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.

Some folks got to see eclipse

KMPH Fox26. Viewers send in fantastic shots of partial eclipse.
Synopsis: Yes, it was too cloudy for many people in the Northern San Joaquin Valley to see the near-total eclipse of the moon Thursday night. But a few people got a glimpse, and many of them were ready with their cameras. The moon was 97% eclipsed, and some viewers sent in their best photos. Many had planned for the event for weeks and were worried the clouds would kill their chances.

Immigration sweeps ramp up

Modesto Focus. Federal court temporarily lifts injunction protecting Valley from sweeps as arrests uptick. 
Synopsis: The Ninth Circuit appeals court has lifted the ban on immigration sweeps, unleashing Border Patrol and ICE agents across the Valley. A preliminary injunction issued several months ago kept the agents from conducting large-scale raids from Bakersfield to the Oregon border all summer. But the court ruled that the evidence of harm provided by the United Farm Workers and ACLU did not justify continuing the injunction. Already, immigrants visiting federal and local offices are being picked up, said Faith in the Valley. “It’s a harmful ruling for immigrants. It puts people in the Valley at risk of immigration enforcement,” said Patrick Kolasinski, a Modesto attorney. There’s a catch, said Kolasinski. If the agents conduct large-scale sweeps, that will provide evidence of harm the court said was lacking.

67 Days left: Hilton in Modesto

Modesto Bee. Steve Hilton courts conservative Central Valley voters in uphill CA governor’s race.
Synopsis: If Steve Hilton is going to have a chance to win the CA governor’s race, he has to mobilize support in purple places like Stanislaus County. The key will be turnout; to drive it, Hilton has been conducting town halls, attending picnics and showing up for all kinds of events – like the small gathering in North Modesto on Wednesday. The number of people attending was not mentioned in the story, but it appears from photos to be roughly 50 or 60 people. The story quotes Modesto councilmember Jeremiah Williams telling Hilton, “Just please win.”

Valley Sun. CA submits arguments in Fresno County transportation tax measure lawsuit.
Synopsis: The circuitous and contentious machinations continue as cities in Fresno County attempt to keep their half-cent transportation sales tax. The tax has been in place nearly 40 years and was up for renewal this year. After delays and issues around signature verification, the county supervisors attempted to keep the measure off the ballot until 2028. The county’s mayors feared losing funding for road projects and appealed to state legislators for help. They rushed through a measure to fast-track the ballot measure for the Nov. 3 election. Now the county is suing to have it removed. A ruling is expected by Monday.

Taking longer to reopen library

Modesto Bee. Modesto library won’t reopen its doors in October after all; work continues.
Synopsis: The main branch of the Stanislaus County library in downtown Modesto will not reopen as scheduled in October, it was divulged Thursday. The $18 million renovation began Nov. 30, 2024, but is taking longer than expected. Asbestos removal is said to be a problem. No new timeline was provided.

One step closer to plug-in solar

Orange County Register. CA moves closer to approving plug-in solar. 
Synopsis: An Assembly bill was unanimously passed Tuesday to allow plug-in solar systems to be sold in California. The systems are already available in Utah, in seven other states and throughout Europe, but have been banned over “safety” concerns across the rest of the U.S. The so-called “balcony solar” systems are seen as the most affordable means of installing solar in homes, with systems costing as little as $300. Non-profit Bright Saver says demand for the systems is already enormous. Utilities have lobbied to have authority to reject the systems or place restrictions on them. PG&E was able to win a concession that will delay implementation until 2030. But some Californians have refused to wait, buying systems in other states and installing them here. Already, the state is the nation’s largest market for plug-in solar.

Supes rip Merced housing boss

Merced County Times. County leaders give an earful to director of housing agency.
Synopsis: Following an update from the Merced County Housing Authority, county CEO Mark Hendrickson went to some lengths to distance the county from the agency. Then director Rosa Vazquez detailed a shortfall in her agency’s resources, which she says is impacting how many Section 8 housing vouchers her agency can issue. Then it was time for others to speak. Former city councilmember Michael Belluomini of Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project told supervisors that the agency does not respond to applications and requests. They won’t even answer the phone. That wasn’t news to supervisors. “How can people report a change in something if there’s nobody to answer the phone?” asked Supervisor Josh Pedrozo. He said the agency’s performance is “very frustrating.” Supervisor Lloyd Pareira concurred. “The No. 1 complain that I receive … is the inability to communicate with your office.”

