400 red-light runners

Modesto Bee. Modesto red-light camera captures 400 possible violations in first 11 days. 
Synopsis: The city of Modesto installed red-light cameras at Briggsmore and Coffee, and in the first 11 days of operatons caught 400 people running red lights. Police say the number “highlights why this program is so important.” Runing red lights leads to accidents. For the time being, scofflaws will receive notifications. But starting April 1, violators will be fined $495. If tickets had been sent, the city would have billed drivers $194,000 – half of which would have gone to the company that operates the system. Ten more intersections are scheduled to get the new cameras as the city addresses a serious speeding and reckless-driving problem.

Dirkse: I’m in for 2028

Turlock Journal. Conversation with Stanislaus Sheriff Jeff Dirkse: Part 2. 
Synopsis: Reporter Joe Cortez continues the Q&A he began last week with Sheriff Jeff Dirkse. The Sheriff announces he will seek re-election in 2028 – despite his belief in term limits. One of his goals is to have the issue over dispatch-center software resolved before leaving office. And when he leaves office, he’s gone. “I have no interest in going to Sacramento; I have no interest in flying to DC. None whatsoever. Period.” The sheriff said he’s proud of his department’s work against human trafficking, developing intel-analysis, real-time response and “staff wellness.” To help with that, he brought three-time Olympian Suzy Powell Roos onto the staff “and she does a phenomenal job.”

New deadline for pro soccer

Modesto Bee. Modesto and soccer league extend stadium negotiations deadline for second time. 
Synopsis: The United Soccer League and city of Modesto have been talking about a professional soccer team for the city for nearly two years. Apparently, the talking will continue – at least through June 10. At issue is building a downtown stadium. Originally, both sides had hoped to have completed a deal by March 10. The city has proposed its convention center as the most likely spot for a stadium that would seat at least 5,000 and up to 10,000. But the city council has decided to seek additional analysis, contracting with a sports-facility consulting company called Kosmont before committing to a $125 million facility.

A map to ‘Fresnoland’

GV Wire. When it comes to Fresnoland, you best follow the money. 
Synopsis: News Director Bill McEwen writes a scalding piece about the operations of independent nonprofit news site Fresnoland. “When it comes to transparency, Fresnoland is as clear as San Joaquin River mud,” he writes. “In fact, its mission statement should be: ‘We aim to back all of the public policies – past and present – of former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearingen…” McEwen notes that many of the sources frequently quoted by Fresnoland share funding with the website, including the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability and Fresno Building Healthy Communities. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the coverage of Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula – who Fresnoland has steadfastly supported in his endeavors. Now that he’s involved in a messy divorce, nary a word.

Valley Sun. Arambula had his father stalk ex-wife, set off home burglar alarm from rehab.
Synopsis: The Valley Sun rewrites Rupert Murdoch’s California Post – a new tabloid journalism entry -- which is looking into the public divorce documents filed by Elizabeth Arambula. She is seeking to end her 11-year marriage to Dr. Joaquin Arambula, an Assemblymember. He spent a month in rehab for alcohol and marijuana addiction and apparently asked his father to keep tabs on what his wife was up to.

StanCOG getting new boss?

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus agency could hire new executive director after spending controversy. 
Synopsis: The Stanislaus Council of Governments is on the verge of hiring Amber Collins as executive director. She currently works for a private planning and consulting firm but was the COG director in Calaveras County for four years. Collins would be paid $265,000 a year with various retirement, healthcare, leave and car allowances. That is more than the base pay of the previous executive director, Rosa Parks, who left the job after “lavish” spending was uncovered.

What happened to city audit?

Stocktonia. Audit committee questions why consultant contract didn’t get council approval. 
Synopsis: Last year, the Stockton city council tasked the city manager with investigating the city’s finances, specifically the skyrocketing cost of building a new city hall. Former interim city manager Steve Colangelo hired a consulting company to do as the council asked but didn’t get approval before signing the contract. Instead of a forensic audit, Colangelo signed for a “forensic examination,” which has different standards than an audit. Worse, the company he hired to do the investigation never did the work, according to city staff. All of this has drawn the attention of Vice Mayor Jason Lee, who said he learned “in a hallway conversation that we haven’t even started – I mean, that was pretty alarming.”

Help for peach growers?

Sacramento Bee. CA lawmakers urge federal government to help peach growers dropped by Del Monte.
Synopsis: After the bankruptcy of Del Monte Foods and shuttering of its Modesto cannery, hundreds of peach growers from throughout the north state have been left with fruit and almost no place to sell it. In all, there are 74,000 tons of peaches that will be harvested. On Friday, CA’s “congressional lawmakers” urged the USDA to fund tree removal and help cover some of the losses incurred this year.
MAD Note. Since virtually all of CA’s elected congressional leaders signed the letter, the story did not bother to name any of those who went to bat for growers. Among them were Reps. Adam Gray, Pete Aguilar, David Valadao, Jim Costa, John Garamendi, Vince Fong, Josh Harder and senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla. The full text and list is here.

