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.

‘Gray is a Builder’ says Bloc

Business Insider Solutions. Builders Bloc names top 10 “Builders” running for Congress. 
Synopsis: Two weeks before the election, the Builders Block and Builders Index has scored congressional candidates based on integrity, problem-solving, voting records and commitment to truthfulness, freedom and opportunity. Adam Gray was among 10 legislators -- five Democrats, five Republicans – to earn the group’s endorsement. “By looking critically at what candidates say and do, regardless of party, we can see who truly defends the values that make our nation exceptional,” said Daniel Lubetzky, founder of Builders Bloc. “We’re equipping voters – especially independents – to tell the difference between candidates who are solving problems for the American people and those who are dividing us for power.” The Bloc rated Gray 20 points higher than his opponent in CA13. Along with Gray, the group endorsed Tom Suozzi of New York. Gray and Suozzi formed the “Promise to America” coalition this year.

Office of Adam Gray: Golden Valley vs. Merced High coin toss with Congressman Gray.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray was asked to toss the coin for the game between Golden Valley High and Merced High last week. Gray graduated from Golden Valley in 1996 and later Friday attended the 30^th reunion for both schools. Merced won 55-7, claiming the “Mayor’s Cup” for the 21^st time. In a row.

DOJ admits list is ‘not perfect’

KVPR. Some on DOJ’s 20,000 ‘likely’ noncitizen list appear to be US-born. 
Synopsis: The Trump Dept of Justice is demanding that California take the unprecedented step of segregating ballots cast by 20,000 people the department says are “likely” non-citizens. But an initial review by state and local officials shows the federal list is “unreliable” and includes some people born in the US. That revelation was contained in court filings submitted Tuesday as the state responded to a Trump lawsuit meant to muddy the Nov. 3 election. “At best, this (federal) litigation is a reckless political stunt,” the state wrote in its filing. “At worst, it threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Californians in this election.” Acting Deputy AG Trent McCotter admitted there were likely errors in his list: “We’re not perfect.”

Cal Matters. Trump’s crackdown on immigrant voting in CA is a ploy to influence elections. 
Synopsis: Dan Walters, no fan of state agencies, takes aim at unproven claims coming out of the Trump Dept of Justice that foreigners are voting in California. He says the claims are meant to bolster Carl DeMaio’s controversial Prop 39.
MAD Take: Foreign citizens must not be allowed to vote in our elections. Got it. But foreign governments are allowed to influence them? Russian bots have been flooding American email and social media for the past decade, often encouraged by Trump himself. Casting a single illegal vote is bad; poisoning the entire election is worse.

Suspicious mail sent to rep

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). Costa’s office receives suspicious letter containing powdery substance. 
Synopsis: An envelope containing unidentified white powder was delivered to a district office of Rep. Jim Costa. The letter’s arrival prompted a coordinated response from law enforcement, and the powder is being tested. No member of Costa’s staff was in danger. “Any attempts to instill fear and intimidation will not deter my dedicated staff and me from working for the people of our Valley,” said Costa. 

Supes balk at med school cost

Stocktonia. San Joaquin County balks at $2 million gift toward UOP medical school. 
Synopsis: A planned University of the Pacific medical school might not get the backing it wants from San Joaquin County. The school is requesting $2 million from the County. But the board of supervisors pushed a decision on the request off to its Nov. 10 meeting. Supervisor Robert Rickman said it would be “absolutely irresponsible” to spend funds with the county facing labor negotiations. Supervisor Paul Canepa originally requested $3 million but scaled it back. He and Supervisor Steve Ding pointed out the need for more doctors and medical specialists. UOP is also seeking state and federal contributions to offset a projected cost of $800 million.

13 Days left to vote

Stocktonia. Heath Flora’s scandals may aid challenger Matthew Adams in Assembly District 9. 
Synopsis: Heath Flora refuses to talk to legitimate media, mainly because actual reporters would ask about his personal life – a messy divorce, questions about where he lives, reluctance to pay child support, gambling habits, loss of confidence by his own party, etc. “This guy needs to be held accountable,” said challenger Matthew Adams. But Republicans have a 10-point registration advantage, and if money talks, then Adams is only whispering. He has raised $24,715 to Flora’s $611,385.

Public defender losing funds

Modesto Bee. Staffing cuts in Stanislaus Public Defender’s office as grant funding expires.
Synopsis: Ken Carlson reports that the Public Defender’s Office will have to cut seven positions from its indigent defense program after renewal of a $2.15 million federal grant was delayed. The cuts will include two social workers, a paralegal, caseworker and analyst. Those services will be merged into the office’s general caseload. Supervisor Vito Chiesa said the cuts do not “serve the public well, but it’s the situation we are in.”

Upskilling farmworkers in Merced

Ag Alert. Ag program aims to upskill farmworkers.
Synopsis: Merced College’s Agricultural Technology and Education Collaborative – AgTEC – is one of the first in the state to help farmworkers develop skills needed for farming in the 21^st century. Many students have been working on farms for years but now are attending classes to make themselves more valuable. The program is part of F3 – Farms Food Future, a federal initiative started in 2022 under the Biden administration. Classes are free and offered in English and Spanish, often at night. They cover everything from driving tractors to programming computers. There are also soft skills, such as email etiquette.