Is Delta ready for El Niño?

ABC10. El Niño could bring added flood pressure to Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Synopsis: All the warnings about the strongest El Niño ever recorded are forcing officials to sound alarms in the Delta. Levees there are often under pressure even without extreme rainfall. If they fail, large islands could be inundated and cities threatened. The station’s weather team explains the impacts and preparations.

Tire fire out, but still smoldering

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). Crews make significant progress on Ballico tire fire.
Synopsis: Merced fire crews have extinguished the flames at the tire-storage facility that has been burning for several days in Ballico. But the tires continue to smolder, meaning smoke continues to rise and is still not safe to inhale. The smoldering could continue through the weekend.

In Madera, stay out of the lake

KSEE. Visitors urged to avoid contaminated waters at Madera County Lake.
Synopsis: Eastman Lake north of Madera is the scene of several algal blooms, and county officials are telling people to stay out of the water. Even touching the water can cause rashes, blistering and throat irritation. Consuming the water can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Dogs and children especially should be kept out of the water, say officials.

‘Dullest school name’ contest?

Merced Sun Star. Planada school district seeks public input on four potential names for middle school.
Synopsis: A Planada Elementary School District committee has narrowed its search for a new name for its middle school to four suggestions. They are: 1) Planada Intermediate Academy, 2) Planada Community Middle School, 3) La Union Intermediate Academy, 4) Planada Junior High. There will be a public meeting Sept. 10 to review the names and get public response. The board will choose at the Oct. 1 meeting.
MAD Take: I understand the reticence in naming schools after people. But these names barely rise to the level of dull.

Two movies about Modesto

Modesto Bee. Two Modesto-set films to play at the State Theatre; they’re vastly different. 
Synopsis: “Lirios en El Valley” will be shown Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m., a documentary about the regional Mexican music scene centered in Modesto. Focused on music that arose in labor camps, it was produced by Brandon Jamal, president of Modesto Sound, with help from the Stanislaus Community Foundation. The second film is “Agent: Strong” by Hakeem Pierstorff, a political satire, airing Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Data-center anger rising

Cal Matters. The data center backlash is here – and Big Tech is spending big to combat it. 
Synopsis: Companies trying to build data centers are flooding the legislature with cash in an effort to defang seven bills that would limits the location and size of such centers. Amazon, Anthropic and PG&E and some of their unions are all trying to derail the bills. Seven in 10 Americans oppose the centers in their communities over water and power concerns. “Awareness is through the roof,” in the words of one legislator. By Monday it will be clear which bills will make it to Gavin Newsom’s desk. Three bills will shield electricity ratepayers; two would limit water use and one would require CEQA for all data centers while disallowing any fast-tracking. Along with PG&E, the CA Chamber, Silicon Valley Leadership Group and IBEW are against the bills. Last year, four bills yielded a single weak regulation requiring disclosure of energy use. “We are in a totally different environment this year.”

State Center faculty OKs strike

GV Wire. State Center faculty authorize strike as Fresno City College semester begins.
Synopsis: An overwhelming 97% of teaching faculty in State Center Community College District voted to authorize a strike. The vote comes after 20 months of “unproductive negotiations,” said Federation of Teachers Local 1533. This is the first strike-approval vote in the history of the district, which covers Fresno City College, Reedley College and the Madera and Clovis community colleges.

Happy ending in this dog story

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). Missing support dog reunited with Merced family.
Synopsis: A support dog that has been missing for two weeks has been reunited with its family. A stranger found the dog and had been walking through neighborhoods, he said, to find the owner. Police recognized the dog and reunited it with the family, who had filed a missing-puppy report.

Jim Coleman passes in Modesto

Modesto Bee. James Edward Coleman (Modesto).
Synopsis: Jim Coleman was a member of the Gallo family inner circle, married to Julio’s daughter Sue. They met at Oregon State University and were married 65 years until her death in 2022. They had eight children, seven of whom survive him. He learned the business by tasting wine with Julio “every day for 34 years,” read the paid obit. Said CEO Ernest J. Gallo: “My Uncle Jim devoted more than 60 years to Gallo, helping shape our company through his commitment to family ownership and support of product innovation.”
MAD Note: This is the kind of passing that once would have been marked with a “news obit,” written by a reporter and placed prominently on the website or the front page of the newspaper. That, sadly, was a long time ago.