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.

ICE raids are ‘egregious’

GV Wire. ICE is bigger threat to Fresno public safety than undocumented immigrants. 
Synopsis: Bill McEwen roars with indignation over the “egregious” ICE raids that are “being rightfully criticized by our city’s Republican mayor.” McEwen rails at the “Fear of unlawful detention by poorly trained, Constitution-shredding, thuggish ICE agents sends a chill through our neighborhoods. Children stop going to school. Construction sites shut down. Families avoid anyplace that might be in ICE crosshairs.” He also calls out David Valadao, who offered a tepid defense of ICE. It’s not criminals that ICE is chasing, but easy arrests to meet their quota. “ICE officials and agents lie nearly every time their lips move.”
MAD Take: Required reading for anyone pledging allegiance to our Republic and who enjoys great writing.

Fresno Bee. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer condemns ‘disturbing’ ICE activity targeting immigrants. 
Synopsis: Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is frustrated with ICE’s tactics. “It is both concerning and disturbing,” Dyer said while attending the Nisel Farmers League press conference. He is especially upset that Trump has set a quota for deportations. Deportation should be reserved for criminals, not workers. He said ICE’s actions have an entire “community living in fear. … It’s unnecessary and unacceptable.” And he asked: “Is that really what we voted for in America?” The video of a man arrested in front of his crying child was unacceptable.

Fox26. False ICE claims and AI images spur Big Fresno Fair to issue public statement.
Synopsis: Perhaps spurred by low ticket sales, the Big Fresno Fair said Sunday there have been no confirmed sightings of ICE agents at the fair. Images showing arrests were AI-generated and false. “The Big Fresno Fair has always been a place where people of all backgrounds and cultures come together to celebrate the traditions and diversity that make our Central Valley so special.”

Agent gets shot, then arrested

Fresnoland. Off-duty ICE agent shot during altercation; arrested on suspicion of assault. 
Synopsis: A federal agent from Texas was shot early Friday morning after he attacked members of the family who confronted him when they found him sleeping on their lawn. David Gonzalez, an off-duty ICE agent, was found on the lawn by a woman arriving at the home she shares with her father. She alerted her father, 72, who went outside and told him to leave. Instead, Gonzalez is accused of assaulting the man. When his daughter tried to intervene, he attacked her. The father then pulled a gun and fired once. The daughter’s boyfriend, an off-duty police officer, arrived soon after and cuffed Gonzalez.

GV Wire. Fresno police square off with ICE over arrested agent. 
Synopsis: Fresno police refused to release an arrested ICE agent to other ICE agents early Friday morning at Community Regional Medical Center. The confrontation was described “as an intense showdown” between the PD and ICE. But the police held firm. “It’s unprecedented that a federal agency was trying to exit their agent … and lose him in the system so we can’t hold him accountable,” said councilmember Miguel Arias. Councilmember Mike Karbassi called on ICE to leave the Central Valley and added that agents “must be held accountable” for breaking the law.

22 Days left to vote

LA Times. Take a breath; educate yourself; then vote. 
Synopsis: Venerable columnist George Skelton urges people not to be daunted by the hefty “Official Voter Information Guide” sent to every household. “It’s jam-packed with helpful material. But one bit should be totally ignored.” It repeatedly tells folks to fill out their ballots “today,” and return them right away. Nope. It takes effort to figure out all these props -- especially when you must read between the lines. And some of the low-profile props are “mind-numbing.” Still, “a lot can happen in the last month.” As George concludes, “It’s my duty not only to vote, but to try to get it right.”

Turlock Journal. Reape, Bublak come out on top at debate. 
Synopsis: Joe Cortez writes about last week’s mayoral debate in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Stan State. Two candidates clearly stood out – Mayor Amy Bublak and planning commissioner Jim Reape. In a random poll of eight who attended, most were impressed with Reape; others prefer Bublak. None mentioned Kelley Coelho.

Valley Citizen. Data Center Bogeyman? Don’t expect Janice Keating to save you. 
Synopsis: Eric Caine writes about Janice Keating’s dedication to keeping data centers out of Modesto. “That’s all well and good – most everyone is opposed to data centers these days,” says Eric. But MID has absolutely no jurisdiction over where data centers are built. That’s up to the city or county. Of far greater importance is Keating’s “bizarre attacks” on Robert Frobose. And the fact she’s been censured for abuse of MID staff. Then there’s that vote against proceeding with an investigation into director Larry Byrd’s misappropriation of MID water. That entire episode is being investigated by the Stanislaus DA and the Fair Political Practices Commission. And why is it that most of Keating’s campaign donations have come from eastside farmers – people outside her district?

Modesto Focus. Modesto City Council candidates’ personalities show debating data centers, Flock, more.
Synopsis: Incumbents Eric Alvarez and Jeremiah Williams feel they have the city of Modesto on the right track. Juan Telles and Jared Sylvia disagree. Both Alvarez and Williams are fine with license-plate readers (aka, Flock cameras), both want the city to grow (even into Wood Colony). The challengers both believe Modesto could do better, are uncomfortable with cameras and want the city’s facemask ban for public protests repealed. Nick Bavaro is also up for re-election, but he is unopposed.

Madera Tribune. Candidates Forum held at Farm Bureau. 
Synopsis: Candidates for Congress, the state senate, assembly, supervisor and even Chowchilla mayor all gathered at the Will Gill Pavilion last week. Christina Beckstead of the Madera Farm Bureau moderated. Most of the story concerns the race between Democrat Jaron Brandon, who noted rural areas have not been served by either party, and Republican Alexandra Duarte, who said she wants to bring down costs.

