Valley Solutions

Finding a bear in a tree

ABC30. Century-old Merced courthouse redwood reborn as bear sculpture. 
Synopsis: A diseased redwood has been turned into a work of art in Courthouse Park. Artist Tommy McCarty Jr. took a 10-foot piece of the park’s last redwood and used his talent and chainsaws to turn it into a statue of a bear. The city knew it had to remove the diseased tree but decided to create something lasting in its place. The massive redwood measured 5 feet at its base. McCarthy needed a couple of days to trim it down before beginning his transformation. The work drew a lot of attention from folks in the park, and not just from the noise. One person suggested putting a fence around it to protect it. 

Valley’s tunnels to nowhere

Merced Focus. Are Chowchilla’s underground tunnels part of history, or just legend?
Synopsis: When pizzeria owner Damarya Moody checked the basement of his new building in Chowchilla, he found some hollows in the walls. The basement was once connected to a network of tunnels that connected several buildings and businesses in the community. “It was never a large amount of tunnels,” said Chris Thomas of the Chowchilla Historical Society. “Basically, it was a system underneath the buildings fronting Robertson Boulevard from Second down to Third.” Might have had something to do with Prohibition or maybe a convenient way to move products and people without having to go out into the heat or rain. In the decades since the tunnels fell out of use, most have been filled in and plastered over and look like basements – with a history.

Kratom’s impact on a brain?

Modesto Bee. What are kratom products and why are Stanislaus shops not supposed to sell them?
Synopsis: Kratom is a mildly psychoactive substance derived from a plant common in Southeast Asia and used in teas and small doses to improve mood. It arrived in the US a year ago and was sold in products marketed in neighborhoods where the people were familiar with it. Now, it’s caught on more widely and is being sold across the country. That worries folks in Modesto. As it became more popular, the amount of drug or dose was increased in many products. Last month the CDC reported a “massive increase” in adverse impacts. Small doses can act as a stimulant; higher doses have the opposite effect. Consuming too much can induce vomiting, sweating and accelerate heart rates. More than 500 people have been hospitalized due to kratom use and six deaths have been tied to the products. Stanislaus does not yet have a law against the products, but people in the medical and law enforcement communities are recommending something similar to what has been passed in Fresno.

Rodeo coming to Merced

Merced County Times. ‘Best of the Best’ professional rodeo coming to the fair. 
Synopsis: Merced will welcome its first-ever Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assn event at the Merced County Fair on June 12-13. “We’re talking elite cowboys and cowgirls competing on a national level in bull riding, steer wrestling, saddle-bronc riding, bareback and tie-down roping” writes Editor Jon Whitaker. Flying U Rodeo will provide the bucking stock and there will be a downtown community festival tied to the event, said Doug Aue of the Merced Western Heritage Foundation. A kickoff celebration will be June 6 at Bob Hart Square.

Shot 7 times, still in custody

Modesto Bee. Man shot by ICE in Patterson to stay in custody through weekend pending hearing. 
Synopsis: The man shot seven times by ICE agents in Patterson and then charged with assaulting officers with his car will remain in custody at least until next week. US Magistrate Judge Allison Claire ordered Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez released on bail Tuesday, but stayed her order until prosecutors have time to appeal. Hernandez, who underwent several surgeries last week, is being held in the Yuba County jail. Hernandez was on his way to work when stopped on I-5 by ICE on April 7. Agents ordered him out of his car; when he did not exit, they smashed his window and drew their guns, according to the FBI. That’s when Hernandez tried to drive away, hitting the vehicle in front of him.

Making Stanislaus a priority

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County ranked top priority for state pesticide air monitoring. 
Synopsis: The CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation is expanding air monitoring in Stanislaus County, testing for fumigants, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and organophosphates. Stanislaus ranks behind Tulare County as a priority, along with San Joaquin, Siskiyou and Imperial counties. Five of the eight specific areas scheduled for monitoring are clustered near Modesto -- Bret Harte, Bystrom, Parklawn, Rouse and the Airport neighborhood. The others are Westley, Denair and Hickman. The CDPR also has monitoring sites in Merced, Fresno, Kern, Monterey, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The department studied three areas of Stanislaus County in 2024 – Monterey Park Tract, Grayson and Hughson – but found airborne concentrations well below safety thresholds.
MAD Note: The story describes a “Population Characteristics” score developed by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to determine where it will look for pesticide problems. But it doesn’t say what the department expects to find. It says this monitoring “represents a major step forward,” but a step forward toward what? Are residents in danger? Is that danger greater than that found in communities with existing networks? Is there data showing a greater incidence of airborne disease or poisoning here? Where? The story ends by saying the public can provide comment through May 11 to determine what the agency should be looking at and where. Doesn’t the state know? 

