Valley Solutions

Anger over ICE bubbles over

Cal Matters. CA Democrats urge government shutdown after federal agents kill Minnesota nurse. 
Synopsis: Some 50 California legislators are decrying last weekend’s murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents and insisting no additional funding for ICE and the Border Patrol be contained in a spending bill. The bill already passed the House but awaits a vote in the Senate where some Democrats have vowed a filibuster. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas told Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to “step aside” if he is unwilling to derail the funding. Republicans like Tony Strickland and Shannon Grove, meanwhile, blamed the creation of CA’s “sanctuary” cities for policies that resulted in the murder of American citizens.

Mercury News. Bay Area assemblyman introduces bill to tax 50% of profits from ICE detention centers.
Synopsis: SF’s Matt Haney wants to levy a 50% tax on the profits of private detention centers. “ICE is engaged in a reign of terror across the country, and they plan to grow their attacks on California,” he said. “We have to be ready, and this is a way we can undermine their ability to operate here.”

SF Chronicle. CA bill would ban ICE agents from jobs in teaching, policing.
Synopsis: If you chase that $50K ICE signing bonus, don’t expect to find a career in California. That’s the message from Assemblymember Avila Farias, who would bar former ICE employees from state jobs. Eric Swalwell has also promised to restrict ICE agents from getting state jobs if he is elected governor. Sen. Scott Weiner is pushing to make it easier to sue federal agents if they violate constitutional rights. Assemblymember Alex Lee wants to end any tax breaks for companies that have contracts with ICE.

Sheriff: Back off, Governor

KSEE / CBS47. Sheriff reacts to Newsom letter urging local law enforcement to investigate federal agents. 
Synopsis: Gov. Gavin Newsom and CA Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter urging local law enforcement to protect Californians from overzealous federal agents. That rubbed Merced Sheriff Vern Warnke the wrong way: “Governor, I don’t need any help telling me how to do my job.” Warnke accused Newsom of using the killings in Minneapolis to “incite local people.” As for protecting local residents. “I’m not a bashful guy,” said Warnke. “The federal government is in here doing something, and I see something blatant … We will take care of business. But to have our governor and attorney general make those statements is completely and totally reckless. … We don’t need any more violence.”

Merced will consider move

Merced Focus. Merced leaders support ‘collaborative review’ of proposal to relocate bullet-train station.
Synopsis: The Merced City Council offered to thoroughly review a plan to move the planned bullet-train station out of downtown – its proposed site for more than a decade – and put it 4 miles south of town. At Darin DuPont’s insistence, the letter no longer includes the term “conceptual support” for the plan but does promise to look at it. Fue Xiong voted against the commitment, which passed 6-1. When conceived, the downtown station would have provided a hub for riders of ACE trains, the bullet train and surface transport to UC Merced, and several businesses have already relocated.
MAD Note: The high-speed rail authority says it will cost $1 billion more to build a train station downtown than out in a cornfield. Why? That number does not make sense. And what, exactly, does the city get out of agreeing to move it?

Paneling over 136,000 acres

SF Gate. One of the world’s largest solar projects is headed for CA’s Central Valley. 
Synopsis: Tessa McLean reports that a single solar project will cover 136,000 acres of former cropland in western Fresno County, becoming the largest solar-panel project in the world. The Valley Clean Infrastructure plan would cover an area roughly 4x the size of San Francisco. “This will allow you to get paid for growing electricity,” said tree farmer Jeff Fortune, 45. Westlands GM Allison Febbo calls the project “a survival plan” for farmers who no longer have reliable water supplies. Developer Golden State Clean Energy says the company will employ 500 permanent staff for the project – though some question that claim.

Protecting county’s wells

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus adopts plan to protect wells in Modesto area, comply with state. 
Synopsis: Ken Carlson looks at the groundwater plan adopted by Stanislaus County for areas outside of irrigation districts. The county is required by the state to bring groundwater extraction into compliance with the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. In areas served by irrigation districts, groundwater levels are stable and in balance. But rampant planting of trees in the hills on the eastern slope of the county has depleted aquifers, and now 30 wells are at risk of failure. Supervisor Terry Withrow demanded a third-party review of data, saying this is about the conflict between westside and eastside landowners. Supervisor Mani Grewal said urban ratepayers shouldn’t have to subsidize eastside growers.
MAD Take: This issue is at the heart of the conflict raging within Modesto Irrigation District, where director Larry Byrd has been pushing to sell district water to out-of-district growers for a fraction of its market value. He has gotten the support of a few eastside growers like Ty Angle, a Withrow partner, and former Rep. John Duarte.  

Trump calling water shots

Politico. Trump is winning his water tug-of-war with Newsom. 
Synopsis: Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump dislike each other, but both like delivering water to farmers. Water deliveries have ticked up, mostly due to consecutive wet years but also due to looser restrictions on pumping from the Delta. The feds’ Central Valley Project pumped 24,000 additional acre feet from the Delta. But that meant the State Water Project had to reduce its pumping to make up the difference in environmental flows and pumping by cities. In the past, the two systems were operated in tandem. DWR head Karla Nemeth has modeled scenarios showing reductions in SWP pumping as the CVP pumps more. “This is a complex system where people already do not trust each other on their best day,” said Nemeth.

