Valley Solutions

Dyer: ICE lost public trust

Fresno Bee. ‘Hold ICE accountable’: Fresno mayor says immigration agency has lost public’s trust.
Synopsis: Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, a police chief for 18 years, told the US Conference of Mayors in Washington on Wednesday that ICE has lost the trust of Americans across the nation. He said ICE is using tactics abandoned by police forces more than 30 years ago. He asked the Trump administration to pause their deployment. “What we’re asking the president to do is to hold ICE accountable, to make sure that they’re getting the training they need to go out and do their job effectively,” said Dyer. He said if properly trained and deployed, ICE would be welcomed into neighborhoods. But “I think that ship has sailed.” A Minnesota mayor said ICE has increased the crime rate in her city. Dyer’s comments echoed those he made in Fresno during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration.

Fresno Bee. Hanford residents rally against ICE violence, urge Rep. Valadao to oppose tactics. 
Synopsis: People in Hanford and surrounding communities converged on David Valadao’s district office Wednesday to protest his vote to increase the budget for ICE and the Dept of Homeland Security. They later crowded onto a Hwy 198 overpass, putting up signs.

KCRA. Sacramento nurses honor Alex Pretti as part of nationwide demonstrations.
Synopsis: Dozens of nurses came out to Hwy 50 to hang banners from an overpass as part of a national demonstration by nurses to protest the killing of nurse Alex Pretti by ICE. “As nurses, just like Alex, we will be out here standing in solidarity with our community,” said nurse Melissa Beebe.

Fox26. Man in Batman suit fiercely confronts Santa Clara council over ICE.
Synopsis: Calling the Santa Clara City Council a “council of cowards,” a man in a Batman suit raged against ICE on Monday night. He demanded city police stop cooperating with federal authorities. One online comment said, “He’s not the hero we deserve, but the one we need right now.”

Tule Fog causes huge wreck

SF Chronicle. Central CA tule fog triggers 43-vehicle pileup, 9 hospitalized.
Synopsis: The fog is bad in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, and worse the farther south you go. A chain-reaction crash on Hwy 58 near Bakersfield involved 43 vehicles and sent nine people to four hospitals. By the time responders got to the scene, visibility was 50 feet. For the past 10 weeks dense fog has forced daily advisories from the National Weather Service as the Valley remains stuck in a “classic inversion pattern.”

Merced Sun Star. Dense fog to stick around in Central Valley.
Synopsis: Hazardous driving conditions will continue to develop in the mornings and evenings from Chico to Bakersfield at least through Friday, when a warming trend could tamp it down in some areas. Farther south, dense “radiation fog” is expected to continue through next week and even become worse. The “perfect recipe” for radiation fog is low-level moisture, clear skies and light winds. Authorities say slow down, drive with lights on (but never high beams), and leave extra room for cars in front of you.

Modesto Bee. 21-year-old crashes dune buggy into canal west of Gustine; woman missing.
Synopsis: While riding in a thick fog at dusk, Elixandro Miranda of Patterson drove his dune buggy into the Delta Mendota canal near Gravel Pit Road. The CHP says he got out of the canal then ran off, leaving his 3 passengers behind in the water. Two swam to shore, but one is still missing. The CHP went to Miranda’s home and arrested him.

MID sets price: $200 AF

Valley Citizen. After Byrd recusal, Irrigation district reaches agreement on water rates. 
Synopsis: Eric Caine traces the exploitation of groundwater back to Trinitas Partners 20 years ago followed by farm developer Tyler “Ty” Angle, who bought up thousands of acres of grazing land in the foothills east of Oakdale and Waterford. Angle partnered with Supervisor Terry Withrow and MID director Larry Byrd to plant trees. Now, “falling almond prices and depleted Valley aquifers have resulted in thousands of acres of uprooted trees and billions of dollars’ worth of environmental destruction.” Before Trinitas and Angle, aquifers on the east side were stable. Byrd argued strenuously in favor of selling MID water to east side growers for $60 an acre foot on a 20-year contract. Last Tuesday the board voted to sell water for $200 an acre foot with Byrd recusing himself.
MAD Take: Even at $200, the board was far too generous with the public’s water. Oakdale, for instance, offered the same price years ago but included an escalator clause of 3% every year. The Veles CA Water Index, which tracks the price of groundwater daily, puts the price at $264.85 per AF as of Thursday morning – its lowest price since trading began.

Politics in the Valley

Valley Sun. Bakersfield councilwoman Manpreet Kaur files to challenge Hurtado for Senate.
Synopsis: Democrat Manpreet Kaur will challenge Democrat Sen. Melissa Hurtado in District 16. Kaur founded the Kern County chapter of the Jakara Movement in 2016. Hurtado had been unopposed until Guillermo Gonzalez – a field rep for Republican David Valadao -- filed for the seat recently.

KQED. GOP candidate Steve Hilton would extradite California doctor to Louisiana.
Synopsis: Fox commentator and gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton says he would violate current CA law and extradite the doctor who provided abortion medication to a Louisiana woman via the mail. Hilton said he would “enforce the law” – meaning Louisiana’s law, not California’s. CA forbids such extraditions under an executive order by Gov. Newsom. Hilton says CA is trying to impose its will on Louisiana, not the other way around.