Stockton OKs center for teens

Stocktonia. Historic church to be transformed into health center for teens, young adults. 
Synopsis: Stockton will create a facility specifically for teens and young adults in the abandoned Ebenezer AME Church at Weber Avenue and Stanislaus Street. Operated by Community Medical Centers, the nonprofit will offer primary care, behavioral health, dental care, substance-abuse treatment and other services. Dr. Vanessa Armendariz will lead the project, saying it will tackle the most vexing problems for young people – from substance abuse to birth-control counseling.

AI news, good and bad

SF Chronicle. Jeremy Renner invests in AI public-safety company following Tahoe accident. 
Synopsis: Modesto-born actor Jeremy Renner announced Wednesday that he is investing in RapidSOS, an artificial-intelligence app that shares crucial information with 911 and first-responders in emergency situations. “There’s 150 people that are responsible for me not dying,” said Renner of his life-threatening accident three years ago near Reno. “I’ll always be in debt to them … And that’s why I’m a part of this company, because I think it’ll help them do their jobs more efficiently, better.” He’s made a video, coming out April 29, about the experience. RapidSOS uses data from smartphones, buildings and wearable devices to provide real-time information as they respond to emergencies.

SF Chronicle. Snapchat CEO lays off 1,000, citing ‘rapid advancements’ in AI.
Synopsis: Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, said it will lay off 1,000 employees – or 16% of its entire workforce – because AI can do their jobs as well or better. CEO Evan Spiegel said the layoffs were necessary to increase velocity and “better support our community, partners and advertisers.” The company said 65% of its new code is now AI generated.

What grows on trees?

CA Ag Net. Almond Board releases market update. 
Synopsis: The Almond Board of CA and Blue Diamond released their “position reports,” saying growers shipped 258 million pounds of nuts – an increase of 16.5% year-over-year. Domestic shipping is also ahead of last year by 1.9%. Export markets are the primary driver, with 39.2 million pounds sent to India and 4 million pounds to China, a 123% increase over last year when tariffs first hit. Shipments to Vietnam reached 5.6 million pounds. Even shipments to Europe are running 7% ahead of last year.
MAD Take: In the five counties that make up the Northern San Joaquin Valley, growing almonds is a $4 billion business. It’s worth more when you count revenue from putting them in bins, bags and cans.

Ag Net West. Cherry industry faces rising costs, market pressure and earlier harvest window. 
Synopsis: Grower Mike Jameson of Morada spoke to Ag Net interviewers, saying the fresh-fruit market is more competitive than it’s ever been. “There used to be about 100 items in the produce section – now there’s about 500. It’s a very difficult challenge.” He says California cherries are the best – “bigger fruit, firmer fruit, better flavor,” but weather still has an enormous impact on the product.
MAD Note: Cherries are a big deal in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, worth over $300 million in 2024.

What does Merced really need?

Merced Sun-Star. Which chains do Merced residents want the most? This grocery store tops list.
Synopsis: According to a Sun-Star poll, answered by roughly 40 people, Merced needs a Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s says the city just isn’t big enough to justify opening a store. Normally, it opens only in cities of 100,000 or larger. Merced would need to grow by 9% to reach that goal. The respondents also want a Chick-fil-A and Dave’s Hot Chicken. There’s been talk of opening a Chick-fil-A in Merced for years, but it hasn’t yet materialized with city officials saying it’s tied to the arrival of high-speed rail.
MAD Take: High-speed rail? So, we can expect a Chick-fil-A by 2040? 2000-and-Never?

It’s more than just a tent

SF Chronicle. Yosemite is getting a new glamping site with 71 safari-style tent cabins. 
Synopsis: An 85-acre campground close to the Hwy 120 entrance to Yosemite at Big Oak Flat will offer a new form of glamor-camping in safari-style tents. It’s has been established by a Colorado-based company, Under Canvas, to lure campers who desire more amenities than might otherwise be found in a National Park campground. Each tent sleeps up to four in cots on wood floors and protected by heavy canvas. Each has a private bathroom and even cellphone chargers. There’s a communal fire pit and a café tent, too. The company will start taking reservations today, for $314 a night. A similar campground opened at the Mariposa entrance last year.

Help asked tunnel victim

SF Chronicle. Mother of two killed in Northern CA tunnel collapse at Canyon Tunnel Project.
Synopsis: Twyla Capurro was the 35-year-old geologist who died when a rock fell in the tunnel under construction near Knights Ferry. The story describes more than 30 emergency workers responding to the rock-fall, with crews working non-stop to recover her body. The young woman lived in Coulterville with her fiancé and two small boys. A GoFundMe page has been created to support her two children.