year and will consume 8% by 2030. The centers consume at least an acre-foot (326,850 gallons) per day for cooling computers. So-called “hyper-scale” centers can use 10x that much or 3,650-acre feet in a year. For comparison, a typical 70-acre almond orchard uses 210-acre feet per year. One report from the University of Houston put current water use by centers at 400 billion gallons annually, or 1.2-million-acre feet. That’s about the same as Millerton Lake, Lake Tulloch, Pinecrest and Hetch Hetchy reservoirs combined. By 2030, that will double. So, add all the water in Don Pedro and New Melones every year, too.

What about on fairgounds?

KVPR (Fresno). The company doesn’t call them data centers, but Valley residents are suspicious. 
Synopsis: About 50 people came to a city council meeting in Hanford to voice concerns over plans from Global Stack LLC to build a data center at the county fairgrounds. The company insists it will help communities respond to emergencies. It wants to build 50 centers in fairgrounds across the state, spending $20 million per site. Those in the audience were worried about air pollution, higher electricity bills, loss of water, and more. The city reminded residents that the fairgrounds are a county facility, and the city has no authority. In fact, the city hasn’t even been contacted about a potential data center.

A ‘quiz’ to pick your candidate

Cal Matters. 2026 Voter Guide.
Synopsis: Though filing deadlines for local offices have not yet arrived, Cal Matters is rolling out its 2026 “guide” to voting. It has the basics – tabs for all 14 state props, how to register, which statewide offices and legislative offices are up for grabs, etc. But it also digs deeper, telling us, for instance, that Insurance Commissioner is an important race and offering a “quiz” to see which candidate we match with. There are similar quizzes for the props.
MAD Take: The “quiz” was a great way to figure out that I want to elect both candidates. After answering 7 policy questions, I aligned with Ben Allen on 3 and with Jane Kim on 3. One question left me wanting more options.

Getting to know council candidate

Merced County Times. Zeledon carries perseverance, self-determination in race for District 6 on council. 
Synopsis: Jonathan Whitaker writes about the races taking shape for Merced City Council, including in District 6 where teacher John Bliss and Realtor Yader Zeledon have launched campaigns. So far, incumbent Fue Xiong has not filed papers. If there’s no incumbent, the filing period will close Aug. 12, so other candidates could emerge. Zeledon says he is focused on “safety, growth and livability” but admits he had a troubled youth and was “hanging around the wrong type of peers.” He spent six years in jail after a killing in which he was involved.

Creating propaganda

Modesto Bee. Activists take to the sky to document Stanislaus County dairy conditions.
Synopsis: Reporter Julietta Bisharyan accompanied two men working with Direct Action Everywhere who flew a drone over Agresti Calf Ranch near Keyes. After the ranch owner drove up and confronted them, the two men moved on to Merced County to continue their search for cruelty to animals. Afterward, the reporter describes the drone pilot as racing home to the Bay Area with video to “splice it together.” The story also quotes an email from Sheriff Jeff Dirkse in which he asks a subordinate to “see what you can dig up” on the “folks” planning protests in the area.
MAD Take: Telling only one side of any story sounds suspiciously like creating propaganda – something many people, including other activists, have accused DxE of doing. When journalists tell only one side of a story, they’re doing the same. In this story, there is no mention that Agresti Ranch has been certified for its humane practices. No mention of DxE staging “die-ins” in on the floor of a Turlock grocery store – though the reporter did mention those incidents in previous stories. Likening “environmental violations” to “factory farm conditions” without defining either is incomplete. Why insinuate that Sheriff Dirkse is doing something sinister because he asks for a background report on a group accused of crimes in other jurisdictions? Sounds like Dirkse was just doing his job.  

A safe haven for animals

Merced County Times. Merced welcomes back safe haven for animals. 
Synopsis: Applegate Zoo has reopened with improved areas for beloved bears Missy and Windfall and rescued bobcats Boomer and Bobbie. That bobcat exhibit was updated by UC Merced, naturally, and the Golden Bobcat mascot was on hand to lead cheers. “Today is about celebrating a community that believes that every animal deserves a second chance at life,” said Chris Jensen, director of Parks & Community Services. The city put $2 million into the project, which includes ADA compliant upgrades. Other donors included El Capitan High, the FFA, 4-H, Merced Firefighters Assn, and zoo volunteers.