LA Times. San Jose Mayor Mahan, Newsom critic and moderate, enters race for CA governor.
Synopsis: Portraying himself as a pragmatic moderate who will prioritize quality-of-life issues, Matt Mahan got off the fence and into the governor’s race Wednesday. He is polling about 5% of the vote, well behind co-leaders Eric Swalwell and Katie Porter at 11% each and Tom Steyer with 9%. Mahan’s message: “Back to Basics.”

10,500 salmon on the Moke

Maven / East Bay MUD. Mokelumne River salmon returns highlight hatchery program success.
Synopsis: More than 10,500 chinook salmon came up the Mokelumne River this year, allowing hatchery employees to collect 7.5 million eggs. The Mokelumne contributes only about 3% of freshwater to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta but makes up 50% of the commercial salmon catch.
MAD Note: Last year the Mokelumne saw around 37,000 salmon return – more than the river could accommodate for spawning. While 10,500 is great compared to average, but oddly light in a year when most other streams are seeing huge numbers.

From 2 chicks to poultry empire

Ag Alert. Poultry Prodigy: 4-H’er turns handful of chicks into thriving business. 
Synopsis: When Nathan Hutchison was 9 years old, he begged his mother to be allowed to have baby chicks to raise. Figuring she’d end up taking care of them, she said no. But 9-year-olds are insistent, and the single mom finally relented. When the eggs started showing up and earning young Nate money, she was all-in. He’s in high school now and has long since moved his operation from the backyard to a nearby farm. Now he raises 50 breeds, from turkeys to meat chickens and sells from 3,000 to 5,000 eggs every month. He considers it less a job than a calling.

Hospitals facing bankruptcy

GV Wire. 10% of CA hospitals threatened with closure: Industry group. 
Synopsis: The loss of Medicaid funding, via Medi-Cal cuts, could leave 2.1 million Californians uninsured and make hospital operations untenable in many areas. Add to that state requirements for additional seismic safety measures, and many CA hospitals are facing bankruptcy says the CA Hospital Assn. “Hospitals must care for all individuals, regardless of their ability to pay,” said spokesman David Simon. “What happens when people are not covered by health insurance is that hospitals are the ones who essentially have to absorb the costs.” To do that, prices will skyrocket, driving up insurance costs for those who have it. Medi-Cal reimbursements make up 40% of payments to Community Regional Medical Centers. For hospitals in Kern, Kings, Tulare and Madera counties, Medi-Cal reimbursements make up from 50% to 72% of income. In Clovis, unpaid care already exceeds 200% of the hospital’s net income, amounting to $53 million last year. Eleven of the SJ Valley’s medical centers reported losses last year, all of which will be worsened by reductions in Medicaid. Rep. David Valadao insists new Medicaid rules requiring recipients work or attend classes for 20 hours a week will encourage “individuals to either work, volunteer, attend school or participate in job training” to qualify for care.  

Homeless numbers rising?

GV Wire. Fresno, Madera homelessness rises again in annual count.
Synopsis: Preliminary estimates from the Point In Time count suggests the number of homeless individuals in Madera and Fresno counties is rising. The count includes those living in shelters, and that has improved the situation for many. “This is my 10^th PIT,” said HUD manager Laura Reynolds. “When I first started, we didn’t have shelters. So, there were a lot more people living directly on the street.” Last year’s count saw a small decrease.

CARE Court: Waste or scam?

Valley Sun. Report: CA spent $236 million on mental illness, homeless program that served 22 people. 
Synopsis: The CARE Court was launched in 2022 to help an estimated 50,000 mentally ill people to be diverted from the criminal-justice system and receive treatment when ordered by a judge. Four years later, the London-based Daily Mail reports exactly 22 people have been helped, despite the filing of 3,000 petitions. Some call it a failure, others call it a fraud, saying “CARE Court has become a revenue-generating system that keeps cases open without delivering care.”

Honors in Merced, Stockton

Merced County Times. Golden Valley senior captures crown for Miss Merced County.
Synopsis: Lacey Spielman was crowned Miss Merced County 2026 during a competition on Jan. 17 in Atwater. She is involved in FFA, cheerleading, ASB leadership and trap shooting. She called her victory a “platform for service.” She supplants Cassandra Valdez, last year’s queen.

Stocktonia. A birthday surprise: John Vera named 2025 Stocktonian of the Year.
Synopsis: John Vera figured he was walking into a not-so-surprising birthday party. So, he was actually surprised to learn that he had been named the Stockton Man of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce and Central Valley Assn of Realtors.

Who’s the best little farm boy?

Ag Alert. Paws with Purpose: CA’s top farm dogs. 
Synopsis: Valley Solutions is always a sucker for dog stories, and this Farm Bureau story profiling the state’s top farm small dogs provides is no exception. One of four dogs honored is Corduroy, the 11-year-old Labradoodle who lives on the Terpstra family farm in Wood Colony west of Modesto. Corduroy was second runner-up. He looks cute but is a terror to gophers. Corduroy and his owner Sam Terpstra earned a $250 prize. The top small dog is a miniature long-haired dachshund from Shasta County who herds cattle and works with his pal, a golden retriever.