Democrats on their own

Modesto Bee. Central Valley Democratic candidates criticize party’s lack of investment in rural areas. 
Synopsis: State senate candidate Jaron Brandon and Michael Masuda, running for Congress, appeared together at a town hall in Modesto last Thursday. While they made the case against their Republican opponents, they also criticized their own party. Masuda said the state’s Democratic Party chair “will not give us the time of day.” The town hall drew about 50 people.

Wildly different candidates

GV Wire. Valadao and Villegas couldn’t be further apart; the stakes for CA 22 are huge. 
Synopsis: For a change, the contrast between candidates could not be more stark. Voters in CA-22 will choose between Randy Villegas, a full-blown liberal, and David Valadao, a Trump apologist. This is the greatest contrast “I’ve ever seen between two candidates with a legitimate chance of winning,” writes Bill McEwen. Valadao tried to blame Democrats for the high gas and ignored the killing of school kids in Iran. Villegas hammered away at the extremist policies of the Trump regime. The clearest break is in their reaction to ICE arrests. Valadao hews to the party line about detaining the worst of the worst – which McEwen fact-checks by pointing out that 71% of all those detained have no arrest record. Villegas calls ICE’s very presence in the Valley an outrage. McEwen then points out an interesting irony: Mike Johnson’s Congressional Leadership Fund actually backed Villegas because Valadao thought Villegas would be easier to beat. Oops.

Sheriff praises Flock surveillance

Stocktonia. Calls to banish Flock license-plate cameras are ‘crap,’ San Joaquin sheriff says. 
Synopsis: Sheriff Patrick Withrow, like many in law enforcement, loves the Flock cameras. He calls them “the best tool we have in law enforcement,” adding that calls for getting rid of them are “crap.” He attributed the county’s 20% drop in property crime to the cameras. Stockton police chief Stanley McFadden also defended the cameras recently, saying they helped his detectives solve robberies, carjackings and violent crimes. But USA Today reports that at least 19 law enforcement staffers in five states have been arrested, fired or disciplined for misusing Flock cameras – including one in Stockton. Withrow said his deputies “don’t’ have time” to abuse the system. And if they do, the “price to pay (is) losing their job.” Stockton has 120 Flock cameras.
MAD Note: Patrick Withrow is the brother of Stanislaus Supervisor Terry Withrow.

Three projects to help salmon

Modesto Bee. Three more projects benefit Tuolumne salmon; one eases west Modesto flood risk. 
Synopsis: Salmon will find additional spawning areas in a 25-acre floodplain – and former landfill -- near the Carpenter Road Bridge in west Modesto. It was funded by a $2.1 million state grant and will help protect a neighborhood flooded in 1997. Other grant money was used to provide flood protection near La Grange. The Carpenter Road project is being directed by River Partners and will “allow the Tuolumne to meander more naturally” providing cover for young salmon so they can avoid non-native predators such as bass.

Tragic weekend on Valley roads

Modesto Bee. Second of two girls struck in Modesto crosswalk Friday night dies.
Synopsis: The second of two girls struck in a crosswalk on Coffee Road near Downey High on Friday night died Sunday. Niciole Cotzoujay, 15, clung to life Saturday after her friend Camila Mendoza Magallon died at the scene. The girls were attending a football game. GoFundMe pages were established to pay for their funerals. “Just 7 days before this tragedy, we were celebrating Nicole’s 15^th birthday.” Police provided first aid until EMS workers arrived. “Camila was an amazing daughter and sister, deeply loved by everyone fortunate enough to know her,” wrote her family. Modesto City Schools’s Vanessa Buitrago said counseling will be available for students this week. The driver remained at the scene and police do not suspect drugs or alcohol were involved.

Modesto Bee. Turlock e-motorcyclist, 14, struck and killed; county’s 10^th major crash of the month. 
Synopsis: A 14-year-old boy was killed Saturday when he rode his e-bike into a vehicle on Tokay Avenue near Old Vineyard Road. Police provided first-aid until EMS arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators. “This tragedy is also an important reminder for parents and guardians about the very real risks associated with e-motos and similar high-powered electric vehicles,” the Turlock Police said. There have been 10 traffic-related deaths in Stanislaus County in October.

Modesto Bee. CHP: Motorcyclist dies after collision with Caltrans truck between Atwater, Merced.
Synopsis: A motorcyclist was killed between Atwater and Merced on Hwy 99 after he ran into a Caltrans vehicle flashing warnings that the right lane was closed. The CHP responded around 11 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a crash on Hwy 99 north of the Atwater Merced Expressway.

KCRA. Motorcycle rider dies on Hwy 132 in Stanislaus County.
Synopsis: A rider was killed Saturday on Hwy 132 near Roberts Ferry. The CHP said he was traveling at an unsafe speed and failed to negotiate a right-hand curve in the road. He was from Columbia.

All bets are off for robber

Modesto Bee. Modesto bank robbery suspect tracked to casino after fleeing city. 
Synopsis: Robert Vincent Mendez was arrested six hours after police say he robbed the downtown Modesto branch of the Bank of Stockton. He was also linked to a bank robbery in Turlock two days prior. Apparently, he escaped by hailing a ride-share service. Police caught up with the car, but Mendez had already gotten out. He was subsequently identified and tracked to the Chicken Ranch Casino near Sonora where security helped take him into custody. His distinctive tattoos tied to the Turlock robbery. Mendez has a history of robbing banks in Washington and Oregon where he spent time in prison.
MAD Take: Robbed a lot of banks but apparently hasn’t gotten any better at it.