Lifeguard grateful he could help

CBS13. Teen CA lifeguard ‘grateful’ after rescuing child caught in powerful surf. 
Synopsis: Ryder Williams, the 16-year-old lifeguard who rescued a 10-year-old from powerful waves at Santa Cruz, was matter-of-fact in describing what happened. He saw the child lose his footing in ankle-deep water then followed all the protocols as he advanced to help. He remained calm as several breakers washed over them. As bystanders attempted to enter the water, Williams ordered them to get back but accepted help from another lifeguard. They got the child to safety. Williams then went back to his tower and finished his shift. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,” said Williams. “I’m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues like this every day.” The child was visiting from Dallas. His father was impressed: “(Williams) ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You have 10-foot waves; you have riptides and currents. It’s not safe for him to go into that water. So, he’s risking his own safety.” California employs 600 seasonal lifeguards every summer, and they perform roughly 10,000 rescues every year.

PG&E asks to pick our pockets

SF Chronicle. PG&E wants customers to fund a $26.6 million shareholder reward. 
Synopsis: Reporter Aidin Vaziri writes about PG&E’s request to collect $26.6 million from ratepayers so the investor-owned utility can give it to shareholders. The company insists that by buying low-cost natural gas contracts, it saved ratepayers $170 million and shareholders deserve a share of that. It amounts to 41 cents a month per customer, or about $5. But if PG&E saved so much money, why should the company raise rates at all? Because that’s how the law works. The Public Utilities Commission is considering the request. “PG&E asking for more shareholder money is a bitter pill to swallow the same week that PG&E announced record-breaking quarterly profits,” said Mark Toney of The Utility Reform Network. If you’re going to give them part of the savings for under-spending, he said, then make those same shareholders pay the costs of overspending in other areas.
MAD Take: How come Mark Toney doesn’t have a permanent seat on the CPUC?

Speaking of theft …

Merced Sun Star. Merced County man arrested for stealing diesel fuel from farmers, sheriff says.
Synopsis: Andrew Roggero of El Nido has been arrested for stealing more than 500 gallons of tax-exempt ag diesel in Merced and Madera counties. The red diesel is for off-road use only and mostly is used in farm equipment. Such theft “can disrupt critical farming operations,” said the sheriff’s office.

Merced Sun Star. Merced police arrest two in robbery of homeless man.
Synopsis: From the “how-low-can-you-go” file, a man and woman were arrested after they allegedly stole a bicycle from a homeless man in downtown Merced. The victim called police after his bike was stolen on M Street around 6:50 a.m. Police found a BB gun and Taser-like device on the purported thieves.

How to avoid Yosemite crowds

Modesto Bee. Summer weekend trip with no parking hassle? Train to Yosemite may be best bet. 
Synopsis: Sacramento Bee reporter Camila Pedrosa writes about the Gold Runner train, which will take riders from Sacramento, Stockton or Modesto to Merced where they can then board a bus for a two-hour ride up to Yosemite. Once in the park, there’s a free shuttle service. The train fare ranges from $38 to $54 each way, not counting entry fees to the park. While there are no parking or driving hassles, the bus doesn’t arrive in the park until after 1 p.m. most weekend days.

Dealing with emergencies

Patterson Irrigator. In an emergency, every minute matters; Patterson needs AB 2282. 
Synopsis: Dr. Gurvijay Bains, who is board-certified in emergency treatment and medical director of the Patterson District Ambulance, writes about the need to pass AB 2282. It would allow Rural Emergency Stabilization Care Units to provide emergency diagnosis and treatment in communities without hospitals. Patients could then be transferred more safely to trauma centers. “AB 2282 is not a replacement for a full-service hospital. It is a practical, time-limited step toward expanding access to emergency services while longer-term healthcare infrastructure continues to develop for the West Side,” he wrote. The legislation is being carried by Juan Alanis of Modesto.

The pungent smell of money

Fresno Bee. ‘Garlic everywhere’: Follow pungent plant’s path from Valley to U.S. kitchens. 
Synopsis: Vast amounts of the stinking rose have been grown in the Valley for decades. Much of the harvesting work today is done by machines, but some human effort is required to sort and process the bulbs as they ride a conveyor belt into bins. Spice World takes the bulbs to a processing plant in Coalinga, where they are peeled, chopped, jarred, labeled and shipped. Gilroy has the reputation as the world’s garlic capital, but Coalinga has the actual garlic. Why? The “Central Valley is the best dirt in the nation,” said Andrew Rothgarn of Spice World, who grows 4,000 acres around Fresno. Some $309 million in garlic was grown in Fresno last year.
MAD Take: Just another “factory farm.” What would we do without them?