Dangers of lions, wolves

SF Chronicle. ‘One paw away from my jugular’: A SF nurse’s harrowing encounter with the lion.
Synopsis: Nurse Lindsey Ann Cummings and her Great Dane Elvis arrived at the home of a Pacific Heights patient early Monday evening carrying takeout dinner. As she started up the stairs, she saw a lion crouching in the shadows about 3 feet away – close enough to reach her with an outstretched paw. She dropped the burgers, grabbed her dog and dashed into a partially open garage. “You just don’t expect to turn a corner … and see a massive, wild apex predator,” she said. She made it inside and called for help. A short time later, she saw animal control officers and Mayor Daniel Lurie in the street. “For the mayor to show up when you call for help is pretty profound. That’s good mayoring,” said Cummings.  
MAD Note: Subsequent stories detailed the capture of the lion, which was tranquilized and removed. It will eventually be released into the wild. Another story offered the lion’s backstory. His name is 157M, born April 2024 on the peninsula and tracked by UC Santa Cruz. He was collared as a kitten, but the collar had fallen off.

Western Farm Press. One wolf pack caused $2.6 million in costs over seven months. 
Synopsis: The UC Cooperative Extension quantified impacts of predation by the Beyem Seyo pack of wolves in Sierra Valley. Two UC specialists studied wolf diets, and found cattle were a major component, driving the predator’s “success” in growing its population. The study put the cost of depredation at $2.6 million over seven months. Natural Resources Advisor Tracy Schohr said the study is “finally putting an exclamation point on our story” of losses. There are 10 wolf packs in California, preying on deer, elk and other animals. But after depleting the deep populations, the Beyem Seyo pack turned to hunting cattle, killing 92 cows and calves in 114 days. Four wolves were killed last fall, ending the depredation.

Dispatcher ‘rescues’ victim

KSEE / CBS47. Merced County woman helps save human trafficking victim. 
Synopsis: Kelly Ellison, a dispatcher for Merced County, took a call from a woman who was pretending to call a family member. Ellison immediately realized the woman was in a car and in danger, so she played along, getting crucial details about the location, the car and the man she was with. “Ellison’s patience, empathy and experience” allowed her to give CHP time to arrive and rescue the victim.

80-year anniversary? It’s ‘Oak’

KSEE24 / CBS47. Madera County couple explains secret to 80 years of marriage.
Synopsis: Bill and Bea Jones were married on Dec. 23, 1945, in Harrisburg, Ark. They celebrated their Oak Anniversary – one of only four couples in California to achieve that 80-year milestone – two days before Christmas. Bill is 98, Bea 99. Supervisor Rob Poythress called them “an inspiration to our entire community.” They live at the Cedar Creek Senior Living facility. Said Bea: “80 years of marriage, it’s a long time.”

Former mayor honored in Ceres

Ceres Courier. Louis Arrollo named ‘Citizen of the Year’ at 57^th annual Chamber awards banquets.
Synopsis: Ceres High administrator Louis Arrollo was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 57^th annual Ceres Chamber banquet Friday. Other nominees were Shane Parson, owner of Diamond Bar Arena, and Alfonso’s Mexican Restaurant. An educator since 1984, he served as Mayor for three terms and on the city council for four terms.

Ceres Courier. Bob Gobble appointed to Planning Commission.
Synopsis: Bob Gobble, the former Ceres Lions president, was chosen to fill the unexpired term of Ishwar Gill, who resigned from the commission in November. He joins Francisco Mireles, who was appointed to fill Dave Johnson’s unexpired term, and Gary M. Condit, Dr. Dorie Perez and RJ Jammu. Mayor Javier Lopez refused to allow councilmember Jim Casey to ask any question that had not been pre-approved.

New businesses are coming

Modesto Bee. Popular bookstore chain to open second Stanislaus County location.
Synopsis: Barnes & Noble will open a store in Turlock. The nation’s largest bookstore chain was near bankruptcy two years ago, but consecutive strong Christmas seasons brought it back to life. This year B&N announced it will open new stores – including one in Turlock. No opening date was set, but it will be in the former Forever 21 store on Countryside Drive.

Merced Sun Star. What’s being built in front of Ulta Beauty at Merced mall?
Synopsis: The new building going up at the Shoppes at Merced (aka, Merced Mall) will be an Aspen Dental outlet. The company has an office in Modesto and is hiring for its Merced location.

Life is ‘helping someone else’

GV Wire. Danny Trejo shares message of redemption with Fresno City College students. 
Synopsis: Students and faculty packed the Old Admin Building on Fresno City College campus to hear 80-year-old Danny Trejo speak about his colorful life. He has been sober 57 years. His core message is that addiction does not need to trap you or define you. Trejo’s turning point came in prison. “Drugs are an addiction, I don’t care what you say,” he told the audience. As for his success, “Everything I have comes from helping someone else.”