Suing over station plan

Merced Sun Star. Lawsuit accuses high-speed rail of ‘unlawful’ attempt to redo Valley station plan. 
Synopsis: The Community Alliance for a Sustainable Economy has sued the CA High-Speed Rail Authority over efforts to move a long-promised downtown train station to undeveloped land south of the city. The Alliance says the Rail Authority is trying to skip environmental impact reviews. The Rail Authority says it will save $1 billion by moving the station. The Alliance includes activist organizations Faith in the Valley and Valley Voices. The Authority is already advertising for engineering to proceed on its preferred location.
MAD Take: Not once has the Rail Authority explained how moving the station from downtown Merced will save $1 billion. It is an outlandish claim, considering that a much larger station on more expensive property in downtown Fresno will cost less than a third of that build. Asked another way, how does anyone save $1 billion on a building costing $50 million? The Rail Authority’s claim should never go unchallenged by reporters.

After 52 years, eatery closing

Modesto Bee. Treasured 52-year-old restaurant closes in Stanislaus County: ‘Hearts are breaking.’ 
Synopsis: After 53 years in Ceres, Alfonso’s Mexican Grill has closed. Alfonso Lara Sr. and his wife Martha opened the restaurant in 1973. Their children – Sally, Alma and Alfonso Jr. – kept it going after Alfonso’s death in 2013. Now Sally wants to retire. “It’s heartbreaking to watch the doors close on a place that has been around for generations,” wrote the Laras. Alfonso Sr. had been the head chef at Carmen’s in McHenry Village before opening his own place then expanding to Alfonso’s in Merced and El Castillo in Modesto.

Valley levees in bad shape

Cal Matters. Vital Central Valley flood control levees are poorly maintained, state watchdog finds. 
Synopsis: An audit of the Dept of Water Resources found the agency “has not followed state law requiring it to take over the maintenance of levees” when local agencies fail. DWR responded by saying the auditor lacked understanding of flood management and resource allocation. Professionals who work for districts that meet their obligations say the state couldn’t handle the work even if it took over. The audit says more than 250,000 people and 133,000 buildings are at risk if the state’s 1,600 miles of levees fail, along with thousands of square miles of farmland. The story notes that Gov. Newsom vetoed a bill that would have created a fund to repair 1,100 miles of aging Delta levees.

Cost of diesel killing farms

Ag Alert. Survey findings: High diesel prices threaten farm viability. 
Synopsis: Farmers say high diesel prices are threatening their farms, forcing them to lay off workers, delay maintenance and canceling equipment upgrades. Some 57% said the impacts are existential, with one farmer saying he is only “months away from foreclosure.” Allowing red-dye diesel for over-the-road use cuts the price by 24.4 cents but is not enough. “Farmers and ranchers are sending a clear message: Diesel prices matter,” said Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass.
MAD Note: The cost of diesel in CA was $3.43 a gallon in October 2025. Four months later, after Donald Trump started bombing Iran, the price was $6.44 and has climbed steadily since. Wednesday it was $8.24 according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Farmdoc. Diesel aid could push 2026 government payments to farmers to record $55 billion. 
Synopsis: Coverage drawn from various sources shows the $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program “could push government payments to farmers in 2026 to $55.4 billion, based on USDA’s earlier net farm income forecast.” That is the highest figure ever, surpassing the $45.6 billion paid to farmers in 2020 during the pandemic. That $55 billion represents a third of all farm income and is only a little less than what farmers collected in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 combined. The Wall Street Journal reports that several ag groups are critical. The Iowa Farmers Union said, “Farmers should never have been put in this position. A Band-Aid response now, two weeks before the election, doesn’t fix the problem.”

Boss collars a tough guy

GV Wire. Coalinga police K-9 helps arrest man accused of assaulting, choking father.
Synopsis: A bleeding man came to the Coalinga police station to report he had been attacked by his son, who had threatened to kill him. He said his son was on drugs and “out of control.” Police responded to East Pleasant Street, where they encountered Cristino Lopez behaving erratically and speaking incoherently. After he slightly injured an officer, police tased Lopez to no effect. K9 Boss was told to subdue him. And did.  

Fox26. CHP, Merced DA to detail arrest in killing of man found dead in Tesla on Hwy 152.
Synopsis: The CHP has arrested Manuel Adrian Salceda in the death of Javier Becerril Jr. of Hollister. Becerril’s body was found inside his burning Tesla parked alongside Hwy 152 on July 9.

Half of pistachio crop lost

Ag Alert. Growers harvest short pistachio crop as costs mount. 
Synopsis: A March heat wave and the natural alternating yields combined to bring down pistachio numbers in 2026. Following a record 2025 crop, this year’s harvest will be 655 million pounds. “The crop is half of what was expected, but the (grower) price isn’t going to double,” said Jeff Nichols of Hanford. Jason Giannelli said the Kern County harvest was “terrible,” averaging 200 pounds per acre – about a tenth of expectations. Higher diesel, fertilizer and water costs have forced him to file crop-insurance claims. Rich Krebs of Madera said some of his clients will lose $1 million this year. Wonderful Pistachios, the nation’s largest supplier, has announced it will raise prices to consumers, but growers will still suffer. “You can’t turn consumer demand on and off based on the size of one year’s crop,” said Wonderful VP Diana Salsa.