Valley Solutions

What’s at stake in shutdown

KSEE / CBS 47. Gray, Valadao weigh in on government funding fight. 
Synopsis: Reps Adam Gray, a Democrat representing five Valley counties, and David Valadao, a Republican who represents three, demonstrated why there is a divide in funding the government. Gray said a reasonable “bipartisan solution” is reachable if Republicans back down from their plans to gut Medicaid for 4 million California residents. Valadao, who voted for the Big Beautiful (budget) Bill that guts Medicaid funding and threatens the continued operations of hundreds of rural hospitals, says Democrats are asking for too much. Said Gray: “Over 60,000 people in my district on the verge of losing some semblance of their healthcare, tens of thousands of people impacted with premium increases on their health care – we just have to do better.” The last time the government shut down was in 2018 during Trump’s first term; it lasted 35 days.

Figuring out shelter funding

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus officials optimistic about funding Modesto homeless shelter through June.
Synopsis: Stanislaus County supervisors were to hear about funding shortfalls now that the state has backed off funding for shelters under the Access Center Emergency Shelters (ACES) program. The county sent a 180-day termination notice to the Salvation Army shelter last week. Without additional funding, keeping their 182 beds open will be difficult.

Modesto Focus. ‘What is everybody going to do?’ Shelter residents fear potential closure.
Synopsis: Reporters Garth Stapley and Vivienne Aguilar look into the impacts of the possible closure of the 182-bed Berberian warehouse shelter on Ninth Street. The county has 6 months of funding left for the shelter. The Salvation Army runs this shelter and a companion facility in the same building. The other facility has 180 beds. But the Berberian shelter is the county’s only “low-barrier” shelter, meaning homeless people can keep their possessions, pets and partners while staying there. The county is considering a suggestion that cities could chip in, since the shelter acts as a regional center.

‘Death of SGMA’? Really?

SJV Water. Kern County supervisor predicts ‘death of SGMA’ after groundwater bill tabled.
Synopsis: Two bills to change how groundwater disputes are adjudicated arose in the state legislature this year following legal battles in Kern County. One bill passed and awaits the governor’s signature; the other has been tabled indefinitely. The tabled bill is the most important. It would have required judges to accept the local groundwater agency’s estimate of “sustainable yield” from any basin’s aquifers. That would create baselines for total pumping across the basin and allow the agency to set limits. Without a baseline figure, there is no basis for adjudication, said Kern County Supervisor Phillip Peters. Judging from current court cases, it takes 15 to 25 years to decide a case. In that time, restrictions could be set aside – making the groundwater law meaningless.

Special election details

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus gears up for Nov. 4 special election.
Synopsis: The Prop 50 election will be Nov. 4. Mail-in ballots will go out Oct. 6, and registrar of voters Donna Linder says early returns could signal voter enthusiasm. Five early voting centers will open Oct. 25 and six more by Nov. 2. One usual location won’t be used, since the King-Kennedy Center is undergoing renovations. 

A bank owned by the city?

Fresnoland. A city-owned bank? Fresno enters the chat on public banking. 
Synopsis: The state of North Dakota has a well-run, profitable bank that belongs to the people of the state. It has been in operation 106 years and has turned a profit in each of those years. It was one of the few banking institutions completely unaffected by the 2008 financial crisis. Fresno’s Eric Payne, executive director of the Central Valley Urban Institute, wants to see something similar in the Valley. That’s because the Fresno banking market ranks No. 97 among the nation’s 100 cities for small-business lending. A law passed in 2019 allows California cities to establish public banks, but no city has taken up the challenge.

2,000 salmon on Klamath

SF Chronicle. Salmon reach new milestone after CA’s massive dam removal.
Synopsis: A year after the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, salmon have pushed into once inaccessible reaches of the river. They’re even using a fish ladder to get past one of two remaining dams. It’s the farthest up the river salmon have been found in a century. Cal Trout says just because a few salmon have made it over the 41-foot Keno Dam doesn’t mean the dam is passable. Cal Trout and other groups want the last two dams removed as well. Meanwhile, researchers say 2,000 salmon have been counted on the Klamath this year – the most populous fall run on record. They believe several thousand more went uncounted.

No more secret ‘meetings’

Valley Sun. After DA complaint, FresnoCOG opens secret Measure C panel to public meetings.
Synopsis: Fresno County’s transportation sales tax is running out and there is a committee to ask voters to continue it. But the Fresno Council of Governments Measure C Renewal Steering Committee had neglected to publish agendas or keep minutes of meetings in what one member calls a violation of the Brown Act. Steering committee member Brooke Ashjian is trying to force the committee into Brown Act compliance. After saying such a committee didn’t even exist, FresnoCOG had to divulge that the “group” had met on July 9, July 16 and July 23 and then bi-weekly since. The committee’s “unofficial roster” included former Mayor Ashley Swearingen, Sandra Celedon and Veronica Garibay. FresnoCOG has now begun posting agendas and keeping minutes.

Salsa king posts bail

Fresno Bee. Bobby Salazar evades jail after posting $1M bond in Fresno arson case.
Synopsis: Restaurant owner and salsa maker Bobby Salazar is accused of hiring a biker to burn one of his eateries. After trying to convince the court he couldn’t afford his own attorney, Salazar finally posted bail and hired a new lawyer. When asked about the case as he exited the courthouse, Salazar said only: “Get some party trays and salsa.” His next hearing is Oct. 9.

Making history come alive

Westside Express. More than just a history teacher: Prof McNally’s timeless impact.
Synopsis: Timothy McNally’s classroom at the Merced College campus in Los Banos is not about lectures; it’s about connections. “If I am having fun, students usually are too,” he told the Express. “I just try to stay engaged and the students feed off that.” One of his favorite assignments is to send out students to interview family members about their personal histories – often resulting in powerful connections. His favorite era to each is the mid-20^th century.

A home for orphan camels

KSEE / CBS47. Have you visited Madera County’s camel sanctuary? 
Synopsis: Priscilla Davis has been keeping camels at the Patient Feather Ranch for years, along with rescued cows, dogs, chickens and a virtual zoo’s worth of animals. She even has a huge land tortoise named “Monster” and an elderly mule named Jethro. Davis said that help from others has allowed her to continue her operation financially. “I love animals, and I shovel poop. I don’t know all the other stuff.” If you love animals, too, you can volunteer.