Reining in Merced slumlords

Merced Focus. Proposed anti-slumlord policy gaining momentum as tenants fight problem properties. 
Synopsis: Renters who say they are facing substandard living conditions plan to attend Monday’s Merced City Council meeting. City staff is drafting an ordinance to help define those living standards and channels for addressing failure to meet them. Two activist organizations are working with tenants to help take action against “bad actors” and “serial offenders” of codes – aka, slumlords. Before tonight’s meeting, councilmember Shane Smith, city attorney Craig Cornwell and police Sgt. Alicia Gorman will tour properties that tenants believe are deficient.

Caballero: Water bond plan

Center Square. Caballero: Bond to pay for updates for state’s water.
Synopsis: Sen. Anna Caballero had a press conference at San Luis Reservoir on Friday, saying we have no idea how much it’s going to cost to drought-proof the state. “Will it be expensive? Yes.” That’s why the outgoing senator, and candidate for State Treasurer, is developing language for a bond to help finance the objectives of last year’s SB 72 -- which set a goal of adding 9-million-acre feet of storage. The Bureau of Reclamation is proposing elevating Sisk Dam at San Luis by 18 feet. Among those at the news conference was Fern Steiner, chair of the CA Water Commission which authorizes projects to be funded by state bonds. “Instead of managing for drought and scarcity of supply, the state will work toward the water-supply target of 9 million-acre feet to ensure we have enough water,” she said.
MAD Take: We passed a massive water bond in 2014, and nearly a decade later, we have almost nothing to show for it. Yes, Sites seems to be progressing. Slowly. But three other projects embraced by the
Water Commission have died. Is a bond what we need, or a better Water Commission?

And a ‘crazy’ water plan

USA Today. Crazy or genius? A nuclear-powered solution to the West’s water crisis. 
Synopsis: The Idaho-based Blue Ribbon Coalition is pushing the largest desalination program ever envisioned, building eight new facilities – each powered by small-scale nuclear -- on the CA coast to fill the state’s reservoirs on a continuing basis. “No country has ever tried something on this scale,” says the story. It would remove pressure from the Colorado River basin, providing water for farms and cities in both CA and Arizona. The Coalition says it would cost only around $40 billion to build desal plants from the Sea of Cortez and all the way to Northern California. At least 100 miles of pipeline to deliver water from the coast inland would cost even more. Critics Aaron Weiss of the Center for Western Priorities called the plan “just crazy” and “staggeringly expensive,” adding, “It’s not audacious, it’s just plain stupid.” 

FSU Foundation broke rules

Fresno Bee. Fresno State Foundation board voted to kill term limits after ignoring them for years.
Synopsis: The Fresno State Foundation controls $300 million in university endowments, grants and research funding. Its board is supposed to have representatives from faculty, the student body and administration. But over the past four years, the board voted to kill term limits and have failed to have the required reps. A state review found no malfeasance but called out the foundation’s bad practices.

Fewer grapes, finally

SF Chronicle. CA’s 2025 grape harvest was lightest in two decades; why that’s actually good news. 
Synopsis: Grape growers were relieved to see only 2.7 million tons of grapes crushed in 2025, a 6.2% decline from 2024. For optimists, the number signals the industry is nearing the bottom of its multi-year slump induced by falling demands and exacerbated by tariffs. US alcohol consumption hit a 90-year low last year. Growers removed 40,000 acres of vineyards. Zinfandel fell 24% and Pinot 13% as consumers shift to lighter reds and whites. Most of the cleared acreage was in the San Joaquin Valley.

Boxer TKO’d in title fight

Merced Sun Star. Merced boxer loses world championship bout in Anaheim.
Synopsis: Jesus “Chiquito” Haro suffered a TKO loss to Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo at the Honda Center on Saturday night. Collazo dominated the fight, which ended when Haro refused to come out of his corner in the seventh. Haro was a 14-to-1 longshot after filling in for a previously scheduled opponent. Haro trains at Haro Bros Boxing in Merced.

Perilous outdoor adventures

Merced Sun Star. Missing hiker found near Los Banos, Merced sheriff says.
Synopsis: A 21-year-old man who got separated from his group at the Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area near San Luis Reservoir on Saturday got lost and spent the night “camping.” He was found after 18 hours on Sunday morning. He was slightly dehydrated but otherwise OK. A Merced Sheriff’s helicopter, Fish & Wildlife and a Mariposa Search & Rescue team all helped find the missing hiker.

Fox26. Hang glider ends up struck in a tree in Fresno County.
Synopsis: Crews from Cal Fire, the CHP and county emergency services responded to reports of a hang glider stuck in a tree on Sunday afternoon. The pilot sat in the tree for about an hour before being helped to safety. He was not injured. Embarrassed maybe but not hurt.